Like a lot of pastors I have frequently been guilty of over-promising and under-delivering when it comes to the value of small groups.
We know they are somehow supposed to be important for discipleship and we’ve even experienced relationships which come close to or even deliver on the promise, but we’re just vague enough about the whole thing to not know how to assess success or train leaders for success.
This is what my current phase of ministry is all about. After twenty-five years pastoring traditionally non-traditional churches, I’m now pastoring an extremely non-traditional church where we are pinning everything, at least in terms of structure for discipleship on the promise of small groups.
As the above video indicates I’ve also become a coach and trainer for pastors wanting to revitalize, re-envision, or begin their small group ministry.
Over the next few weeks, in this space starting on Monday after Thanksgiving and going weekly, I’m going to share some of what we’ve learned at Focus as well as my time with other pastors in the same pursuits; challenges we’ve faced, mistakes we’ve made, and victories we’ve experienced. I’ll also pose the questions we’re still sorting out and maybe you can help us find answers!
In the meantime, let me ask you a question to ponder: why?
Why do you value small groups? Why should a church have small groups?
To get in on the dialogue, post your comments here or shoot me an email.
Have a great Thanksgiving!