3 Reasons Your Small Group Needs Professional Help
There’s a good chance you’re in small group ministry because you care about people.
And when you care about people, you want to connect with them.
Small group discussions are great—after all, these conversations are foundational in the faith of those you lead.
But if you really want to go deeper, you have to create opportunities for shared experiences.
Serving together. Weekend barbecues. Whitewater rafting. When it comes to small group activities, the options are endless.
➔Your ability to lead all of these outings, however, has its limits.
You don’t want to…
- Become an ongoing inside joke because of some catastrophe you incited as a result of your small group outing.
- Your name, or the activity you planned, to become a verb because it caused so much chaos (i.e. “Let’s make sure we don’t BRAD this situation!”)
- Become the ongoing example of what not to do for future small group leader trainings!
It’s not that you’re unqualified or don’t have enough life experience. You have unique skills, talents, and strengths.
All of us are good at something, and nobody is good at everything.
So next time your group ventures into an activity outside your area of expertise, that’s okay. You can hire a professional to guide the group instead.
Three reasons to hire a professional:
- You’ll look smarter. Sometimes the best thing you can do to build credibility is to invite the wisdom of those who know more than you. Your group is looking to you for direction, and building their trust might mean admitting when something is outside your wheelhouse.
- Everyone will be safer. In general, people enjoy doing things more when they know they’re not at risk of bodily injury. The members of your group will probably be more excited to join in the fun if they’re confident that a knot is tied correctly, the guide has been down the river before, or the equipment they’re using is properly maintained.
- You’ll get to focus on what matters most: relationships. When you bring in an expert to guide an experience, you’ll be freed up to actively participate with the rest of the group. Instead of having to worry about the details, you can be present in the moment and lean into conversations with those around you.
So how do you know it’s time to bring in reinforcements?
Before planning an activity, ask yourself this question: Is this an activity that typically requires a signed waiver?
Cookie decorating? You got this.
Camping at a state park? Go for it.
Doing a high ropes course in your backyard? Not so much.
If during your activity, anyone in your group will be suspended in or falling through the air, underwater for over fifteen seconds, near a dangerous animal, being propelled faster than their legs can carry them, or operating machinery, you should hire a professional to guide the experience.
Please note: These are just examples, not an exhaustive list!
When you seek out the expertise of professionals, you open wide the options of things your group can do together.
So get out there. Be creative. Do something new! Just don’t become a verb or an inside joke in the process!
★★ The Small Group System is a ready-to-implement plan that helps you strategize your discipleship process in a strategic way!
In addition to training, this system includes done-for-you resources that you can immediately use to both train small group leaders and attract people to your small group ministry.
YOU’LL WALK AWAY FROM THIS RESOURCE WITH TOOLS IN YOUR POCKET TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE, PRACTICAL CHANGE IN THE WAY YOU TACKLE THE SMALL GROUP INVOLVEMENT CHALLENGE AT YOUR CHURCH!
CHECK IT OUT RIGHT HERE!