How can you tell if your church really wants to be a church OF groups? It’s not that hard to figure out. Here’s what to look for:
1. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to find out everything you want to know about small groups. The website, the bulletin, and the information desk in the lobby are all designed to make it easy to understand why small groups are a priority and how to get involved (see 5 Transferable Website Concepts from Saddleback’s Recent Campaign Launch for more).
2. You don’t have to be Nostradamus to attend a service the week your pastor talks about the importance of being in a group. No matter what week you’re listening, you hear the senior pastor emphasize the importance of being in a group (see Your Senior Pastor as Small Group Champion Leads to a Church OF Groups for more).
3. You don’t have to be King Solomon to figure out which menu item leads to being truly connected. Programs that don’t lead to grouplife aren’t given equal time (see A Plated Meal Leads to a Church OF Groups for more).
4. You don’t have to be Jesus Junior to lead a group. A heart for unconnected people, a willingness to open your home for six weeks, serve a few refreshments and tell a few of your friends…is all you need to take the first step (see HOST: What Does It Mean? for more).
5 .You don’t have to be a Berean, a student of Gamaliel, or know that Hezekiah isn’t a book of the Bible to be ready to put your toe in the water and test drive a group. The topic of the church-wide campaign is designed to appeal cross culturally and make sense to friends and neighbors (see How to Choose the Right Church-Wide Campaign for more).
What if you don’t see all five signs? Don’t worry, it can be fixed. Remember the great Andy Stanley line… “your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you’re currently experiencing.” If you want different results, you’re going to need to change the design. Want to dive in and look more carefully at your design?
