Whether you’re a small group pastor, coach, leader, apprentice (or whatever term is used in your church) it is absolutely vital that you lead your ministry and your own group to embrace outwardness. Honestly, I’m not much for the buzz word “missional” (although I couldn’t really tell you why), so I prefer to use the term “outwardness” instead. Regardless what you call it the rest of your ministry will never get an outward focus until you, the leader, get it. So my first suggestion to individual small group leaders and ministry leaders is for you to develop a heart for outwardness.
The first step to going out is falling down. Outward focus doesn’t start with some big missions event. It begins with a small move from the couch to your knees. Fall on your knees and ask Jesus to change your heart. Ask him to break you and give you a longing to see others changed by Jesus when you and those you lead reach out and personally touch them with God’s love.
Jesus wept over the people of Jerusalem and then sacrificed everything for them. We (me included) calously drive passed panhandlers without even looking at them. We pass elementary schools without considering how we can bring Jesus to the precious children there. We put accountability software on our computers to protect us from porn but we don’t give any thought about demonstrating God’s wonderful love to those who are enslaved by it. We talk about the menu for our next small group meeting, but we don’t talk about what to do with the leftovers. We put extra food in the fridge or the trash while there are hungry people throughout our city. We study eschatology but refuse to think of the actual reality of Hell.
The first step to going out is falling down. Fall down and pray that your heart, and the hearts of those you lead will be broken, changed, and awakened by the pain in our world that only Jesus’ beautiful, powerful love can heal.
Once outwardness has captured your heart you must make it a part of your battle plan. Too many leaders talk about outwardness but don’t develop a good plan that will help their people live it out. So how do you make it a part of your plan?
1. Develop Community Partnerships – Find organizations in your city who are always ready for small groups make arrangements for your ministry to serve them regularly. Pastors, you should establish at least three community partners so your groups will have some options.
2. Set A Metric – numerical goals feel unspiritual to some, but the bottom line is that measured performance gets improved performance. Establish a numerical goal number related to groups living outwardly. Then shoot for that goal! Remember, he who aims at nothing hits it every time.
3. Cut Out Competitors – there are things we do in church that unintentionally compete with outwardness. Many times the resources and programs we create are the competition. For example: your people will not be outward if they are handed a 13 week Bible Study to complete. They will tend to meet once per week and finish the numerical goal of a 13 week study rather than completing the “less-defined” goal of ministry in the community. Give them tools that equip them to BE outward not just sit in circles and talk about it.
Here are a few ideas that you might consider implementing to help your groups think outwardly:
- Theme: Live Summer Differently – Rather than studying and praying together this summer, ask your groups to serve the community every week.
- Partnerships: Establish ministry opportunities at housing and apartment complexes in your city. Have a huge block party in each of those areas and ask groups to serve at the block parties.
- Metric: Set a goal that 90% of your groups complete 5 mission projects each this summer.
- Competition Killer: Replace your regular weekly curriculum with weekly 60-minute ministry projects. Groups will be able to get together with little or no planning and follow the instructions in the week’s “mission curriculum” to complete a community ministry activity.
That’s a lot of information fast, but hopefully this will give you some great ideas to chew on. Aim at Mission…aim at outwardness…then you hit something that really matters!! The battle is raging. Make plans to win it!
