Being a small group leader can be challenging when you are leading any age group. When you’re living life with people, it’s easy for things to get messy very quickly. It’s so easy to forget important truths that anchor why we do what we do. When we lead a small group, we are working to connect, mentor and guide simultaneously, and that process can really distract from the bigger picture because we are focused on just a few significant relationships. Week after week, there are a few truths we have to continually speak into our small group leaders because they tend to forget them in the messiness of life-on-life discipleship.
Here are six important reminders for every small group leader …
- What you’re doing matters. You are not just a volunteer, you are a minister investing in the next generation. We like to remind our team that they are the youth pastors and children’s pastors because they are all investing in the next generation! The time small group leaders give matters!
- They need you even if they never tell you. They love that you are consistently in their life, but your small group may not tell you that. Remember they need you and their parents want you there even if you never get that affirmation from your group.
- Continually think long term. We love quick results but we have to constantly look at the big picture and commit to the process of being present in their life for the long term.
- You will have bad days with small group and that’s OK. The best group leaders have off nights. Push through, it’s going to be fine.
- I’m here for you, how can I help? We have to remind our group leaders they can come to us for guidance and help. Small group leaders have to be reminded they are never alone!
- God is responsible for life change. God changes and shapes lives, not us. We have to trust God to do the work only God can do.
What are some reminders you constantly speak into the lives of your small group leaders?
