Metro Praise Small Group Strategy!

A. Vision: Loving God, Loving People!
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B. Strategy: Connect, Mentor, & Send!

1. Connect: Services & Small Groups

2. Mentor: 101 & 201 Classes

3. Send: Evangelism
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C. Goal: 100,000 disciples with 50 churches in Chicago and 500 churches around the world!
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D. Small Group Positions: (1) Leader (2) Apprentice (3) Host (4) LITs

1. Leader: the person who leads the group and is accountable for all that goes on in the small group.

2. Apprentice: a 201 student in training to start their own small group.

3. Host: the person who hosts the small group in their home.

4. Leaders in Training (LITs): students 201 class that are helping the small group grow and one day will be apprentices.
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E. Small Group Structure: (1) Witness (2) Welcome (3) Worship (3) Word (4) Prayer (5) Works

1. Witness: Start each small group with evangelism around the neighborhood, door-to-door, parks, etc.

2. Welcome: Have a time of fellowship with snacks, greet visitors, and get numbers and facebook contacts.

3. Worship: Sing 2-3 songs that are easy to sing and lead people into the presence of God, make time for the Holy Spirit to move.

4. Word: Teach a simple lesson with:

• Passage: A key passage
• Illustration: A simple illustration
• Discussion: A great discussion with effective questions
• Application: A powerful application
• Prayer: Make a time to pray for the members needs, this can be in breakout groups with men and women or by need.

5. Works: Plan different events outside of the small group setting to serve the community and preach the Gospel; adopt-a-block, nursing home, etc.
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F. Fourteen Qualities of a Discipleship Small Group:

1. Trained Leadership: Leaders need to be 201 grads or 201 students with high standing and kept accountable.

a. Reports: Every three months leaders need to mail Joe a “quarterly report”

b. Conference: Every year all leaders are required to come to the “Metro Praise Small Group Conference,” will be held on a Saturday.

2. Sound Doctrine/Materials: Joe will provide the materials for the first 3 months of small groups. During this time the small group leaders are responsible to buy, read, and give a 100 report on the following books. Then the leaders are to make four lessons and present them to Joe for review. After lessons are approved, leaders can start making their own lessons.

a. “Seven Steps to Spiritual Growth,” Joe Wyrostek

b. “Leading a Small Group,” Dave Early & Rod Dempsey

c. “Now that’s a Good Question,” Terry Powell

d. “The Big Book on Small Groups,” Jeffrey Arnold

e. “The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry,” Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson

3. Worship: The meeting should have a time of worship and adoration to God. This can be done by tape, just singing, or with instruments.

4. Word: The leader must be able to pray, seek God, receive a fresh Word, organize the lesson, and present it with power and clarity. The lesson should teach Biblical principles in a life changing way.

5. Prayer: Making requests known to God and giving Him praises for what He has already done is always present in a true discipleship small group.

6. Fellowship: The group should be open to sharing life together in a family-like environment. Talking, hanging out, eating, and expressing true emotions must be available before and after the group meetings.

7. Accountability: The small group leader should begin to start the 101 book with members one-on-one, if members are not willing to start the class the leaders should find out what things in their lives are hindering their growth and help them remove the obstacles.

a. Coffee meetings: take out the member for coffee and spend time getting to know them more intimately.

b. Phone calls: make time to call them and spend time talking about their life and what makes them “tick.”

c. Email letters: write a letter from the heart and ask for a response so they can feel free to open their heart and share who they really are on the inside.

8. Evangelism: Preaching the Gospel to the lost is Jesus’ way of keeping the group focused on the “big picture” and growing the group. Here are some ideas for reaching the lost:

a. Witnessing: Go witnessing before every small group meeting

b. Events: Make special times to go to the local parks, schools, and stores where the potential members may be and do creative outreach

• Give-a-aways: Free bottles of water, fruit, and snacks
• Carry grocery bags to car
• Begin an “empty chair” contest, see who can fill the empty every week and give a prize to someone who does it either “3x” in a row or brings “5 visitors,” gifts can be a $10 Starbucks gift card or $20 gift card to Barnes and Nobles.
• Do free yard work, rake leaves, shovel snow, etc.
• Give free gifts door-to-door, light bulbs (environment friendly), micro-popcorn, etc.
• Backyard bbq
• Holiday dinners
• Christmas Caroling
• Questionnaires
• Special events at the small group, movie night, game night, etc.

9. Follow-Up: Call all visitors within 24 hrs and missed members. Be sure to check your facebook and email daily and have a rule of returning calls and emails within 24hrs.

10. Leadership Training: Every small group should have the following leaders in training (LIT’s)

a. Apprentice: a person helping the group grow and looking to start a new group soon.

b. 201 Students: members in the 201 classes who are hoping to be apprentices one day.

11. Multiplication: The group’s goal should be to multiply every 6 months. Here is the method to multiply:

a. Grow: When the group has over 18 members for 3 weeks in a row

b. Training: The apprentice has gone to small group training and is approved to a start small group

c. Plan: The current small group leader speaks to the group and gets a clear way to multiply the group

d. Bless: Pastor approves the new small group and strategy

12. Big Vision and Goals: The vision of “Loving God, Loving People” and the goal to make “100,000 disciples in Chicago” should be presented every week.

13. Meeting Time and Place: Most discipleship groups meet once a week in a person’s home. Thus, the meeting time should be easy for people to attend and on a day that is convenient for the majority of the members.

14. Unity: The group should be unified with the church, promoting the same vision, and supporting the church’s ministries and services. Rebellion is easy to occur in a small group because of the leader’s power and influence over the people, but they must always remember that they are apart of the bigger vision of the church and under the leadership of the church (Philippians 2).
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G. Seven Sins to Avoid in a Small Group:

1. Unclear Ministry Objectives: The small group leader must always keep the following objectives before the people:

a. Soul-winning: The goal to win souls and bring visitors

b. Multiply: make a new small group every 6 months

c. Goal: The goal of 100,000 disciples in Chicago

2. Lack of Point Leadership: Leaders need to stay holy and bold in their leadership, “Follow me, as I follow Jesus!”

3. Poor Coaching Structures: The small group leader needs to find potential leaders and begin to do 101 classes with them and promote the 201 classes to all his 101ers. Also, looking for key members to be apprentices without favoritism is very important.

4. Neglect of Ongoing Leadership Development: The small group leader needs to stay under the tutoring of the church, attend small group conferences, and continue learning through book reading.

5. Closed Group Minds-Set: The discipleship group must always be open to new members to remain a healthy and growing group. The leadership can teach the older more mature members to be welcoming, humble, kind, and understanding to the newer less mature members.

6. Narrow Definition of a Small Group: “One size fit all” does not work well in the long run for discipleship based groups because it limits the creativity of God. The leadership should allow for changes and varieties within the small groups so each leader and team can express their passions and given abilities. There should be creativity in format, location, outreach ideas, and teaching styles.

7. Neglect of Assimilation Process: Visitors are the greatest assets to the group, after God, because they are the source for new disciples. Remember, Jesus said the “Good Shepherd” left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold for the one that was lost (Luke 15:4). Assimilation is making sure all visitors are properly pursued and given attention after they visit the group. Such things as calls, emails, and home visits give the visitor more of an expression of the group’s love for them.
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H. Sample Small Group Lesson

1. Title: Watch Your Words

2. Ice Breaker: What was the most embarrassing thing you ever said to someone?

3. Passage: Matthew 12:36-38, “36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

4. Illustration: Story, If I took a feather filled pillow outside on a windy day and opened it up over the expressway, what would happen? All the feathers would fly away. Could I get back all those feathers? No, even if I tried really hard, it would be impossible to find all those lost feathers. The Bible says that God collects all are words, even though we cannot take them back, He remembers every word we speak. Therefore, what kind of words are you speaking?

5. Lesson:

a. Words can be evil and impure: Ephesians 4:29

b. Words can be holy and good: Proverbs 16:24

c. Bad words can be forgiven: 1 John 1:9

6. Application:

a. Learn the wisdom of the Bible

b. Repent for the words you say that are sinful

c. Think before you speak, “Would Jesus say this?”

7. Prayer: Group prayer, Is there anyone hear who wants to repent for sinful things you said, if so, just pray and confess to God what you have done and we will pray with you, trust me, your not alone!
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I. Quarterly Review: Every Three Months, Joe will give you due dates.

1. Average Attendance: Add the attendance from every week and then divide it by the number of weeks:

a. Weekly Attendance:

• Week 1, Aug 6: 10
• Week 2, Aug 13: 12
• Week 3, Aug 20: 14
• Week 4, Aug 27: 12
• Week 5, Sep 3: 16
• Week 6, Sep 10: 15
• Week 7, Sep 17: 17
• Week 8, Sep 24: 18
• Week 9, Oct 1: 18
• Week 10, Oct 8: 15
• Week 11, Oct 15: 16
• Week 12, Oct 22: 18
• Week 13, Oct 29: 19

b. Total Weekly Attendance: 200

c. Average Weekly Attendance for Aug-Oct 2010: 200/13=15.3 or 16.

2. Number of visitors:

• Week 1, Aug 6: 1
• Week 2, Aug 13: 1
• Week 3, Aug 20: 2
• Week 4, Aug 27: 1
• Week 5, Sep 3: 4
• Week 6, Sep 10: 1
• Week 7, Sep 17: 0
• Week 8, Sep 24: 1
• Week 9, Oct 1: 2
• Week 10, Oct 8: 4
• Week 11, Oct 15: 1
• Week 12, Oct 22: 0
• Week 13, Oct 29: 2

a. Total Number of Visitors for Aug-Oct 2010: 20

b. Average Visitors: 20/13=1.5 or 2

3. Special Events & Testimonies: Write a short 100 paper on some of the great things you have experienced in the small group
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J. Extras

a. Youth Small Groups: Develop a name and a color

b. Updating Information: Email Joe and give 2 weeks for announcement/website update

c. Voicemail: Have a good welcoming cell phone voicemail

d. Rides: Vans are available to “first-come-first-serve,” just be sure to leave van full of gas and give receipts to Nancy, wait week for reimbursements.

e. Budget: monies for snacks, parking, etc all will come from the leaders personal finances, “whatever you can afford is what you can do.” In low-income small groups, budgets can be submitted and will be reviewed, but not guaranteed.

f. Church Office: Requests can be made with church administrator to come in and use the office to make and print off flyers.

g. Childcare: Each small group can decide if childcare is available, if it is, it is the responsibility of the “LITs” to rotate in taking care of the children.

Sanctuary has carpet!

"Now That's a Good Question" - Book Review

Overview

“Now That’s A Good Question” by Terry Powell is a short-power packed book with funny stories, great insight, and easy to use principles for leading a small group discussion. The basis of the book comes from the need to teach small group leaders how to ask the right kind of questions and make an open learning environment for small groups.

Powell shares from his own personal experience that bonds formed in small groups can positively impact a person’s life forever. Therefore, Powell’s desire in writing the book is to facilitate a caring environment for believers and their guests by “asking the right questions.” He gives the following verses for the basis of good Biblical-group discussion: Galatians 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 6:18, Romans 12:10, Romans 15:7, and 1 Peter 4:10.

The principles Powell gives for creating a climate for discussion can be remembered in the word C.L.I.M.A.T.E (p. 19). Here is short description of each one: Caring: showing the members you love them by calling them when they miss, remembering important things in their lives. Laughter: using humor to open up the meetings to make everyone feel comfortable and more open to share their heart. Intercession: making time in every meeting to pray and lift up the member’s needs to God. Methodology: use solid materials and strategy so the group can grow and be organized. Assimilation: make the visitors feel welcome and have things in place to follow up on them to make it easy to come back. Transparency: help people to take of their “mask” and feel comfortable in their own skin and share their lives in an open and honest way. Environment: keep the meeting place clean, free from clutter, loud noises or distracting elements, and offer free snacks and refreshments.

The climax of the book is when Powell shares the “O.I.L” concept for asking good questions from Bible lessons (p. 37). Observation: questions that come from observing the passage, such as, “How did Nehemiah discover the plight of the Jews?” Interpretation: questions that come from the meaning of the passage itself, such as, “What prerequisite for effective intercession does Nehemiah’s inquiry illustrate?” Life-Related: questions that relate to the reader’s life, such as, “In what ways can we stay informed concerning the needs of people in this group or in our church?”

It Reminds Me of When...

This book took me back to the times when I was in Bible College and the Dean of Student Affairs Rev. Anthony Freeman invited us to his house for food, fellowship, and worship. I had attended small groups in other churches prior to coming to Bible College, but they had never really brought me closer to God. However, the times I had at the Freeman’s house forever changed my life and filled me with many heavenly gifts.

At the start of these times of fellowship with Professor Freeman he would lighten the mood with humor and funny stories about his children. Despite the hard times I was facing in school and the feelings of loneliness from being hundreds of miles away from my hometown, I would soon feel so comfortable that I felt like I was home.

The time of welcoming would lead to sharing a wonderful meal together, which was cooked with love and great skill by his wife Sister Melanie. After the meal he would skillfully play the guitar and sing beautiful worship songs that with we all loved. Afterwards, he would share a portion of Scripture and then begin to teach us a simple, yet powerful lesson. Within the lesson he would give great illustrations and ask interpretive questions. In the end he would ask for our thoughts and prayer requests, he then would council us and make intercession to God on our behalf.

It was because of those times in his home that I was able to feel loved, welcomed, and challenged to grow closer to Christ. Though Professor Freeman had not read this great book by Powell, for it wasn’t even out yet, he showed great skill in asking questions and relating the Word of God to our lives. I am very greatful to God for his family’s kindness, hospitality, and love in those formative years of my life and ministry.

Personal Reflection

I personally liked this book because it made me laugh and think about how I lead small groups, ask questions, and host discussions. I have always been able to ask good questions naturally, but I have never been able to distinguish what makes a good question “good” and what makes a bad question “bad.” Powell teaches the differences by noting “bad questions” are: (i) long winded, (ii) unclear, (iii) run-together, (iv) speculative, (v) irrelevant, (vi) usurp Biblical authority, (vii) too personal, (viii) unrealistic, (ix) yes/no questions, (x) too obvious, and (xi) leading questions (p. 53).

Therefore, good questions are the opposite of bad ones, they are: (i) short and to the point, (ii) clear and easy to understand, (iii) given one at a time, with proper time to answer, (iv) not based on personal opinion, but obvious to everyone, (v) relevant to the subject, (vi) come from sound doctrine, (vii) not too personal, (viii) real and useful for discussion, (ix) short sentence answers, (x) require an amount of thought, and (xi) probing.

Action Points

Here is a list of the most important actions I derived from this fun book:

1. Use humor, funny stories, or fun group activities to open up small groups

2. Make a group open for good discussion by following the C.L.I.M.A.T.E principles

3. Learn the difference between good and bad questions

4. Design great questions in each lesson from O.I.L (Observations, Interpretations, and Life-Related)

5. Avoid bad questions and common pitfalls to bad discussions

Therefore, I would recommend the book to all small group leaders and you can get the book here.

Purpose Driven Church Evaluation

Principles in the “Purpose Driven Church”

I truly enjoyed the many principles given in this classic book on church growth by Rick Warren because they are easy to understand, based in Scripture, and highly functional. I will note five principles on church growth and development that stuck out to me; (1) The Five Dimensions of Church Growth, (2) Eight Things that Drive Churches, (3) Five Circles of Commitment, (4) The Five Purposes of Saddleback, and (5) Saddleback’s Life Development Process

(1) The Five Dimensions of Church Growth: (i) Churches grow warmer through fellowship, (ii) Church grow deeper through discipleship, (iii) Churches grow stronger through worship, (iv) Churches grow broader through ministry, and (v) Churches grow larger through evangelism (p. 49).

(2) Eight Things that Drive Churches: (i) Churches driven by traditions, (ii) Churches driven by personality, (iii) Churches driven by finances, (iv) Churches driven by programs, (v) Churches driven by buildings, (vi) Churches driven by events, (vii) Churches driven by seekers, (viii) Churches driven by purpose (pgs. 77-80).

(3) Five Circles of Commitment: (i) Community-Unchurched, (ii) Crowd-Regular Attendees, (iii) Congregation-Members, (iv) Committed-Maturing Members, and (v) Core-Lay Ministers (p. 130).

(4) The Five Purposes of Saddleback: (i) Magnify: We celebrate God’s presence in worship, (ii) Mission: We communicate God’s Word through evangelism, (iii) Membership: We incorporate God’s family into our fellowship, (iv) Maturity: We educate God’s people through discipleship, and (v) Ministry: We demonstrate God’s love through service (p. 107).

(5) Saddleback’s Life Development Process: (i) 1st Base: Committed to Membership-101 Classes, (ii) 2nd Base: Committed to Maturity-201 Classes, (iii) 3rd Base: Committed to Ministry-301 Classes, and (iv) Home Plate: Committed to Missions-401 Classes (p. 130).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: “The Purpose Driven Church” had many strengths, here are just a few: (1) Warren does a great job of dispelling “mega-church” myths, (2) The book notes some of the key mistakes to church growth, (3) He encourages the smaller churches to start where they are to begin to grow, (4) Warren spends much time trying to avoid compromising or “lowering the standard,” and (5) The book gives overall strategies for every major function of the church.

Weaknesses: Despite all the strengths I do see some major weaknesses and concerns, namely, (1) Warren seems to think that Jesus intended the church to have “two-types” of services, one for believers and one for unbelievers, thus I believe this contradicts the depiction of the church found in Acts and in Paul’s letters, (2) The book does not do a good job of describing Christian conduct or the outcome of true discipleship, thus as the reader I am left wondering, what does Warren define as a mature Christian, (3) Warren’s methods seem to emphasize too much on what “man” can do and does not teach enough how to rely upon God for strategies, (4) Some of the methods mentioned such as how to preach, lead worship, and offer small groups seem manipulative and not Spirit led, and (5) Warren does not prepare the “would-be-purpose-driven-pastor” enough for failure or disappointment, it seems like he presents his strategy as “fail proof.”

My Personal Thoughts

I have overall negative feelings towards Rick Warren’s book because I do not believe his strengths are enough to overcome his weaknesses. For example Warren says concerning methods for preaching, “Select your Scripture readings with the unchurched in mind. While all Scripture is equally inspired by God, it is not all equally applicable to unbelievers (p. 297).” He states that Psalm 58, “break the teeth in their mouths, O God” should be saved only for “your own personal quiet time (p. 298).” I believe it is verses like these that display the wrath of God that should be used with unbelievers!

Jonathon Edwards, an 18th century theologian and revivalist, preached the exact opposite in his world famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Which in his day had proven success and not only grew “a church” but transformed Christianity in America. Therefore, I believe Warren’s overall “soft” approach to sinners can be very dangerous and lead to their eternal destruction (See Ezekiel’s warning to the “Watchman” in Ezekiel 33).

Also, Warren tends to treat the Holy Spirit, the source of the church’s power, as an “embarrassing family member.” For example, Warren says concerning worship services, “God expects us to be sensitive to the fears, hang-ups, and needs of unbelievers when they are present in our worship services(p. 243.)” And, “We must be willing to adjust our worship practices when unbelievers are present.” He uses 1 Corinthians 14:23 to try to prove that Paul was the first “seeker sensitive” preacher. However, Warren chooses to overlook vs. 24-25, “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" Therefore, when “visitors” see Christian worship and hear prophesy they should be made to feel “convicted,” “judged,” “laid bare,” and exposed as a “sinner.”

In conclusion, though Warren offers great strategies for church growth left alone they could lead to a greater destruction than having a “small church.” I would rather see “small churches” preaching the Gospel the way Christ did, than “mega-churches” compromising the message of Jesus. Therefore, I believe Warren falls under the category of preachers that Paul talks about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Successful Strategic Planning in the Church

Definition of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning in the church is “the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal” (Webster). It is clear from the Bible God loves using strategic plans to accomplish His goals, for example: Creating the universe in six days, Building the nation of Israel, Worship in the temple, The Davidic line, Jesus and the twelve, and End times prophecy.

Therefore, it is equally important in the church age that God’s leaders use plans and strategies to accomplish the Great Commission. This paper will (1) Give the essential people needed to make a strategic plan, (2) Demonstrate a clear strategic planning process in the church, and (3) List the most common mistakes made and how to avoid them.

People Needed to Make a Strategic Plan

When making a strategy for the church there needs to be certain people present. First, the senior leader or pastor needs to be present to guide the process. God works through a chosen leader, not a “committee” (Galatians 1:15-17). Second, team leaders or department heads need to be present because “dictatorship” is not Biblical. James, the leader of the church of Jerusalem was seen relying on Peter and other experienced leaders (Acts 15:13-14). Lastly, outside experts, these are people that come only for certain parts of the meeting to offer their expert advice in areas the leader and team do not have quality insight (Jethro to Moses – Exodus 18:24).

The Strategic Process

Here is a clear example of strategic planning in the church from Dr. Rod Dempsey’s article “Core Elements of a Ministry Plan.” First, the senior pastor should open the meeting with prayer and a short word about fulfilling the Great Commission. Second, he should begin by stating the rationale or reasons for the church to exist and operate according to Scripture. This should be the “heart” of why God has called the church to exist.

Third, a team leader should give some information on the current needs of the community through demographic studies and surveys. Demographic studies are easy to gain from the county, however surveys need to be developed by team leaders and done throughout the community. Also, such books or articles by George Barna can give great general overviews of worldviews within generational and social groups.

Fourth, the pastor should give a basic vision statement that can encompass the purpose of the particular church. The team can then add their insight and agree upon a simple yet big statement. For example, “Metro Praise’s vision is ‘Loving God, Loving People.” Fifth, the team should develop a mission statement, something that gives “teeth” to the broad vision. For example: “The mission statement of Metro Praise is to “Connect the lost to Jesus, Mentor believers in ways of Jesus, and Send disciples to share Jesus.’”

Sixth, the team should develop the core ministry values from the Bible. These ministry values are how the vision and mission statement will be given action. For example: “Metro Praise’s ten core ministries values come from Acts 2:42-47, which are, (1) Services, (2) Small Groups, (3) Evangelism, (4) Discipleship, (5) Fellowship, (6) Community Service, (7) Prayer Meetings, (8) Fulltime Ministry Training/Bible College, (9) Church Planting, and (10) Mission Trips.

Seventh, each team leader naming the expenses they will incur for the next year doing their ministry should develop a budget. The pastor then should use an expert in finances to help develop an overall budget and projected earning for the next year.

Eighth, the team should develop goals for each ministry and for the church as a whole. For example: Elevate youth ministry will grow to 40 disciples, the adult small group will multiply to four groups with 80 disciples, and the church will grow to 250 people in Sunday attendance. Ninth, the team should plan a calendar for the year. The events must work within the vision, mission statement, core ministry values, and budget. The pastor should have the last say to what is in the official calendar.

Lastly, an evaluation system should be placed in order so the team can see their strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary changes to insure success of the goals. For example: Metro Praise will have monthly meetings with the team leaders where budgets will be evaluated, disciples will be counted, leaders will be held accountable, and calendar events will be judged as “wins or losses.”

Common Mistakes

Stephen A. Macchia in his article, “Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Church,” lists the most common mistakes leaders make when trying to make a strategic plan:

(1) Making Planning Too Complex: Stick with 2-3 ideas when coming up with options, making long lists can frustrate the leadership and never lead to a point.

(2) Not Reaching Conclusions and Making an Action Plan: Tie up loose ends along the way, and outline appropriate action steps. Leaving things unresolved to future meetings takes away the teams momentum.

(3) Not Keeping the Action Plan Simple: Action plans are designed to help each ministry reach their goals. These should be simple. For example: Elevate will grow to 40 disciples by (a) Evangelizing every Friday at the schools, (b) Monthly E-Nites, and (c) Small Groups.

(4) Not Revisiting the Plan: Never be afraid to change plans, strategies, and steps. Vision statements and mission statements should be stable, but plans can change to insure success.

(5) Taking Too Long: Make planning meetings efficient and to the point, do not let “rabbit trails” get your team tired and distracted.

(6) Trusting Your Instincts apart from Prayer: Planning alone is okay, prayer is better, but praying with your planning is best! Encourage prayer before meetings, seek God in meetings, and after decisions are made keep an open heart in prayer to let God speak through the process.

Application

Today God is working through leaders that plan to do great things for His Kingdom. Whether it is through Reinhardt Bonke planning for a million souls to be saved in one evangelistic meeting or Cho starting a church in a tent proclaiming his church will be the biggest church in the world- God is giving vision to win the world!

Make time today to apply these principles to your ministry so you can get “God-ideas” and start “visioneering” with your team! The end result should be doing whatever is good to “your team and the Holy Ghost!” Here is what you can do today if you are a pastor or senior leader: (1) Prayerfully seek out your team, (2) Begin to recruit and start praying about your strategic meetings, (3) Consult other leaders that have had successful strategic meetings, (4) Plan your first meeting, and (5) Encourage the team to pray and prepare for great things!

New Brochers For Metro Praise!

Discipleship Small Groups

Introduction

A pastor was speaking to fellow pastors at a conference for church growth when he asked how many of the churches present had small groups. About one-third of the pastors raised their hands. He then clarified his question by asking how many had churches where small groups of people worked together on tasks, got together and talked about issues, or meet and fellowshipped. This time everyone raised their hands.

The truth is every church has small groups, however not all of them are successful. Some are nothing more than “clichés” or “bless me clubs.” Thus, every church needs to learn how to lead small groups successfully. Whether it is a prayer gathering, evangelism team, staff meeting, or a fellowship group; small groups can be great for the health of the church if done correctly.

The “small group movement” has its roots both in early church and later church history. Some of the key figures in the last 250 years have been John Wesley and the Methodist movement in the late 1700’s and today’s Yonggi Cho in South Korea. There has been an explosion of small groups in the last 25 years. Such countries as El Salvador, Columbia, and South Korea have small groups numbered in the thousands and church attendance in the tens of thousands. Therefore, today’s largest churches 10,000 to over 250,000 all have a form of multiplying discipleship based small groups!

As a result, this paper is written to (i) help distinguish the different types of small groups, (ii) see the need for discipleship based small groups, (iii) learn the Biblical basis for discipleship small groups, (iv) know the fourteen qualities of a discipleship small group, and (iv) avoid the seven sins of small groups.

Different Types of Small Groups

Jeff Arnold in his book, “The Big Book on Small Groups,” gives the following list of small group types, (1) special needs groups, (2) affinity groups, (3) ministry groups, and (4) discipleship groups. Here is a brief description of each one:

(1) Special Needs: Groups that provide love and care for their members in many different ways. Special needs groups are formed by the church to focus on meeting the special needs of the church and community. Examples of special needs groups are married couples small groups, single parent groups, recovering addicts groups, or troubled teen groups.

(2) Affinity Groups: These groups focus on the spiritual development of those involved with such things as worship and study of God’s Word. Examples of affinity groups are studies on certain books of the Bible (small group on Revelation), prayer and worship groups, and the study of certain Biblical subjects (small group on being a “small group leader).

(3) Ministry Groups: Groups that are focused on reaching out through evangelism and servanthood projects. Examples of ministry groups are street witnessing teams, adopt-a-block ministry, or nursing home visitation.

(4) Discipleship Groups: These groups are based on the model of Jesus and are formed to involve worship, Word, ministry, fellowship, mentoring, and multiplication. Examples of these groups are cell groups and small groups with a specific pattern to follow such as Cho’s model or Cesar Castellanos’ G12.

It is clear that every group has its own strength and weakness. For example special needs groups are great for focusing on people’s specific needs and making them feel special. At the same time, they can become a “bless me group” where the focus is always on them and they avoid growth and new experiences because the group has become a hindrance to their social and spiritual growth.

Affinity groups are perfect for people to get closer to God through prayer meetings and Bible studies. However, the group can get so focused on their own spiritual growth that they are always on a personal “spiritual treasure chest hunt” to find the next “buried treasure” for their own benefit. Ministry groups are a great expression of Jesus’ love and can challenge people to get out of their comfort zone. On the other hand, these street preachers and “Mother Teresa” servants can become so outward focused that they become disconnected from the larger body and neglect the other inward needs of the church.

Discipleship groups are great for holistic ministry, which brings both inward and outward growth. However, these groups can become controlling and cult like when the leadership becomes controlling and forces an unbiblical form of submission upon their followers.

Need for Discipleship Small Groups

In light of the different small groups listed above I believe “discipleship based small groups” are the best all around group to have in every church. This is not to disregard the other types of groups, but I believe that discipleship based small groups can contain all the good mentioned in the list above.

Discipleship groups can be the foundation for special needs groups, thus the person going through their issues do not neglect the big picture. Also, ministry and affinity groups can be based out of the discipleship groups, because if a member is not a disciple by the Bible’s definition what is the purpose of learning new truths or going out and doing ministry. Therefore, I believe if every church has discipleship groups they will avoid being unbalanced and ineffective.

Biblical Basis for Discipleship Small Groups

Jesus and the Twelve: Mark records in Mark 3:13-15, “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Therefore, one can see that Jesus used the discipleship method for small groups. Evidence of this can be further seen in His calling of His followers “disciples,” the time He spent teaching them to do ministry, and how His focus was to multiple them to win the world.

Jesus Sends out the Disciples: Matthew records in Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The greatest example of the multiplication of a discipleship small group comes from Jesus Himself. Therefore, leading a small group like Jesus leads to new small groups- true disciples make disciples that make new disciples!

The Jerusalem Church: Luke records in Acts 2:46-47, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” It is clear that the first church in Jerusalem under the leadership of the apostles was a discipleship-based church because they were both inward and outward focused. They were involved in public meetings, small home groups, and outreaching to win new souls.

Paul’s Ministry: Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:2-3, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” In Titus 2 Paul devotes this chapter to outlining how each people group- man, woman, young people, etc, should be taught and teach each other. Also, Priscilla and Aquila, who were disciples of Paul, are seen opening their home to Apollos and continuing the pattern of making disciples in small groups (Acts 19:18-26).

Fourteen Qualities of a Discipleship Small Group

Here are the fourteen qualities of a discipleship small group:

(1) Trained Leadership: The person leading the group must himself or herself be trained and be a disciple. This training should be no longer than 12-18 months. The trained leader should still be accountable and in a growing relationship with church leadership and God.

(2) Sound Doctrine/Materials: What the leader teaches must be grounded in sound Christian doctrine. Also, the teacher should have some kind of materials or structure that bring an even flow and direction to the group. Thus, each week’s lessons are not a disconnected series of teachings, but rather a series of connected and interwoven subjects leading to specific points.

(3) Worship: The meeting should have a time of worship and adoration to God. This can been seen with Jesus and the twelve at the last super, He lead them in a hymn (Matthew 26:30). Worship opens the heart, brings people closer to God, and helps people to be more ready to receive instruction.

(4) Word: The leader must be able to pray, seek God, receive a fresh Word, organize the lesson, and present it with power and clarity. The lesson should teach Biblical principles in a life changing way.

(5) Prayer: Making requests known to God and giving Him praises for what He has already done is always present in a true discipleship small group. It was during these times that Jesus was asked how to pray, mostly likely because the disciples saw His powerful and effective prayer life (Matthew 6:5-15).

(6) Fellowship: The group should be open to sharing life together in a family-like environment. Talking, hanging out, eating, and expressing true emotions must be available before and after the group meetings.

(7) Accountability: Coaching in sports involves keep tracking of the athlete’s diet, sleep pattern, and at-home priorities. It is much the same in a discipleship small group because how the disciple’s life is lived outside of the group reflects the growth gained from within the group. Therefore, the leader must have a way of imitating Jesus’ “24 hr approach” to accountability.

(8) Evangelism: Preaching the Gospel to the lost is Jesus’ way of keeping the group focused on the “big picture” and growing the group. Such methods can be coming together to go out and share the message in the neighborhood the group meets in, holding special events, teaching members to invite friends and family to the group, and have intentional friendships that lead to preaching the Gospel.

(9) Follow-Up: Staying in touch with members throughout the week is very important to the strength of the group. Also, making multiple contacts with the visitors and new comers can make them feel more comfortable and apt to come back.

(10) Leadership Training: Every discipleship small group should have leadership training happening within the group. The leader should always have an “apprentice” that he is training to multiple the group into two groups. Also, one-on-one discipleship should be going on throughout the month where the leader meets with the individual members to train them to be effective leaders.

(11) Multiplication: The group’s goal should be that of Jesus first group, the twelve- to win the nations! A strategy should be in place to make a pattern to guide people from being a visitor to a leader. For example, “Connect, Mentor, and Send.”

(12) Big Vision and Goals: The leader should present every time they meet the vision of the church and the goal for the small group. The vision should be something simple like, “Love God, and Love People,” and the goal can be, “Multiply a new group every year!”

(13) Meeting Time and Place: Most discipleship groups meet once a week in a person’s home. Thus, the meeting time should be easy for people to attend and on a day that is convenient for the majority of the members.

(14) Unity: The group should be unified with the church, promoting the same vision, and supporting the church’s ministries and services. Rebellion is easy to occur in a small group because of the leader’s power and influence over the people, but they must always remember that they are apart of the bigger vision of the church and under the leadership of the church (Philippians 2).

Seven Deadly Sins of Small Groups

Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson- authors of the Willow Creek based book, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry” note the most common mistakes that can “kill” the effectiveness of a small group. These sins are common in all types of small groups and certainly apply to discipleship small groups. Therefore, to have an effective discipleship small group the following mistakes must be avoided.

(1) Unclear Ministry Objectives: Small group leadership cannot go blindly into having discipleship small groups because “without vision (revelation) people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). The group must have a clear vision, strategy, and goals from the very beginning. Also, the goals and strategies must be able to be measured and adjusted as time passes to grow successfully a multiplying small group ministry.

(2) Lack of Point Leadership: God uses called and anointed men and women of God to lead His tasks. The small group cannot be any different. The leader must be called and given the proper authority to operate the group with respect from their members and fellow leaders. Also, small group leaders should be able to focus on the small group without distractions.

(3) Poor Coaching Structures: Coaching is the art of teaching others how to do what they could not do by themselves. If small group leaders are not properly trained than their “on-hands-learning” experience can be devastating. Thus, training and coaching should be used before sending out small group leaders to start groups.

(4) Neglect of Ongoing Leadership Development: If the trained leader is not held accountable, then they may get off track over time. Thus, every leader should be accountable to a leader at all times and thus, all small groups leaders should be making new leaders. “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

(5) Closed Group Minds-Set: The discipleship group must always be open to new members to remain a healthy and growing group. The leadership can teach the older more mature members to be welcoming, humble, kind, and understanding to the newer less mature members.

(6) Narrow Definition of a Small Group: “One size fit all” does not work well in the long run for discipleship based groups because it limits the creativity of God. The leadership should allow for changes and varieties within the small groups so each leader and team can express their passions and given abilities. There should be creativity in format, location, outreach ideas, and teaching styles.

(7) Neglect of Assimilation Process: Visitors are the greatest assets to the group, after God, because they are the source for new disciples. Remember, Jesus said the “Good Shepherd” left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold for the one that was lost (Luke 15:4). Assimilation is making sure all visitors are properly pursued and given attention after they visit the group. Such things as calls, emails, and home visits give the visitor more of an expression of the group’s love for them

Conclusion

Discipleship small groups are effective and powerful when done properly in the church. By just multiplying a new small group every year for 10 years thousands of small groups with countless disciples can be formed! Today is the time to consider starting a discipleship based small group!

Here are some things to consider before starting, (1) Pray about God’s timing, (2) Seek the approval of the church’s leadership, (3) Find the right people to train as leaders, (4) Get great materials, and (5) Always have a personal investment in discipleship, no matter what your position is.

In closing, remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Bibliography

Arnold, Jeffrey. The Big Book on Small Groups. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2004.

Bredfeldt, Gary J. and Lawrence O. Richard. Creative Bible Teaching. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1998.

Dempsey, Rod and Dave Earley. Leading a Small Group. Houston, YX: TOUCH Publications, 2007.

Donahue, Bill and Russ Robinson. The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

Fay, William. Share Jesus Without Fear. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.

Geiger, Eric and Thom S. Rainer. Simple Church. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006.

"Leading a Small Group" Book Review

Overall Book Review

“Leading a Small Group” by Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey is a powerful and informative book on the tools needed to lead a multiplying small group. The authors list 52 ways to help start a small group from scratch and develop it to 1,520 small groups in just ten years! The uniqueness of this book is the fact that it combines many different structures and ways to build a small group. For example: It gives the “G.R.O.U.P” structure, the “Five Practices of Healthy Small Groups,” the “L.I.F.E Group” structure, and the “Eight Effective Habits of a Small Group.”

The basis of all the great information presented is because “learning to lead a healthy, growing, multiplying small group effectively is a little like eating an elephant. You can’t ‘get it’ all at once. You have to ‘eat it one bite at a time,’ learning a little more regularly and putting it into practice.” Thus, the book offers “high octane equipment, empowerment, and encouragement” for the beginner and “practical guidance” for the veteran.

The authors Dr. Dave Early and Dr. Rod Dempsey have a wealth of experience from many combined years of church planting, leading small groups, and teaching on church building. Dr. Early currently pastors the church he planted with over 2,000 attendees and over 100 small groups. Dr. Dempsey teaches all over the nation on discipleship, small groups, and effective church growth strategies. Also, both are highly respected in the academic world with teaching positions at Liberty Baptist seminary.

Therefore, combining the experience of the author’s ministries and the massive amount of today’s best small group strategies and methods, “Leading a Small Group” is a tremendous book for every leader. This paper will outline some of the best methods and habits noted in this book and how I received them.

What the Book Meant to Me

This book took me back to the time I pastored my first church in New Orleans. I had been doing a form of “home mission” inner city church planting, which was basically raising money from the suburb churches and spending it in the “hood.” I likened this method to “Robin Hood,” taking from the rich and giving to the poor. However, the problem with this method was two-fold, first, we did not develop a church that was self-supporting, and second, the depth of the members was lacking in both spiritual and social maturity. As a result, after four years of “blood, sweet, and tears” we only had a “crowd” that lacked serious discipleship.

Facing the discouragement of never having an indigenous church, I began looking for better methods than our “Robin Hood” method. During this time of searching for better methods I came into contact with the “G12” cell group movement. G12 is a cell based church growth movement from Columbia under the leadership of Cesar Castellanos. Though this movement had proven strategies, it was very one-sided and inflexible. Therefore, when I tried to mold the inner city church I was pastoring into the “exact” G12 model, the result was devastating. We basically crushed the church and lost all of our “crowds” and did not even have disciples!

I wish I had this book before I joined G12. If I would’ve had this book and some maturity we could have started small groups one step at a time. I believe we could’ve had both a great inner city outreaching church and a strong discipleship based small group ministry.

Reflection

I personally loved this book because it was written in a way that I like to receive information- short and to the point. Also, I prefer books that show a variety of strategies instead of just “pushing” one idea. This is because most of today’s church growth and strategy books come from a church that found “their way” worked and now they want everyone to “do what they did.”

“Leading a Small Group” gives you the impression that God has many tools to use to building a strong small group based church. Such chapters as, “Jesus Was a Small Group Leader,” “Personal Growth: The Fountainhead of Long-Term Effectiveness,” and “Leader Burnout: Healing and Prevention” come with great life lessons and deep truths to base one’s ministry on.

I thought the strongest two strategies mentioned were the “Five Practices of Healthy Small Groups: Welcome, Worship, Witness, Word, and Works” and “Eight Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders: Dream, Pray, Invite, Contact, Prepare, Mentor, Plan, and Personal Growth.”

Application of the Book

Here is a list of the most important actions I derived from this powerful book:

"Five Practices of Healthy Small Group:"

1. Welcome: I believe that every small group meeting must have a time to “meet and great,” a time of snacks, fellowship, and light conversation.

Metro Praise Church Application: Make time to have snacks, games, and small talk before the group starts. This can work in the summer by first meeting the group in the back yard with some activities or by meeting in house with music playing.

2. Worship: The best way to start a small group meeting is to begin with worship. Worship is important because it focuses everyone’s attention on the Lord and opens their hearts to receive what God has for them.

Metro Praise Church Application: If there is a guitar or keyboard player available have them choose 2-3 songs that are easy to learn and sing until everyone can enjoy singing the choruses. If a musician is not available, then play 2-3 songs on the stereo with a song leader praying and encouraging worship during the songs.

3. Witness: Every week there should be a time when the group meets and spreads the word throughout the neighborhood the group meets in. Also, the group should teach practical witnessing tips for the members to use doing the week with co-workers and friends/family.

Metro Praise Church Application: The group should go out witnessing in the neighborhood of the meeting place, local parks, and schools.

4. Word: The small group must honor the Word of God and make it the center of the group’s focus. The leader should be gifted in making the truths of the Bible plain and applicable to the member’s lives.

Metro Praise Church Application: Have a 10-15 time of teaching the Word of God. Illustrations, icebreaker questions, and stories can help teaching the Word of God practical. However, the focus should always be on finding truths in the Word through prayer and prior study by the leader.

5. Works: The small group should be a place where leaders can train other leaders to fulfill their purpose in the ministry. Small groups should take specific ministry opportunities to work together for the growth of the Kingdom of God.

Metro Praise Church Application: The small group can “adopt-a-block” and take time once a month to go together outside of their small group meeting time and minister together, the group could visit the “weaker” members of the church and have home prayer and Bible study with them, or the group could host retreats and special events such as: “men and women's meetings, “couple’s retreats,” and “conferences at other churches.”

Resources

1. Here is the link to buy the book, a most for all small group leaders!

2. Link to the day and times of Metro's adult small group

Building is Going Great!

Here is just a "taste" of the awesome work being done by the team!

Here is the stage:




The team is building a sound booth and book table as well in the sanctuary.

In Him,

Joe

Metro's New Fliers for Grand Opening!

We will be handing out 50,000 of these awesome fliers over the next 45 days! Also, we will be placing ads on B96 and doing Saturday outreaches for the month of August! We will be handing out free bottles of water by the train stop, free car wash in the parking lot, and face painting in the park!

Please pray that as we "lift up" Jesus, all nations will be drawn unto Him!

In Him,

Joe

Mormons and Muslims!

I, along with Metro Praise, had the honor over the weekend of preaching at both a Muslim event and a Mormon event. Believe it or not, but the Mormons and the Muslims have many things in common.

Here is just to name a few:

1. They both had a prophet that received a visitation from an angel

2. A claim that Christianity was corrupt

3. Another book, "Book of Mormon/Quran," to correct the Bible's errors

4. A culture with many wives, militant force, and plans for global dominance

Therefore, when we engaged them in the preaching of the real Gospel they had similar reactions.

They both...

1. Were offended

2. They denied their own prophet's claims

3. Shouted and acted in anger

4. Ignored us

5. Claimed we were just "plain wrong" for even coming to preach to them!

_________

Please pray for the people's heart to be open to Holy Spirit and the Truth of God!

Metro Praise New Logo

Here is our new logo!!