Growth
Groups Home -->
Leading a Growth Group
Growth Groups
Leading a Growth Group
Several questions may come to mind as you plan the group session:
- What elements should I include in the group this week?
- How long will I spend on each element, such as the lesson, prayer, fellowship, etc.?
- How can I best structure the group session to meet the needs of those in the group?
Think about a small group you liked. What made it enjoyable? Your leader probably did some fun things to help members get to know each other. You might have spent time praying. You studied the Bible.
Think through these issues as you determine what to include in each group session:
- What is the purpose of this group?
- What are the needs of the group?
- What are you trusting God to do in this group?
- How does this specific group session fit your overall purpose?
In light of your conclusions, select elements for this group time that will help facilitate your purpose and objectives. After you’ve selected the elements, determine the time allotment for each element.
Let’s consider a possible plan for a new growth group.. What elements would there be and how much time would we allot for each element?
What might happen in each of these four sections?
1. Interaction with each
other (15 minutes)
This is relationship-building time. It may include
icebreakers or some other form of sharing time or
fellowship. A relationship building time is critical for
any group, even if group members know each other. The
leader can use a question, or icebreaker, that will help
everyone get to know each better. It’s important the
leader choose an activity that fits into the time
allotted for fellowship.
Icebreakers can run long. If you don’t watch it, your group will be one big icebreaker. This isn’t all bad at times, but it might communicate to some in your group that you don’t value the lesson portion of the your group meeting very much. Maybe they’ll think it isn’t worth the time to come. You’re better off guiding the discussion and planning ahead so you can control the length of the icebreaker.
Never underestimate the importance of creating an atmosphere where people feel at home. Icebreakers or other relational interaction are great for this, and you’ll find that food always helps.
Food is power, they say. It communicates to your group that you went out of your way for them. It also makes people feel more comfortable. Jesus taught 90 percent of the time in the context of a meal.
2. Interaction with the
Word (35 minutes)
This is when the group studies and applies God’s
Word together. Most leaders see this as the real meat of
the group. Interaction with the Word is central, but
sometimes the other sections of the group time make the
time in the Word come alive.
3. Interaction with God (5
minutes)
Spending time in prayer. As a group grows together,
prayer increases in importance. A relatively new group
usually won’t feel comfortable praying together. So,
you can share briefly about prayer, discussing why we
pray or how to pray. Give them time to warm up to group
prayer. You could pray for the group meeting and maybe
ask a more mature member to pray at the end of the
meeting. In the appendix you’ll find some ideas on
how to teach your group to pray.
Some groups, even though they are made up of young believers, enjoy sharing prayer requests with each other. This helps the group bond together and helps their faith grow as they see God’s answers. The prayer time might become the group’s favorite time.
4. Interaction with the
World (5 minutes)
This is a time during which the group where the
discussion becomes outward focused. This can mean asking
accountability questions, or discussing the devotional
material in the CoJourners equipment pack. It's a time
where the group members are encouraged to think about how
to center their days away from the growth group on God
and how to talk to their friends more about Jesus.
Most important during this time is to talk about the importance of growing in their faith and then sharing their faith with other students.
5. Information about
upcoming activities (5 minutes)
This helps them know what’s happening in the
movement in order to meet new people and build bonds. In
this portion you communicate any details about events
going on during the next week or two--the campus weekly
meeting, any upcoming activities in the movement, clarify
the meeting time for the next week. You might suggest
someone bring the goodies or get a volunteer to help with
an icebreaker.
You should always include a teaser for next week’s topic, to motivate them to come back. For example, “Next week we’re going to look at what to do when we blow it in our Christian life” or, “Next week I’d though we’d look at biblical guidelines for dating.”
Each ingredient helps produce an effective small group, but they won’t always be exhibited to the same degree each time your group meets.
An older group might spend more time in the Word and in prayer than a younger group.
These examples aren’t perfect models because there is no “right” combination of elements. Rather, the leader must make each group session fit the purpose and needs of the group. Sometimes the sessions won’t always work out like you planned. The crucial point in planning your group time is to wisely structure each element to help meet the needs of your group members. A staff member or veteran group leader can help you make good choices in this regard.
Campus
Crusade for Christ at The University of Delaware
contact us
Last updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2005