Resources e-letter 20:4 - August 2020
Here is a major new article on a church's small group structure, just uploaded to the Resources section of this website. This is A48: Organising your small group structures - Choices to be made. There is also a listing of other articles and training notes on the theme of groups and teams.
Click/tap red heading to continue
NEW: Organising your small groups
I cannot believe that I have never written on this before in any thorough way! But at last here is a careful study of all the organisational aspects of setting up, reviewing and running a church’s small groups. I hope it will be of value to anyone overseeing or reviewing their groups’ structure and operation, but also to leadership teams of all kinds.
There are two special features. First, the subtitle is ‘Choices to be made’ because the article lists choices on a wide range of issues. Secondly all small groups are covered including children’s groups, seniors’ activities and short-term groups, although the focus is still on what most term ‘home groups’.
The choices covered are as follows:
-
Purpose and place
The purpose of all small groups, where they fit into the church structure, vision and values. -
Types and names
Eleven possible types of small group with their strengths and weaknesses, plus the names that might be used. -
Meetings and group sizes
Three elements of any meeting: input, response and support; plus styles, frequency, group size. -
Oversight and autonomy
What detailed central oversight looks like compared with minimal oversight. How to join a group and why some will not join. What you do when there is a need for change. -
Overview and leadership
The appointment of a Groups Co-ordinator and group leaders.
Article A48, Organising your small groups – Choices to be made, is now available without charge from the Articles index page.
COVID-19 issues
A reminder that in April I wrote Training Notes TN123, How to speak to camera, as an additional set of notes giving advice to all who speak, lead intercessions, read Scripture or give out announcements in a recorded or live-streamed service.
Other website items on groups and teams
Try any of these:
Articles
A24 Mission-shaped Church Councils
A41 Going deeper into meetings – people issues
A45 How to lead a team at church
Training Notes
TN18 A leadership team checklist
TN41 What makes a group a team
TN49 What’s going on under the water
TN79 ‘One another’ teams
TN94 Becoming self-aware
TN101 Working with a No. 2
TN104 A grid structure for churches
TN119 Group behaviours to beware of
Within the Resources section of the website, the Articles, Training Notes and Health-checks index pages will take you to these and all other items.
August will probably be the month when most churches move from online to some kind of system involving both services in church buildings and live-streamed or recorded worship. It is going to be a time for innovation and structural rethinking. May God guide you and others in all the decisions to be made.