Big Ideas about Small Groups

The Power of the Apprentice!

Aaron Monts | NewThing Leadeship Resident

This past week I, along with other Leadership Residents, students and pastors from around the country met together at Wheaton College to participate in a tremendous class "Planting and Growing Reproducing Churches."  The class was led by Jon Ferguson and Dave Ferguson and it exposed the proactive leadership culture of CCC.  In this class and the short amount of time that I've been a part of CCC, I've seen this proactive leadership in action - striving to continually equip and release new leaders that are empowered to "go" and make a difference.

Throughout the years I've been witness to several churches that decry the lack of leaders in their midst, and admittedly I too have been a part of this same sort of reactive leadership culture; running around frantically searching for people that will fill a ministry slot that was vacated by someone who was leading three other ministries and now finds themselves completely burnt out.  In this reactive culture we complain that there are no leaders and we proclaim that people just aren't "mature" or as "ready" as they used to be.  The challenge isn't the people, the challenge is the process.

Reactive leadership expects people to instantaneously be "ready" when the time comes without doing any of the hard work of investing in people to lead - and this one of the biggest challenges of the Church today.  We have found ourselves in this vicious cycle of reaction, where the art of equipping and releasing people into leadership roles has vanished.  I am learning that this does not have to be the case - we can have proactive leadership cultures.  There in lies the power of the apprentice (the process) - the brilliance of the leadership pipeline:

• Apprentice leader
• Leader
• Coach
• Staff

If we are proactive in the art of identification, in the seeking of potential leaders who will, when equipped, take on the mantle of leadership, then there should neve be any lack of leaders within the church.  You may call this idealistic or optimistic; I call this proactive.  This is the power of the apprentice.

I wonder how many dreams in the church fail to get launched or simply die because of the lack of apprentices who will someday step up to the plate and own the dream that will take the church to the next level.  The power of the apprentice is bigger than we can ever imagine and it is only through our ability to identify, equip and release apprentices that will determine just how far the church can really go!

Ministry happens because of the leader, but exponential reproduction happens because of the process; because of the apprentice.

How to Indentify an Apprentice

Eric Metcalf | NewThing Small Groups Champion

We are currently in a one year initiative where we are asking Who's Next?  As a part of this initiative CCC small groups are striving to reach a goal for just over 60% of our groups to have apprentices by Oct. 1 this year.

As a part of this effort we have presented skills in the past about how to recruit, develop and release an apprentice.  It was shortly after we presented this skill that we had leaders and staff saying, "I'm getting closer to understanding how to recruit, develop and release a new leader, but how do I know what to look for in a potential apprentice?"  First I would take some time to review Leadership Expectations and spend some time praying for God to help you see right person(s) to ask, then take a look this video blog:

How to Identify and Apprentice - download notes here.

Top 10 Reasons to Get an Apprentice

Carter Moss | Montgomery Small Groups

We have a problem. CCC greatly values the apprenticeship process, yet in certain ministry areas (like small groups), we are not yet living out that value very well. We have been wrestling with why this is and how we can improve. So as I huddled with my small group coaches recently, I tried a new approach—I asked them to list off as many benefits as they could to having a small group apprentice leader, and I didn’t allow “so you can birth a new group” to be one of them (because they already know that one). And guess what—we came up with 10 more great reasons!

So from us to you, here they are, in no particular order:

1. Reproducing Leaders: You get to invest in and reproduce another great leader, who may go into lead a group, lead in some other ministry, or lead in some other place.
2. Leader Support: When leading gets tough/discouraging, you get someone alongside you to help pick you up.
3. Getting to do Team Leadership: You get someone else on your team who cares as much about the group as you.
4. Model the Reproducing Vision: Your group will see the vision of reproducing yourself modeled right in front of them.
5. Leader Accountability: You can’t get by just “winging it” anymore, you have to stay on top of your game.
6. Model Good Relationships: You get to model for your group a healthy 1-on-1 relationship.
7. Improves Leadership: Teaching someone else always makes you a better leader.
8. Spiritual Gift Validation: You get to validate your apprentice’s spiritual gifts and help them begin using them.
9. Next Steps in Action: Your group gets to see people taking next steps in their spiritual lives through the apprenticeship.
10. Leader Freedom: You have a replacement ready for when God calls you onto the next thing.

And since I hate to miss an opportunity to be funny with a “Top Whatever List” (thanks Letterman), here are my Top 5 WRONG Reasons to Get an Apprentice:

1. So you can treat them like Trump by telling them “you’re fired.”
2. So they can pick up your laundry and watch the dog while you’re on vacation.
3. So you can brainwash them to be your clone and show up at work for you.
4. So you can buy that “my apprentice can beat up your apprentice” bumper sticker.
5. So you can impress Dave Ferguson and make it into his next book!

Who is my apprentice?

Josh Jackaway | NewThing Leadership Resident

At the ripe old age of 22 I decided I needed to know about investments.  So I started asking around.  I didn't have a lot of money, so I was trying to be extra cautious about how I invested it.  I looked into stocks...but that was risky.  So were mutual funds and bonds.  Unfortunately the only super safe investment I could find was a Certificate of Deposit at my bank that offered interest only in competition with inflation.  I thought it was safe, but as I look at the interest garnered on this "investment" I realize I made about as much money off my money as I spent on gum this month...and I don't really chew that much gum.  "So what does investing have to do with small groups?", you may be asking.  (And if you are not asking that I know I am...).

Well it comes down to another question, "Who is my apprentice?"  I heard the other day that only about 30% of CCC's small groups have apprentices.  Which really means only about 30% of our small groups are really making a safe investment.  I think sometimes we fail to ask someone to be our apprentice because we are trying to be "safe".  We fear:

• Asking the wrong person
• He/she may not like leading
• He/she may not be good at leading
• We may not be able to really lead him or her

So we think we are being safe by just doing it ourselves.  But actually we are making a rather risky and unwise investment. 

We, which includes me, are headed in a direction where people will NOT find their way back to God because there will not be groups to handle those searching persons.  The truly safe investment is to find someone to either train to take our place or go out to start their own group.  So this week I am asking "Who is my apprentice?", will you ask the same question?

Reproducing Groups and Leaders

Eric Metcalf | NewThing Small Groups Champion

One of the most important tasks a small group leader has is reproducing his/her group.  There are 3 important aspects to do that effectively:

• Recruit an apprentice
• Develop an apprentice
• Release an apprentice

Check out this video to learn more of the specifics behind reproducing small groups.  And if you're looking for the notes, download them here from Reproducing Church resources.

Casting a Reproducing Vision

Struggle with casting a reproducing vision for your small group?  Check out Beth Kolar, Yorkville Small Groups Director, to see how she cultivates multiplication at the Yorkville Campus.  Download her notes here.

Paradoxical Community

Why did you join your current small group?  To study Scripture?  For prayer?  To better understand who God is in your life?  For friendships?  Whatever your motive, I believe what keeps a small group going is the mission of Jesus - that's what will truly ground a small group.

However, have you noticed that the same mission of Jesus that brings us closer, can quite possibly (and likely) become the exact mission that pulls us apart - sending us off to start other small groups?  If this is true, how do you reconcile this in your own life?  What are your thoughts if you disagree?

3 Myths of Multiplication

Check out Jon Ferguson's recent post about small group multiplication.  Here are some of his points that he derived from Joel Comiskey's Home Cell Explosion:

1. The leaders gender, social, class, age, marital status, or education were not a factor in their ability to multiply their small group. Maybe you'd never say it out loud, but quietly thought that one gender or the other or more highly educated leaders would likely be more successful in growing and reproducing small groups.  Comiskey's research says, "no."
2. The leaders’ personality type was not a factor in their ability to multiply their small group.  Both introverted and extroverted leaders multiplied their groups.  Whether you're a lion, otter, beaver, golden retriever, made no difference – not a factor.  Do you think becasue you're a high "D" or high "I" on the DISC profile, you're more likely to be effective in small group leadership?  Comiskey's research says "no."
3. The leader’s spiritual gifting was not a factor in their ability to multiply their small group.  We might think that someone with the gift of leadership for example would be more successful in multiplying a small group, than say someone with the gift of mercy or shepherding.  Comiskey's research says that’s not the case.

Do you agree or disagree with the 3 Myths of Multiplication?

Potential Small Group Leader?

How do you determine if someone has potential to be a small group leader?  What do you think about this old acrostic called FACTS:

• Faithful - are they faithful to Jesus, the church and small group?
• Available - are they spending time with those in the group?
• Committed - do they relentlessly pursue the vision of the small group?
• Teachable - are they open to feedback/input from others?
• Servant - do they put others first?

What do you look for in a potential small group leader?

Groups are multiplying

One of CCC's Small Group Directors, Janet McMahon posted a story about her small group multiplying - check it out at her blog Losing Life.  Naperville small groups are reproducing groups and leaders - awesome!