How To Start A Small Group Ministry

What steps are involved in starting a small group ministry? Here’s how you can stare a small group ministry.

Why Start One?

The first question is what is it that you want to do? What is the purpose of beginning a small group ministry? Is it to grow closer in your relationship with God? It is for the purpose of growing closer to those in a small group? What type of ministry does this group desire to do and why? Is it to glorify God for which we were created in the first place? Is it to serve in the community or in the church? You need to find the focus of the small group ministry first and determine why you want to start one in the first place. Are all the prospective, potential, or current members on the same page with the group’s purpose and focus? What is the desired outcome? Are there certain goals that are clearly displayed so that others can see the purpose for this group? Step one is to find out why you want to start a small group. Starting one because others are doing it or other churches are using these groups is not reason enough. Maybe you should make inquiry of others and see what their reason for starting one was. There is much benefit to starting a small group ministry but the reasons can vary as widely as those who are in the group.

Seek the Church’s Approval

If you are to start a small group ministry you should talk to the pastor and church leaders about this first. You can tell them the purpose for which this small group ministry is for. Tell them the vision you have for this group, why you believe it is needed, and how you intend to implement the purpose for which this group was formed. Does this group’s vision fit in with the vision that the church has? Does it fit in with what the church purposes to do within the church and/or in the community? Is this group trying to achieve something that’s already been done? Is it duplicating what another church group that currently exists is already doing at this time? Do you believe it is important enough reason to begin a small group ministry? Are there enough members willing to commit to this ministry for the long term or in other words, have the members counted the cost of their long term commitment and understand what is required of each one?

Specify the Group’s Ministry

Our church has a ministry in the local nursing home. We provide church services for those who cannot attend churches because of their physical limitations. Each member knows what is expected of them because we know what our intention is to serve at the local nursing home. The group should know ahead of time whether this ministry is only for church members or for church members and members of the community to participate. Perhaps it can be a support group for cancer patients, for single mothers, maybe for those who have certain addictions like alcohol, drug abuse, or gambling addictions. The group must have a specific ministry and stick with that as the central focus. It is far too easy to start including other duties that are outside of the small group ministry’s purpose.

Look at the Church’s Needs

If you want to start a small group ministry, I suggest you first look for things that need to be done at the church. What are gaps in services that the church presently has? Where are there needs that are being unmet? Does the church have members who are now shut-ins? Are there members who need help with things at home like with the elderly with home or auto repairs? Are there single mothers that have needs that no single parent alone can do? Are there ways to help out single mothers with proving a male mentor for these mother’s boys and female mentors for these mother’s girls? Have others in the church expressed concerns about shortfalls in church services or where there are needs that are presently being unmet?

Provide Training

There are several low cost or free small study group leader development programs that are available. There may be some in the church that already have been or are already in a small group that can act as an advisor. For example, someone will be needed to record the minutes of the meetings and to act as the single contact person for when meetings are cancelled or moved. Is there the need for someone to create an agenda? Who can be assigned the task of trying to find and collect the materials needed for such a small group ministry? Who is going to finance the things that are required for the group? Training materials typically cover these important issues.

Conclusion

There are so many things to consider when starting a small group that no single article can possibly cover them all. The Bible teaches that there is “in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Prov 11:14) and that “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Prov 15:22) so seek godly counsel, ask others who are in or have been in small group ministries and pray about what you really seek to do in your small group ministry and always seek to glorify God in whatever you do.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.