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Delegate or Die: Small Group Ministry Essentials

3. Must be …

Which ministry functions are you doing now that must be delegated to someone to prevent burn out?  

One small group leader I know shared he was spending five hours each week preparing for the lesson which did not match his gifts, training or interest. It kept him from serving in his sweet spot, which was shepherding group members.

There may be times when you function in a ministry role out of necessity—and have to make the dessert!—but with the understanding that it’s short term until someone who’s a better match steps in.

4. Would help …

Which roles or tasks would you like to remove from your plate to help you be more focused on your primary role as a small group leader?

Eighty percent of your time should be spent doing ministry that matches your gifting. That’s what will energize you.

If you start spending more than 20 percent of your time doing the things that are not in alignment with your passion and gifts, you’ll be drained of energy.

The temptation is to only delegate the insignificant tasks that no one enjoys doing—taking attendance, or making reminder phone calls. We often want to make ourselves the “doers of all significant things” and leave the fluff to the group members.

When we empower our small groups to do real ministry, we begin the process of developing an equipping church.

Take a look at the services you provide your small group and apply these filters to examine where you need to delegate, and where you need to focus.

The result may surprise you!