The new year is sometimes consumed with preparations for a small groups push of some sort. Maybe your church is doing a campaign, a church-wide study, a group launching event or some other community building endeavor. While we often place great amounts of time and resources into the mechanics of how this endeavor will (hopefully!) work, the way to communicate a small group calling might simply be an afterthought.
Who Makes the Small Group Calling?
Just as we’ve all been called to ministry, called to give of ourselves to build the church, spread the gospel and empower disciples, Jesus is calling the people who make up our church to biblical community. Unfortunately, in this day and age, a small group calling often gets drowned out by the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Maybe your Lead Pastor allows you to stand up in front of the church and make the call yourself. Maybe the Lead Pastor will do it. Maybe another church staff member who handles announcements will ‘squeeze it in’ for you.
While you are the champion of community in your church, if you’re not making the small group calling, then you’ll need to coach the one who is. We simply can’t afford for this call to go unanswered.
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 NLT
All of your efforts to make the fall groups endeavor a success hinge on the effectiveness of the call. The church is the single most important community in your area of the world. The people who make up your church must be engaged in that community, or it will be unable to function as God intended. Therefore, getting them to answer the call is paramount to realizing all that the Bride of Christ should be in your part of the world.
This is where groups come in. If your Lead Pastor is making the call, explain to them how much more effective the church’s presence in the community will be when a high percentage of the congregation is engaged. Studies from Barna and others have proven time and again that churches with a high percentage of groups engagement are more effective in accomplishing their mission.
• Want better turnout for volunteer events? Build groups.
• Want better engagement in serving teams? Build groups.
• Want a larger tithe base? Build groups.
As the saying goes, a church of groups is more effective than a church with groups.
Non-Verbal Communication
People hear passion and respond. People also spot indifference a mile away and react accordingly. If the person making the call is passionate about groups, that alone will win a large percentage of your congregation over. Passion is not conveyed in what we say, but how we say it.