Way #2 – Your Neighborhood
Next door, down the street, or across the way, people who don’t attend church and don’t belong to a group are likely living in your neighborhood. Every day you may cross paths with your neighbors for various organic reasons. Invite them to your small group. If you think they’ll feel uncomfortable in a bible study setting, host a casual social gathering with your group they can attend first. If your small group meets in your home, as a courtesy, you can write up a letter explaining extra cars will be parked out front of your home every _____ day your group gathers and that they are invited to join your group.
Way #3 – Your Workplace
Where do you spend most of your time in life . . . . ? Sleeping . . . Ok, maybe not everyone sleeps as much as others. Your workplace is where you spend the most time of your week. Depending upon your occupation, you may rub shoulders with dozens of people for hours every day, five days a week. Opportunities to ask meaningful questions, develop relationships, and cultivate friendships build bridges to invite coworkers to your small group. Don’t overlook this opportune place to invite coworkers. They need God, and God’s people to discuss God’s Word so they may be filled with God’s Spirit.
Way #4 – Social Media
How often do you open your social media apps? How many friends, followers, or connections do you have? A lot? Then tell them about your small group. Social media has proven to be an amazing place to find new group members. Snap a picture of your small group, post it, and send an invitation. Tell them when and why you are meeting. Share your favorite thing about your small group. Ask your group members to hit the share button. Also, you can share the post on local community or neighborhood groups. Hundreds and thousands of people scroll social media newsfeeds. Give them one that could change their life forever.
Way #5 – Your Pastor
You know someone who knows a lot of people who aren’t in a small group yet. Guess who it is . . . . Your Pastor! Easily overlooked and underestimated, your pastor knows people who attend or belong to your local church and aren’t in a small group. When you ask your pastor, it can be a bit overwhelming for him. So, how do you ask the best way? First, ask for names of people your pastor knows who aren’t in a group. If that proves unsuccessful or there’s a delay, ask if the church office can run a report of all church members who don’t belong to or attend a small group. You can narrow it down to a stage of life range, age, parents of kids/teens/empty nesters, geographical location (city or zip code), etc. Make the ask, and you’ll be amazed at how many people you can find to increase your small group size!
This article on increasing small group size originally appeared here, and is used by the kind permission of the Small group Network. Check out another one of their articles here. If you enjoyed this article, you can find even more great content by subscribing to the Small Group Network blog and checking out Adam’s newest book that releases in mid to late October, Group Leader Training: A Biblical Manual for Group Leaders and Teachers in the Local Church.
