Home Small Group Leaders Articles for Small Group Leaders Evangelism and Mission: Why Your Group Neglects Them

Evangelism and Mission: Why Your Group Neglects Them

Not every group is going to experience leading the masses into a relationship with Jesus. Every group should be evangelistically effective at some level, though. So, why is it some groups are ineffective when it comes to being evangelistically missional?
 
1. The leader isnt praying enough. In Jim Egli and Dwight Marable’s book, Small Groups, Big Impact, after interviewing more than 3,000 small group leaders, their research showed “of the leaders with a strong prayer life, 83 percent reported their group had seen someone come to Christ in the past nine months, but only 19 percent of the leaders with a weak prayer life could say the same.”
 
2. The leader of the group isn’t directing the group to have an outward focus. Again, Small Groups, Big Impact … “Ninety percent of the groups surveyed with a strong outward focus had seen someone come to Christ in the last six months, but only 11 percent of the groups with a weak outward focus could say the same.
 
3. The group leader doesn’t consistently remind the group they exist to bring others into a relationship with Christ. From Small Group Big Impact … “Group outreach begins with group purpose. If you are launching a group, you should make it clear to those forming the team and those joining the group exists to experience and extend Jesus’ truth, love and power. This needs to be repeated over and over again.”

 4. The small group leader isn’t modeling an evangelistically missional lifestyle. Small Groups, Big Impact speaks again … “As leaders reach out to their own friends, relatives and associates—praying for them, loving them, introducing them to their small group members, and bringing them to small group and church eventsthe small group members capture a vision and imitate their example.”

If This Was Helpful Check Out …
People Into Projects: Let’s Use Language That is Actually Missional by Scott Boren
Sympathy for the Devil by Randall Neighbour
The Future of Church/Community, Is Your Church Ready by Kirby Holmes  

Previous articleFirst-World Problems
Next articleSteven Furtick: Why Forgiveness is Your Only Option
rhowerton@churchleaders.com'
Rick has one passion… To see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.” He is presently pursuing this passion as the Small Group and Discipleship Specialist at LifeWay Church Resources. Rick has authored or co-authored multiple books, studies, and leader training resources including A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic, Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual, The Gospel and the Truth: Living the Message of Jesus, Small Group Life Ministry Manual: A New Approach to Small Groups, Redeeming the Tears: a Journey Through Grief and Loss, Small Group Life: Kingdom, Small Group Kickoff Retreat: Experiential Training for Small Group Leaders, and Great Beginnings: Your First Small Group Study, Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making. Rick’s varied ministry experiences as an collegiate minister, small group pastor, teaching pastor, elder, full-time trainer and church consultant, as well as having been a successful church planter gives him a perspective of church life that is all-encompassing and multi-dimensional. Rick is a highly sought after communicator and trainer.