HOSTS
What do you expect of the hosts you recruit for a church-wide campaign? Have you set the bar too high? Have you set the bar too low? Bottom line…do you even have expectations? See also, Leader Qualification: Raising the Bar, Lowering the Bar, or Open Bar?
I can’t tell you where you should set the bar. Every church will have to make that decision for themselves based on their own culture. I can tell you a few things though:
First, I can tell you that you must have predetermined guidelines that are customized for your congregation. That is, what works amazingly in one church won’t necessarily fly in yours.
Second, I can tell you that where you set the bar absolutely determines who your hosts can invite. Recruit from the core and committed and you shouldn’t be surprised if every one of their friends are also insiders. Recruit from the crowd and you can expect their friends to be outsiders. See A Tale of Two Hosts for more.
Third, I can give you an example. In this case, there was no requirement to be a member of the church. Since the new host’s primary way of filling their group was to invite their own friends and neighbors, it wasn’t even a criteria that they be vetted as a Christ follower (Think about it. If they’re inviting their own friends, aren’t they likely to be a step ahead spiritually?)!
Here’s a look at the simple expectations:
Primary Purpose: To help launch a new small group giving a “toe-in-the-water experience for each of its members.
Primary Responsibilities:
- To convene my group for the six weeks of the series.
- To connect with my coach on a weekly basis.
- To gather with other leaders for the mid-launch huddle.
- To provide updates on the group status to the church office.
- To provide a healthy group experience.
Remember, there is no problem-free. See how we attempted to mitigate the basic problems?
How are these expectations different than those of a small group leader (i.e., someone who has launched a group and joined the leadership pathway)?
