The impact and effects of this sin can be diminished when a year-round strategy is adopted and a model employed that makes it easy and common for new leaders to be identified and new groups to form.
Lack of concern for unconnected people.
This sin is most common in churches on a hunt for a problem-free solution or without any sense of urgency. Believing the situation will be better next season or next year, these churches are content to wait until all their ducks are in a row.
Developing a keen sense of urgency about the regularly closing windows of unconnected people will fight the impact of this sin. Paying closer attention to the stories of unconnected people in the crowd will help grow a greater willingness to steward every season.
Not caring for or developing leaders after they are recruited.
This sin is very common in churches and small group ministries offering/allowing too many ministries or programs. The constant need to recruit for, prepare for and promote for the next thing (and the thing after that) makes negligence in the most strategic areas commonplace.
Keeping your eye on the most strategic things becomes more and more difficult the more additional ministries and programs are offered. Not caring for and developing small group leaders and coaches is often the resulting sin of saying yes to everything.
Settling for fellowship and not making better disciples.
When most effective, small groups offer fellowship and discipleship. When they settle for either, they miss the mark. Groups strategies that settle for fellowship and offer a discipleship program alongside (or vice versa) commonly offer less than the optimal environment for life-change and miss the truly transformational impact of a thriving small group ministry.
Offering both fellowship and discipleship in a group requires a leader who is being cared for and developed by someone who has already been there (i.e., you can’t take anyone somewhere you have never been). Settling for fellowship is commonly the result of another of the seven deadliest of small group ministry.
This article originally appeared here.
