As I scanned the weekly ads in last Sunday’s paper it was obvious that a new year is upon us. The first few pages of nearly every ad were dedicated to fitness equipment and workout attire. With the arrival of a new year comes a renewed zeal for many people to get “fit”, and merchants and advertising execs are well aware that this tops the list of most people’s resolutions. But sadly, for many, the goals are too high or the commitment too low, and their “shape” doesn’t change much.
It’s probably a good thing for us as Small Group Leaders to take a fresh look at our groups and look at the areas where our groups are getting out of shape. So here are some realistic goals for Small Group Leaders (some of them borrowed or inspired by smallgroupministry.com) to help our groups take shape and stay spiritually fit:
- Seek to be real with your group members. Don’t pretend to be the Bible scholar or to always have it all together. Be genuine, and model an authentic life of faith. This breaks down barriers and allows members to engage in real life transformation together.
- Seek to take risks with your small group in the areas of accountability and challenging members toward transformation. Do the risky thing and break the comfort zone of surface-level Christianity.
- Seek to grow along with your group members. Tackle new subjects. Pursue a deeper level of faith and invite your group to join you in the journey.
- Seek to create an environment where group members not only dig deep into spiritual matters together, but where you also enjoy life together. Do things together outside of group time, or plan group social nights, with the purpose of having fun with one another.
- Seek to be about something bigger than your group. While connecting to others relationally and being transformed through applying Biblical truth to our lives is a must, don’t miss out on the rewards that come when we add service opportunities to the mix. Seek to connect people to one another, grow them in the likeness of Christ, and then provide opportunities for your group to impact the community around you with the love of Jesus.
