How “Small Group in a box” can be effective tool for your Small Group Ministry
Having the right tools for any job or task usually makes it go a lot smoother, right? Recently in my house, we installed an accent wall using wood planks. In order to make this work, my husband needed to have a saw to be able to cut the long planks into various sizes so they fit. Secondly, it also helped that he had a nail gun, because that made it so much easier and quicker to install each one. Putting a few simple tools into the hands of your Small Group point people will not only help make groups run more efficiently, it will also help increase promotion and demonstrate the ease of facilitating a group!
Have you heard of “Small Group in a Box?” The concept of this is so simple and yet it’s so effective and provides just the right tools needed for anyone to lead a group. Here are four reasons why this is a tool for all Small Group point people to use:
- The “Small Group” box itself is a physical and visual tool that you can get into the hands of your lead Pastor and have him help promote. Be sure to fill him in on what the box is all about and what it includes, and ask him to show the box and talk about it at the start of a new series. Ask him to encourage anyone to gather a few friends and start a group (see 3-friends Campaign) using these boxes. Lastly, he can specifically direct people to visit a designated Small Group table (maybe in lobby or café) after each service to sign up and get a box.
- The box contains everything you need to have a group! This includes detailed instructions for the leader which provides specific information on the series/study. It includes a variety of connection activities (made into a small booklet) that the leader can choose to use for the entire study, as well as any props needed for those activities, such as name tags, index cards, notepad, or a small bag of candy. You can include a specific in-house study guide if you have one, or a card that provides the specific link to the online sermon questions or study content. Also include a card with contact information for their Small Group Point Person / Coach in case they have any questions or need assistance. Whatever you need to run the group successfully for the designated length of the study, have it all right here in this box!
- Use the “Small Group in a box” to further promotion of Small Groups and encourage others to pick up a box and start a group! Ask those who sign up to lead the “Small Group in a box” group if they are willing to take a photo and/or create a simple video message sharing how easy it is to start a group using this simple tool!
- While everything that is needed to start and run the group is in the box, it is vital that you provide additional support to help the leaders along the way. Similar to tools, they are only effective as you know how to use them. Have a Coach in place for each group/leader, who is there to guide them; to provide assistance and direction as needed; provide encouragement and prayer. This fosters a group’s overall health and the chance that the group would grow and continue well after the “group in a box” ends.
Each of these points identifies how using a simple tool like a box can have a great impact on your Small Group ministry. Not only will it help current leaders facilitate their groups, but it will encourage the development of new leaders and new groups! Finally, it is a tool that can be utilized all throughout the year, as you simply adapt it to the various studies and sermon messages.
