This post is from a recent conversation with Trevor Schiller of Hope Valley Uniting Church in Adelaide, Australia. Trevor leads a Small Group Network huddle and is the volunteer point person for the small group ministry in his church, serving with Pastor Scott Button. Trevor’s daytime job is as a solar sales consultant.
What’s the state of small groups in your church?
We have about 500 people in attendance at weekend worship services with 48% of those participating in 30 small groups.
How did you get involved in small groups?
Shortly after I became a Christian on 12/12/1987, I had to start a 5 year prison sentence, so my experience of church was really like cell groups. Upon release, I continued in life groups, and before long was leading and starting new life groups. That has continued ever since, including church planting by first starting new life groups in an area, as well as connecting with cell churches in various parts of the world.
Why did you start a huddle in Adelaide and what have you discovered since starting the huddle?
One of our pastors and I wanted our church to do the “40 Days of Community” study, and Ron Wilbur helped us a lot to be able to do that well. Later on, Ron asked whether we would be prepared to start a Small Groups Network Huddle in Adelaide, and I agreed to do that. [The absolute best part of leading a huddle is] hearing what other churches (especially from other denominations) are doing and the challenges they are facing with regard to small groups ministry, and then learning together what next steps we can take…plus great relationships are formed, and we support each other in prayer.
Why should a small group ministry leader want to join a huddle?
It’s a great opportunity to bounce ideas around each other about small groups ministry, plus we regularly are blessed with input from international speakers who are very experienced in small groups.
Has your involvement in the Small Group Network helped you in the work you do for small groups in your church?
It certainly has, and many of the new next steps have come about because of what has happened in our Huddle meetings.
What is your number one goal for 2018 for small groups in your church?
For all of our Life Groups to appoint a support leader, and for those support leaders to then enable a hiving-off process as new life groups are started/commence.
