This is the first installment of the 2006-07 Monday Encourager. For those who are new teachers/small group leaders you may want to know that this USUALLY comes out on Mondays and is meant to be an encouragement in your role as a discipler of others through the ministries of our church. You may also want to know that there are weeks when this won’t come at all. If you check your email inbox or the blog on Tuesday and there is no new message from me, do not worry that there may have been a partial rapture and you got left behind. It probably means that I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Some of the messages will be comforting and some will be challenging, but they all come from my belief that God has chosen to use you in very significant ways in the life of this local church body. You are valued and appreciated.
This first edition comes from an email I received last Spring at the end of our Christian Education year, so I have been saving it all Summer just for this occasion. I hope it inspires you to consider how the Lord can use you in the weeks and months ahead.
The Five "Ms" Every Leader Should Know
What it takes to be a small group leader.
by Brett Eastman
1. Minister to the needs of your members.
Okay, so that may seem obvious, but one of the critical roles of a small group leader is to shepherd the people in your group. Does the word "shepherd" scare you? It shouldn't. God has provided you with the gifts and abilities to care for those in your small group.
In a healthy small group, the members, as well as the leaders, must be "healthy." In fact, I would say that the success of your small group depends on its health. A healthy small group integrates all 5 biblical purposes into its life, but it's the leader's job to establish the biblical purpose of "fellowship" within the first few weeks of your group's existence.
As the small group leader, you need to pray for and "love on" each member of the group. That means making sure people feel connected with other members in the group, being attentive to what people say in the group - perhaps, for example, you may sense after the first several meetings that one couple in the group is struggling in their marriage. Your job as a leader is to pray for them. After you develop a deeper friendship with the couple, you may even suggest talking to a pastor or Christian counselor.
My point, simply, is that as the shepherd of the small group you need "eyes" to see the needs of your group.
2. Mentor their spiritual maturity.
An effective small group leader seeks to cultivate the spiritual habits of his or her group.
And how do you do that?
You must first know the condition of your "sheep"-those under your care. In the back of your mind, as you lead the group, you need to ask this for each person in the group, "What is the next step in his or her spiritual maturity?"
For an unmarried couple who is living together, they need to get married! That's their next logical step in obedience to Christ. For others, it may be baptism. Others may need to learn how to give or focus on their family or attend church more regularly or step up their service in the church or community.
3. Motivate the "shape" (spiritual gifts) of your members for ministry.
You, as the leader of the group, must model this principle. It's the "trickle down" approach to spiritual maturity. What your members see in you is what they begin to emulate in their lives.
Do your members know what your spiritual gifts are? Do they know you have the gift of leadership? Have you described to them your pathway in becoming a small group leader?
Are your group members growing in their gifts? Where are they serving now? Where should they be serving in 6 months or a year?
One of the key "shepherding" functions of a small group leader is to motivate each member to harness his or her spiritual gifts for service in God's kingdom.
4. Multiply the life and mission of your members.
It's not enough for your members to stay members. Every member must become a multiplier—to multiply their life through passing on the faith to others, through starting a new small group, through training others to assist in the development of the small group.
As a small group leader, your vision must be to see your group collectively—and its members individually—to take the next logical step in development. There must always be movement—growth towards reaching the mission of God's kingdom.
That may mean training another set of leaders to launch another small group. Or it may mean making sure the "empty chair" is always filled. Or, it may mean that you challenge group members to make a difference in their daily lives or profession.
Your role is to pour your life into your group members, so that they will pour their lives into others.
5. Model a surrendered heart.
Pride and arrogance and worldly leadership have no place in a small group. Never forget that what is happening in your group is the work of God Almighty. Not you.
If your leadership is effective, if your shepherding is making a difference in the lives of your members, expect spiritual warfare. That is, expect conflict, struggles, and trials. Satan loves to strangle healthy small groups through, for example, petty conflicts among members.
That's when you, the leader, need most to model a surrendered, humble attitude.
God works best in our weakness—when things are blowing apart—that's when God is strong. What is your Isaac? That is, what do you need to lay down on the altar to be consumed by the fire of God's presence? God loves the confessions and prayers of a broken and contrite heart. Worship God no matter what your circumstances with a thankful and hopeful heart. Your soul—and the very health of your small group—is at stake.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Monday Encourager - 9/22/2006
Hello teachers,
I trust you have had a good week of ministry since the last time I sent the Encourager. Now that we are several weeks into our Fall schedule I hope you are establishing some sort of normalcy in your classroom/group. I know that my S.S. class has been growing and I have heard some good reports from some of our groups that have started with greater participation and new energy.
In my past churches I have been forced to wrestle with the question of “How important is it to bring our Bibles?” We placed Bibles in the hymnbook rack or projected the scripture reading or included it in our study guides so people felt like they did not need to bring their Bibles from home. I know I have this discussion with my kids on a regular basis. I try to tell them that going to church without their Bibles is like going to school without their textbooks. And they reply “some of our teachers keep the textbooks in their class so we can’t take them home.” This reminds me of the days in church History when the Bible was chained to the Altar and people were not allowed to have personal copies.
I wonder if we have developed a disregard for the Bible or if distribution of the printed Word has been so saturated that we have several copies? I know I have a copy in by briefcase, one on my desk, several in my office, several in my home, one in each of our automobiles, etc.
I received the following from my accountability partner a few weeks ago and thought I’d share it with you.
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it as a standard part of our lives AND for emergencies?
What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
Now my friend... where is that Bible of yours?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we really don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Christ already paid the bill...
Is the Word of God as important to you as your cell phone? I hope more so!
The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:
15 "I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. 16 I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word. 20 My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times. 24 Your statues are my delight; they are my counselors. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws. 35 Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. 47 I delight in Your commands because I love them. 58 I have sought Your face with all my heart. 81 My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your Word. 92 If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life. 97 O, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 129 Your statues are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, for Your law is my delight."
I trust you have had a good week of ministry since the last time I sent the Encourager. Now that we are several weeks into our Fall schedule I hope you are establishing some sort of normalcy in your classroom/group. I know that my S.S. class has been growing and I have heard some good reports from some of our groups that have started with greater participation and new energy.
In my past churches I have been forced to wrestle with the question of “How important is it to bring our Bibles?” We placed Bibles in the hymnbook rack or projected the scripture reading or included it in our study guides so people felt like they did not need to bring their Bibles from home. I know I have this discussion with my kids on a regular basis. I try to tell them that going to church without their Bibles is like going to school without their textbooks. And they reply “some of our teachers keep the textbooks in their class so we can’t take them home.” This reminds me of the days in church History when the Bible was chained to the Altar and people were not allowed to have personal copies.
I wonder if we have developed a disregard for the Bible or if distribution of the printed Word has been so saturated that we have several copies? I know I have a copy in by briefcase, one on my desk, several in my office, several in my home, one in each of our automobiles, etc.
I received the following from my accountability partner a few weeks ago and thought I’d share it with you.
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it as a standard part of our lives AND for emergencies?
What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
Now my friend... where is that Bible of yours?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we really don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Christ already paid the bill...
Is the Word of God as important to you as your cell phone? I hope more so!
The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:
15 "I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. 16 I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word. 20 My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times. 24 Your statues are my delight; they are my counselors. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws. 35 Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. 47 I delight in Your commands because I love them. 58 I have sought Your face with all my heart. 81 My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your Word. 92 If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life. 97 O, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 129 Your statues are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, for Your law is my delight."
First Post
I'm a newbie to this whole blogging thing. Two of my kids started blogs this summer and one of them posts about every day. I am wondering if anybody cares about my thoughts, but it will be a fun experiment.
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