Mark's Blog

Church Is a Team Sport

Picked up a copy of Church Is a Team Sport: A Championship Strategy for Doing Ministry Together by Pastor Jim Putman of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho.  With attendance of 8,000 on the weekend, this 8 year old church is one of the fastest growing churches in America.  Even more impressive?  They're in a city of 10,000 and a drive-time population of 100,000.   Even more significant?  They've connected over 7,000 adults in small groups!

We hope to have their team on our Small Group Fraternity soon.  Very interesting stuff.  Want to check it out for yourself?  You can order your copy RIGHT HERE.

How to Launch Groups Using a Small Group Connection: Preparation

While there's no question that using a church-wide campaign (an alignment) is the most effective way to launch small groups, there are other strategies that can add variety and catch a different group (or interest people at a time in the year when an alignment doesn't make as much sense).  One of the most effective ways of launching groups is a Small Group Connection.

A small group connection is a powerful strategy that does two very good things.  First, it can help a large number of unconnected people to take the critical first step of trying a group.  Sometimes just taking a "test-drive" is all they need to do.  Second, unlike any other strategy, a small group connection helps identify leaders when you didn't think you had any.  If you're like most of us, the toughest part of small group ministry is finding good leaders.  A well planned and executed connection isn't rocket science, but it will find leaders (sometimes better leaders than you already have).  That is huge!

Pulling off a connection is a three step process (Preparation, Execution, and Follow-Up).  What are the keys to good preparation?  Here they are:

1. Promotion: Be sure and begin promoting the connection 2 to 3 weeks in advance.  Unconnected people are rarely weekly attendees.  If you want to get their attention, you'll need to promote the event 2 or 3 weeks in a row (in part because they'll only be there 1 or 2 or the 3 weeks).  The best way to promote the connection is to use the sermon to talk about the power of being connected and then refer to the connection event as an action step.  It's great to also give an announcement and feature it on the website and newsletter, but the key to great promotion is to do it in the message.  For supercharged promotion, prepare a video of a testimony (or do it live) of someone who has been powerfully impacted by being in a small group.  You'll find the questions to use in the video right here.
2. Taking sign-ups: This is one of the rare times when I encourage the use of a sign-up form.  Use a distinctive color.  Provide a place for people to fill in their name, address, best phone, best email and the kind of groups they're looking for (this last one is optional, but if allowing them to check interest in couples, singles, men's or women's gives you a little info that can help you prepare).
3. Getting Attendance at the Connection: Although you've taken sign-ups for the connection, you'll get the best response when you send a letter from the senior pastor acknowledging the sign-up with specifics about the event (day and time, room it is in, childcare instructions, etc.).  Following up the letter with an email and then a phone call the day before is not overkill.  Friendly persistence will help the largest number attend.  My experience has always been that a letter, plus an email, followed by a phone call on the day before and a final announcement on the day of the connection leads to attendance equal to the sign-up.   Walk-ins will make up the difference.
4. Day and time for a connection: Part of ensuring the best attendance is choosing the best time for the connection.  When is the best time for a connection?   Right after (or during) a service.  Make it convenient.  Hold the connection when people are already there!  Do it in an easy room to get to.  Be sure and provide childcare.  Train your childcare team to ask everyone, "Are you staying for the connection?"  Use good, clear signage.
5. Choose a small group study that is easy to use: There are plenty of good, just-add-water small group studies.  Preferably a DVD-driven study.  6 weeks is the right length.  Find one on a topic that normal people would like to know more about (You'll find a listing of potential studies right here).
6. Recruit and train plenty of help: One key to a smooth process is to have plenty of people on hand to greet attendees, help them get started, and help them finish well.  I've found it is a great advantage to have a monitor for each table (I'll be covering the specifics of what happens at the connection in part two of this series).

The idea of a small group connection may seem like way too much detail.  Believe me, I've been doing this a long time and I haven't found anything that does a better job of connecting the people who want to be in a small group and finding leaders when you didn't know you had any.

Watch for upcoming posts about how to pull off a great small group connection and how to follow-up on a small group connection.  If you haven't signed up to get my updates you can do that by clicking RIGHT HERE.

DVD-Driven Curriculum

Looking for a way to help more of your congregation have a toe-in-the-water experience with a small group?  You'll find some recommended church-wide campaign ideas right here.  Below you'll find some of the DVD-driven small group studies that you should know about:

Experiencing Christ Together: This series was the follow-up to Lifetogether's groundbreaking original series Doing Life Together.  It is a six-book series that features some of America's best known Bible teachers (John Ortberg, Bruce Wilkinson, Erwin McManus, etc.)  Each book in the series contains six sessions.

Liquid: Designed specifically for your small group, LIQUID is a DVD-based experience that features five 10-minute episodes in each seriesalong with a reflections guide.  This modern-day film series mirror ancient biblical stories with emotionally provoking videos, introspective questions, and tips for leading a small group.

The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg is a small group edition of one of his most popular books.

God is Closer Than You Think: Six Sessions on Experiencing the Presence of God: Another of Ortberg's books presented as a small group study.

H2O: Ten episodes, ten stories, one timeless quest - to quench the thirst that burns in every human spirit. Join H2O Guide Kyle Idleman for a cinematic journey through the human experience, and find out how the offer of Living Water has the power to change everything.

3:16: The Numbers of Hope: Max Lucado digs deeply into one of the most famous and oft-quoted passages of the Bible-John 3:16. First situating it in its biblical context as part of Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus, Lucado then dissects the 26-word promise phrase by phrase, picking out key theological ideas that provide hope to Christians.

The Last 10%

Great post today over at Big Ideas about Small Groups about saying the last 10%.  Whether you're talking confrontation or leader development there is always a temptation to say a lot of what you need to and then walk away without saying the last 10%.  Take a look at what Carter has to say about it right here. 

How to Develop Video or Live Testimony That Recruits Leaders or Members

When it comes to promoting small group ministry opportunities nothing comes close to the power of personal testimony (live or video).  While that statement might not be a mystery, in practice most of us end up doing the least effective thing instead.  In the great hierarchy of marketing effectiveness the least effective is print (I've lumped all print together: bulletins, newsletters, e-newsletters, website).  Only slightly better is verbal announcement supported by a handout.  Still better is for the senior pastor to talk about the opportunity as part of the message.  And the most effective method is for the pastor to refer to a video or introduce a live testimony.

How can you develop video or live testimony that recruits members or leaders? It's really pretty simple.
Recruit people for the video (or live testimony) with compelling answers to the following questions:

1. What were you afraid of when you were considering joining a small group?
2. What do you sense God has done in your life as a result of being in the small group?
3. What would you say to the people who are still thinking about whether they should join a group?

If you're making the video to recruit leaders (HOSTs), you can make a very simple tweak:

1. What were you afraid of when you were considering hosting a small group?
2. What do you sense God has done in your group?
3. What would you say to the people who are still thinking about whether they should host a group?

Here are some additional keys:

• The testimony (video or live) should be about 2 1/2 minutes.  If it is video it is best to string together 10 to 12 short clips.  The creative use of a soundtrack and graphics can really be effective.
• Let the video only show the interviewee (not the interviewer).  Have the interviewees answer with a form of the question.  For example, "When I was thinking about hosting a group, I was afraid because I didn't know much about the Bible."
• Don't be afraid to yell "Cut!" and ask the question again or ask the interviewee to shorten it up.  It is much more compelling when the the video is tighter.  Long answers are death.  Keep it short.
• If the testimony is written have them practice reading it.  The key is "once more with feeling!"

If I Was Starting Today...#7

If I knew then what I know now...I'd take advantage of the central role of the senior pastor.  This is a huge concept and absolutely explains a key difference between churches that have groups and churches that are groups.  If you are the senior pastor, you need to understand this concept.  If you aren't, you need to understand it and then make sure your senior pastor gets it.  Without this step...groups will never be pervasive.  Why?  Read on...

Senior Pastor as Champion: The Big Idea

For groups to be pervasive in your church (a church "of" as opposed to "with") your senior pastor needs to become your small group champion.  I'm not saying they need to do the the dirty work.  Organization, planning, training, etc. can all be done by other staff members or even key volunteers.  But if the senior pastor isn't the lead spokesperson...you'll have limited success.  Why?  In most churches the senior pastor is the most influential person.  When they speak, people listen.  When anyone else walks up (announcements, etc.) listening and engagement immediately decrease.

The best example right now is the way Saddleback uses Rick Warren as the key spokesperson for group life (all of their teaching pastors play the role very well).  You'll hear about groups in announcements and in the printed material as well, but it's a very rare week when you don't hear about them in the message.

How to Implement the Big Idea?

1. Champion community regularly: Every worship service is an opportunity to talk about the importance of community.  As messages are prepared, take advantage of any illustration that could refer to small groups or the power of community.  Use testimonies (live or video) whenever possible.  Most sermon topics can find application in group life (encouragement, accountability, support, challenge).
2. Cast vision broadly: In addition to the weekend message, take advantage of your website, newsletter, all church e-newsletter, scrolling slides before the service begins, Small Group Table in the lobby with a stand-up poster featuring a short blurb by your senior pastor ("I can't imagine trying to 'do life alone.'").
3. Coordinate messages and themes throughout the year: Although you can insert small group stories and testimonies in most messages, featuring the importance of community at strategic times is important.  Late September/Early October is a key time to think alignment (weekend message series combined with small group curriculum).  Another great time is end of January/early February.
4. Call to action: Using a "call to action" gives an easy way to respond.  Make it easy to find a group (use a web application like Churchteams or Groopik) or even a list of groups at the table in the lobby.  Be sure you're staffing the table or booth with friendly, knowledgeable people (especially friendly people who are looking for members in their own group!).  E-newsletter articles by your senior pastor with active links into your small group finder are another way to provide a call to action (Constant Contact is an easy-to-use tool that makes it easy to send out an all-church email).

The key to this whole concept is for your senior pastor to use every opportunity to champion group life.  Day to day leadership can be delegated.  Big picture vision and communication cannot be given away.

Alignment

The concept of an alignment, or a church-wide campaign, (the combination of a weekend message series and a small group curriculum) is probably the most important spiritual growth development in the last hundred years.  Preaching in series allows an idea to be fully developed.  Adding the element of a small group study that complements the weekend teaching allows your members to be encouraged to find a group that's using the curriculum that goes along with what we're learning.  That is a huge advantage!  Why?  Read on...

What most people need is a way to take a baby step in the right direction.  You're not asking them for a lifetime commitment.  You're only asking for a six-week commitment.  Six weeks is short enough to encourage people to try it.  It's a reasonable commitment for most people.  A month and a half.  "I can do anything for six weeks."  At the same time, six weeks is long enough to begin to establish connective tissue.  It's a great toe-in-the-water experience.

Secret Ingredient:

Be sure and give your new groups a study to do next in about their third or fourth week.  Don't wait until they finish the alignment.  Begin to promote what's next by week three or four because that's when they'll start talking about how quickly the six weeks is going by.   You can begin to promote the next study two ways.  First, have your senior pastor hold up a copy of the next curriculum and say something like, "Many of you have been asking what we'll do after..."  Second, be sure and put copies of the next curriculum at the small group table.

Discipleship Panel from a Distance

 

Catching an interesting panel here at Saddleback.  Steve Stroope, Lee McFarland, Nelson Searcy, Mark Driscoll and Daniel Kim.  I'm way in the back...with the rest of the slackers.

Small Group Fraternity

What if you could listen in on the ideas of Joe Myers, Carl George, and Bill Donahue and then ask them questions about where things are going and what's working?  Seems like a good idea, doesn't it?

What if you could find out about what's working in churches that are actually winning at connecting more adults than they average on the weekend?  Winning at making disciples?  Winning at impacting their communities?  Churches that are a few steps ahead of you that would be glad to help you up?  Seems like a good idea, doesn't it?

You can have both in the The Small Group Fraternity.  18 calls a year.  Interviews with some of the leading voices in small group ministry.  Case studies that examine some of the most exciting developments in small group land (and they're not always the churches you think of!).  All while connected with a growing group of practitioners from around the country.

I hate it that you're not all on here!  I don't want you to miss out on Kenny Brown from Forest Hill Church.  You've heard about externally focused and clarifying the win...but until you've heard Kenny, you just won't have a real-life illustration.

Ready to find out more?  You can check it out RIGHT HERE.

The Titanic, Your Lobby and Lifeboat 14

Storytelling is one of the most important aspects of building a dynamic small group culture.  Telling the right stories, choosing the right metaphors, makes all the difference in communication.  Buy-in is almost always a direct result of the spot-on selection of the stories you tell.

One of the stories I tell all the time when I'm talking with pastors and leaders is the Titanic.  There is a lesson in it that is so powerful and so memorable.  Your team will never look at the lobby in the same way.  To get the most out of this you have to see how I tell it AND how I use it.

Here's how I tell it:

There is a scene in the movie Titanic that grips me every time I watch it.  It's right after the ship has gone down and what you see from a distant camera angle looks like a debris field.  All kinds of stuff bobbing in the water.  As the camera closes in you realize that what's in the water are people.  Lots of them.  Hundreds of them.  And then you begin to hear them.  They're screaming and calling out for help.

And then the scene shifts to a group of lifeboats some distance away.  The passengers who were fortunate enough to get into a boat can hear the screams and the calls for help...but they're not rowing back.  And no one seems to care except for one passenger (Molly Brown, played by Kathy Bates in the movie).  She says, "We have to go back!"

Here's the thing...that night, in the 28° water, you really couldn't live that long.  Leonardo DiCaprio aside, if you were in the water for long...you were not going to make it.  That night, in the 28° water, 20 lifeboats were launched.  19 rowed away.  Only lifeboat 14 came back to help anyone.  The reason we know the name of Fifth Officer Harold Lowe is that he was at the tiller of the only boat that returned. Only four survivors were pulled alive from the water.  Four.  Everyone else died.

Here's how I use the story:

Here's the general idea: When you're in a small group...you're in a lifeboat.  If you're not in a lifeboat...you're not going to make it very long.

Here's the application for small group leaders and leadership: Next Sunday, as you're walking through the lobby, you need to realize that three out of every four people you bump into are in the water.  They're not in a small group.  And they can't make it very long.  They're one tough thing away from not being here anymore.  A divorce.  The loss of a job.  Problems with children.  Illness.  One tough thing is often all it takes to cause someone to stop coming.  To be in the water is not a good thing.  To be alone is not a good thing.  God didn't make us to be alone.  We need to become a "lifeboat-making factory."

Here's the application for the congregation: You need to know that we're concerned for you.  We believe that you were made for community and connection with other people.  We need each other.  We're really not made to make it on our own.  If you're ready to get out of the water...   

   

Group Life 2008

I'm excited!  This year (after attending for years) I get to be part of Willow's Group Life 2008 conference!  That is very exciting for me.  I'll be doing my workshop Getting to There: Building a Dynamic Small Group Ministry.  Lots of fun to do it.  Always fun to see everybody.

Sidenote: My breakout is on Friday, right after lunch.  And the other breakout options in that time slot will be easy compete with.  People will only have to choose mine over Scot McKnight, Garry Poole, Ron Martoia, Dave Treat, Rex Minor, Alan Danielson, Eric Metcalf and Sharina Husted.  No big deal!  In the words of Archimedes, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."  Table for eight!

Stay Out of the Ice Cream Carl!

What they really said was, 'Don't get into the blue box!' Bad move. Never tell Carl George not to do something. Kind of like waving a red flag at a bull!

If I Was Starting Today...#6

If I knew then what I know now...I'd work harder to make heroes out of the right people.  That is, I'd carefully select the stories I'd make a big deal out of...and I'd make a big deal out of them all the time.

How does that apply to the small group scene?  Think about your church and the constant flow of people who are recognized (from the platform, on your website or newsletter, and in one-on-one conversations).  How closely do those people who are recognized match your vision?  Ever done a case by case assessment and kept score?  At first glance, you might think that'd be overkill.  But I really believe if you slow down long enough to think through the last 3 or 4 Sundays (or watch the next 3 or 4) you'll begin to see a pattern.  And you won't necessarily like the pattern.

Need an example?  Here you go: Let's say that you dream of being a church "of" groups, where nobody stands alone, and you really believe that life-change happens best in a small group context.  With me?  Beyond that, let's say that you've committed to the idea that every program ought to lead to an opportunity to move in the direction of connecting people together in life-changing relationships.  Still with me?  Two things ought to happen if that's you.  First, success in every program ought to be measured by how effectively it produced those kinds of connections.  Second, you should only be talking about the leaders of those programs that are winning on that measurement.

What would change if you committed to that idea?  When you think back for the last 3 or 4 weeks would it change who you made a big deal out of publicly or privately?  If you entered a season where you consistently determined who you held up as heroes by how effectively they were living out the specifics of your vision...do you think it would influence behavior? 

Want to act on the idea?  Get serious and go back over the last 3 or 4 weeks.  Then, begin to carefully monitor who you're talking about and how you're talking about them.  While you're at it, check out Paul's language in Romans 16.  That's what I'm talkin' about.

Want to read the first post in the series?  If I Was Starting Today #1  While you're at it, be sure and sign up to get the updates to the blog!  You can do that by CLICKING RIGHT HERE.

Community Building

How hard is it to build community?   What's involved?  Is it just a matter of using a strategy, unrolling a game plan?  Uhhhhh...no.  Peter Block says it in a very elegant way:

"What makes community building so complex is that it occurs in an infinite number of small steps, sometimes in quiet moments that we notice out of the corner of our eye.  It calls for us to treat as important many things that we thought were incidental.  An afterthought becomes the point; a comment made in passing defines who we are more than all that came before (Community: The Structure of Belonging, p. 9)."

If I Was Starting Today...#5

If I knew then what I know now, I'd work smarter to get the right people in the right seats...on the bus. What do I mean?   One of the most important principles from Jim Collins' Good to Great is "First Who, Then Where."  What he is saying is that getting the right people on the bus (his metaphor for building a winning team) is more important than even developing a vision for where you're going.  No doubt you've heard the phrase, "getting the right people on the bus." It's become a very common expression and most people get the basic idea right away. But Collins takes it one step further, and this step is often missed in application.  He goes on to say that once you've got the right people on the bus you've got to get them in the right seat on the bus. Short of that, you're not really going to have the impact that you want to have.

Where does this have application for all of us?  The right people are often already on the bus.  They're serving in some capacity.  They're involved.  But many times they're really not serving in the area where they can have the greatest impact.  They got recruited to a ministry...that was urgently in need of a body...and no one ever repositioned them to the role where they could make the greatest difference.

This is both a glaring problem and opportunity for many, many churches.

If you want your small group ministry to have impact, you've got to have key players, the right players.   It may require repositioning some key players from one seat on the bus to another.  Is that a problem-free solution?  No.  Will it ruffle feathers?  Yes.  Will you need your Senior Pastor's help?  Probably.  Is it worth the effort?  Absolutely.  If you're convinced that small groups are the optimum environment for life-change, and if life-change is the ingredient that drives impact on the community, then getting the right people into the right seats on the bus is essential.

If I Was Starting Today: #4

If I knew then what I know now...I'd work harder to develop a sequence of spiritual next steps and I'd narrow our focus to only include the most important elements to growth.

"Narrowing the focus" and "thinking steps, not programs" are concepts that come from 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley and Reggie Joiner.  What's the core concept?  Rather than developing (or buying off-the-shelf) programs that will draw a crowd, we need to design steps that lead to where we want our people to go and then we need to eliminate the options that don't lead cleanly to there.  How does that apply to the business we're all in?  Let's unpack the idea.

At the risk of oversimplifying, let's say that there are two basic approaches to the ministry (or activity) menu.  There's the cafeteria approach (think long display of options with multiple entrees, sides, breads and desserts) or there's the streamlined approach (In-n-Out Burger, the entire menu consists of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and drinks).  Thinking steps means narrowing down the menu to only those choices that move your people in the direction you want them to go.

How does this apply to small group ministry?  Well, if you're offering groups and a few other ways that a person can grow spiritually, it is a complication that many people have difficulty processing.  You might think options bring increased buy-in, but they may actually be demotivating.  Need evidence?  In a fascinating study by Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper (Choice is Demotivating) it was learned that more is rarely better.  Their study examined customer responses to two jam sampling opportunities on two consecutive weekends at a high-end grocery store in Menlo Park, CA.  The first weekend featured a stand with 24 selections (extensive choice).  The second weekend featured a stand with just 6 selections (limited choice).  Of the 242 customers who passed by the sampling stand with 24 choices, 60% stopped while only 40% stopped at the limited choice stand the following weekend.  Predictably, the customers seemed to prefer the more extensive choice.  Surprisingly, the checkout stand revealed a different story.  30% of the limited choice customers purchased jam while only 3% of the extensive choice customers purchased jam.

What does jam have to do with narrowing the focus?  If you've prepared a jam-packed menu that gives too many options you shouldn't be surprised when your congregation has a hard time choosing what is best.