Leadership Development at Hope Christian Community Church Eldership Training

We multiply ministry by multiplying leaders

How are we multiplying leaders at HCCC 

The Flake Formula Arthur Flake is considered the "father of the modern-day Sunday school." In 1920, just as the Spanish flu pandemic was ending, the Sunday school Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (now Lifeway) hired Flake to become its first Sunday school superintendent. He had grown the Sunday school of the First Baptist Church of Wynona, Mississippi, and he had a passion for Sunday school and evangelism.

Step 1: Know Your Possibilities

There are underserved people in our communities, and perhaps even in our churches. As you look at the kinds of groups your church offers, you may discover there are gaps. If a young single woman showed up at your church for Bible study, would you have an appropriate group for her to attend? Are there people groups in your community for which you would not have a good group option for them? Are some of your current groups too large to adequately teach and care for people?

Step 2: Enlarge the Organization

Once you know your possibilities, it's time to enlarge the organization. This is a paper and pen exercise in which you map out your new and expanded Sunday school that includes groups for the underserved people you identified in Step 1.

Step 3: Enlist and Train Workers

Now that you've identified your possibilities for growth, and you've created a new organization on paper, it's time for a third and crucial step: enlisting and training new workers for the new groups. Enlistment should always be done in person; try not to make "all-call" pulpit announcements. Meet with each potential new worker, give them curriculum resources to look over, explain the essentials of the work you are calling them to do, answer their questions, and give them time to pray. Follow up with them later and discern if God is calling them into your church's teaching ministry.

Sources of the training come from several places: First, events your church sponsors such as video trainings or in-person trainings in which you bring in an outside expert to speak to and motivate your workers. Second, your local association will provide training events, too—simply consult their calendar and add those events to your training plan.

Step 4: Provide the Space

Step 5: Go After the People

In this final step, everything is in place—the new organization has been built, the workers have been enlisted and trained, and they have rooms in which to meet. Now all they need is people! The church family can help promote the new groups through their social media channels, and the church can provide these new group leaders with names of potential members. The number one reason people attend a Bible study group is the invitation of a group member or the leader of the group. Nothing else is as important as a personal invitation. We are in need of developing Sunday School teachers and leaders. How are we developing new leaders and new teachers? What do we need to do differently?

GROWTH GROUPS DEVELOPING LEADERS

BELONGING IN A CHURCH WHERE NO-ONE STANDS ALONE

There's a big difference between just being a church with growth groups and a church of growth groups. Being just a church with growth groups is an approach that says: "the groups are there if you want one – just for the keen ones‟. Being a church of growth groups is an approach that says: "everyone needs to be cared for, and everyone has a role to play in caring for others‟. Being a church of growth groups is not always the easy way. Relationships are hard work. We are called to love each other, not because of how lovable we all are, but because of Christ's love shown to us in his death on the cross. But it‟s worth it! Being a church of growth groups benefits everyone. It's a great way to fulfil the biblical picture of a connected church family, speaking the truth in love, with every part supported.

NEWCOMERS...will be asked to a newcomers group but are also linked to a growth group after their first couple of visits. While we'll all want to welcome every newcomer, it's best if we each know who we're especially responsible for. And it means, hopefully, no-one is overlooked. Your growth group leader might encourage you to ask a newcomer over for a meal, etc. They may not actually attend your group for some time, or may end up in a different group, but the process helps ensure they're welcomed.

LINKS...while attendance at Bible Study may not be possible for some, they're still "linked‟ to a group so that they can be part of the care of the group. Without such linking, people who don't attend groups will be overlooked in the care of the church. The group prays for such „links‟, seeks to encourage them, offers practical help such as meals, invites them to social activities… generally looks out for them.

GROWTH GROUP MEMBERS...commit themselves to their group in a number of ways: being there each week; coming with the study prepared; being ready to share honestly; focusing on other's needs, not just our own; extending ministry to others in the group through the week in terms of prayer, hospitality & encouragement; supporting the leader in caring for the group, including "links‟.

GROUP LEADERS...have overall responsibility for seeing that each member (including links) is being cared for. This does not mean doing all the care (which the whole group shares in) but overseeing that it happens. They should lead by example. They should also identify and train apprentice leaders. Leaders do much more than simply „read out the questions‟. They will always have in mind all the relationships in the table (below right). They will ensure the group has time not just to ‟do the study‟ but share genuinely and pray about all these relationships. This ministry to the members of their group will obviously also extend beyond the meeting. There are a range of ministry papers (like this one) that they can draw on to equip group members for growing in all these relationships.

APPRENTICE LEADERS…offer special assistance to the growth group leader in carrying out their role, and so also are at the same time being trained for leading a new group when needed. As groups multiply, there is always the need for more leaders.

COACHES...support growth group leaders in their role (talking and praying about how the group is going; sharing how to develop as a leader; offering useful resources for the group, etc). It is vital that leaders are supported well in their important role – so each coach should support only 3 or 4 leaders.

MINISTERS (the Pastor/Teacher kind!)...support growth group leaders through a special focus on coaches. e.g. rather than doing a poor job of trying to support 10 or 20 leaders, they aim to do a great job of supporting a few coaches who each support a few leaders. It all comes back to span of care: everyone is cared for; no-one tries to care for too many!

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR DEVELOPING LEADERS 

Most of the leaders you serve have a vision for their group. They have a picture in their head of where they want to lead their group. Some leaders have a macro-level vision— a general sense of how they want people to develop a deeper relationship with God and with the members of the group. For others, the vision is more on the micro level —they have a detailed plan of growth for individual members of the group. Most of the leaders you serve are self-motivated. They have a passion for community and that drives them to build relationships and to lead their groups. They are self-starters and self-sustainers. But leaders often need some guidance. 

Relationships First

Jesus placed a high priority on relationships in his ministry. He built strong relationships during the time spent with the Twelve. That was Jesus' plan from the beginning. Consider the relational component in these passages: Mark 3:14: Jesus calls the Twelve for two purposes: to be with him and to do ministry. We need to consistently seek to understand the whole picture of who each one is, both as a person and as a leader, and so build trust. Ask questions that will help you:. Understand their spiritual journey. How did they come to Christ? To your church? Who has been influential in their journey? Understand their life history. What was/is their family like? How did they celebrate? Grieve? How did they handle conflict? What were the major turning points in their life? Understand their heart. What brings them joy? What makes them sad? What do they dream about? Listen Deeply Whether the conversation is a planned one-on-one time or a chance meeting, coaches need to practice good listening skills. As you shepherd your leaders, here are some guidelines: 

• Listen more than you speak. Don't interrupt or look for openings in the conversation to get your point across. "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (James 1:19). 

• Keep the focus on them. Resist the urge to use their story as a springboard to tell your experiences. 

• Fight the temptation to move too quickly to solutions. Seek to listen and fully understand. "Answering before listening is both stupid and rude" (Prov. 18:13 MSG). Be an Encourager 

Leading a group can be a rewarding experience. Leaders help people form new friendships and they watch those relationships grow. They see people come to Christ and grow in their devotion to him. They develop and launch new leaders. But group leadership can also be very challenging. What seem like fantastic plans for a group meeting may flop. Members will miss meetings. People work late, they take vacations, or their kids get sick. Conflict will happen. Group members will move away or quit. Groups birth. Groups end. Some group members grow spiritually while some seem to grow stagnant. In the tough times, a word of encouragement can mean the difference between a leader staying in the game or quitting. The truth is, we all need encouragement. • In what disciplines and practices are your leaders regularly engaging? • Have they drifted away from God? At times we all stray and need a guiding hand and loving encouragement to return to God. • Where do they sense God is leading them to grow next? • What could a next step of spiritual growth look like? Don't tell, Brainstorm a list of possibilities. • Offer encouragement for things they have done well, even little things. • Praise them when they tackle difficult issues and challenges. • Encourage them to persevere in the tough times and not get tired of doing the right things. (Gal. 6:9). • Use a variety of encouragement styles. Personally written letters, cards, and even email notes are a great source of encouragement to leaders. Recognition in front of their peers can also be important. • Discover their unique leadership gifts and potential. "Be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2).

Time for a Checkup 

Take a few minutes and consider the following questions. 

1. How is your relationship with each of your leaders? Who do you know well? Not so well? Write out one or two questions you could ask that leader that would help you get to know him or her better. 

2. How would your leaders rate you as a listener? What is one step you could take to improve your listening skills? 

3. What are the growth edges for your leaders? Where do they need to grow spiritually? Where do they need to grow in their leadership skills 

4. Which small group leader is in a difficult season right now? What can you do to be a Barnabas for them?

2. ENVISIONING: DREAM TOGETHER AT HOPE CCC

1Peter 5:1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Allow yourself to dream for a moment. When you think of a life-changing small group, what images come to mind? • How do the people interact with each other? • How do they care for one another? Serve one another? Encourage one another? • In what ways are they meeting needs in the church and in the community at large? • What would your church be like if every group functioned this way? That's the basic concept behind vision. Any vision for community begins with a picture of what small groups would be like and how leaders would function in an ideal world. Having a clear vision will affect your interaction with your leaders. It will impact your conversations with them, the resources you provide for them —it will even impact how you pray for them. When it comes to small groups, what's your vision? Take a moment and dream. Then write some of your thoughts below

Common Error 

Most churches have a vision for the role small groups will play in their church. The vision often breaks down when it gets translated from a larger vision (what community looks like in the church as a whole) to the role each group and leader can play in helping the church reach that vision. Elders can easily fall into the trap of simply serving as a conduit for vision, parroting to group leaders the vision of the church. If that happens, the vision will not capture their hearts and there will be little connection to the day-to- day activities of small group leaders. Instead of simply casting vision to your leaders, create space for them to think about or dream about their group. Work with your leaders to create a clear and compelling vision for each of their groups —one that captures their heart and motivates them to action. The Power of Vision 

A vision has tremendous power when it is clear and compelling. It creates a hunger in us for something richer, fuller, or deeper than we are currently experiencing. It draws out our best thinking and energy. 

Vision has the ability to: 

Give Meaning. It helps leaders understand that group life is about more than leading a meeting; it's about life-change. 

Create Hunger. It helps leaders grasp the bigger ideas of the mission of the church and the call to community. The gap between their skills and what's required to achieve the vision will create a hunger for training. 

Change Focus. Vision can turn a leader's focus from themselves and their group members to the needs of those outside Christ and his community. 

Give Hope. Leaders need hope; they need to know they can do this. God painted a vision for Abraham of a mighty nation coming through his blood- lines. "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed" (Rom. 4:18). Vision inspired hope; hope enabled Abraham to believe and achieve the vision. In Organizing Genius, Warren Bennis illustrates the power of vision with an account from one of the scientists who served on the Manhattan Project building the world's first nuclear bomb. The best and brightest engineers in the country were recruited to serve on the project. They were assigned to work on the primitive computers of the period, doing energy calculations and other tedious jobs. But the army, obsessed with security, refused to tell them anything specific about the project. They didn't know that they were building a weapon that could end the war or even what their calculations meant. They were simply expected to do the work, which they did —slowly and not very well. Feynman, who supervised the technicians, prevailed on his superiors to tell the recruits what they were doing and why. Permission was granted to lift the veil of secrecy, and Oppenheimer gave them a special lecture on the nature of the project and their own contribution. "Complete transformation," Feynman recalled. "They began to invent ways of doing it better. They improved the scheme. They worked at night. They didn't need supervising in the night; they didn't need anything. "They understood everything; they invented several of the programs that we used." Ever the scientist, Feynman calculated that the work was done "nearly ten times as fast" after it had meaning. 

Crafting the Vision 

Elders can help leaders envision their roles in several key areas: 

1. Spiritual Growth. Effective elders model a life surrendered to Christ. The same is true for group leaders. Much of what leaders bring to group life is their own experience, maturity, and process for growth. 

2. Giftedness. As trust develops, elders are able to help leaders gain an accurate picture of their gifts and abilities. What are their strengths? Growth points? What is their God-given potential in leadership? What could God do through them and their group? 

3. Community. Biblical community involves more than just small group meetings. Leaders will periodically need a fresh reminder of the purpose of community —transformation, connected relationships, compassion, and mission. 

4. The Leader's Role. What is it that the church is asking of them? What is their unique place in helping the church achieve the overall vision? 

5. Ministry Multiplication. Leaders seem to need constant encouragement and vision in this area. Leaders play a critical role in helping the church identify potential and future leaders, developing their skills and abilities (apprenticing), and multiplying the number of groups. 

6. Incorporation. All groups struggle at times with the challenges of adding new persons. Help leaders in your care regularly envision how to add new persons to their small groups at appropriate times and in appropriate ways. 

Clarifying the Vision 

It is important for elders to help align each leader's vision for their group with the overall mission and vision for small groups in their church. Small group leaders look to their elders for help to clarify and personalize the vision. To move from the general vision and values of your church's small group ministry to the specific vision for a group or a huddle, elders rely on: Prayer: Often viewed as a last resort, prayer should instead be the first place we turn for help in clarifying and personalizing vision. "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you" (James 1:5). Keep the Vision Alive It is one thing for your small group leaders to understand the vision for community in your church, or the vision for how their small group can change and grow. But for leaders to own the vision with enthusiasm and to translate it into action requires elders to continually re-cast the vision. Why? As odd as it sounds, leaders have lives. While they may be passionate about their small group, they also have jobs, families, and other interests in life. Most are not thinking 24/7 about their small group. Life can crowd out the vision. Paul encouraged Titus to "remind the people" of Crete—a prompting to all of us that vision "leaks." Unless you continually remind your leaders of the vision, you may find they are wandering aimlessly with no clear sense of purpose or direction. Here are some ideas to keep the vision alive: Speak with clarity. If you can't speak the vision clearly, then odds are you don't understand and own it completely yourself.

Speak with conviction. When you talk about the vision, make sure your language is compelling, focused, and balanced. Utilize every opportunity to clarify, cast, and recast the vision. Training events, group lunches or dinners, conversations, emails, and phone calls are all prime opportunities to share key vision components or to unpack an element of the vision. Be constantly on the watch for opportunities to creatively connect the vision to common activities. For example, a conversation in the church hall over coffee with someone who is new to your church is a great chance to emphasize the hunger for community to a leader. 

Use Scripture. Help leaders understand and own the church's vision. Provide time, space, and a safe place for leaders to process and ask their questions. This can be easily done in one-on-one conversations. Genesis 1:24-2:25 Mark 3:14 Genesis 6, 17 John 17 Exodus 18 Acts 2:41-47; 4:32-37 Psalm 133 Romans 12 Proverbs 15:22 1 Corinthians 12 Proverbs 18:24 Ephesians 2 and 4 Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Dream about the group and the possibilities for growth and outreach. Create space for leaders to dream and pray about God's desire for their groups — what is God calling them to do or be as a small group? Help leaders break the larger vision into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, one of the first steps toward group multiplication (birthing) is to identify an apprentice leader. Who in their group has the potential to be an apprentice? Use stories that work. Watch for stories from leaders or groups that capture the heart of the vision in action in your church. Share these with leaders in huddles or in one-on-one conversations. Celebrate when leaders achieve parts of the vision. Celebration communicates clearly that what they are doing matters. 

Time for a Checkup 

It's time to reflect on how you envision your leaders. Take a few minutes and consider the following questions. 

1. How clear is the vision for community in your own mind? Take a moment and write it out.

2. Often there is a gap between an elder's vision for community— how groups ought to function and how leaders ought to lead—and the reality of group life as they know it. What is the gap between vision and reality for you?

3. Where can you create the kind of settings that would allow your leaders to dream about community? When could you do this next?

4. What is one step you could take for your leaders to clarify or to recast the vision for community?

5. What can you celebrate? What steps have leaders taken or what goals have they achieved? When could you recognize this

3.  EQUIPPING: DEVELOP SKILLS

Most elders enter into their role with a belief that equipping is their primary goal, to offer the skills and training small group leaders need to be more effective in leading their group. In most cases, elders will have previously served as a small group leader. They will know both the joys and the frustrations of group life. So with good intentions and humble hearts, elders share with group leaders from their own experiences. Yet they often become frustrated when leaders don't eagerly receive and treasure their gems of wisdom. Why the resistance? Leaders do need to grow and improve their skills. But equipping is not the primary resource leaders need or want from an elder. In fact, many leaders will not be open to skill coaching until you have developed a relationship with them. Offered too soon, skill development can turn any contact in the leader relationship toward a performance-based rather than a shepherding relationship. Leaders want their coach to provide a model for a surrendered life, to shepherd their spiritual development, and to provide vision. When those pieces are in place, then leaders will be open to skill development with their elder. By equipping your leaders with key leadership skills, you are helping them become more effective in meeting the real needs of their small group members. Remember Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18:23-28 who were influential in equipping Apollos.

23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

 

Though Apollos was already eloquent, instructed in the Word, fervent in spirit, and able to teach, he needed more training from this couple to improve and develop. All leaders need to improve their skills, even leaders who are well equipped and seasoned in the Lord.
So as you shepherd and guide your leaders, try to discern their growth edges. What are their strengths and weaknesses as a leader? Make some personal notes along the way. These insights will prove valuable later. As the trust between you builds, leaders will begin to share struggles or challenges they are facing in their group. In that moment, they are signalling that they are open to
helpful ideas that will better equip them for leadership.
A Common Error

While the relationship with your leaders is important, don't get stuck there. It is easy to make the mistake of turning the elder-leader relationship into nothing more than a deep friendship. Elders can spend years with a leader only to realize that they have cared for their needs without developing their skills. They have forged a good friendship but have done little to improve the leader's ability.
It's a delicate balance to maintain between shepherding and equipping. Building a caring, nurturing relationship with your leaders is important. In fact, this shepherding relationship is foundational to all your work with them. When leaders have a vision, they create a picture of where their group could go and what they could become. When that vision takes root in their heart, leaders can begin to identify skills they will need to learn or improve upon in order to take steps toward achieving the vision. When a leader recognizes his leadership gap, it can serve as a strong internal motivator and create a hunger for learning.
Equipping Made Practical

Seldom will an elder utilise the classroom setting to provide skill training for their leaders. More often the equipping will happen in less formal settings, like one-on-one conversations. Through these times you will begin to understand the opportunities for growth for each leader. As leaders share experiences or struggles with you, watch for teachable moments. You can use a variety of
tools to equip your leaders in this setting, including:

• Your past experience with the issue, either in group leadership or in coaching other leaders.

• Wisdom from other group leaders in your church who have dealt with the issue effectively.

• Upcoming classroom training at your church or other seminars and conferences.

• Books or articles that have helped you deal with the issue. These can include trusted sources like websites for small group ministries.

• Tapes or CDs of training on the topic. Many churches have developed a lending library for this purpose. If a single topic or theme emerges consistently in conversations with your leaders, like difficulty in keeping group discussions on track, then you will want to use part of your next leadership meeting time to provide skill training in this area.
Here are some guidelines for the ongoing equipping of your leaders:

Affirm their gifts and abilities. Every leader will have strengths and weaknesses. Make sure to affirm your leaders and encourage ongoing development of their talents. Offer a balance of building into their strengths and shoring up their weaknesses. Consider asking leaders to share from their strengths in a leadership gathering as a way to develop others.

Teach from their experiences. Every experience— good and bad —provides an opportunity to learn. Listen for common themes to emerge from the groups you coach. As leaders share with you, watch for specific examples that can serve as a learning experience for all your leaders.

Discern their growth edges. Over time you will begin to observe areas that are consistently challenging for a group leader. You may see unhealthy patterns developing in their personal walk or in the leadership of their group. Offer resources and tools to develop their skills and abilities in these areas.

Solve problems with them. Problem-solving requires listening and understanding. Work to identify alternate solutions and help leaders decide which would be best for their small group. You may need to consult with a staff member or small group point person before committing to a plan.

Utilize role plays. Role plays are especially effective in helping leaders learn interpersonal skills. They can be highly effective in teaching leaders skills like conflict resolution, active listening, and asking effective questions.

Learn together. You cannot know the answer to every issue or problem your leaders will encounter. So when you don't know, admit it! Work together with your leader to find the answer through the Bible, another leader, a fellow elder, a staff member, or some other resource.

Opportunities for Growth

The range of skills in which your leaders will need equipping is limitless. As a leader grows and as their group matures, the challenges and opportunities change. New skills may be required — or at least a new level of expertise in utilizing existing skills. Focus on providing the tools that are needed most so that equipping doesn't become overwhelming to you or your leaders. Think through the list below and mark the ones that stand out for the leaders you coach.