One of the best things you can do for your group as you close out the season is begin to talk about what’s coming up next. This will allow people in your group to begin to make plans now for next season. The season will start in February, but sign-ups for the season will begin in January. Here are a couple of questions to discuss as a group.
Will you lead again next season? If so, will you lead the same kind of group at the same time, or a different type of group?
If you choose to not lead again next season, it’s really important to begin talking with others in the group to see if they would take on the leadership of the group next season. This is a great opportunity for new leadership to rise up. Don’t miss this opportunity. This is also true if you decide to lead a different type of group next season.
Would someone else in the group consider starting a group next season? (This is a really important question to ask if you have a really full group as we want to create new space for the unconnected in our church). One principle to remember here is that the best leaders are reluctant leaders. This means they need someone like you to believe in them and encourage them. I read a quote this week that said, “a healthy small group will reproduce itself.” It’s true one of the health markers of your lifegroup is whether your lifegroup is producing new lifegroups. Who in your group is ready to take that step.
What type of study topic will the group go through? Lifegroup will be able to choose their own study topic next season. We will have a new tool available very soon online to help you find a great study for next season. In the meantime, your team leader would love to help you brainstorm possible options for next season.
Who in the group will return next season? The people in your group this season will have the FIRST opportunity to sign-up for your group again before anyone else in the church. If people in your group plan on returning to your group next season they will be able to sign up online beginning January 8th. The rest of the church will begin signing up January 15th.
I have had some of these discussion already with my group as we look to the next season. Erin and I will continue to lead a group, but are going to lead a different group this spring. We are going to lead a group for the team planning on traveling to Cambodia this summer. We are really excited about this! So we have two couples in the group who are going to partner together to take the lead for the group this spring. We are very excited about this as well as it will give others in a group an opportunity to develop their leadership. We can’t wait to see this group continue to grow next season.
