The Crossline Community Groups Podcast

Measuring Success for Small Group Ministry: A Deep Dive into Leadership Best Practices

• Jordan Gash • Season 1 • Episode 6

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Picture this: You’ve just been asked to lead a small group ministry, and while growth is booming during the first year, you’re left wondering - what truly determines success in small group ministry? Is it the numbers, the quality of the curriculum, the percentage of congregation involvement, or the diversity of your group? I grappled with this very question for over five years, managing to oversee a whopping 250% growth in my first year. Join me as we unpack this question of "How do we measure success" and dive into the intricacies of measuring success in small group ministry.

The heart of any thriving small group ministry lies in unity and sharing - a principle anchored in biblical teachings and fueled by the Holy Spirit. I discovered, to truly foster this, there needs to be an effective training and onboarding platform that aligns with God's design for groups. We’ll examine the importance of creating an environment that allows group members to experience the fullness of life that Jesus promised. I urge all small group leaders to join us on this insightful journey as we explore the crucial elements of a successful small group ministry. So, if you’re an aspiring or existing small group leader, or merely curious, brace yourself for an episode filled with insights, biblical principles, and empowering messages. Let's journey together to the heart of God's Word.

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Speaker 1:

Well, hey everyone, my name is Jordan Gash and this is the Crossline Community Groups podcast. Thanks so much for joining us today. It's been a couple weeks, but we got a great episode for you today. But before anything, I want to talk to you about what this podcast is all about. This podcast is really to serve those that are leading small groups or those that are overseeing a small group's ministry, whether that be a small group's pastor or a lay leader or whatever it may be. That's what this podcast was designed for.

Speaker 1:

But I know that we have a lot of people listening from all different types of places. So I had somebody come up to me just recently that was from our church and said hey, I liked your podcast, and he had nothing to do with groups, nothing to do with leadership. He just somehow found my podcast and we went that way. So, whoever you are, thanks so much for listening. I do want to say, for those that are leaders or are those that are overseeing small group ministries, that you're doing a kingdom work, and, whether this podcast today finds you in a place of excitement or a discouragement, I want you to know deep in your heart that you're doing the work that Christ has appointed to you to do and that you're doing a great job. God has vision, god has purpose, god has hope for you, and so keep at it. You're doing great. So let's talk about our episode today.

Speaker 1:

I want to talk about success in small group ministry and how do we really measure that? Because that's something that I've really had to come to grips with in my own five and a half year journey of overseeing small groups. So let me tell you that I was in a conversation recently and somebody was asking about my job and what I did at the church and how I really got started. And it's an interesting journey. It's a story for another day. But wasn't really looking for a community groups or small groups pastor role, but I found a church that I wanted to be at. I loved the church, I loved the place and the position to me didn't really matter quite as much as I loved the place. And so small group ministry was something that they needed here at Crossline. So I was happy to step into that, happy to step into that role, but I had to learn kind of on the spot. So it's kind of a fun story and then it's still all that, and this question came across in my conversation with this guy, and it's a question that I've heard before and a question that I have wrestled with my whole time here. It kind of vexes me.

Speaker 1:

I prayed a lot about it, I think a lot about it, and he asked the question how do you measure success in overseeing small groups? How do you measure success? That is such a hard question because when you look at success, is it numbers driven, like how many groups you actually have, like the more groups you have, the more successful you are you are? Is it percentage based? I mean, is there a certain percentage that you should be reaching of your congregation that should be a part of small groups, and if you reach that certain percentage, then you should be successful? Or maybe it's about the quality of the small groups curriculum. I mean, we write curriculum for small groups every fall and when then we connect them to great other resources for that, and so is it all about the quality of the groups curriculum or the depth of a group? Is it about the having breath in the area that you're at, the geographical area that you're in? Are you in multiple cities all around your church? Is it about having representation from every age and stage of life, that you have students participating in small groups, you have young adults participating in small groups and young, married and middle aged and those that are older that are empty nesters. I mean, what is success? And I spent a lot of time really thinking about that and my first year of small groups, I came on and we had to put on a small groups campaign fall campaign and I came on in July, so it's six weeks.

Speaker 1:

Six weeks before we had to go live with this huge launch throughout our whole church. We had to build a whole new curriculum, we had to kind of assess where groups were, we had to get new hosts and all of that. And so I came into this job and I was totally after it. I mean I was full of gusto and energy and I would say that in that first year we went from 20 community groups is what we call our small groups here 20 to over 70 groups. That's 250% growth. I mean Jordan, that's pretty good growth, right? I mean I would think that's good growth. And so I was feeling good and I was like, surely that's success. I went from there was 20 and now there's more than 70.

Speaker 1:

So that's success to a degree, because there's a story and I have to admit that I don't know for sure if it was Bill McCartney that actually said it, but I heard about some story and I'm gonna use it on this podcast anyways. But hey, don't quote me, and if it was somebody else that said it, I'm gonna give you. You should take credit, you're awesome. But I believe it was Bill McCartney of the organization Promise Keepers. Promise Keepers is a movement of men and you would do these campaigns and these outreaches and stadiums, and what happened was that you'd give this altar call and men would come and surrender their lives to Christ. And so somebody came and actually asked him about a particular event, a larger event that happened down in Texas and it was hey, how successful was the event? How many people came to a salvation? And instead of Bill giving a certain number, his answer was we'll see in three months, we'll see you through runs. Because what he's saying is many people can get caught in the in the moment, in the Emotional aspect of the moment, and they say yes and they want to surrender the lives of Christ, but really it takes some time to realize is their life surrendered to Christ? And I would say that there's an element of that to small groups, because I think a lot of people when you put on a small Groups campaign, they may be excited about that idea or they want to come alongside a group and they that that idea Sounds great to them and so you launch all these new groups but then maybe they fizzle out or they're they're not really connected or they they begin to kind of, you know, you know, fade away. Because I'll tell you in that first year you know of those 50 groups that I added, I would say half of them didn't continue after our five-week campaign. So I mean you're already losing 25 there, and then we even saw a few more drop off over the next couple months.

Speaker 1:

So the next year I Determined that success was gonna be about building groups that stuck that stick and keep going that once you build the group they are gonna stay. And so I worked really hard to build opportunities for organic connection. I built little mixers and the cohesiveness of groups. I really looked at the dynamics and and really help people connect in the right way, really thinking okay, if I build groups that mesh well and have really good ways of Plans forward, then that's gonna be success if we can build these groups and they stay over the next six months. That success, well, we started with about 50 groups and then we surged to a hundred groups.

Speaker 1:

In that second year, same drop off. I mean, all the work that I did to really kind of build that cohesive, we still had that same drop of off, of drop off of about 25 groups. And so we are growing, but it really wasn't. It wasn't finding that success I was looking for. And then 2020, covid happened. Fall comes. Everybody's kind of disassociated with things. Some people are social distancing. This was really our year all about outreach, that groups should be a platform for outreach and and how do we kind of speak and reach neighbors and and bring the gospel in a lost time? And groups should really be that. And then 2021, it was all about building the host and the leader and it should be about good, healthy leaders and they have, you know, all the right tools and equipping. And it wasn't. It wasn't until 2022.

Speaker 1:

Here I am on my. I believe that's my fifth, my fifth campaign I'm going in my fifth campaign that I really began to actually realize what I saw as success, what success really was and what it looked like, because you know the best way to Really understand what success is in a small group or in a small group ministry Is to not look at your numbers, do not look at the quality of your program or the curriculum and not really do all of your assessing and your judging around those things. But you need to do your judgment of groups by looking at groups themselves. You need to get in with people, in with those groups and you need to be able to look at those groups that are undeniably rich, vibrant and culturally transcendent, that there's many different ages and different cultures, that from people that are people from Christian backgrounds and non-Christian backgrounds, that groups that are truly attractive, that more people are joining and want to participate in those groups.

Speaker 1:

I remember I would look at groups like the Carter group. They just came up with some great ideas with their kids and the ways that they were watched and there was such joy and freedom in that. People were growing and they loved it. It was so rich and vibrant. I think about Lynn and Jake Arce in our group and they also had such an amazing group where they had food and people were happy and smiling and I saw the spirit do incredible things and the ways that they laid hands on each other and prayed for one another. I'm sitting there in these groups and I'm spending time with these groups and I said I know what success looks like More of these groups, if these groups are success. So I took a small sample size and I said this is the desire, something that is rich and vibrant, and really they're groups that to me, matched the biblical narrative that I read in Acts and then what I read in all throughout Paul's letters in the New Testament. I began to look at what these groups were and how they truly reminded me of Scripture.

Speaker 1:

Probably the number one scriptures that small group pastors use and they tout from their preaching platforms or they write in their books or they send in their emails really has to do with those Acts 2 and Acts 4 verses. He says in Acts 2, verses 42, right, it says that this group of people, they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people the Lord added to their number daily, those who are being saved. In that first Acts 2 verse you see some of the things that you're looking for People that are devoted to teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. You're looking at people that there's signs and wonders, there's things that are happening that you can't be explained by just good group planning. I mean there's like actual spirit infusion into the group. I see that they had glad and sincere hearts. You can know a group is successful when you walk into a room and people are laughing and smiling and enjoying scripture and engaging in scripture, people that praise God and they enjoy the favor of all the people. I love that one. They enjoy the favor of all the people. That they're not just people that are that enjoy that group specifically, but their neighbors enjoyed them and people that hear about it are enjoyed by that. This, their city and their community in their neighborhood. It's all positive. And then it says that the Lord added daily those who are being saved. Healthy, successful groups attract other people and more people come and they grow and they develop.

Speaker 1:

In Acts 4 it says all in verse, starting in verse 32, it says all the believers were one and heart and mind that no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had with great power. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's grace was so powerfully at work in them, in them all, that there were no needy persons among them. So once again, you see there's a unity there, that there's a sharing of what they have, that there's great power, that it's seen and there's the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I mean, is the gospel preached in these groups? Do people understand what the gospel is? Do your leaders and hosts understand what it is? And then, even if you look into it later on in Acts 13, you see something beautiful in the sending of Paul.

Speaker 1:

In Acts 13, verse 2 and 3, it says while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Lord said to them the Holy Spirit said to them set apart for me, barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them. So after they fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Now, what I love about this is there is a communal devotion and personal revelation happening in these groups. There's a devotion together to serve the Lord and to seek the Lord. But there is and there's a lot of times there's ways that they sense that the Spirit moves. But there's a personal revelation that Paul and Barnabas have already received. It said he doesn't give the specifics here, he just says for the work for which I've called them to do so, the Lord had been speaking to Paul and to Barnabas, and then there's this communal affirmation of God's word to them and then they send them off, they go start other groups and they go on to another place.

Speaker 1:

When somebody leaves their small groups, is there joy and delight and blessing and prayer. I mean, that's just some of the beauty. I remember we had somebody in our group that they moved to Idaho. You know, I actually had a couple of people move all over the place, the Nashville in Idaho. That's the exodus of California, right. But I remember every time they left just a chance to lay our hands on them, to bless them, to pray for them, ask for God's rich anointing over the space that they'll go inhabit. I mean just all these things. These are the health of successful groups.

Speaker 1:

And so you look at this and I look at those groups and I say, how do I measure success? Here I am five and a half years into it, getting ready to move on to my I believe, my seventh or eighth campaign. How do I measure success? Are the groups that we are creating biblically congruent it's that phrase that I keep in the forefront of my mind biblically congruent? Do the groups that we're creating look like the groups of the Bible? And so that is what I labor and strive to go after. Do they have the flavor of Christ's design for the church? Yeah, sure, like those things that I did in the first couple of years, like numbers and healthy leaders and outreach. All those things are part of it. They're all good things and not things that we should just completely ignore. I mean, numbers are part of it. We want to get as many people involved as possible. Healthy leaders, outreach yeah, but it's less about trying to make those things happen, but rather creating training and onboarding platform that emphasizes what is biblical about groups helping leaders and people understand that element of groups.

Speaker 1:

Because when groups are done God's way, they're fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit. When you do things in alignment with what God designed and what Jesus spoke about, it's going to be fueled by His Holy Spirit and then it's the Holy Spirit. It's Him that makes groups sticky, attractive, healthy, growing, transcendent, miraculous, diverse, edifying, like all those things. The Holy Spirit does that and builds into that. And then you get this wonderful beauty about participating in a group that's led by the Holy Spirit. It's like a ride, it's a roller coaster. I mean, it's this ride that you take and you just see God do incredible things.

Speaker 1:

One of the key words we use here at our church, you know, for a lot of different things, is the word life-giving Our people life-giving, our ministries life-giving. I think about our groups and I go. You know what Groups that are life-giving are groups that are right. If somebody can participate in a group and they feel more full of the life that Jesus promised to them because of that community, that's a group that's right. So that's what I'm working towards Now. I'm still figuring things out. I don't know all the right ways.

Speaker 1:

Obviously, I've done this podcast because I've picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. Mainly, I'm kind of sharing some of the you know, as I've shared before the landmines that I've stepped on. I've lost some limbs as I've gone through this ministry, but I really do feel like the Lord is distilling within me and my spirit and with my teams, what success in Small Group Ministry looks like. So I'll tell you that if you're a Small Group leader, if you're in that place, I hope that that's encouraging to you as you look at it, to not fret or stress too much about all of those details, about making sure everything's right, having the right software, the right curriculum, but really focusing on how do you can lead them to the heart of God's Word, the heart of what Jesus desires.

Speaker 1:

And if you're a Small Group leader like if you're not leading Small Group ministry but you're just in the trenches and you're a Small Group leader I'd like you to hear, on behalf of whoever's leading you whatever church leader is leading you, or lay leaders leading you as kind of an overseer in your church I want to speak on behalf of them and saying seek Jesus with your group. You don't have to do it along one's particular set system. Read the book of Acts, read it multiple times and try to see what was unique about that environment and try to live it out. It's not really that complicated. It's hard, it's a hard ask, but it's not complicated. Seeking Jesus, sharing with one another, allowing the Holy Spirit to move. So, whether you're a group leader or you're a Small Group leader. I hope that encourages you.

Speaker 1:

This has been my journey over the last couple years of figuring out how I would define success. So, like McCartney, or like, as I said, maybe it wasn't a quote, maybe I heard it from somebody else, maybe it was another story, but, again, like McCartney, when my team now asked me, when my senior pastor or anybody asked me how our campaign did, how our campaign did, I like to say well, we'll see in three months. I hope these things encourage you. As always, we like to end our podcast with a blessing. It's a blessing that I read every time. It comes from Philippians, chapter 1, verses 9 through 11. So, wherever you are, receive this blessing. It speaks this, and this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Thanks so much for listening and we'll catch you next time.