The below excerpt is from my book Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups. This revised and expanded edition shows church leaders how to make their small groups work. 

In order to begin forming the boundaries of a successful small group semester, it’s always smart to start with the end in mind.  How will you know when you have completed the form stage and are ready to move on to the fill stage? You have finished forming when you have confirmed the right number of groups for your upcoming semester and you know all the information necessary for listing each of those groups in the catalog and online. While this is simple, it’s not quite as easy as it sounds.

To officially consider any single group formed, you have to verify and approve answers to all of the following questions:

1. Who is the leader of the groups? Is there a co-leader? Is there a coordinator?
2. What is the topic or study? Book or video series?
3. What appealing blurb will be used in the catalog and online to promote this topic or study?
4. Where will the group meet? (This is a general location, not a specific address.)
5. What day will the group meet?
6. What time will the group meet?
7. What type of group will it be? (General, women’s, men’s, college, artists’, etc.)

When you have confirmed this basic information for a group, you can consider that group ready for sign-ups!

– Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas, with Jennifer Dykes Henson

The above excerpt is from p.165-166 of Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups.

Drawing from the startling success of small groups at The Journey Church, Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas debunk the myths, set the record straight, and show how church leaders can implement a healthy small group ministry that gets the maximum number of people involved and solves many of the important problems facing churches of all sizes. These practical strategies will produce life-changing results.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today!

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.