Why Hope Community Church utilizes the structure of Co-leaders
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2 Timothy 1:13-14 (NIV 1984)
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV 1984)
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-7 (NIV 1984)
As we seek to expand God’s Kingdom and impact the lives of individuals through the small group ministry, the way we structure leadership is important. Along with this understanding, we would like to provide guidelines as to how you should find, ask and train a co-leader for your group.
First, co-leaders are important to the future of the ministry. Leadership development is a key to keeping the small groups ministry growing to meet the needs of our growing church. God is doing amazing things through your groups, so let’s take advantage and give new and emerging leaders a chance to grow!
Even if you already have enough leaders, we would like you to consider who in your group you could ask to lead with you some time in the future. Who knows, maybe down the road, as your group grows, that person will be able to start and lead their own group. It would be amazing to see God make room for so many new people to be involved in small groups, simply because you asked a new person to take some leadership in your group!
In addition to creating opportunities for leadership development, asking a person to take on a new leadership role can help you share the load of leading your group. As leaders, it is vital that you do not shoulder all the work of leading, facilitating, and organizing your group times and outings. Over time, these additional leaders will be able to prepare and lead discussion and plan events without your help. These leaders will also be there to carry the group in your absence.
What characteristics are you looking for in a co-leader?
Spiritual Considerations
- A shepherd leader of a small group must
- Be a follower of Christ.
- Experience a personal and vital relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.
- Have a good understanding of the Word of God. We are not looking for Biblical scholars, but we are looking for individuals who carefully and thoughtfully study God’s Word and who are growing in their understanding of Him.
- Be dedicated to learning and applying the Word of God.
- Have shown the passion and ability to be a shepherd leader.
- Be shown to have relational and emotional maturity.
- Have an understanding of and agreement with the Hope Community Church Statement of Faith.
Lifestyle Considerations
We ask that you would carefully consider the lifestyle choices of any future leader. Labeling someone a small group leader implies that a person is someone whose heart, life, and faith should be worth modeling and is a public representative of the faith statement of Hope Community Church. If the person you are considering is living in a way that is inconsistent with the Word of God you need to carefully factor this into your decision making, especially if it is an area of consistent, habitual sin, or a resistance to growing into the person God created him or her to be.
Shepherd’s Heart
It is important to consider whether the person(s) you are asking to co-lead demonstrates a heart that moves toward shepherding the people of your group.
A small group shepherd leader is one who seeks the welfare and spiritual growth of the members of their small groups by knowing them, being involved in their lives, creating a safe environment for growth, and faithfully handling the Word of God. A small group shepherd leads by offering community, encouragement, prayer, truth, and selflessness to those in their care.
Organizational Strengths
It is also important to consider the organizational strengths of a future leader. Some important factors include the items below.
- Prompt responses to emails and phone messages.
- Ability to convey information to a large group of people clearly and in a timely manner.
- A reasonable ability to keep a schedule and reliably follow through on commitments.
These factors can be vital to establishing trust with people in your small group.
Steps to take when choosing new leaders
Pray
Prayer is a key to any endeavor, especially one as important as this. Ask God to show you who he would have serve as future small group leaders.
Allow others to lead in a variety of roles
There are a variety of roles that can be created to help develop leadership in your small group, before you make someone an ‘official’ small group leader. Examples include treats coordinator, fun & games planner, service opportunities organizer, and prayer leader.
Always have a co-leader…and a future co-leader in mind
If you don’t have a co-leader, find one! Co-leaders are a blessing to you as leaders and to the group in general. You may serve alongside these co-leaders as equals in leadership, or there may be a more natural mentoring relationship in the leadership structure. Either way, co-leaders are a good idea. Also keep your eyes open for newly emerging leaders in your small group. Remember to refer to the list of things to consider when choosing a new leader.
Talk to your small group coach, before you ask anyone in your group (or outside of your group) to assume the roles of leader or co-leader in your group
Please run the names of any candidate for leader, or co-leader, of your group by your coach. This allows the Hope Staff team time to give due diligence to the consideration of this person for the role of a shepherd leader at Hope Community Church. Although it is uncommon, the person you are considering could possibly be working through issues of which you are unaware. These may disqualify them from this role at this point in their faith journey.
We hope to responsibly lead individuals to a deeper walk with Christ. In some circumstances, the best thing we can do for the health and growth of the individual and the group is to say “not now” to your recommendation of a given person to a leadership position. Allowing Hope leadership the opportunity to approve each candidate, before he or she is asked to lead, can spare them the disappointment and setback of a difficult answer. We appreciate your sensitivity in this regard.
Asking people to take on a new leadership role
Once a potential leader has been given a green light by the Hope Staff Team, it is time to ask that person to lead! Remember to ask that person outside of small group time. There is potential for people to feel pressured into saying yes to leading when they are asked in front of other people, so please honor them by asking them in a semi-private location. Here is some helpful information to communicate to your new potential leader.
Communicate the following:
- The role you are asking them to assume
- Qualities you have seen in them that you believe would make them a good shepherd leader
- Your experience (joys & frustrations) in being a small group leader
- Spiritual considerations of a small group leader listed above
- Communication Expectations of a Small Group Leader
Remember, we are not necessarily looking for conventional leaders when we talk about leading a small group. We are looking for Shepherd leaders. - Finally, be sure to ask each potential leader not to share this information about becoming a new small group leader with other members of your group until you have had an opportunity to discuss the best means of informing your group about the changes in leadership. In the end, it is very important that you clearly communicate the changes in leadership to your group members in a controlled setting, only after roles have been defined and the person has accepted that new role.
Once they’ve said yes, communicate to your coach and Small Group Staff and they will help with the onboarding process.
This document was written, compiled and revised by Naty Severson, Jordan Anderson and Kaelyn Larson at Hope Community Church in Minneapolis, MN. Before reproducing or distributing this document please contact smallgroups@hopecc.com for permission and current revisions.
