Why plant a new small group from your existing group? Before we continue, we would like to be very clear: Hope does not desire numerical growth of the small group ministry just for the sake of having a large ministry. We only hope for numerical growth if it reflects and is a result of more and more people deepening their faith walk and truly becoming disciples of Jesus Christ through Gospel community, to the glory of God.
Planting is not a new concept that came with the advent of small groups in the church. Jesus modeled this during his earthly ministry. Matthew 10:1 shows Jesus sending out the 12 apostles to do ministry. This happened just after Jesus declares, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus understood that there was a need to increase the number of laborers, in order to go about the business of making disciples.
Again we see Jesus sending out 70 more people in Luke 10:1. Jesus knew that building up leaders to minister to more and more people was the best way to reach the world. After his resurrection, Jesus calls His followers to one final command, that command is spiritual multiplication.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV 1984)
If we look at the vision statement of Hope Community Church and the Small Group Ministry we see the following:
Hope’s Vision Statement – To Honor God by helping as many people as possible become fully devoted followers of Christ.
Small Group Vision Statement – We believe in life-on-life ministry, that people are truly and significantly changed only as others come alongside them. Therefore, Hope values small groups as an opportunity to interact with others on an intimate, life-changing level. We are pursuing God in the company of friends! Small groups are a safety zone for people wherever they are in their spiritual journey, but also a place for them to grow in their relationship with Christ and serve as they are enabled in his body.
In short, Hope’s vision for small groups is to foster biblical community that makes Disciples of Christ and builds up His body. And to do this, we consistently need new small groups to start, to be planted. But what does this actually look like?
Each small group is unique and is made up of unique individuals. With that, each situation is going to call for a slightly different approach. In general, the definition could be summed up as follows: Member(s) of an existing group establishes his or her own new small group with the blessing, support, and encouragement from both the sending group and the Small Group Staff.
This could look like sending one person to start their own group, sending 6 people to establish a larger core, or even sending out multiple people to establish multiple groups at the same time. Each variance has its advantages, and the Small Group Staff, along with your Coaches, will work with you to establish a plan of action for how best to move forward.
FAQ’s
Q: When should a small group plant?
A: There’s no ‘perfect’ time to plant. That said, maybe your group is getting big, and your living room can’t hold the number of people that attend. Maybe there’s a stirring in your heart that you can’t seem to shake, or you’ve heard about the need for more groups and you want to help. Whatever the reason or consideration, contact your Coach to set up a meeting so that questions can be asked, concerns communicated, and plans established. And know that just because you reach out, doesn’t mean that you’re committing to a plan. If it’s healthier for your group to stay together, your coach will guide you through that decision as well.
Q: Isn’t ‘planting’ just a christianeze word to replace the word ‘splitting’ or ‘multiplying’?
A: Kind of, it is similar to saying ‘splitting’ or ‘multiplying.’ However, your word choice is very important at this time. ‘Planting is a much more positive word than ‘split’ and conveys much more intentionality than ‘multiplying.’ Secondly, Hope Community Church as a whole already uses the language of ‘planting’ when speaking of the importance of Church Planting. The desires, purpose, and vision behind Church Planting can easily be applied to Small Group Planting – so that more and more people become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Your word choice will help to shape your group members thoughts and feelings about how new groups get started. Like it or not, words have power…for both good and bad.
Q: What if people don’t want to plant?
A: You can assume this will happen. Many people will resist the changes. This is why it is so important to clearly cast a vision regarding why you feel led to make this change. People will not be behind the idea of planting unless they first have an understanding of why it is a good thing. Help your group members to begin thinking outside of themselves and to view this change through the eyes of someone at Hope who is seeking community (see the question below for more information).
Q: What if the new group isn’t as good as the old group?
A: While a group member may not articulate this question out loud, you can bet many of them are asking themselves this question. We would like to highlight three ideas that may help ease the fear of transition.
- We serve a BIG God! Remind your group (and yourself) that God is big, powerful, and loving enough to make these new groups everything he wants them to be. With God, these new groups will challenge them, grow them, and meet their need for community and friendship.
- It takes time! Yes, the community will be different. It takes time to establish relationships with the new members of your group. However, you may have many people from your previous group join you in the new group.
- Establishing the “new norm” is good. Each group is different. No two groups are exactly the same. If your group members go into their new groups expecting them to be identical to the last, they will be disappointed. Remind them that something different can be just as good, if not better. Eventually, this new group will reach a new sense of normal, and that is a good thing.
