Great question, let's look at a few ideas and then open it up for your comments.
When I see a great Life Group there are usually 5 practices (values) that are evident in the life of the group.
1. Attendance is a priority. Seems obvious but it is very important. For a group to be great, members must place a high priority on attending. That means that they rarely skip group for last minute opportunities. You can't build relationships with people when they are not there.
2. A safe environment. A place where members can be heard and feel accepted regardless!! Easy? Not hardly... Learning to listen and ask clarifying questions with out offering cliche or snap answers is hard. But, without a safe environment you cannot expect to cultivate the kind of Life Group experiences that produces authentic followers of Jesus Christ.
3. Spiritual health is made possible through a kind of shared accountability and support. Growing spiritually was never meant to be a solo operation. I need you and you need me. Together we can be healthy. For a picture of what health community looks like read Acts 2:42-47.
4. Shared ownership where each member understands and plays their part. This is more and less work. More work fo the leader to proactively engage contribution from everyone, Less work in that with everyone engages the leader can actually can focus on leading/facilitating. It also requires a secure leader who embraces the role of facilitator rather than teacher.
5. Rotating the facilitation responsibility among group members who are willing. View yourself as a leadership scout and your Life Group as the practice field. Side note: This is also a major determining factor whether a group will survive or die should the leader move away!
Got any other thoughts or ideas on this topic? Join the conversation.
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