Small Group FAQs

FAQs

How to use this page

Below you will find a list of questions that we've already been asked, or that we believe could easily be a concern for some groups. Read through the list of questions. See if any of them address your concern(s). When you find a question that applies to you--simply scroll down to locate that question with its answer. If you do not find the answers you need on this page, please feel free to email Pastor Brad at pastorbrad@aol.com

The Questions

1. Do I need to be a "Bible Expert" to become a Small Group Leader?
2. What training is required to be a Small Group Leader?
3. What are the requirements to lead a small group at First Church?
4. What do I need to do to become a First Church member?
5. How do I get help?
6. What small group studies are recommended and where can I get materials?
7. Are all of the groups required to study the same material?
8. What if my group wants to continue and I can't continue to lead?
9. How can we get more people for our group?
10. What do we do when we finish a study?
11. How long will these groups last?
12. Are small groups more like social gatherings, Bible studies or what?
13. How should our group handle childcare?
14. How do I raise up leaders?
15. Do we use husband and wife leadership teams?
16. Do you suggest Small Groups meet once per week?
17. I'm an experienced small group leader, why do I need to take the Leadership training?
18. My group is dying, what do I do?
19. How do people move from one group to another, or do they?

Do you have a Small Group Question not answered here? Email Pastor Brad @ pastorbrad@aol.com.

The Answers

1. Do I need to be a "Bible Expert" to become a Small Group Leader?
Definitely not! The most important things that you need are a desire to serve the members of your group and to grow in your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When you take this step of faith, through prayer, God's Holy Spirit will give you what you need to be an effective Group Leader. There are a variety of great small group studies available. and Pastor Brad is always available to guide you in this area. No one expects you to "teach" the group. Your primary role is to faciliate discussion. Pastor Brad has developed awesome small group leadershiptraining material that will equip you to lead with confidence. And you will recEaieve ongoing support, training and encouragement from Pastor Brad. And never forget that if God is calling you, He will also enable you!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. What training is required to be a Small Group Leader?
Because we have a clear vision of what groups are all about at First Church, and because we really want you to be successful as a group leader--we require the each new group leader sit wond with Pastor Brad or one training session. In the session you'll get to know Brad better and you'll come to understand the power of group life much better. Each leader will be equipped with skills, insights and tools that will enable them to thrive in their ministry as a group leader.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What are the requirements to Lead a small group at First Church?
These requirements are based on a desire we have to insure a spirit of unity and mutual commitment to one another, and to make sure that everyone who leads a group is comfortable and in agreement with the leadership and doctrine of First Church.

a. Group leaders must have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and been baptized by immersion.

b. Group leaders who are not already memebers of First Church must complete "Discovering First Church - Class 101" and join the First Church family as a memeber.

c. Group leaders must complete the "Small Group Leadership" training (see question 2).

d. Group leaders must be able to answer that there are no problems with the following areas:

1) Leaders must not have current habitual struggles or moral issues (drugs, alcohol, cohabitation, etc.) that would bring shame on the name of Jesus Christ or on the ministry of First Church.

2) In addition, there must not be any current serious marital struggles (i.e. infidelity, separation, divorce in process, etc.)

3) Finally, the leader must support First Church's Statement of Faith without reservation or addition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. What do I need to do to become a First Church member?
You need to have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and been baptized by immersion. And complete "First Church - Class 101" (taught by Pastors John Collins and Brad Windlan).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. How do I get help?
Every Small Group Leader, somewhere along the way will need specific help. Pastor Brad is always available to pray, offer guidance, answer questions, help you chose study materials, assist you in resolving conflicts, problems... whatever you need. You can contact Pastor Brad at the church 814-942-2480, ext. 2, or by email pastorbrad@aol.com.

6. What small group studies are recommended and where can I get materials?

Five great places you can get material for your small group

#1 Download “Living It Out!” Each week Pastor Brad writes a small group lesson based on the weekend message. This study will purposefully be geared toward life application. There will be lots of open ended questions that everyone in your group will feel very comfortable answering from their own life experiences. And, by the end of your time together--your group (whether it's a moms, couples, health and fitness, or whatever group) will have discovered some practical ways to apply the priciples from the weekend message to your life. We recomend this study as a first choice! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT! (coming soon)

#2. Purchase Small Group Materials. Your groups may have a very specific topic they would like to explore. For example, if you lead a group of men—you may want to do a study on “Becoming a godly father” or “How to be a man of integrity”. That’s great! There are a number of publishers who produce awesome study guides. Great places to get materials are the local Family Chirstian Store, or www.christianbook.com.

#3. Create or Download a study using biblemasters.com!

http://biblemaster.com/

#4. Check out Pastor Brad's personal collection.    Pastor Brad has all kinds of material: Bible Book Studies (Matthew, Jonah, etc.), topical studies (The Fruit of the Spirit, Prayer, etc.). If you would like to look these materials over email pastor Brad at pastorbrad@aol.com.

#5 Pick something from the First Church Library. Our church has compiled a great selection of helpful materials that could easily be used by groups—including: video series and Christian Living Books on all kinds of topics. Checking materials out is simple—just sign the card associate with the book or video, lay it on top of the card catalogue, and the materials are yours for month. And yes, they can be renewed if you need them longer than that.

7. Are all of the groups required to study the same material?
Once a year (generally in August) we ask all groups to study the same material associated with a small group campaign. Otherwise, we ask each group to select what they want to study based on the interest of its members and their spiritual maturity. Check out question #6 for more on this.

8. What if my group wants to continue and I can't continue to lead?
You can choose someone else within the group to lead. They simply need to meet the requirements for leadership (questions 1, 2 & 3) and take the Small Group Leadership training to be equipped.

Hopefully your group already has an apprentice leader who can assume your role. And from there the group would begin to look for a new apprentice leader. The purpose of the apprentice leader is simple--The A.L. provides support for the group leader. They step in and lead when the leader can't, and they are trained and ready for moments just like this.

9. How can we get more people for our group?
You and the members of your group should invite unconnected people you meet at church, your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family to join the group. This is the best way to get new members in your group. Pray before you invite someone new. Ask God to soften his or her heart and then step out in faith and make the invitation. In addition, we have "Group Finder pages" on our website where people interested in joining a group can find a listing of groups. Each group listing will include the affinity of the group (moms, couples, singles, etc), the location, and the leader's name and contact info.

Groups for:       Ladies        Men        Couples        Yound Adults        Everyone

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. What do we do when we finish a study?
Have a party and celebrate the time you have shared together as a group. If anyone feels the need leave the group at that time affirm them and and assure them of your prayers. Invite them to return to the group at any time. Schedule your next meeting with those that will be continuing, decide on the study that you will do next (see question #6), and continue on in this awesome journey of doing life together!

11. How long will these groups last?
Our goal is for small groups to be places where people experience authentic Christ-centered relationships and community. That doesn’t happen in a 13 week study. That only happens when we commit to one another for the long haul. So our hope is that each group will launch, thrive and nurture the people within it for life. The fact is—groups will grow and there will be opportunities for people to break out and start new groups—people will move away, or move in! Life is a dynamic experience and unforeseen changes often come. Nevertheless, our hope is that groups will launch for life (or at least for a long time) and become authentic Christian communities.

12. Are small groups more like social gatherings, Bible studies, or what?

WE HAVE THREE GOALS FOR EACH GROUP:

1. Christ-Centered Friendships—All of us need to know that we matter to others, that we are accepted and loved. We need positive, Christ-centered relationships in our lives!

2. Spiritual Growth—Through the development of healthy, Christ-centered friendships and Bible based discussion times,we’ll sharpen one another and spur one another on to a deeper walk with Jesus!

3. Support and Nurture—You may have heard Pastor John say, “We must grow smaller as we grow larger.” That is so very true. What that means is this; we must learn to really be the church. I.e. through small groups we must learn to care for one another, help one another… and pastor one another. This is how the early church functioned. This is the way God designed the church to function. Listen to this…

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Eph. 4:16, NLT).

So, groups may form for all kinds of reasons—common interests, like sports or crafts; Common experiences, like surviving/fighting cancer, singleness or divorce, or simply because people live in the same geographic location; but in every case the above three goals will be strived after. Each group will spend time developing a sense of community and friendship, growing spiritually through Bible based discussion times, and caring for one another through prayer, staying in contact and meeting each other’s needs.

13. How should our group handle childcare?
First, make childcare a top priority in order to make it happen. If there are people who can't afford childcare, others need to step up to help out. Another thing is that you want to rally together. You might be able to get a sitter to watch the kids in one part of the house while the group meets in another room. If there's home nearby, one person can watch the kids there while the group meets in another house. You may even try to rotate people out of the group to take care of the children. There are many childcare options these are just a few. Be creative.

Let me share a story here. I (Pastor Brad) was talking with another Small Group Pastor in a large church out in CA. I asked Him, "How do you guys handle childcare for Small Groups?" He went on to talk about how groups simply need to be a priority in peoples's lives. He said, "Brad, if I told you that I wanted to give you season tickets for Notre Dame's football season next year (you can insert Penn State or whoever your team is)... would childcare be an issue?" The answer is obvious and his point is so right on. When something is important to us--we find a way to make it happen. That's why I began by saying, "First, make childcare a top priority in order to make it happen."

14. How do I raise up leaders?
Based on their gifts/abilities, allow various memebers to help with small tasks and functions within the group. Break in so "sub groups" for a portion of your study time and let others lead those subgroups. Let one person organize a picnic or an outing for the group, etc. In general, as you get to know your group--be sensitive to what thier strengths are and if you see leadership potential in a person--encourage that. Also, encourage anyone in your groups that the potential/desire to lead a group to take the Small Group Leadershiptraining with Pastor Brad.

15. Do we use husband and wife leadership teams?
Yes, we do! It great to have both the husband and wife lead in couples small groups. Each one brings different gifts to the leadership position. They each fill in and compliment the other.

16. Do you suggest Small Groups meet once per week?
The short answer is yes, we recommend once a week as the ideal frequency for a small group to meet. But, we also acknowledge that groups that meet every other week or monthly can still be effective as long as they use other mediums to provide ongoing care, nurture and leadership development within the group.

17. I'm an experienced small group leader, why do I need to take the Leadership training?
We have a couple of reasons why we require this training. First, we want leaders to know that they’re part of a team. When you take this training, you’ll be introduced to a network of support that’s available to you. You’ll be with others and you’ll have an opportunity to connect with them and establish a sense of camaraderie. Second, we want every small group leader to understand the distinctive principles of First Church small groups that are shared in this training.

Beyond the basic training, because we believe that leaders are learners we will strive to provide ongoing opportunities for group leaders to sharpen their skills and grow through--

Weekly eReports: This is a weekly email that Pastor Brad sends out to each Leader. in it he will always sprinkle vision, encouraging thoughts and insights to help you. This is also the primary way for you to touch base with Pastor Brad each week and keep him filled in on how things are going for you and the group.

Small Group Leader Summit: Two or three times a year--all of the group leaders will get to gether to share, pray, be encouraged and strengthened as a gropup! These are awesome times!

18. My group is dying, what do I do?
This is where your connection with Pastor Brad is valuable. Contact Brad and schedule a time to sit down and talk. Together you’ll be able to diagnose what’s happening and decide on some changes or training that could help you as a leader, and the group as well. A common vision and mission and agreement on how your small group is to function is required for success as a continuing small group. If different people in your small group have different needs, or ideas, than what your small group is doing, it may be time for them to move on and find a group that will meet their needs. There also may be value in you taking a break from the group or attending other groups for a season. Again, it is through relationship with your Encourager and with Pastor Brad that you can be coached into seeing what is best for your situation.

19. How do people move from one group to another, or do they?
Yes, we have found over time that people do move from one group to another. It is important that you let people have the ability and the flexibility to move to another group. It's important that the leaders understand that meeting the members' needs is the primary concern, even if it means they find another group. We encourage leaders to remember that not all people grow at the same rate, or have the same needs over time. It is healthy for people to seek a group that meets their needs at the time.