First Baptist Church of Lake Saint Louis

Small Groups
Leader Expectations

THE BIG 5 PROMOTIONS:

First Baptist of Lake St. Louis: Each group will understand that the authority of the small group is FBC/LSL.
Church & Bible Study: All students will be requested to attend Church & Bible Study.
Regular Quiet Time: We will promote that every student will have a regular quiet time.
Attend Monthly Prime Time Rally: There will be an expectation that every group will attend Prime Time the first Sunday of every school year month.
Promotion of Big Events: We will promote every Big Event that takes place.

SMALL GROUP LEADER AGREEMENTS:

Family First: Your family is your most important ministry. Always make your family your first priority. Live a Morally Upright Life: In general terms, live your life in a way that glorifies God. In specifics, begin to think from the church bodies point of view. Would a parent agree with what was said? Would the head pastor agree?

Category of Small Groups: Each small group will have one of the following focuses: Study, Service, Fellowship, or Special Interest. A "Study" group is one whose primary intention is to study the Word of God. A "Service" group is one in which the primary intention is to serve in some facet of the church. A "Fellowship" group is one in which the primary intention is to connect people together. A "Special Interest" group is a gathering place for people of similar likes.

Have Fun: Enjoy yourself, do things that are exciting. Laugh, have a good time. Be careful not to lose sight of this.

3 & 1 Approach: Though not an exact science, each small group will attempt to have a balance of 3 studies and 1 of something else each month.

Service: Make sure to include service projects throughout the year into your monthly "event." No Slam Principle: At no time will any leader question another leaders style of leading. We are a volunteer army who work very passionately to serve youth, and it should be considered very wrong to speak bad ill towards other leaders.

Praise Other Leaders: Every group leader will agree to lift up other leaders and their ministries. When students question other leaders, built up the leader. We can disagree behind closed doors, but in public we all support each other.

G.O.S.P.E.L. Message: Regularly offer the plan of salvation. Remember, we may never know and we shouldn't assume.

Do Not Promise Confidentiality: Make sure youth know that anything they tell you may make it back to the youth pastor.

Veto Power: The youth pastor has veto power over any event or ministry. Shutting small groups down from time to time is a reasonable answer in some cases.

Think Small: No joking. There are strategic numbers to small groups. The best new ones actually begin with 4 members.

ODDS & ENDS TO MAKE SMALL GROUPS RUN EFFECTIVELY:

Follow-Up: Follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up.

Sign In: Have some type of sign in sheet (collect names, phones, emails, address, etc) each week. Occasionally, get a copy of it to the youth pastor so we can names to names list, address to mailing list. Think follow up.

Inform Youth Pastor: Give me an email so I now what "events" you are doing. Just let me know so I am not caught off guard (tompapez@hotmail.com).

Website: Send everything to Eric Livingston, the website looks awesome (eric@ericlivingston.net).

Numbers: Each month, send me an email on your average numbers. Believe it or not, counting is more important to small groups than any of us think.

Open Door & Closed Door Principle: Every small group has a time. But create a time that arrival is acceptable and a promise when closure will be achieved. For example. If the small group runs from 7:00pm-8:00pm, then the door can be opened at 6:30pm and will be closed at 9:00pm (or something like that). The open door time is more important than the closed one, and if we're in a house, we have to make sure that these are strictly followed. If messes are made, clean them.

PRAY: PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY.