Active or Passive Church

Research shows that 90% of small groups are ineffective. But does it have to be that way? Many adults choose to avoid small groups because they are irrelevant and/or led by teachers who are unsure about what to do. 

I recently spoke with a pastor who told me that the small group ministry in his church was a deterrent to potential members. He said the classes were unwelcoming to guests and the teaching was stale and uninspiring. He wanted to know what he could do to reach his community with dynamic small group ministry. I was more than happy to talk!

Most churches today fall into one of two categories—active or passive. Active churches have dynamic small groups in which people are growing in their knowledge of God and growing in their relationships. Passive churches are, well, impressed with themselves! They admire their growth, facilities, and staff members. They worship worship and seem to have left behind the educational mandate to "make disciples."

Which one is your church? Your church might be growing, but passive. If so, you are struggling to meet your budget and enlist enough volunteers. Your church might be active, but small. If so, you probably are seeing a rapid growth in the depth of your membership. In five years, you will have a solid base of leadership and involvement.

If you want to fix your small group problem, you must first decide which type of church you will be. 

It's Too Complicated

Small group teachers generally struggle with one of three main problems...

• Not enough time to prepare
• Not enough content to teach
• Not enough skills to lead

With SIMPLEteaching, you can address all three of these common concerns. Most teaching strategies are related to specific curriculum products. Therefore, learning to use one product doesn't help you when you switch to a different product. The strategies utilized in most curriculum resources are more like a recipe—they identify the ingredients, the order, and the intended outcome.

The problem is that some teachers don't have all of the ingredients, don't do things in order, and don't relate to the intended outcome. It's one thing to be able to follow a recipe; it another thing to know how to cook. 

There are a lot of big words I could use to describe this process. But let's face it, I don't know that many big words! However, I do know what small group leaders have told me as I have led conferences all over the country. So, for a long time I've been thinking about this idea. It's really a synthesis (big word for "mixture") of ideas that I've picked up through the years. It's an idea that's still being fine-tuned.

I don't want to spill the beans yet because I'm still developing the visual image that will help capture the essence of the process. But I do want my readers to prepare to be the "lab mice" for this process. If we work together, I think we can change the way we prepare and teach. I think that will affect the quality of our Bible study sessions. That will help people fall in love with studying God's Word... and that will change the world!

Stay tuned!

Christian Education Association National Meeting

I recently had the privilege of speaking to the national meeting of the Christian Education Association (www.christianeducator.org). I was honored to be among the group of speakers many of whom have been influential on me and my ministry.

I spoke three times on small group ministry of the church. My sessions were titled:

• Three Things We're Doing that We Should Probably Stop Doing
  
• Three Things We're Not Doing that We Should Probably Start Doing
  
• Three Ways to Revitalize the Educational Ministry of the Church
  

I must say the attendees were very receptive to my unorthodox, yet passionate plea for a shake-up in our educational status quo. 

What are those things we're doing that we should probably stop doing? Well, I won't take time to go into all of them, but I do want to leave you with something to ponder. In most churches, the Bible study organization resembles what many of us know as the Sunday School. It takes on different aliases and is managed differently, but at its core it is Sunday School.

In some churches, the way they do Sunday School is no different today than it was 30 or 40 years ago. Matter of fact, some classes have been in existence for about that long... with the same teacher and the same class members. They started as the Young Adult class and have maintained that name in spite of the fact that they are now in their 60s!

Change has come to every other area of life, yet we protect the Sunday School as if the first Sunday School classes were the twelve groups into which Moses organized the Israelites. Why are we so protective of an organization that fails to live up to its expectations?

Why do we have small group Bible study at church? The primary reason is for Bible study so that people can be matured in their faith. In maturing, people become more committed to serving, ministering, and giving. Many churches today are in financial straits because they have abandoned teaching people what it means to be in a right relationship with God. They are more concerned about building the audience than training the soldiers!

So, think about it... why does your church have small groups? Are you ready to do something that works rather than doing the same thing over and over? Are you more concerned about protecting your tradition than reaching people? Think about it!

Why Have Small Groups?

For many years, we've been in the habit of having small group Bible studies in association with a worship service or other church event. We traditionally have assigned people to groups based on their ages because... well... we really don't have a good reason!

Nowhere else in the adult world do we force people into groups based on how old they are. This practice makes it uncomfortable for those who greet guests to assist those guests in locating a class. Should we check for a valid AARP card before letting someone into the "Seasoned Adult" class?

For several years, I have been teaching non-traditional students at a university. The students have ranged in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties. What I have discovered is that my classes are enriched by the varied experiences of the students. The common thread isn't their ages; it is their educational status. They are in my class because they are new to the adult degree program and my class is required in the first semester.

Should we reconsider how we assign adults to small group studies? I think so! We no longer can assume that every adult who walks into the church has the same biblical background and understanding. Our congregations are more diverse than ever. Therefore, I believe we should provide basic foundational classes for every new member regardless of their past spiritual upbringing.

These foundational classes will teach the church's view of Scripture and will provide an overview of the Old and New Testaments. This is comparable to the survey courses offered in many colleges and universities.

The second level of courses will take people deeper in their understanding of the Bible and how it relates to life. The third level will prepare people to assume leadership roles within the church by teaching them biblical leadership principles.

Far-fetched? Maybe. But our practice of moving people from "young adults" to "not so young adults" to "we wish we were still young adults" to "we're not young but we're acting like young adults" isn't working so well. Maybe it's time to try something different.

A Sunday School/Discipleship hybrid might be the answer to the energy crisis many churches are experiencing.

Think about it!

The Church at Ross Station

I recently had the privilege of visiting with The Church at Ross Station in Hoover, Alabama. This one-year-old congregation meets at Bumpus Middle School in the Lake Cyrus community off Highway 150. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised at the teamwork and commitment of the people who make up that congregation.

The service was one of the more worshipful experiences I've ever had. The praise and worship music pointed the congregation to focus their attention on God. Dwayne Moore did an incredible job of putting together music that did more than serve as pre-preaching entertainment!

The pastor, Randy Norris, delivered an encouraging and inspiring message that I thought was prepared specifically for me! His down-to-earth style and uncompromising stand on the validity and truthfulness of God's Word was obvious in every point he made.

I believe The Church at Ross Station has an awesome opportunity to deliver to its community faith that matters in everyday life. I am delighted that I will have to opportunity to partner with them as they develop their small group ministry. Stay tuned for more reflection on my experiences at Ross Station.

You can learn more about the church by visiting their web site: http://www.rosstation.org