Thank You For Attending Small Groups Training - Annie and Johnny Takeaways

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Video Training will be posted on Friday, January 8. 

Thank You for attending the small group hosts/leaders training.  We had 21 participants from four churches.   Both Annie and Johnny gave some practical steps on their experiences with small groups.  To sum it up, their presentation takeaways are noted below.  Feel free to review or post a question in the comment below. 

One leader had said that in order to have an effective army, you've got to have equipped and knowledgeable officers on the ground.  Whether you like it or not, you are the officers on the ground, and equipping you is a high priority.   In Jesus' language, you are his shepherds.  1 Peter 5:2-4 says, 

2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Just as the sheep need to be fed, shepherds need good feeding as well.  I hope you check in to this website all the time as we populate it with materials that could encourage and help strengthen your small group ministry.   Mark your calendar for the every first Tuesday of the month training and prayer for small groups leaders and hosts.  

Our next gathering will be on
February 2, 2021, 7pm.  

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The takeaway from the January 5 Training:  Annie Lam and Johnny Lau are church leaders at Living Faith Baptist Church and have been leading small group ministries throughout the pandemic and lately have taken a bold step to restructure and include the whole membership of the church.  Here are some of their experiences.  

1. Johnny Lau's Presentation
• Have Recruitment in mind all the time.  You need to facilitate an environment of growth in order for small groups to grow. 
• Recruit Host. Look out for spiritual characters necessary for leaders of small group. 
• Recruit Participants.  Not everyone will participate in small groups but when they do, have a system in place.   Your main target for participants is the people that attend your church.  Once they become regular attender, offer them a small group as a way to connect even deeper.   
• Age difference.  At times, age may not be an issue.  You may place a young adult with a senior or any variety.  Our culture encourages the "uncle" and "aunty" relationships.   The main principle for small groups anyway is relationship.
• Schedule:  Give people options to chose and accomodate as much as you can due to the business of life.   An average of one hour meeeting should be sufficient unless more is needed.  
2. Annie Lam's Presentation 
• We are all "under construction" and there's no perfect person nor small group ministries.  
• 3 roles I fulfill my church's small group ministries:  Facilitator, mentor, Implementor.  
• The Basic Principles of a small group are:  Share, Care, Pray.  
• A small group is about being authentic and at the same time vulnerable.  Guard this tension and you will have a healthy small group.  
• What should be a small group leader?  Both FAT and THIN.  That is...
• Faithful, Available and Teacheable 
• Transparent, Heart of Christ, Interested and Nudger
• Train your small group leader.  We hold once a month a clinic for our small group leaders.  There is an interesting article in YouVersion about small group leaders and you can find it under: Small Group 5 Habits.   
• There's a point where "getting to know" sessions end and deep content begins.  Employ bible verses and curriculums that are necessary for spiritual navigation.  
• Small group is a place where we respect each other.  Specify your ground rules at the beginning of your session.  Yet at the same time, it is place of no boundary as people open up their lives.  Remember the Las Vegas adage that applies here, "what happens here stays here."  

You may contact Annie at annie.k.y.lam@gmail.com or Johnny at lauzones@gmail.com.