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Apr
2
F Leader , I Leader , L Leader , Paul Wilkinson

Group First Impressions: Armen’s Take

By Paul Wilkinson

As I contemplated the blog for this week, it struck me that I have with me an example of someone who walked into a group without any prior information and stuck to it. Armen is interning in the Adult Discipleship department with me. If you haven’t met him yet, then you will be meeting him in the near future (and if you want a PhD Theologian to chat with, contact him!). I encouraged Armen to visit a group that fits his demographic and compare it with some of the other groups that he had visited on the Brentwood campus and groups he experienced elsewhere. Armen truly felt as if he belonged to the group and has continued to engage with them: building relationships, substitute teaching, and helping with outreach. Here were the 3 major sticking points for Armen:

  • Community Feel
    • I felt encouraged by seeing a group of people who are trying to seek Christ.
  • Strong Teaching
    • A teacher who seeks to tell me what the Bible is saying, and challenging me by asking: are you living out the Bible’s teaching?
  • Big to Small
    • The group made a big church like Brentwood Campus feel small, especially, when I would see people in the hallways that I knew from group (not to mention them sitting together in worship service!).

Keep these points in mind. We do them very well as groups, but we could always make subtle improvements. Do you invite visitors to sit with you in worship or into smaller care groups? Do you have some outreach, invitation initiatives going? What are a few things that you could push between now and summer that might turn GREAT into REALLY GREAT!!
Paul Wilkinson is the Adult Minister–Groups Associate, Brentwood Baptist Church.
 

Mar
19
E Leader , F Leader , I Leader , L Leader , Paul Wilkinson

Group Fundamentals: 5 Essentials

By Paul Wilkinson

Here’s a helpful article from Ed Stetzer that was in Christianity Today in 2015. Most of these elements apply directly to our groups and are good handles for thinking through our L.I.F.E. expressions.  The 5 Elements are:

1.  Mission Orientation

Does your LIFE Group have a mission statement so that anyone who were to “randomly” wander in would know what the group is about?

2.  Word-Driven Mentality

You guys, as the F leaders, are doing so well at teaching the Bible to your groups. The next steps are to be sure that you are helping your group members to both learn to read their Bibles regularly and to read them well (historical, cultural, literary, and in text context).

3.  Multiplication Mindset

Are you raising up leaders, and I mean not just F leaders (teachers) but I, F, and E leaders, who will begin a group of their own one day?

4.  Stranger Welcoming

Is your group hospitable such that people are met warmly, kindly, and graciously? Some easy things to do are: be on time, stand rather than sit until the prayer or teaching time starts, welcome folks at the door and introduce them to someone, wear nametags and bring food as you are able.

5.  Kingdom-Focused

I’ve been incredibly impressed during spring meetings with how much ongoing community service you guys are leading through your groups. Let me continue to encourage you to raise up E leaders who champion that work and to continue inviting the lost and searching along with you as you serve. And, oh yeah, share those stories with our congregation!

Here’s the full Stetzer article.
Paul Wilkinson is the Adult Minister–Groups Associate, Brentwood Baptist Church.