In this post, I shared about the first step of our discipleship process. The goal is to first help people connect with Jesus through the weekly worship service or a connect event.
The second step is GROW. At Pioneer, we’ve developed a system of semester-based small groups that, up to this point, is working quite well. The system is based on the book Activate by Nelson Searcy. For those that aren’t acquainted with the system, allow me to give a brief overview, and then I’ll share some lessons and resources.
What Is A Semester-Based Small Group?
In this model, there are three semesters per year with each semester lasting between 8-12 weeks in length. In between every semester, there is a month off called a “promotion” month. This promotion month serves two purposes. For one, it gives people an opportunity to rest from leading or being in a small group. Some kinds of small group systems are indefinite in length. If you’ve ever been in one of those kinds of groups, then you’re aware of that sinking feeling that comes with knowing that you’re basically married to this thing forever. Even if you’re with a great group of people, everyone needs some space. This system allows for that. Secondly, during this month, people are also given a list of the different groups they can sign up for in the next semester.
These groups are also based on affinity. In other words, there are many different kinds of small groups like racquetball, ultimate frisbees, Bible study, or even cooking groups. We advertise that there’s one for every kind of interest and passion. So these groups gather around a shared interest.
So What Happens In A Group?
Each group shares three core DNA components:
a) spiritual touch-point
b) fun event
c) service project
A spiritual touch-point means that every group will have either a prayer or a short devotional. So the leader of the motorcycle group might just share a brief thought and prayer and then hit the road with the group. They will also do a fun event in that semester. The group might gather to go bowling together or gather to eat at someone’s house. Finally, each group will do some kind of service or outreach project in the community. Last semester, my group went to a pregnancy care center and helped them to clean everything and to prep things for a future mail out. This semester we’re planning on partnering with a soup ministry in the nearby city of Benton Harbor. Imagine, now, 60 groups in a semester doing a service project in a community. The impact can be powerful.
Below are some of the resources related to the GROW part that have been developed.
Resources
Videos:
Here’s the intro video to our process:
Here’s a video we used to recruit leaders for our GROW groups:
Here’s a video to encourage people to sign up for a GROW group:
GROW Group Catalogs
(Click the link below to download the full catalog in PDF form)
Posters:
Software:
To manage our GROW groups, we use a software called Church Teams.
That’s the gist of the process.
Did you see the whole series?
Behind the Scenes of Our Four Step Discipleship Process
Connect: Part One of Our Discipleship Process
Grow: Part Two of Our Discipleship Process
Serve: Part Three of Our Discipleship Process
Go: Part Four of Our Discipleship Process
So what do you think? Any questions? What would you add or recommend to make this system better? What have you found to be useful to help disciple people? To leave a comment click here.
[image by Mr T in DC]
Tell me about your church. Where are you? What’s your church like?
Wow…I thought my town was pretty small, but you took the cake 😉
Can’t wait for the other two parts to this series! I know I’ve already said this, but this is VERY good stuff! I just started pastoring a 2-church district, in which neither church has really articulated their vision/mission. We have slowly started the process of articulating our vision/mission, so I’m really soaking all this stuff up, thinking about how to apply the principles to my churches’ situations.
One question about the grow groups: When in the semester do your groups incorporate the discipleship components? Using the example of the motorcycle ministry, would the leader teach the discipleship components during the spiritual touch-point before a ride? Or would they forego the ride a few times during the semester to sit down together and cover the material?
Thanks, Luke!
Good questions, by the way.
The discipleship track is a separate track, entirely. You can see it if you download the GROW group catalog. So if someone does the motorcycle group, they wouldn’t be doing the discipleship track. The motorcycle group would have a brief devotional, perhaps, and then hit the road together. The Discipleship 101-301 track are three semester’s worth of groups. So in the first semester, there would be 10 lessons devoted to growing spiritually–how to pray, study the bible, scripture memorization, etc….the second semester is devoted to learning basic Christian doctrine that help people to understand JEsus better, and the third semester is related to teaching people how to study the Bible together, outreach, etc. Make sense?
Okay, yeah, that makes sense. So, is the Discipleship 101-301 track optional? Do the tracks need to be taken in order? I noticed in the catalog that you’re only offering 101 this semester, but if I didn’t take a 101 this semester, could I still take 201 next semester?
You got it.
In theory they would be taken in order, but right now they’re open. We do want to offer a “Bible Work” certificate for those that go through all three of them, to encourafe people to do them in order.
We’re rolling out this system for the first time this semester with 101 groups. So next semester we’ll continue some 101 groups, but also have 201 groups. In the third semester we’ll include both 101 and 201 and the launch the 301 groups. We’ll see how it goes! It’s all new for us.
Thanks so much for these resources, Rodlie. Lots of useful information and ideas here that we’ll be incorporating into our Grow groups in Yuba City. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Steve!
Honored and glad that these will be useful.