Keep your spiritual finger on
the pulse of the congregation! You might want
to announce (with the pastor's consent, of course)
that the church is going to be taking steps to
meet the growing pains of members facing life-crises
such as depression, anxiety, anger, etc. Encourage
members to contact you about any issues they see
in the congregation that might be addressed in
a care group. You might want to put a CareGroup
box in the foyer or common area in which they
can drop notes or suggestions for the church's
small group care ministry.
Poll the Senior Pastor and other
members of the pastoral care staff (e.g., associate
ministers, minister of education, minister of
Christian Care, etc.), small group leaders, Sunday
school teachers, visitation committee, prayer
chain coordinators, etc. about what issues they
see in the congregation.
Once you determine the need
for a group, it's time to get the approval
of your church's senior pastor or governing
board.
The success of a care-group
ministry will hinge largely on how enthusiastically
your senior pastor and other congregational
leaders embrace the vision of a small group
care ministry as a means of fulfilling the
law of Christ in bearing one another's burdens
(Galatians 6:2) and champion the ideal of
the church as a culture of care. Key church
leaders are vital, but it is the senior pastor
who carries the power of the pulpit, provides
cues to the congregation on what matters most,
models the preferred life of the church, and
calls people to get involved. The senior pastor
wields tremendous influence.
When presenting the idea for
the group, draw on the information you gathered
in the need assessment phase.
Feel free to contact us for
information on CarePoint that you can present
to your pastor or governing board.
After you get the pastor's approval
and endorsement, you will need to select a leader
(you or someone else) who will shepherd the
group and secure resources for the group.
Care groups are distinctively
Christian support groups—not professional
therapy groups—and are led by laypersons,
but the model assumes there is no such thing
as a "leaderless group." Care group
facilitators (shepherds) are charged with taking
responsibility for a group, creating an environment
of care, helping the group draft and keep a
covenant, keeping members on task, facilitating
the group process, and making good use of resources
(workbooks and other materials).
Ensure that your group shepherds
are equipped to facilitate a group by having
them complete the
Shepherding Care Groups Training Course,
which was designed specifically to equip small
group leaders to facilitate care & support
groups.
Once you have appointed a leader
and ordered resources, it's time to advertise,
advertise, advertise! You will market the group
to the congregation and to the community.
From a simple announcement during
the corporate worship service, to bulletin board
posters on the corkboard in the fellowship hall,
to letters addressed to human service providers
in the community, we can help you attract believers
and seekers to your care & support group.
Request our free resource "Care
& Support Group Marketing 101."
Announce the formation of the
group and invite those interested to attend
a pre-group meeting to work out the details,
such as when and where the group will meet.
After you announce the group
and host a pre-group meeting, it's time to select
the time and place. This step comes last because
a suitable time and place can only be established
once you know who's going to attend. Typically,
this will occur at the first meeting (usually
held in a room in the church), when the group
establishes a covenant and members agree on
a suitable time and place for the group meetings.
Care group shepherds should request
our resource "The Nuts & Bolts of Staging
a Care & Support Group" in order to
help the group make the best decisions about
such issues as open vs. closed enrollment, childcare,
accessibility, confidentiality issues, etc.
Coming
May 2011!
Shepherding
Care Groups: A Comprehensive Interactive Certification Course
( 2 Books & CD)
Questions?
We
invite you to call upon us at any time. Click here
to see the contact information and online form.
How
to start a care group ministry!
