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.
CarePoint groups are support
groups—not professional therapy
groups—and are led by laypersons, but
the model assumes there is no such thing as
a "leaderless group." CarePoint
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 CarePoint
Shepherd Training Course, which was designed
specifically to equip small group leaders
to facilitate care & support groups. For
help in qualifying a candidate as a care &
support group shepherd, request our free resource
"Staffing Group Shepherds."
If no CarePoint resources are
available for a group on the issue you have
identified in the congregation, please contact
us and let us know. We will be more than happy
to help you locate sound Christian resources
on any issue and otherwise assist you in any
way we can.
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.
CarePoint 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.
CarePoint Shepherd Training
Click the image
below to learn more about CarePoint training materials.
How
to start a care group ministry
