Are you looking for a 5 Star volunteer/leader, how to recruit, and retain them? Here are some characteristics you might want to consider.

A 5 Star volunteer/leader should be:

1. Committed to Christ.
2. Committed to the vision of the church.
3. Willing to surrender individual gain, popularity, and agendas to the churches vision.
4. Loyal beyond measure.
5. Willing to take on responsibility and difficult tasks.
6. Have a desire to “take things off the leaders plate”.
7. Honest, even when it hurts.
8. Be willing to give their talent, time, and treasure to the vision.

To recruit a 5Star volunteer/leader you should:

1. Communicate the vision of the organization with passion and clarity.
2. Give clear guidelines of the job, its time requirements, and your expectations.
3. Provide a trial time for both parties to discover if the job matches the volunteer.
4. Never give the title away until there is 100% agreement, passion, commitment, and competency.
5. Ask a ton of questions. Get to know them, their family, likes, and dislikes.

To retain a 5Star volunteer/leader you should:

1. Consistently communicate the vision, direction, and immediate goals of the organization.
2. Consistently say “Thank You”, encourage them, and highlight their accomplishments.
3. Brag on them to others. Word gets around!
4. Meet with them on a regular basis.
5. Provide an open environment for them to express concerns, ideas, and passion.
6. Don’t delegate, use, and abuse them. Empower them to take initiative and risks.
7. Be personal and have a genuine concern for their happiness and their family.
8. Let them in and trust them. Share your struggles and BE REAL!
9. Never look at the them as a number or person to complete tasks. They are partners for the vision.

Did you see a common theme in the three lists? The first, and most important, priority of a leader is to have a clear vision and direction for the organization. If you can’t provide the finish line then how can you expect someone to start the race? Before anyone of quality will buy into and commit to any organization they must first know where it’s heading.

These lists are just the beginning! I would love to hear any additions or corrections you would like to make. Just leave a comment below.

The method that you abuse is the wrong one! People get tired of the same ole thing. Mix it up a bit! The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. To keep your small group engaged you must produce variety in your delivery.

Listed below are the two most popular teaching methods used in a small group. See which one you think is the best at fulfilling the purpose of an entry level small group.

Lecture: Lecture is when the leader is the central focus of information transfer. Typically, a leader will stand before a class and present information for the group to learn. Usually, very little exchange occurs between the leader and the group during a lecture.

Pros of Lecture as a Teaching Method:

· Lectures are a straightforward way to impart knowledge quickly to the group.

· Leaders have a greater control over what is taught in the group because they provide the core information.

· Group members who are auditory learners find that lectures appeal to their learning style.

· Logistically, a lecture is often easier to create than other methods of instruction.

· Lecture is a method familiar to most small group leaders because it was typically the way they were taught.

Cons of Lecture as a Teaching Method:

· Those not strong in auditory learning will have a harder time being engaged by lectures.

· Group members will retain less than 10% of what was taught.

· Group members can find lectures boring causing them to lose interest.

· The group may not feel that they are able to ask questions as they arise during lectures.

· Leaders may become irrelevant for the group due to the lack of exchanges during lectures.

Final Thoughts: Lectures are simply one tool in a leader’s arsenal of teaching methods. Just as with all the other tools, it should only be used when most appropriate (ie. Large groups). The lecture delivery style should vary week to week to keep the group engaged.

Group Discussion: Group Discussion is a modified form of lecture where the focus is shared between the leader and the group for information transfer. Typically, a leader will sit with the class and present information for the students to learn but the students will also participate by answering questions and providing life examples.  Sitting with the group shows them that the leader is a part of the group and is will to share life experiences with them. You become an honest, concerned, compassionate leader when you sit with the group.

Pros of Group Discussion:

· Group discussions provide for greater interaction between the leader and group members.

· Leaders maintain a greater control over what is being taught because they are able to steer the discussion.

· Auditory learners find them appealing to their learning style.

· Leaders can evaluate in real time what is being retained through questions posed.

· Group discussion is comfortable for many leaders because they share the load of teaching with the group.

· The group has a tendency to stay focused on the lesson because they might be able to share a question, comment, or life experience.

· The group feels more comfortable asking questions during group discussions.

· The leader can address ministry issues and questions that arise because the environment allows it.

· The retention rate for a discussion driven group is 50%.

Cons of Group Discussion:

· Group discussions require establishing and maintaining ground rules for the group. If these ground rules are not followed then there is a possibility that the discussion could quickly go off-topic.

· Some students may not feel comfortable being put on the spot during a group discussion.

· The leader must become a master of asking the right questions that are open ended and life applicable.

Final Thoughts: Group discussions are an excellent teaching method when used in conjunction with other methods. It is important that leaders be good at managing and facilitating the discussions. Questioning techniques are effective for this. Two questioning techniques that leaders can employ are to increase their wait time after a question is asked, and to only ask one question at a time.

Consider this: What teaching style do you mainly use? Does your style facilitate achievement of the groups purpose? Should you consider a new style if you are not producing the intended purpose of the group?

They’re scary, they’re honest, and they reveal so much more than a number. They reveal a lifestyle.

I stepped onto the scales at my mom’s house the other day and realized that I had lost around 12 pounds. I was pretty excited since I wasn’t on a DIEt or anything. So of course I told my mom that I had lost a few pounds. She quickly went on to bust my bubble informing me that she thought that the scales were broken and were off about 11 pounds. I guess 1 is better than none!

When we go to weigh on a set of scales we assume that they are accurate. We also assume a huge level of responsibility. There is only one person responsible for the weight on the scales and that’s the person standing on them.

Our small groups today need a weight check. Healthy growth within a small group is established through balancing the connection, creation, and cultivation within a group. Too much of any one of these begins to produce fat which is very difficult to burn off, and can eventually lead to death. Here are a few examples:

Too much Connection: If a small group spends most of its time on connection (fellowship) then the group is not growing in its understanding of God’s word (cultivate). It is also not exercising by starting new groups (create). This group becomes lazy and fat.

Too much Creation: If a small is rapidly reproducing more groups then there is a strong chance that no one within any of the groups has had a chance to build solid relationships. The group has more than likely abandoned the basic teaching of God’s word as well. The group may be known for reproduction but not for producing relationships or disciples. This group is tired and malnourished.

Too much Cultivation: If a small group has an unhealthy emphasis on teaching (cultivation), then it will begin to lack the environment for relationships to be built and the ability to reproduce. Entry level small groups are designed to teach the tip of the iceberg of Christianity (read I Kill Plants). When teaching goes beyond the basics then there is no need for a more intimate discipleship process (group). In depth teaching can also make guest feel lost and confused, which closes your doors to new growth. This group is too smart to exercise making them fat and lazy.

There should be a BALANCE on the scales! A healthy group and group leader should strive to spend an equal amount of emphasis and time on each value. By having a well-balanced emphasis on connecting with people, creating new groups, and cultivating God’s word into life a group will be the perfect picture of health. The small group will steadily reach new people, while building relationships, and producing Biblical life changes within the members.

The question: Is your group fat, lazy, and/or malnourished?

I kill plants!! Did you know that too much or the wrong kind of fertilizer can kill a plant? You would think that if something was nutritional and good for a plant you could overload it and the plant would be bigger, healthier, and produce greater fruit than others. Well from my own experiences I assure you it doesn’t.

“Discipleship” is the same way. Before we go any further let’s give a proper definition to the word discipleship as it relates to Christianity. Discipleship is the act of becoming more like Christ through studying his lifestyle and teachings. Discipleship is a never ending process.

Entry point small groups/Sunday school classes are not designed to nurture the depths of discipleship. Entry level small groups are designed to cultivate the soil around the attendee and allow his/her roots to reach and spread into nutrient rich soil. Too often our entry level small groups turn into discipleship groups, which defeat the whole purpose of “entry level”. The groups begin building upon previous weeks learning making it difficult for guests to jump in and feel welcome. Being a discipleship group also assumes that each person is a follower of Christ, and has a general knowledge of the bible. When entry level small groups/Sunday school focus strictly on teaching it’s like providing too much fertilizer and it fosters a closed group environment.

Guest will attend a small group to experience and share life with others like them. They will not come back if a group does not provide that experience. They are looking to find purpose in their life and in the body of Christ. As a small group leader our challenge is to cultivate around the people within the group challenging them by asking life changing questions and reaching deeper within a discipleship/mentor group designed for such. Our entry level small groups are designed to connect with new people, create new groups, and cultivate the basic Christian lifestyle through exploring the core teachings of God word.

Entry level small groups are not the place for indepth discipleship. They are the starting point of the church.

“So what’s the point of my small group?” A vital question asked of me by a young adult that attends an upstate new church plant. I use the word vital to describe the question because it’s much deeper than just a question. Small groups are vital to the health and growth of any church. They are the life line and foundation that every great community is built upon. If it’s weekly in home groups, or Sunday school, all small groups should have core values. So to my friend, I would answer your question with three core values that every small group “should” have. They are all equally vital to the health of the group!

Connect: Small groups are called small groups for a reason. Small groups should be designed to be the first and primary stop outside of a worship experience. Attending large group settings like worship or a large “small” group can never provide an atmosphere for building relationships. Large groups are great for being superficial and hiding in the crowd. Many boomers actually like the larger group settings until they realize that “they are missing something”. Hint, IT’S RELATIONSHIPS. The Gen X’rs and Millennials have lived in a digital world cutoff from social activity and have proven this through the rise of social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, and others. Therefore, it is safe to say that small groups provide an intimate setting that allows people to build deeper relationships. Small groups should also be generational and/or life span friendly so that those attending can share daily challenges and learn from each other. Small groups allow people a place to connect, support (minister), and learn from each other. Having this type of environment makes it easy for guests to feel welcome, and begins to experience the benefit of being a part of the family of God.

Create: If you take time to look around, you will notice that everything God created was designed to create again. At the moment of conception molecules begin to grow, divide, and multiply. Churchs and small groups should be no different. When we forget to create we begin to nail the coffin shut. Being the entry point of relationships, small groups that begin to exceed an average of around twelve people should begin to start plans for creating another small group. Creating more groups insures that the small group organism, not a program, (read Organic) remains alive. The most common way to prove that life exists is to reproduce. Reproduction creates new leaders and more room for guests to establish new relationships.

Cultivate: When someone breaks up and loosens the soil around a plant it is called cultivating the soil. Small groups should use biblical learning to cultivate the soil within the member’s life. Using God’s word through multiple teaching methods (read Keys?) challenges each person to expand their roots into new soil. New soil has untapped nutrients and longer roots provide a deeper base during the rough seasons of life. Too often the cultivation turns into fertilization, which is not the purpose of an entry point of the church. (read I Kill Plants!) Small groups should spark interest into Godly living and begin to produce life changes within its people. Notice I used to words “spark” and “begin”!

So there it is in a nutshell. Connect, Create, Cultivate! Anything additional or off balanced to those simple steps begins to add confusion and frustration within the group hindering spiritual and physical growth. (read Scales)