Just before our last membership class at The Journey, a question came to me:

How many of our Top 100 givers are members?

I felt like God had prompted this question, so I asked our financial team to give me a list of everyone who is a Top 100 giver but not yet a member. When I got the list, I was shocked! It contained 36 names.

These 36 people were showing high “ownership” in our church but had not taken the formal step of membership. What to do?

I simply wrote each one a short email offering a personal invitation to membership class. Basically, I said, “you are clearly engaged in our church and I want to invite you to take the next step of ‘formal’ membership.” No big sales pitch. No mention of their financial gifts. Just a simple invitation.

The majority of them signed up for the upcoming class. A large number of the remainder signed up for a future class. In short, about 80% said ‘yes’ to membership with just one simple invite.

Why is it important for these big givers to be members?

One, they need to be fully informed about why we do what we do. The goal of my invitation to membership class was not to convince them to give more (although several decided to increase their level of giving). The goal was to further clarify what our church is all about and give them a deeper connection.

Two, the importance of being a member goes far beyond finances. Even though these 36 people were models of stewardship, we wanted to make sure that each one was fully engaged in all of the key areas of our church (serving, groups, etc.).

Stewardship is discipleship….are you helping your stewards become disciples in all areas of your church?

Nelson

P.S. For more on our membership process, including how we promote, prepare for, conduct and raise accountability for membership, check out The Maximizing Membership Package. BTW, our Membership Class is a fast moving, 3-hour Sunday afternoon class that we offer every other month.

Here’s what’s happening with Church Leader Insights and me this week that may be of interest to you:

Monday – I’m in Phoenix this week.  Good news, the high temps are only going to be 105.  I was here the same week last year and the high temps were 110+!

Tuesday – Watch your email for the August issue of The Church Leader Insights Newsletter.  7 great articles and 2 book recommendations.  If you aren’t currently receiving the newsletter, use the form on the right side of this page to subscribe today.

Wednesday – I’ll be sending out an email update about my new Tele-Coaching Network giving everyone one last chance to apply. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response!  This network is shaping up to be the most important network I’ve ever led. If you are interested in applying, please don’t wait another day, click here for an application.

Thursday – Bob Franquiz and I will be leading The Fusion Seminar from 9am – Noon at Camelback Community Church here in Phoenix.  If you are in the area, plan to join us – click here to register.  If you aren’t in the area, please pray for this event.  We have about 100 people coming.

Friday – I’ll be putting the final touches on my latest CD resource entitled “Managing the Stress of Ministry.” More details soon.

Hope you have a great week!  Maybe I’ll see you in Phoenix on Thursday.

Nelson

I arrived in Phoenix yesterday and today I have a rare Sunday off. I’ll be attending a private event starting later today and going throughout the week. On Thursday, I’ll be teaching my Fusion Seminar at Camelback Community Church. (It’s not too late to register if you are in the area. Just click here.)

Here are a few of my favorite Phoenix churches:

Radiant Church (We visited Radiant last night…great service! Lee is still the man, even if he didn’t take me for a ride on his Harley – check out his blog here)

Palm Valley Community Church (I love Greg Rohlinger …he’s been so gracious to me over the years. And he’s buying dinner on Wed but doesn’t know it yet! Check out his blog here)

Camelback Community Church (One of my Advanced Coaching churches and host of Thursday’s Fusion Seminar)

Fellowship of Anthem (Ted is the man!)

Phoenix First Assembly (One day I hope to dream as big as Tommy Barnett)

Of course, there are dozens of other phenomenal churches and more are being planted every week. This is just the list of churches that I am most familiar with. Phoenix is a great city and I’m excited about spending the week here… although I’m already missing The Journey!

Make it a great Sunday!

Nelson

Thanks to the great response we received from this week’s small group posts, we decided to give you one more Q&A. Think of it as a Saturday bonus!

Question #4: I like the idea of semester-based small groups that meet for 10-12 weeks and then end. But doesn’t that keep deep and meaningful relationships from forming? Doesn’t the group end just as people are really getting to know each other?

This is one of the most common questions about the semester-based small group system. But it is based on fundamentally flawed information. Here’s the deal:

Most church leaders assume that, if involved in a “standard” 18-24 month small group system, 10-12 people will sign up, love being together and become intimate friends. But that’s not what really happens…

In reality, some people will click and others won’t. If the group extends beyond 12 weeks, those who haven’t really clicked start looking for ways to get out. Their attendance gets spotty. And even those who do form strong friendships begin to get bored before that year and a half to two years is up.

The goal of the semester-based group is not to encourage intimate relationships, but to create a safe, healthy environment through which basic friendships can form. Those meaningful relationships that start during the semester will continue to grow naturally outside the group after it ends.

We would all be much better off if we stopped promising (and then trying to force) intimate relationships within our small groups. It’s a promise we can’t deliver on. What we can and should deliver is a safe, healthy social environment where people can meet other like-minded people so that relationships can develop naturally.

This truth takes a lot of pressure off of small group leaders. Too often, leaders feel like failures when the people in their groups don’t become great friends.

One side note – if you are like us, you are constantly trying to get unchurched men to sign up for small groups. Realize that these guys aren’t consciously looking for “intimate” relationships, But they would like to have a place where they can meet some other cool people, learn something new and explore what it means to know God more deeply. If you stop talking about the amazing, intimate relationships that will form in small groups, you just might stop scaring them off!

To learn more about implementing a Small Groups System that works, read back through this week’s blog posts and check out Activate: An Entirely New Approach To Small Groups.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Kerrick

This is Kerrick Thomas with our final small groups question of the week. I hope that what we’ve been discussing has impacted you in a way that will translate into more effective small groups for your church. If you missed any of this week’s blog entries make sure to scroll down and check them out!

Question #3: We need twice as many small groups next semester if we want everyone in our church to be able to join. What’s the best way to double our number of groups?

There’s a common misconception around this question. Many pastors think that the way to increase their number of groups is to split/divide existing groups. It’s not! People hate group splits and they seldom work in the long run.

The key to quickly producing more small groups is to multiply small group leaders. How? By identifying them in current groups and raising them up to take on the responsibility of leadership.

At The Journey, we have learned how to raise up new leaders through lots of experience. New York is a transient city. People are always moving in and out, which poses a leader problem for us. In 2007, we lost over 60 strong small group leaders to moves. Can you imagine losing 60 leaders in a year? Needless to say, we have had to learn how to be continually raising up new leaders.

Here are some of the principles we live by:

1 – Don’t set the leadership bar higher than it should be. Our small group leaders aren’t required to be Bible scholars, counselors or have the gift of teaching. We simply ask that our leaders love God and people, and that they understand how to facilitate discussion. We let the curriculum be the teacher and give every leader the freedom to say “I don’t know.” If you keep your expectations for your small group leaders at a manageable level, you’ll have many more potential leaders to choose from.

2 – Make sure every group has a “Coordinator.” Create an official position within each small group where someone who would make a good leader serves as the current leader’s assistant/apprentice. The coordinator can get experience by leading one or two discussions during the semester and being involved in the details of running a group. By the next semester, he will be ready to lead a group on his own… with a coordinator.

3 – Keep current leaders on the lookout. At the beginning of each semester, let all of your current leaders know that you want them to be on the lookout for those in their groups who may make good leaders in the future.

Just over half way through each semester (6-8 weeks in), contact all of your leaders and coordinators. Ask them directly 1) if they plan on leading the next semester and 2) who in their group would make a good leader.

4 – Make the BIG ASK. When you ask potential small group leaders to lead for the first time, don’t ask apologetically or tentatively. You are giving them the opportunity of a lifetime; you are challenging them to take a bold step of spiritual growth – one that is important for them personally and for your church collectively. Approach potential leaders with confidence!

If this week’s posts have helped you turn some needed attention to your small groups system, let me encourage you to keep the learning going! Check out my and Nelson’s new book, Activate: An Entirely New Approach To Small Groups. I promise that you will find tons of information that will help you create an extremely effective, life-changing, God-honoring small groups system – one that includes every single person in your church!

Have a great weekend!

Kerrick

Tomorrow, I have to make some tough decisions about who will be a part of my new Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors. The response has been overwhelming and I’ve already accepted a number of great pastors, but I’m still waiting on an application from you

Let me encourage you to send over your application ASAP so I can review it tomorrow and get you a decision by next week. You can find an application and all the info on where to send it by clicking here.

This is a year-long tele-coaching network where I will meet with you and the others in the network for two hours each month by phone. Plus you will receive unlimited email access, special call in times, thousands of dollars in resources and…well, too many benefits to outline here….learn all about them by clicking here.

I hope to see your application before my meeting tomorrow. As a reminder, the network starts on August 28.

Nelson

P.S. Most scholarships for the network have been used but I can promise you that the investement you make will be returned to you over and over. But don’t take my word, see what past alumni have said by clicking here.

Kerrick Thomas here again. Today, I’m continuing to answer the most common questions Nelson and I get about small groups. In addition to being the Executive Pastor of The Journey and co-author of Launch and Activate, I handled small groups at The Journey until not too long ago. Even though we’ve now passed that responsibility on to a Small Groups Pastor, I still take an active interest in making sure that we run and share a Small Groups System that works!

This week’s posts are my attempt to help you take your groups to the next level. If you missed Question #1 (What about childcare?), make sure you look back to Monday’s post. Here’s Question #2…

Question #2: What if a small group doesn’t get enough sign ups? We have a few small groups where just a handful of people signed up and I’m afraid the groups aren’t going to make it. What should we do?

When you do semester-based small groups, where people get to join the group of their choice every semester, you will inevitably have some groups that don’t get a lot of sign ups. But it’s not the end of the world.

The first step you should take is to figure out why the group has not filled up. Then, you’ll have a better idea how to correct the situation.

Here are three of the most common reasons groups get low sign ups and what you can do to turn things around:

Reason 1: Inconvenient Time or Location and/or Poor Topic Choice – Is the time or area of the meeting not convenient to the majority of your people? Is the book to be studied not something that’s resonating with your culture? These concerns pop out about a few groups every semester.

Solution 1: If you catch this issue early enough, you can make some necessary changes. Ask the group leader to move the meeting location to a more convenient place, choose a better time or reconsider the book to be studied. If it’s necessary, you can even postpone the start of that new and improved group for a few weeks to give more people a chance to sign up.

Sometimes if two groups have low sign ups and they are planning to meet on the same day or are geographically close to one another, you can combine the two groups to make one good sized group.

Reason 2: Lack of Leader Promotion – Has the leader been personally inviting people to join? Has she been volunteering to work the groups information table at the weekend service? Sometimes the problem is connected to a leader who hasn’t done a good job of promoting his or her own group.

Solution 2: Encourage the leader to start taking steps to promote the group. He can ask his friends to sign up, reach out to others in the church that he knows, or serve on a Sunday to help get word about his group.

Reason 3: Flawed Sign Up System – Are people having a hard time figuring out how to sign up for a group? If you are seeing low sign ups in several of your groups, there could be a system problem.

Solution 3: Take a hard look at the structure and implementation of your Small Groups System. Read Activate: An Entirely New Approach To Small Groups again! We’ve put a system in place that can help ensure the success of your groups.

Unfortunately, sometimes there is no solution when a group’s sign ups are falling short. There are times when you just need to call it off. The most important thing in this scenario is to keep the leader encouraged. Let him know that these things happen and it is not a reflection on him. If you think the leader has potential, encourage him to try again next semester.

Check back tomorrow for the answer to another small groups question! I bet it’s one you have asked yourself…

Kerrick

SYSTEM #4: THE SMALL GROUPS SYSTEM

Welcome back to our weekly Wednesday blog series, “Where There’s Slack There’s Lack.” If you’ve been keeping up with these posts each week, I trust that your church systems are beginning to undergo positive transformation. Hopefully, you’ve pinpointed some areas that have suffered because of slack and started turning that lack around!

Today, we are going to keep with this week’s small groups theme here on the blog by talking about The Small Groups System. This is the system that asks, “How do we fill and reproduce small groups at our church?”

A lot of pastors I talk with have a hard time believing that it’s possible to get 100% of their attenders involved in a small group. But it is possible! The Journey is a perfect example…

Since we started our small groups system almost five years ago, we have averaged over 100% participation each and every semester. How? By implementing a strong system that specifically answers the question I just mentioned about filling and reproducing groups.

Think about your Small Groups System for a minute. How are things going? Are you doing your part and seeing God’s blessing? Or have you been slacking off and experiencing lack? To take the pulse of this system in your church, ask yourself these questions:

• How many of your regular attenders are actively involved in a small group?
• Are you competing against your own groups by offering too many other activities?
• How many passionate group leaders do you have?
• Are you and your staff all involved in a small group?

If you have a weak Small Groups System, you will see problems in many of your other systems as well. But a strong Groups System will help you solve leadership, pastoral care, volunteer, and hospitality issues across the board.

Can you guess what the challenge is for this week? You got it – to spend some time taking a hard look at your Small Groups System. Be honest about the level of excitement in your church over small groups. Be honest about your participation numbers. Sketch out some ideas about what you can do to improve your system next semester.

To get the ideas flowing and to help you put a strong plan in place if you don’t have one, let me encourage you to take a look at my new book, Activate: An Entirely New Approach To Small Groups.

Make this your mantra for the week: In my Small Groups System, slack = lack, but

Effort = Excellence!

Nelson

P.S. – If you haven’t already, make sure you download the free Church Systems Report, to learn more about the eight church systems and how they work together to keep your church healthy and growing.

In just over a week I’ll be in Phoenix for my Fusion Seminar. Can you help me get the word out?

We’ve done no outside promotion for this seminar, yet its is shaping up to be a great event!

Maybe it’s because Bob Franquiz is going to be with me. Or maybe Phoenix pastors are just committed to the ‘learn and return’ principles I teach. Or maybe it’s because even pastors outside of Phoenix have helped get the word out (that’s the power of word of mouth marketing!).

So, if you are near Phoenix or can get there by Thursday, why don’t you come and hang out with me and Bob at The Fusion Seminar on Thursday, August 14 from 9:00am – Noon.

Click here for all of the details.

The Fusion Seminar will include:

- Principles to help you create an inviting environment for first-time guests
- How to ”wow” first-time guests into wanting to come back
- The Journey’s complete ‘‘Assimilation System,” used to follow up with the 50+ first-time guests who attend the service each week
- Plus much more!

Oh, and group rates are available. Just call Cristina at 212.730.8300 x212.

Hope to see you in Phoenix next Thursday.

Nelson

P.S. Be sure to regsiter by tomorrow (August 6) for the best early bird rate.

Hi Everyone. Kerrick Thomas here. I’m the Exeuctive Pastor at The Journey Church and Co-Author of Launch and Activate with Nelson. Today, Thursday and Friday, I’m going to be answering some of the most common questions we get about small groups. Tomorrow (Wednesday), Nelson will be back with the weekly Slack = Lack post, which will be centered on the Small Groups System. Lots to learn about small groups this week! Let’s dive in:

Question #1: What do you do about childcare for small groups?

When it comes to small groups, you should stay out of the childcare business, no matter how much pressure you get to take on the responsibility. Believe me when I tell you that, if you don’t make this decision on the front end, childcare will become a growth barrier and logistical nightmare as your number of small groups grows.

The best solution is to empower each small group to be responsible for its own childcare needs. Be prepared to give your groups some creative and workable options:

1 – Have everyone in the group who has children pitch in financially to hire a baby sitter or two every week. When all of the parents give a little the cost is surprisingly minimal.

2 – Set up a rotation where a different couple in the group baby sits the children each week. Make sure no one has to baby sit more that once or twice during the semester.

3 – Challenge every couple with children to find a solution before coming to group (baby sitter, relative, etc.). After all, they have to find childcare when they go out on a date or have a work function. Most parents have several childcare options.

4 – Create a child-friendly group where parents are encouraged to bring their children. This works best with moms’ groups who meet during the day and plan their group around activities for the children.

These are just a few of the many options available to you. The big point is: Don’t get roped into providing the childcare solutions for your groups. Let the groups come up with creative solutions themselves, with some helpful input from you.

Take a few minutes to brainstorm other potential childcare options. What have you seen work? What would you like to try? Get some other people involved in this conversation and see where it leads.

Kerrick

P.S. If you want to dig deeper into what it takes to have successful groups, make sure you check out the new book Nelson and I just released, Activate: An Entirely New Approach To Small Groups.