Your small groups are critical to your congregation’s discipleship journeys. While Sunday services are important for worshiping together with other believers, the Bible study groups that meet throughout the week are where true spiritual growth happens.
More than that, small groups provide opportunities for your congregants to connect with other believers and to grow together as a unified body in ways that aren’t possible through corporate worship alone.
But while 79% of believers say small groups are essential, 50% of churches say less than half of their congregants participate regularly in small groups (and nearly half of that number say they have less than 25% participation!).
So if most churchgoers think small groups are a valuable part of church life, why do so many choose not to engage in this way?
Feeling out of place or lacking a connection to other group members are two of the most common reasons people choose not to get involved.
Those are completely valid reasons for church members to want to avoid small groups, but they are also fixable reasons.
Both feeling out of place and lacking connection stem from a community problem. If your congregants don’t feel like they are part of a larger group that cares about them and values their presence, they’ll see small groups as an extension of that lack of connectivity and won’t see the importance of engaging.
And one of the best ways to foster a sense of community and encourage connection is by improving communication.
We often think of church communication as the staff telling the members about what’s happening in the church. And while that is a large part of successful church communication, it is only part of it.
If you want to increase the connectedness of your congregation and see your small groups flourish, you must also improve the communication between your congregants.
But, how?
1) Cultivate strong leaders.
Study after study shows that one of the top signs of healthy relationships is good communication.
Your congregants will look at how your groups engage with each other outside of their group time to decide if and how to participate.
Your small group leaders will be the driving force for how engaged the groups are and how welcoming they seem to outsiders. People who aren’t part of a group will be attracted to the ones that experience regular, biblically sound teaching and are invested in each other’s lives.
Small group leaders who lead by example and encourage their members to communicate openly and connect with each other throughout the week will build the sense of community that outsiders long to see.
When you find someone who excels at leading a Bible study group, invest in and encourage them to develop their giftings. Show them how to connect with their group members continually and to foster great relationships that draw others into community.
But not every leader is good at everything.
It’s entirely possible to have someone who’s an incredible Bible teacher but isn’t a good communicator when it comes to connecting outside of the study time. It’s also possible to see the inverse of that with someone who’s excellent at building relationships but isn’t the best at teaching.
In those cases, partner the two together. There’s no rule saying that each group needs to be led by a single person. When you have two people who are gifted in specific areas, having them work in tandem to lead a group can be the difference in seeing your small group ministry thrive.
Your small groups need effective Bible teachers, but without good communication, they’ll fall short on building the connections they need to truly live as the Body of Christ.
2) Provide tools to connect throughout the week.
If the only time small group members interact is during the one hour they meet each week, they won’t feel the connectivity and engagement you want to see.
Encourage your members to connect with each other outside of their small group time. You can even offer options like the Realm Connect App, where they can send messages, ask for prayers, and give updates on what’s happening in their lives.
You may think your congregants are content just to get together once a week and won’t put in the effort to build deeper relationships. But they will if you do.
Jesus compared God’s people to sheep: easily led astray, following after whoever they think has authority. While His comparison was intended to convey His role as the Good Shepherd, the metaphor is spot on for human nature.
People tend to copy what their leaders and role models do. If they see your church staff, as well as your small group leaders, committed to building relationships and creating a community of believers in your church, they will follow your lead.
Making tools available for congregants to connect throughout the week is only part of the process. You have to buy into the importance of that connection and encourage them to engage as well.
Communication is key!
Small groups that invest in the relationships of their members outside of the study time are the groups that will succeed.
Leaders who actively engage with group members and encourage others to do the same will help create a community that others want to be part of.
Sharing prayer requests and life updates regularly will help members build connections and grow together as a unified body of believers.
Whether you currently see 10% engagement in small groups or 90%, there is always room to draw more believers out of the pews and into relationships with others.
Cultivating strong leaders who can demonstrate the way to be the Body and providing ways to be part of each other’s lives outside of their dedicated group time will move your church toward a more connected congregation.
And it all starts with effective communication in your small groups.
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