Connect Group System
CONNECT GROUP SYSTEM OVERVIEW
“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the
Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the
while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day
the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:46-47
DEFINITION: Connect groups are groups that meet together throughout the week in homes and other places outside of the Northwood facilities. Some are study or “growth” groups. Others are fun or interest based groups.The Connect Group System is our strategy for creating, managing and cultivating healthy connect groups.
GOALS: The goals of the Connect Group System are:
- To remove any barriers that prevent people from joining small groups.
- To have 100% involvement in connect groups.
PURPOSE: The four purposes of connect groups at Northwood are:
- Fellowship.
- Discipleship.
- Worship
- Ministry.
Fellowship
Connect groups are a natural place to build genuine relationships. In many cases, a connect group takes something we may be doing alone and allows us to do it together.
Discipleship
Connect groups are a great environment to help people grow. True discipleship can’t happen on Sunday morning.
Worship
Connect groups give us another place to worship together outside of Sunday morning. Some connect groups allow us to take an ordinary activity and do it as worship to Christ.
Ministry
It is not practical for the pastoral staff to give personal ministry to every person on Sunday morning. Much of the ministry at Northwood happens in connect groups.
12 BIG IDEAS FORRETHINKING CONNECT GROUPS
1. Think from the outside in…not from the inside out.
Connect groups are not just for the smaller group of committed or core members. Our connect group strategy is to bring in as many people as possible. People who attend Northwood only occasionally will move toward being more committed if they are in connect groups.
2. Think bigger…not smaller.
Conventional wisdom says that smaller groups are better and promote more intimacy. The reality is that groups that are too small can be difficult to lead and form personal relationships. It takes an average leader to lead a group of 15-20. It takes an above average leader to lead a group of 10 or fewer. It takes an extraordinary leader to lead a group of five people. On average, we want to allow 20 people to sign up for a group. With 20 people signed up, you will likely get about 15 in attendance.
3. Think friends…not intimacy.
The reality is that groups are about discipleship, not friendships or intimacy. Friendships may happen, but intimacy is not something we can promise. Most people are not looking to fill a need for intimate relationships through connect groups. Connect groups are an antidote to the social disease of loneliness. They are a safe place where healthy relationships can form.
4. Think short term…not long term.
Groups should last 8-12 weeks, not continuous. There are several advantages of short term groups.
- Clear start and end dates.
- Short-term commitments are easier to commit to.
- It allows time for group promotion and sign ups.
- It is easier to get into a group when everyone is beginning together.
- More options for groups since new topics are offered every few months.
- It matches the education system calendar.
- It helps prevent burn out (allows ground to lie fallow).
- It allows for a stretch and release growth cycle.
5. Think promotion months…not ongoing sign ups.
Traditional wisdom says that it is better to allow people to sign up any time so that new people can get into groups right way. The truth is that shorter focused signups lead to greater participation and more excitement around your groups. Promotional months use the power of positive peer pressure. Everyone will know about groups and how to sign up. If promotional months are done right, people will not want to miss out. Ongoing signups are also much more difficult to administer.
6. Think church “of” connect groups…not “with” connect groups.
Most everything we do should be through the weekend service or through small groups. Anything we add outside of the weekend service or connect groups potentially competes with connect groups. This does not mean that we don’t add ministries. It means that, whenever possible, we add them under the connect group system.
7. Think easy…not hard.
Use multiple one-step entry points to connect groups (i.e. connection table, web site, connect card, etc). Most people are not going to make a phone call to join a connect group. Most people do not want to have to go through a multi-step process or attend an event to get into a group.
8. Think ahead…not fall behind.
Planning for the next semester starts when the previous semester is just beginning. The planning process is discussed in a later section.
9. Think full staff participation…not just a staff specialist.
First and foremost, the lead pastor must be the champion of connect groups. The lead pastor should be for groups and in groups. Every staff member needs to have a responsibility in connect groups just aswe all have a responsibility for the weekend service. If we want 100% participation, we have to live it.
10. Think discussion…not lecture.
Connect groups are not a mini version of the weekend service. Most groups just require the ability to facilitate discussion, not a teaching gift. The curriculum controls the content. Leaders need to have a heart for people and an ability to facilitate more than a gift for teaching. The truth is, less than 10% of the congregation probably has a teaching gift.
11. Think decentralized…not staff controlled.
“You can structure for growth or for control. You can’t have both.”– Rick Warren
Jesus says in Matthew that where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there. At times we have to trust that the Holy Spirit will be there in our connect groups. While we do have systems to make sure our groups are healthy, it is not practical to have staff controlling every group. Groups can be primarily volunteer run. The staff does not need to solve every problem for every group. (i.e. child care).
12. Think leader multiplication….not group multiplication.
We don’t want to split up or multiply existing groups. If we don’t have enough groups, we have a leader deficit, not a group deficit. We always want to look for potential leaders in our groups. When new leaders start a group the next semester, some people may go with them which is ok. This allows for your group to be a good mix of returning people and new people.
THE FOUR “F’s” OF THE CONNECT GROUP SYSTEM
- Focus
- Form
- Fill
- Facilitate
Every month we are doing one of these four “F’s”. We do one “F” on each month of the semester and then repeat.
Spring semester: February to April
Summer Semester: June to August
Fall Semester: October to December
STEP #1: FOCUS
Determine the philosophy, strategy, goals and calendar for your upcoming
connect group semester. This happens in March, July and November each year.
STEP #2: FORM
Recruit leaders, choose curriculum and confirm the day, time and location of
all groups. This happens mid-March to mid-April, mid-July to mid-August, and
mid-November to mid-December.
STEP #3: FILL
Sign people up for groups, through directed promotion. Give them the option
to sign up at the weekend service or online. Promotion months are mid-
January to mid-February, mid-May to mid-June and September.
STEP #4: FACILITATE
Begin and maintain groups, while equipping and encouraging leaders. This
happens in February, June and October.
1. Focus
“Don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a
building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is
enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the
foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh
at you! They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and
ran out of money before it was finished!’ Or what king would ever dream of
going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing
whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty
thousand soldiers who are marching against him? If he is not able, then
while the enemy is still far away, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of
peace.” – Luke 14:28-32
• Focus Factor #1: Evaluate
Before planning for the next semester, we need to look at the previous semester. Did we reach our goals? Did any groups not fill up? What was successful and what wasn’t?
• Focus Factor #2: Set My Calendar
During Focus, we have a planning meeting for the next semester, not the current one. We also look at the calendar one year in advance and set preliminary goals for the number of leaders and groups we need for this time next year depending on projected growth.
• Focus Factor #3: Set My Goals
Goals for the number of groups are based on projected growth. The minimum number of groups we want to have as a goal is the projected average attendance divided by 20.
• Focus Factor #4: Set My Structure
Once we know how many groups we want, we can project how many group leaders, assistant leaders, team leaders, etc. that we will need. Talk through potential leaders. Make the “Big Ask List”.
2. Form
• Form Factor #1: Make the Big Ask
This is when we ask people to lead groups. This includes asking existing and new leaders. When calling existing leaders we ask, “Who in your group would be a good leader?”
• Form Factor #2: Schedule the Team Leader Meeting
Connect Group LeadershipStructure
Connect Group Director
Coaches – 1 coach per 5 team leaders
Team leaders – 1 team leader per 5 group leaders
Group leaders – 1 group leader per 15-20 members
• Form Factor #3: Get My Groups List Ready
This is when the Connect Group Catalog is finalized for the next semester. The catalog includes every group with a group number, the time and dates, the leaders and any curriculum that will be studied with a brief description. (Note: curriculum needs to come from an approved list or it must be submitted to the connect group director for approval.) In the spring and summer semesters different groups may be studying different topics. During the fall semester we will have a church wide connect group campaign where all study groups will be studying the same curriculum.
3. Fill
• Fill Factor #1: One-Step Sign Ups
Signups start 4-5 weeks prior to groups starting and continue until 3-4 weeks after groups begin.
• Fill Factor #2: Teach on the Power of Groups
During the fill months, people need to hear about the importance of connect groups from the lead pastor. The lead pastor needs to champion groups year round, but he needs to specifically emphasize groups during fill months. This may be a sermon or two directly related to groups, or it may be finding a way to incorporate the importance of groups into sermons.
• Fill Factor #3: Testimonies, Videos & Dramas
These are a great way to supplement teaching on connect groups and to create some excitement during fill months.
• Fill Factor #4: Connection Point Table
There must be a connect group directory with accurate information at the connection point table during fill months. The emphasis however, needs to be on simple, one-step signup.
• Fill Factor #5: Targeting Specific Types of Groups
If you have a men’s group, send an email to all the men inviting them to that group. If you have a group for moms, email all the mom’s. These emails should go out one to two weeks after signups start to sway people who are on the fence about signing up.
• Fill Factor #6: The Church-Wide Campaign
This happens every fall. It is a great way to launch groups at a new campus. Everyone is studying the same book. In a best case scenario, the sermon series is tied into the book that is being studied in groups.
• Fill Factor #7: Newsletters and Mailings
Include connect group information in any mailings going out. This is especially effective for a church-wide campaign.
• Fill Factor #8: Selling the Previously Sold
If someone has been in groups previously, but has not yet signed up for the upcoming semester, send them a letter or email prompting them to signup.
• Fill Factor #9: Promoting Groups to Newcomers
Send a letter or email to newcomers that includes several reasons to join a connect group and a handful of group recommendations.
• Fill Factor #10: Creating Urgency
This is what promotional months are all about,“I need to join because groups start next week”.
• Fill Factor #11: No Signup Left Behind
Make sure when people signup that they get connected. Group leaders need to personally contact every person who signs up for their group. Team leaders must ensure that all of the group leaders have contacted every person who signed up.
4. Facilitate
Groups are being facilitated during the entire three months they meet. However, getting the group off to a good start during the facilitate month is huge.
• Facilitate Factor #1: Training Group Leaders
The best way to train is through an apprenticeship process. However, we do have group training for all leaders every semester. The first half of the training is the nuts and bolts of groups. The second half is leadership training that focuses on something different each time.
• Facilitate Factor #2: Structuring the firstGroup Meeting
The first group meeting is extremely important, especially for new leaders. We provide leaders with a sample itinerary for their first meeting.
• Facilitate Factor #3: Conduct Week-to-Week Facilitation
Every Monday we send out an email with a leadership training principle or tip for leading groups. We also send out info or reminders about groups such as, “remember there are no groups this week because of Easter”.
• Facilitate Factor #4: Conduct Monthly Facilitation
Team leaders should meet with their group leaders at least twice per semester. Depending on the month this may be just checking in, doing training, or asking about potential leaders in the groups.
• Facilitate Factor #5: Conduct Semester Facilitation
Have all groups do an end of semester survey. Promote end of semester events like a group Christmas party.
THE 4 “F’s” CALENDAR
January – FILL – This is our promotion month for the spring semester which will begin in mid-February and last until mid-April. (Promotion is actually mid-January to mid-February.)
February – FACILITATE – Spring groups begin. Staff follows up to equip leaders and ensure that groups are starting off well. (This can last until mid-March.)
March – FOCUS – Begin planning for summer groups.
April – FORM – Start forming summer groups by asking people to be group leaders and/or hosts. Begin nailing down locations, days, times and curriculums. (This process could actually begin in late March.)
May – FILL – Promote summer groups. (This lasts from mid-May to mid-June.)
June–FACILITATE – Summer groups begin. Staff follows up to equip leaders and ensure that groups are starting off well. (This can last until mid-July.)
July – FOCUS – Begin planning for fall groups.
August – FORM–Start forming fall groups by asking people to be group leaders and/or hosts. Begin nailing down locations, days, times and curriculums. (This process could actually begin in late July.)
September – FILL – Promote fall groups.
October– Fall groups begin. Staff follows up to equip leaders and ensure that groups are starting off well.
November – FOCUS – Begin planning for spring groups.
December – FORM –Start forming fall groups by asking people to be group leaders and/or hosts. Begin nailing down locations, days, times and curriculums. (This process could actually begin in late November.)
Connect Group Responsibilities Overview
What do connect groups do?
- Meet together once a week.
- Serve together once a month.
- Reaches out together once a semester.
- Plays together once a semester.
What does a connect group leader do?
- Pray for members once a day.
- Lead a group once a week.
- Meet with their team leader once a month.
- Identify leaders from their group once a semester.
What does a connect group coordinator do?
- Prepares to become a connect group leader by serving as an apprentice who supports and assists the group leader.
- Facilitates group discussions multiple times during the semester.
- Prays for the group.
What does a connect group team leader do?