What would your answer be if I asked you what the win is for small groups? What are the essentials that must happen each week to ensure that people are growing closer to Jesus?
With my vantage point as a pastor I continually hear about what we “need” to do for kids and families.
One of the best ones in recent conversation was when I was told that I need to teach teenagers how to drive in the parking lots using the golf carts!
It is easy for us to lose focus on the main essentials in ministry, especially when we have been leading groups for a few years.
At the end of the day here are the three essentials for the small groups.
3 Small Group Essentials
1. Introduce them to Jesus.
Every disciple has a responsibility to share the gospel of Jesus with everyone they come in contact with. How often are we presenting the gospel in our Sunday school classes, small groups, and weekly worship services? This must be a foundational aspect of our weekly preparation and prayer.
2. Teach them how to use the Bible.
Notice I didn’t say “Teach them the Bible.” Teaching the Bible is a foundational part of a church’s makeup, but teaching people how to use the Bible on their own is of utmost importance. Every Christian needs to know how the Bible applies to their life, how to open the book, memorize Scriptures, and know the God who is moving in the biblical stories. If we fail at this, high schoolers and college students will walk away from the church.
3. Teach them how to pray.
Hebrews teaches us the “Priesthood of all Believers” which means that ALL Christians have the same access to God, through Jesus, as the rest of us do. Pastors are not priest. Our small groups must focus on teaching prayer. When life happens our small group leaders are not sitting in our living rooms 24/7 to comfort us, but Jesus is. It is our responsibility to encourage students and families to develop a personal practice of prayer.
Now What?
As you prepare for your lesson how can you make sure that you are connecting kids to Jesus, teaching them how to use the Bible and teaching them how to pray?
When every teacher and leader in our churches focus on these three areas our kids, students and families will grow deeper in Jesus!
