Has your church considered starting new groups? Are you weighing the pros and cons to determine if it’s worth it? Allow me to provide some insight to the benefits of starting new groups and bust some myths that may be preventing you from taking the first step. Let’s look at three key areas.
1. The Financial Myth – Our church can’t afford to start new groups.
The Financial Truth – New groups add to the church’s finances. Yes, there is a cost associated with additional materials for a new group; however, a new group means additional giving. “New groups, properly started, will add ten new people on average to the Sunday School ministry. If a church’s per capita giving is $35, I can be confident that one new group of ten people will give about $350 per week on average.” 1 The potential weekly giving makes up for the cost of material on a quarterly basis.
2. The Participation Myth – Everyone doesn’t attend groups now, so a new group won’t help.
The Participation Truth – The reality is, people may not be attending now because they haven't found the group to meet their need. Even the best discipleship ministry must strive for continuous improvement. If 100 percent of your congregation is not in Bible study, there is an opportunity for a new group. Take some time to assess your congregation and see who is not connected in a group. Ask members questions to determine why they are not connected. The reason may be that they have not found a place where they feel community.
3. The Volunteer Myth – Our church has a shortage of volunteers now; how will we get new group leaders?
The Volunteer Truth – Often what churches identify as volunteer shortage is a lack of opportunity. Starting new groups is an opportunity for the church to help people grow. If your church lacks an apprentice-teacher pipeline, new groups can help start one. If it already has one, new groups give those teachers room to grow. “An apprentice teacher who teaches an adult group once or twice every six months will not fully develop as a teacher-leader until he or she has a group to lead.”2
Now, let’s circle back to our main question: Why start new groups? A better question would be Why not? New groups can increase finances, help the unreached and disconnected find community, and provide opportunities for student and teacher growth.