“The small group leader who doles out responsibilities allows herself time to shepherd the small group she leads.”
There are only so many hours in a day and so many days in a week. The group leader that chooses to take on all of the responsibilities necessary for a group to function will find that:
- The group leader doesn’t have time to carry the burden of every responsibility.
- The group leader doesn’t have abilities necessary to effectively to take on all of the ministry roles.
- The group leader will soon burn out and long to give up group leadership.
But when a group leader is wise enough to enlist others to take on various roles, the group leader has time to nurture, shepherd, and disciple the people in his/her group.
Rick Howerton is the Small Groups and Discipleship Specialist at Lifeway Christian Resources. He has authored many small group studies, is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker, and is the author of Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual as well as A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic. He is also the co-author of Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making and Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups. But Rick’s deepest passion and his goal in life is to see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.”
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