The question of when it is time to drop someone from a Bible study group’s ministry roll has come up several times in recent conversations. As a group leader myself, I have to answer this question about the people on my roll who don’t attend the group like they have in the past. Here are a few times when it’s OK to let the person go and remove them from your ministry list:
- When the person(s) asks to be removed. There are occasions when a person initiates the disconnect with a Bible study group. If they ever request to be removed from the group’s ministry role, then we should honor that request. An inquiry from us about the reason they have made the request would be reasonable, but it is not something to be pushed if you get the sense they do not want to divulge their reasons.
- When the person dies. When a person in your group “graduates to heaven,” it’s alright to remove them from your group’s ministry roll. Of course, their spouse, if he or she is a member of your group, will remain on the roll for ministry purposes.
- When the person(s) join another church. If I learn that a group member has joined another church, it’s OK to let them go. This is one of the happy occasions when we can remove someone from our group’s ministry roll, knowing they are in good hands and under the care of another teacher/shepherd and his or her group.
Here are a few other thoughts about inactive members:
- If they attend your class less than 25% of the time, they are functionally inactive.
- If they haven’t attended for the last 6-8 weeks, they are inactive.
- When a person’s or a couple’s attendance drops below 50%, they need attention so they do not become inactive.
A few Do’s and Don’ts:
- Don’t drop a resident church member from your group’s ministry roll.
- Do consider moving chronic absentees to a special class (create a “paper class”) who need extreme care and outreach; secure a leader(s) whose job it is to contact these chronic absentees, allowing Bible study group leaders to continue to contact people who are on their group ministry rolls and have a semi-regular attendance pattern.
In one church I served, a particular Bible study group wanted to “clean up its roll.” The group’s secretary asked to have a few chronically absent couples removed from the group’s list of members. The reasoning? “We haven’t seen them—ever.” I challenged the group to reach out to the couples and see what God might do. After some phone calls and encouragement from people in the Bible study towards those couples, two of the four chronically absent couples returned to the group—they just needed a little TLC and some gentle nudging. One wife even told them, “Your call came at a great time—we were really down and needing to reconnect with the Bible study group, but it was awkward. Your call made it easy to slide back in.”
How are you handling those group members who have gone inactive? Share your thoughts with us and help us learn how to more effectively keep up with people who have fallen through the cracks.
Ken Braddy is Manager of Lifeway’s Adult Ongoing Bible Studies and has served as an education pastor and executive pastor for 18 years, prior to his role at Lifeway. He leads a weekly Bible study at his church, blogs regularly on the topic of Sunday School and small groups, and co-authored the book 3 Roles For Guiding Groups. He has written hundreds of leadership articles and trained group leaders across the country. Ken is a native Texan, loves tex-mex, and wishes he had his 1978 Camaro back. Follow him on his blog at kenbraddy.com.
What do you do as a group leader if a member of your group is not attending Sunday services but shows up for your bible study? What do you do if a group member is disruptive, always wanting to share his thinking on biblical principles but not always lining up with what this says our Lord? I relieve them of their membership. Am I out of order?
You’ve asked some great questions! I, too, lead a Bible study group at my church, and these are real-life situations that do take place in groups from time to time. If you notice a member of your group not attending worship, but attending your group’s study, it might indicate that they are in need of some shepherding. As the shepherd-teacher of people, you and I should keep a close eye on our sheep/group members – they are our responsibility as undershepherds of the Good Shepherd. I’d recommend having a conversation with them over lunch or coffee – just to say something like, “Hey, I’ve noticed that you aren’t in worship – is everything ok?” See where the conversation goes and be ready to address any concerns or issues they have that have kept them out of the worship service. Restoration is the goal. As for the disruptive group member, you’ll need to be very careful and prayerful in dealing with them. Perhaps they are simply “overusing a strength” – they are talkative (good thing) but have pushed it too far (bad thing). I would encourage you to see that person through a new lens…they are someone who is willing to speak up in your group (not everyone is), and they are verbalizing their understanding of the biblical text (some people process information by talking out loud). Give them room to be off-base on issues that are gray. If you hear something that is definitely out of alignment with your church’s theological beliefs, gently correct the person. You can do that by saying “That’s an interesting thought…tell me more about that and how you came to that conclusion.” I’d also consider asking, “So, how does what you just shared compare to other things said about it throughout Scripture?” I’m glad that this person is brave enough to speak up in class, and I’m also glad that you are guiding the group in its exploration of Scripture. Try not to view this situation as a win-lose, but see it as a win-win…the person who is disruptive is growing in their faith, learning more about the Bible, and they have a teacher who can spot incorrect theology and gently bring them back to orthodoxy.