LifeGroup Agenda Essentials

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How To Conduct A Meeting

There are essential elements, "genetic code" for small groups. Before a pianist is able to get creative on the keyboard, there are basic, foundational elements that will enhance the pianist's ability to produce quality music. Once a person learns the basics of notes, measures, tempo, and chords, the quality of the music improves, and the freedom to create is broadened.

The following insights are not meant to be constraining, but foundational in helping each small group increase in effectiveness. We encourage creativity in the leadership of groups, while attention is given to the key essentials of a healthy LIFEgroup. Each group should consider changing the agenda for variety, keeping things fresh, and enhancing the learning process.

The following is an example of what an effective LIFEgroup agenda might look like:

Group "ice breaker" question to help people transition from the concerns of the day, the stress of commuter traffic, the office grind, to begin to focus attention on the things of God. Ice breaker questions are designed to be non-threatening in nature, to encourage people to relax and get to know one another better. This helps everyone to enter into the conversation, no matter how little Biblical background each person might have. This can be done by having people pair up, so that everyone is able to talk, without taking a great deal of time.
Worship - using the CDs and song sheets provided by the church. If someone has a guitar, all the better, but be sure to have song sheets for everyone so that no one feels alienated by not knowing the words.
Prayer - no one is forced to pray. It is good to ask a regular attendee to close the time of prayer after several have had a chance to pray. Try to avoid spending a great deal of time talking about prayer requests, while running out of time to pray. It is a good practice to ask people to pray specifically enough so that everyone understands the prayer request as it is being prayed. The LIFEgroup is the best environment for people to learn to pray. There are few things more enjoyable than hearing a person begin to pray for the first time.
Bible lesson - the focus is on application to life (see outline on effective use of curriculum). Life change is the focus, rather than impressing one another with our knowledge. We believe that life transformation takes place best in a small group.
Close the study in prayer, asking the Lord for help in being "doers of the word, and not hearers only."
Scripture memory: "How are we doing on this week's memory verse? Anyone want to give it a try?" (review verse - give verse for the next two weeks if needed)
Announcements
Closing Prayer

This basic grid includes, though not overly creative, provides the key ingredients of a healthy LIFEgroup. The group time should not exceed 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Honor those who will need to leave on time by closing the meeting, and giving people permission to leave, and those who are engaged and wanting to continue the conversation can choose to do so. Parents who feel embarrassed about leaving the group in the middle of the conversation, will hesitate to come the following week, and will choose to stay at home to guarantee that their children get to bed at a decent time.

Some Keys to a Successful Small Group:

Contact members during the week. The touch during the week can mean the world to people.
Come prepared, doing your homework, and leading by example. Your willingness to be transparent and open, will create an environment where others can open up. It is good to start questions by sharing from your own life how you have attempted to apply the principles of the passage you are studying.
Model being a lifelong learner. People would rather drink from a running stream than a stagnant pond. Stretch yourself, and attempt new teaching methods that stretch you as a teacher.
Be flexible. It might not always go according to "plan A".
Be an encourager.
Be resistant to gossip.
Be on time. Start and end your meetings on time. If you make it a habit to start late, people will plan to arrive later and later.
Be aware of the environment. Seating arrangements, lighting, possible distractions, etc.
Set guidelines in the beginning: see L.I.F.E. Group Covenant resource
Attendance - expect faithfulness. Ask people to call ahead of time if they cannot show.
Confidentiality - what is shared doesn't leave the room.
No "attacking" - there must be freedom to share openly without being comdemned. Like Jesus, we must be full of grace and truth.
No one is allowed to dominate the conversation. Jesus is the central focus of the group. Do not allow people to turn the group into a therapy session where every week they want a platform for venting their issues.
As new people come and increase the size, the group will plan to multiply into two groups as another leader is prepared.
Prayerfully choose what the group will study. As the shepherd of the flock, the most important responsibility is to know the condition of the flock, and then to lead them into a preferrable future of spiritual maturity.