"God calls us to love, not in abstract or superficial ways, but in life-giving, life-changing relationships."  - From the Small Group Task Force Letter to the Elders

Small Group Reccomendations

WCF Small Group model is intended to be:

autorenew
Community Building
As authentic community, small groups care for one another spiritually and in practical needs. 
question_answer
Growth Oriented
Small groups encourage and nurture each other. Through engaging content and prayful togetherness, small groups foster both personal transformation and relationship.
explore
Discipleship-Focused
Small groups share in spiritual formation practices and encourage one another in the life that we were created for: to live in vibrant worship of and service to the Living God. 
arrow_right_alt
Missional
Small groups give us the opportunity to come together to care for those in the world who are neglected, forgotten, unloved. Small groups encourage each other to make a positive social impact that reflects God’s beauty and justice.
place
Neighborhood Based
We're moving toward groups organized by location to encourage opportunities to share in each others’ lives. 
favorite_border
Open
We're asking every small group to be open to adding new members throughout the year

Small Group Roles Defined 

 

Small Group Member Description

The role of a small group member is to engage in their group for the personal and spiritual growth of everyone. The small group year is from September to June. During this time, a small group member will:

  • Commit to being present, physically and spiritually, as outlined by the small group’s commitment document
  • Commit to sharing responsibilities as their gifting directs: hosting, discussion leading, planning fun activities, child care where applicable
  • Commit to nurturing and encouraging one another on their journey with God

 

Small Group Leader Description

The role of a small group leader is to facilitate their small group so that together, they may be discipled by Jesus.The small group year is from September to June. During this time, a small group leader will:

  • Attend Small Group Leaders seminar at the beginning of the small group year (2-hour seminar in September)
  • Ensure the group comes up with a regular meeting schedule, hosting cycle, small group commitment, and decision on content (Content recommendations & example commitment documents are available from the Minister for Small Groups. Leaders are not expected to lead every discussion or host every meeting, but to ensure the group decides on a discussion leading & hosting schedule.)
  • Initiate conversations with the small group around adding new members and multiplying into more groups as needed
  • Keep a pulse on the health of the group, identifying when someone in their group needs extra support, and helps identify potential leaders to develop (Group health will be discussed at Small Group Leaders Seminar)
  • Liaise with Minister for Small Groups via monthly check-in for support in group needs (These might include child care recommendations, content suggestions, conflict resolution tips, new member connection and integration)

 

 

Looking for Small Group resources? Click here for content recommendations, commitment document examples, and practical suggestions. 

Introduction to the Small Groups Task Force Findings

The Small Groups Task Force was established to evaluate the role of small groups at WCF and create a vision for the future. Explore below their recommendations based on their findings.

MISSION AND VISION OF SMALL GROUPS AT WCF FROM THE SMALL GROUPS TASK FORCE

 

People are wired for relationship with God and with others. Even more, at WCF, we believe that it’s in regular, committed connections with others that we deepen our relationship with God and begin to know ourselves better. 

Small groups are the place where we live out the vision of WCF (to be an Authentic Community of Personal Transformation, Social Impact and Vibrant Worship) and where God makes us more like Jesus. By joining a small group, we hope you will:

 

We are not intended to live the Christian life in isolation. God calls us to love, not in abstract or superficial ways, but in life-giving, life-changing relationships. We resist our culture’s consumer mentality that focuses only on what we’re going to get out of our small group. Instead, we join in God’s work in the world as a community of Jesus-followers. 

 

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION & MODEL
We believe small groups are important because:

WCF SMALL GROUP TASK FORCE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

AUGUST 2020

 

Small Groups are Integral Part of WCF

We hope everyone who calls WCF their home faith community will strive towards participation in small groups as an integral part of your experience of living out the vision of WCF (to be an Authentic Community of Personal Transformation, Social Impact and Vibrant Worship) and where God makes us more like Jesus.

 

Connection

  1. Open small groups is the ideal model, which allows newcomers to join a small group at any time. Groups have a posture of openness, rather than being closed off, towards newcomers seeking to join a group. While there may be a season where a group is closed to newcomers, groups should expect new people to be welcomed to the group.

  2. Ideally, members will participate in groups closer to their home or place of work.

  3. Connection and intimacy with others in the small group is achieved through consistent attendance and living life together.  

  4. Promote commitment from members by minimizing travel and other possible barriers to attendance.  

  5. Proximity also lends itself to spontaneous interaction, consistent with the practices of loving our neighbor and living life together.

 

Clear Expectations

  1. Written expectations for commitment and participation in a group will be developed, communicated and agreed upon by small group members upon joining in order to foster relational connections, care and trust. 

  2. Commitment to a group will be reviewed on an annual basis (September to June). I.e. your commitment to a group is intentional, but defined in duration and also renewable. 

 

Content

  1. Intentional content to promote spiritual formation.  Providing content for all small groups to adapt and use will encourage small groups to engage with Scripture in a meaningful way.  

  2. The content will deepen individual and corporate spiritual formation by, for example, complementing the sermon series or enabling real-life application of Scriptural principles. 

  3. Using the same content will connect small groups to each other and strengthen church unity. This also relieves small groups from having to develop content themselves. 

 

Leadership

  1. Defined leadership for each group that ensures members are cared for, sharing life together and being nurtured further in their relationship with and service of Jesus.

  2. Small Group Leaders are aware of which members need a “hand” or a “tap on the shoulder” and mobilize response from the small group or beyond.

  3. Small groups are a vehicle by which to lift and nurture leaders within the congregation.   

  4. The leader’s role will not be to “run” the small group, but to shepherd its members and ensure they care for each other.  

  5. Leaders can also guide small groups in coordination with the larger church body so that groups maintain focus and forward progress

 

Designated Small Group Coordinator: (Job Description and Hours - Staff or Volunteer)

  1. Provide avenues to identify, train, and regularly support people to act as small group leaders.

  2. Connect current attenders and newcomers to groups and have a general sense of health and vitality of individual small groups and small group ministry as a whole.

  3. Resource groups with content development and distribution that encourages spiritual formation for all. 

  4. Resource group leaders with problem solving strategies; ie. childcare, suggested meeting agenda, etc.

  5. Coordinate with Deacons to Integrate Small Group life into the overall mission and ministry of the church body; worship, missions/service, nurture, fellowship, stewardship, etc. 

 

Growth

  1. As individuals and community are formed deeper in the context of small groups, growth is an expected outcome. 

  2. Group membership may multiply leaders and groups to encourage people to use their gifts and to accommodate new people who meet Jesus or want to grow in Jesus.

 

     “We don’t always choose our community. But we can always choose to make community.”

 

Some Practicalities:

  • Planning Center has capacities to track participation, attendance, needs of small groups.

  • There are numerous “models” for child care -- hiring a babysitter; having the groups’ adults take turns; letting kids play w/o any adults, meeting in smaller groups with one parent staying home, etc.

  • Due to Covid-19 the September - June cycle for in-person small groups will begin September 2021.

  • In the meantime, the Coordinator can begin to connect people to groups through Zoom.

  • The Small Group Coordinator role would ideally be connected to a Commission; similar as to Children’s Minister with Nurture Commission, so they have a committee of people with whom to work.

  • Plan a time for the SGTF to present final recommendations to the Congregation in September. Closure to this phase and a launch into the new. (Video announcement, Present at Congregational Meeting in November, etc.) 

  • This Fall Leadership (Pastor, Elders, Deacons) needs to set the expectation to the congregation for a Revitalization of Small Groups. Start talking about the opportunity to be a small group leader now.