LifeGroup & LifeMission Pastor Blog

I’ve really be enjoying our conversations about LG health and I’d like to address a common theme that seems to come out in our thinking.

In short, the comments that we are making show that we have a tendency to think LG Health takes place in the third leg of our stool (keeping).  Our thought process goes something like this:  “If a leader is trained, growing, etc. then the group will be healthy and a healthy group will last”.  While this makes a certain amount of sense ultimately I believe this line of thinking is wrong.  Hear me out.

Real LG Health happens not with just one leg (keeping) but with the entire stool!  A deeply spiritual person does not necessarily guarantee group success or health.  Group success and health requires a comprehensive approach and support system beginning with the staff.  As we head up the LG ministry on our campuses we must have a comprehensive and balanced approach to all three legs (starting, filling, keeping) or the stool will collapse.  As we provide solid leadership in all three critical areas (starting, filling and keeping) we create an environment of ministry-wide health that will directly contribute to the individual health of every group.

We frequently say things like “everything rises and falls on leadership” and to a great extent that’s true.  We, the staff, lead the ministry.  We can’t blame the lack of group health on LifeGroup leaders, we have to own our part.  Ultimately we are responsible for the health of EVERY LifeGroup, and we can lead them to individual health ONLY as we focus our efforts on all three legs of the stool which will create ministry health.

Which area(s) are you strong in?  In which areas do you struggle the most?  How do these things contribute to the ministry-wide health (or lack thereof) on your campus?

In a meeting with a bunch of the LGM staff at LifeChurch.tv yesterday we talked about our group ministry being like a three legged stool.  In order for it to stand, all three legs have to be of equal length and strength.

Identifying the first leg was simple:  without groups there’s no group ministry so “Starting” LifeGroup is leg one.  The next two legs address the fact that groups tend to die for two reasons:  not enough people and/or not enough training.  So the second leg is “Filling” groups and the third is “Keeping” groups.

The idea is this:  Every campus LifeGroup/Missions pastor must own the fact that the stool will stand only if the campus is effectively building each leg consistently.

What are your ideas about Starting, Filling, and Keeping?  In which of these areas have we been successful?  In which one’s have we failed?  How can you successfully build these legs on your campus?

Now’s your time to give input.  Your ideas will shape our ongoing strategy!