| small groups |
| Five Myths About Leading a Life Group |
Myth #1: I have to be an expert on a topic to lead a small group.
Truth: You only have to be a facilitator, not an expert.
The main ways that God uses small group leaders are through: modeling a Christian lifestyle,
encouraging words, prayer, and showing you care. It is really the Holy Spirit that does the
work in people. Leaders simply create the environment for that to happen. They facilitate. In
fact, some types of Life Groups don’t necessarily even have teaching involved—they focus
on relationships and serving. Of those that teach a topic, there are a number of resources a
leader can use (printed Bible studies, videos, books, etc.) to lead a group. You can grow
along with the people in your group. It’s more a matter of what you are interested in—not
what you have expertise in.
Myth #2: I have to have the answers to everyone’s hard questions.
Truth: You won’t have all the answers and that’s okay.
Nobody has all the answers. It is okay not to know something. It is authentic to admit that you
don’t know. Difficult questions cause us to search for answers. You can come alongside
someone with a difficult question and search for an answer. You can turn to another mature
Christian or pastor if you like. But you don’t have to know it all.
Truth: You only have to be a facilitator, not an expert.
The main ways that God uses small group leaders are through: modeling a Christian lifestyle,
encouraging words, prayer, and showing you care. It is really the Holy Spirit that does the
work in people. Leaders simply create the environment for that to happen. They facilitate. In
fact, some types of Life Groups don’t necessarily even have teaching involved—they focus
on relationships and serving. Of those that teach a topic, there are a number of resources a
leader can use (printed Bible studies, videos, books, etc.) to lead a group. You can grow
along with the people in your group. It’s more a matter of what you are interested in—not
what you have expertise in.
Myth #2: I have to have the answers to everyone’s hard questions.
Truth: You won’t have all the answers and that’s okay.
Nobody has all the answers. It is okay not to know something. It is authentic to admit that you
don’t know. Difficult questions cause us to search for answers. You can come alongside
someone with a difficult question and search for an answer. You can turn to another mature
Christian or pastor if you like. But you don’t have to know it all.
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Myth #3: I will have to lead a group that I’m not really interested in.
Truth: You form your Life Group around your interests, passions, hobbies and personality.
The beauty of forming a Life Group is that you get to design it just the way you like it—doing what you are interested
in and built around your own personality. There are three categories of Life Groups at Anchor Point based on each
group’s primary focus. We use these categories to describe each Life Group to potential participants.
- Discovery Life Groups are those with a primary focus of Bible study or a study on some aspect of
discipleship. They may also include components of friendship building, prayer, social events, outreach activities
and fun but the centerpiece is a study that helps people grow spiritually.
Friendship Life Groups are those with a primary focus of relationship building through social activities.
There may be components of prayer or service activities incorporated into it but there is no study component of
any kind. In short, it is the type of group where people hang out and have fun together.
Outreach Life Groups are those with a primary purpose of serving the community or some type of
evangelism. There may be some training involved. There almost certainly will be relationship building, prayer
and fun involved. However, the centerpiece of this type of group is service and evangelism.
Are you interested in squaring away your finances? Start a financial Discovery Group. Do you like to play golf? Start a
golfing Friendship Group. Are you a handy-man and want to help people in the community? Start a handy-man
Outreach Group. The possibilities are literally limitless. What are your interests? What things are you passionate
about? What are your life situations or experiences? What things do you want to study? Form your Life Group around
those things.
Myth #4: I’ll be on my own as a Life Group leader.
Truth: Anchor Point will come alongside you to help you design your group and will provide
ongoing support, equipping and promotion for you.
Anchor Point will help you structure you group, problem solve with you, meet with you personally, provide ongoing
training, help you find the right resources, and help you promote your Life Group. You won’t be abandoned but
supported and equipped.
Myth #5: I’ll have to be a small group leader until Jesus returns.
Truth: Life groups at Anchor Point operate on a semester system. Becoming a Life Group
leader only involves a commitment of 10-12 weeks.
After the semester is finished, you can walk away if you like with no guilt or shame. Or, if you like, you can register
again for another semester. The choice is yours.