How to Empower Church Members to Lead Small Groups

Small groups are vital for your church. The significance is so great that many churches have decided to become a church of small groups instead of a church with small groups. Here, we see a church of small groups defined as, “A church of small groups will typically look to the small group unit as the primary way in which people connect, grow, and receive care. For these churches, life in the body happens through a small group.” If small groups hold that much weight in the church’s life and each member’s growth, then we must care for and empower the leaders of small groups well. If you’re wondering how to empower church members to lead small groups, here are a few ways we’d recommend:

1. Give Them Leadership Freedom

I know what you’re thinking, “Leadership freedom sounds dangerous!” Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean they have 100% freedom to lead a small group however they want. You need a small group structure with some limitations; that’s healthy. For your small group leaders to feel fully empowered, however, they need to feel a sense of freedom and ownership in their group. So, for example, you could let them choose the topic, location, age range, and overall demographic. Let’s break it down a bit:

Topic: Some churches like for their groups to all cover the same topic. If you like to sync up an overall topic for all your groups, you can skip to the next item on the list! For those who have an open-ended topic strategy (within reason) for their groups, this is for you! Give people the freedom to pick the topic of their group. Whether it be a Bible study, book study, or interest/hobby-based, there are so many possibilities for you to empower leaders to lead small groups that they’re passionate about.
Location: Your group leaders will feel empowered if they can choose the location of their group. Some leaders may want to host the group in their homes, but others may want to host it at a local coffee shop. Wherever they feel they can set the best group atmosphere, let them choose!
Age Range: Some may want to do age-specific groups. For example, someone may want to lead a young adults group, while others may want to lead a group for moms of small children.
Overall Demographic: Do they want to lead a group for men? Women? Youth? Couples? Whatever demographic they’re going for, they can choose what fits their leadership and passion best.

2. Lead Them Well

If you want fantastic small-group leaders, lead them well! Be present and available in their lives as they will be leading those in your church. The best way to empower them is to lead them well. Some examples of leading well would be:

Provide resources: If they need leadership resources for their groups, help them get them. For example, you can buy them the leader copy of the Bible study they want to lead. You can also provide resources for group supplies or snacks (if your budget allows). The more resources you can provide for your small group leaders, the more empowered they will feel.
Training: Small group leaders aren’t made on their own. They need to be trained! How do you want them to care for their small group? How do you want them to lead those in their group? Be sure to define that clearly and then train them. Empowerment isn’t a free-for-all. True empowerment comes with a clear lane to run in. Make the expectations clear and provide all the training necessary to achieve those expectations.

Be available: As they’re leading their small groups, be available. Don’t “set it and forget it,” but be available. Your empowerment is more than just a one-and-done kind of job; it requires consistency and regular availability. Your small group leaders will feel so much more empowered if they know you are behind them and supporting them along the way, no matter what.

3. Celebrate

Positive reinforcement is more inspiring and encouraging than anything else. Celebrate your small group leaders often. If you want to know how to empower church members to lead small groups, celebration and encouragement are central. When you celebrate, be specific. Don’t just say things like, “Jason is leading a small group this year, and he’s killing it!” What does killing it mean? What specifically is Jason doing that is worth celebrating? This is very important because it helps define the culture you are looking to foster in your church.

4. Tell the Stories

Stories make a huge difference. When your church’s small groups impact lives, it inspires people. Inspiration will then provide further empowerment to your small group leaders. Now, they aren’t solely responsible for growing their group, but you will help them by repeatedly reminding people why groups are so vital.

When you consider the stories, think about the life change that people in your church have experienced in groups and the life change they’ve experienced in leading groups. As you tell the stories of others, you will encourage and inspire those leading now.

In Conclusion

To strengthen small group processes in your church, remember these key strategies: empower leaders by offering them freedom and support; show up in their lives with resources and training; foster a culture of celebration and encouragement. And most crucially, share the transformative stories of connection and impact that these groups facilitate. These narratives validate the promise of small group engagement and inspire leaders to continue their valuable work. These four strategies will strengthen your small group processes and create a vibrant church community. So, why not give them a try?

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