What does someone need to do before he or she can become a Growth Group Leader at Crossroads?
We ask that all leaders at Crossroads go through our Connexions class. Find out about our next class and register here. Secondly, it is usually required that someone has been in a growth group at Crossroads in the past – and it’s really beneficial he or she has been a coordinator in a group.
Does the semester-based small group system enable people to simply hop around from group to group between semesters without ever going deeper or committing to life-transformation?
A couple of quick thoughts. At the end of every semester the groups end. So, everyone signs up for a new group each semester that will study a new topic with a new group of people. However, there are a couple of traditional assumptions about spiritual growth and small groups that we believe are a little off base when it comes to thinking that this model won’t lead to real life-transformation and real life-changing relationships.
1 – It’s easier to remain stagnant in your spiritual growth when you attend the same group with the same people month after month and year after year. What you are doing is staying in a comfort zone. And whether you are speaking physically or spiritually – you don’t grow stronger unless you get out of your comfort zone and add stress to the environment.
For instance – a body builder doesn’t do the same exercises on the same body parts every day. No, to experience muscle growth the body builder must work out all the different muscle groups and then do different exercises on each muscle group. Then the body builder must also take time off to rest his entire body. All of those are physical growth principles.
The same principles apply to spiritual growth. You can just meet with the same people over and over again month after month and expect to grow. You need to (a) bring new people in the equation on a regular basis; (b) introduce new and relevant study topics; (c) and have time off when you aren’t meeting for rest (stress and release – the same principle as letting the farming groud lie fallow every few years or taking the Sabbath every week). The semester-based small group system allows for all of this.
By putting people in on-going groups of the same people – we actually keep them from deepening and growing their faith.
2 – Although you are changing groups from semester to semester – in each group you are making important and valuable relationships that will carry with you outside the group. In your small group perhaps you really click with 4-5 of the 12 people who attend. After the group the 5 of you may decide to be in a group the next semester together. Perhaps 2 of you will even decide to lead together.
That’s an example of close personal relationships developing within the safe social environment of the group and then continuing outside of the group where real life is done and even perhaps to another group.
Whereas if you force the group to stay together in the hopes of everyone developing deeper relationships, it’s not going to happen. Not all of the 12 people are going to click. And after a while the group will dwindle down to those who do click. You’d probably end up with no more than 5-6 in the group after a year. That’s what typically happens in the most successful of on-going groups anyway.
The semester-based model allows for those valuable relationships to form and then move outside of that initial group. And if I’m in that group and had a good time but didn’t really connect with anyone, that’s okay. When the group ends I can sign up for a new group, get plugged in and take another shot at it.
GG Leader Training
May a person lead a Growth Group without attending the training?
GG LEADERS MUST attend Growth Group Leader training EVERY TRIMESTER that they intend to lead. (IF a leader has a valid reason for not being able to attend training, the secondary training must be scheduled with their Team Leader PRIOR to missing the mandatory training. Secondary Training will be scheduled and conducted by a Growth Group Coach.)
Are leaders from other churches able to take the Growth Group Leader training?
The Growth Group Leader training is provided for Crossroad’s Growth Group Team Leaders, Growth Group Leaders, Coordinators and anyone interested in being trained to serve in this ministry.
Promotion Month / Signups
Do I need to sign up for my own group?
Each GG Leader is automatically signed up in their own group. They will receive an email to confirm this. (As will ALL those who register).
Does my Coordinator need to sign up for my class?
Coordinators & all other participants MUST register either via the website, in service, or at the GG Info table between services this month.
What if someone wants to get into my group after promotion month is over?
Late sign ups are accepted until groups are full or until about the second week into the Trimester. Late sign ups will have to email Debbie Honzell, as online sign ups will be closed and brochures will not be offered in the services after promotion month has ended.
What if my class is very popular and I have more than 20 people wanting to take it?
It is our desire to accommodate requests if it is feasible. Registration will be limited to 20 people unless prior arrangements have been approved. Certain criteria must be met, (such as additional GG Leaders that HAVE ATTENDED THE TRAINING and are available and prepared to be a 2nd leader for the group)
The members of our small group attend different churches, do I still have them sign up?
I have several people that are regulars in my Growth Group, do they have to sign up for every trimester?
I have a couple of women who do not go to Crossroads and who do not have e-mail or access to the Internet. Can they sign up by calling the church office, or can I sign up for them or how should we do this?
It is important that everyone signs up, so that we know when your group is full. So everyone needs to sign up, except for the approved leader, even if they were signed up before, even if they do not attend Crossroad’s. GG Leaders can go online and sign non-Crossroadian’s into their group if they want to assist them in getting registered.
Groups starting up
How do we get curriculum info to registrants?
GG Leaders will need to give them this info when they call them, since they have to call each person after they register anyway.
What is the purpose of a covenant? Do we have to sign it?
A covenants is a positive opportunity to emphasize the guidelines for the group – and it is a chance for the group to commit together to be there for one another. It’s not a binding agreement, and doesn’t hold up a perfect standard, but it does ask each individual to be open and honest and commit to the group.
I have already ordered the materials needed for my Growth Group and have had a few late sign ups, what do I do about not having their books before our first meeting?
People who sign up late won’t expect to have material in time. You can order it as soon as you get confirmation of their enrollment and when they attend, they will just need to catch up.
Explore buying your book used on Amazon.com. often you can get it for a penny with four dollar shipping. This saves a lot of money and often the books are in very reasonable condition.
Do I need a coordinator?
We want every Growth Group to have a co-ordinator. This not only helps you in being a leader, but as learning to lead is best done “on-the-job”. Think in having a coordinator that you are going to multiply the reach of Growth Groups by releasing that person to lead a group one day themselves.
