Life Group Leader Advanced Training

If you’re looking for advanced Life Group leader training, you’re on the right page! This page has additional/optional training for CE Life Group leaders and hosts, but if you’re ready to sign up to lead now, you can do that at the bottom of this page or on the main Life Groups Ministry page…

RAISING UP MORE LIFE GROUP LEADERS

Some of the following apprentice leadership concepts were inspired by the book Amplified Leadership by Dan Reiland, a mentor of our Senior Pastor.

This section is about identifying and empowering an apprentice leader who may one day lead a new Life Group. Multiplying yourself as a leader is a long-term strategy to make a much larger Kingdom impact over the years and decades ahead far beyond what you could have accomplished alone!

Jesus spent his life investing in others, seeing the best in them, and raising them up for a purpose greater than their own. We want to see this in others and help them develop into leaders. How do we do this? I’m glad you asked!

INDENTIFYING AN APPRENTICE

The process of identifying, training, empowering and launching an apprentice into leadership is core to our mission as a church and our calling as Christ followers. In order to continue creating environments where people can connect and grow in their faith we must remain diligent at raising up the next leaders among us.

Identifying an apprentice involves discerning two key things within an individual – character and ability.

DISCERNING CHARACTER

5 questions to evaluate the heart and habits of a potential apprentice:

Will they follow? In order to be a successful leader you must know how to follow a leader.
Will they serve? Are they willing to pitch in to help make things happen.
Will they learn? Becoming a leader is an on-going learning/growing process.
Will they sacrifice? At the core of leadership is giving up what we want to do so I can fulfill what God is calling us to do.
Will they be honest? Maturity requires honesty about our own walk and what gifts/abilities God has given us.

DISCERNING ABILITY

5 qualities that help indicate potential:

Competence – Identify what they are good at. In what skills/areas do they excel?
Capacity – The ability to stretch and grow beyond their current level. Where are they currently pushing for more capacity?
Energy – Do they show drive, jump in, and take initiative? How do they show they are unsatisfied simply sitting in the status quo?
Relational Skills – To be a leader you must be able to win over and influence people. Who do they have relational influence over?
Intelligence – Practical wisdom and critical thinking. What was the last problem they faced and how did they deal with it?

TRAINING MODEL FOR APPRENTICESHIP

A Life Group Leader should discuss with their coach or Lead Pastor before recommending someone go through this process.
The first step in developing an apprentice is to allow them close access to see what you do as a leader. This proximity allows them to see your practices of leadership, but also ask questions about the habits and thinking that guide you. While they should observe and ask questions, this should not remove them from their active participation as a group member.
Create a regular time where they can both participate in your planning process for group as well as dialog about the previous group experience.
Once they have begun observing, it is time to give them opportunity to carry some weight by doing tasks you would normally do on your own, such as giving the apprentice responsibility for organizing the weekly food/drinks for group, allowing the apprentice to carry out the planning and implementation of an outing or service experience, letting the apprentice be in charge of prayer requests/emails.
Giving an apprentice tasks should lead towards giving them increasing levels of ongoing responsibility. They should begin to feel as if they are able to carry just as much leadership weight as you. You can give the apprentice one (or multiple) weeks where they are in charge of planning the group discussion. Another option is setting up an every-other meeting system where you lead for one meeting and the apprentice leads for one meeting. You could also have the apprentice host group for a week!
At some point, they are ready to jump out and lead on their own. They might be hesitant, so strongly encourage them as they take on the role of a Life Group Leader. Typically this signals a point when the leader has an opportunity to go and do something new.
We recommend one of 3 options for launching out an apprentice to become a leader. The apprentice takes over leading the current group while you start a new group. You continue to lead your group, and your apprentice launches and starts a new group. Your current group splits into two groups – one led by you and one by your former apprentice.

LEADING PRAYER IN A LIFE GROUP

Life Group is a great place for groups to begin learning how to begin their prayer life. Most new people in groups will be very shy about praying out loud in their group. Below are some practices that we have seen over the years that help people to become more comfortable in prayer and begin their communion with God in this area. Many people fear being put on the spot when being asked to pray. Please allow your group to learn to pray in front of others as they feel comfortable.

LEADER PRAYER:

As the leader of your Life Group, you are able to set the tone of what communication with God through prayer looks like. Always begin and end your group with prayer.

NEW TO LEADING, YOUR PRAYERS CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS:

OPENING PRAYER:

Thank God for group members, ask Him to lead the group time and thank Him for what he will do.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Thank God for the group meeting. If there was something that God did in someone’s life this week, thank Him for His grace. Pray over any prayer requests given, ask God to protect your group over the next week and to show Himself personally to each person in the group.

POPCORN PRAYERS:

Popcorn prayers are where people pray aloud in a few sentences by taking turns in no particular order. Like popcorn kernels, each person around the room will pop in and there is a specific person that is chosen that will close the prayer.

EXAMPLES: Thank God for something He has done in your life this week. Tell God one thing that you love about Him. Ask God for one thing you would like for Him to do for you. Tell God the miracles that you praise him for that you have seen in your life or the lives around you.
POPCORN PRAYER AFTER SCRIPTURE READING: Choose a scripture that goes along with your study for the evening. At the end of the night, have your group close their eyes as you read the scripture slowly to them. Have them go around afterwards and answer: What did you hear God say specifically to you? (Father I heard you say…) Is there something God was asking you to do? Let God know you heard Him and will be obedient.
POPCORN PRAYER AFTER WORSHIP SONG: If your group enjoys worship before you begin your lesson, play a song and ask them to respond to God by what they heard God say to them through worship.

TOPICAL PRAYER:

The leader can list a topic and then everyone or a designated person can pray about each area.

EXAMPLES: “God, we come to you today and want to tell you all we are thankful for….(response or one person’s prayer) Now God we just want to lift up some of your characteristics we praise you for…(response or one person’s prayer) God, thank you that you always hear us! We want to lift up some prayer requests that are on our hearts…(response or one person’s prayer), etc.

SITUATIONAL PRAYER:

Sometimes in our group a prayer request or concern comes up and it’s best to pray for that specific thing before continuing on in the Bible time.

JOURNALING PRAYER:

Everyone can write some bullet points or a letter on a card/paper/journal of what they would like to say to God or thank Him for…

SCRIPTURE PRAYER:

Pray through a scripture by reading it as a prayer.

SERVING TOGETHER ON MISSION & IN THE COMMUNITY

MISSION PROJECT FOR GROUPS

CE Life Groups are encouraged to find ways to serve their local community together as a group. Below are a few different suggestions of ways you can identify a mission project:

Group member needs– Be mindful of the tangible needs of group members within your group. From cleaning a house to accomplishing yard work or a simple house project, group members can ban together to serve a member of the group who is carrying a unique burden.

People connected to group members– One of the best ways your group members can reach their family, friends or neighbors for Christ is to serve them! Usually within a Life Group there are one or two people who are connected with a unique situation of need. Rallying your group together to serve someone they don’t know is a fantastic experience.

Local community projects– Often Church Experience partners with other local non-profit ministries in surrounding counties to be agents of change and transformation.

Serving at other CE campuses – As new CE campuses are launched they are always in need of leaders to help out with handing out flyers, preparing the building, etc. This is a great way to meet new people in our church family as well as helping to build the Kingdom of God!

HOW TO HANDLE A CONVERSATION HOG

Every once in awhile in our group we encounter someone who we would consider a conversation hog, and let’s be honest, everyone in the room is looking at you as the leader to fix it! How do you go about this in a graceful way but also in a way that protects the character of the person and also health of the whole Life Group?

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CONVERSATION HOG

Monopolizes conversation easily.

Always has a long answer to every question.

Gives advice to anyone who shares in the group.

Will always relate someone else’s answer to what is going on in their lives.

When you encounter a true conversation hog in your group, the group can easily become all about them. Many of these people are extroverts and are eager to jump in and share their thoughts, especially if someone else in the group doesn’t begin to speak first. They want to be sure and keep the conversation moving rather than allowing the time for someone else to speak up.

WAYS TO HELP WITH A CONVERSTATION HOG

Talk to them before or after group and explain that you are very happy with their willingness to share and ask if they will help get others involved. Ask them to wait a couple of minutes before answering a question. Also, ask them to help you ask other members questions during group time explaining that this will help to make the quieter members feel more involved in the group.

If they are telling a story and keep going. Wait for them to pause and immediately redirect the conversation. Mose people who are socially aware will eventually pick up on these queues if you continue to redirect them.

You can say “(name) you’ve gotten to share, is there anyone else that would like to say something on this.” OR “I’ve noticed that some people have shared on this side of the room, what about you all on this side of the room, do you have something to share?”

During the first few weeks of your group, share with the entire group that we are here to love and support each other but not to “fix” one another. If a group member is going through a difficult time, let the group know that we have counselors that are trained to help in difficult situations. Reinforce their information when needed throughout the semester.

Encourage them to share what has been going on in their lives during your social time before the discussion time begins. This will help them to get what they want to say out and will help the discussion time to stay more on track.

COACH CARE

Who doesn’t want a coach in life?!? We all want someone that we can share our ups and downs with, laugh about the humorous happenings in our Life Group, share concerns about the conversation hog, encourage us, and be praying for us as we are leading! Don’t worry! We’ve got you! We have a coach that will be there for you through the thick and thin as you lead! Know that your coach is always there to help you and is celebrating with you along the way!

COACHING FOR LIFE GROUP LEADERS & HOSTS

Once you launch and are leading your group, your training and support does not end! In addition to the various training events throughout the year, each of our Life Group leaders are also partnered with a group coach, to serve as your encourager, prayer warrior, leadership developer, and ‘go-to’ answer resource.

Each coach/leader relationship is different, and will vary depending upon the individual needs of each group leader, but in general – a phone call, email, invitation to personally connect over coffee or with a larger group of leaders, and/or a scheduled group visit are all options your coach may utilize to stay in tune with the latest happenings in your life, as well as those in the Life Group.

Below are just a few examples of situations where your coach can help you:

GROUP RELATED Choosing a study for your group. Assisting with unresolved conflicts within the group. Help in identifying and recruiting a new apprentice or future group leader.
GROUP MEMBER RELATED: You need help in handling a more complicated group member. A member is experiencing a medical, financial or other significant crisis. Marriage or other type of counseling referral has been requested.

*Your Life Group Coach wants to see you and your group win!

READY TO JOIN THE TEAM?

If you’re ready to host or lead/facilitate a Life Group, please apply by clicking on the second button below!

If you would like to go back to the main Life Groups Ministry page and review the core training, you can click on this next button…

If you have read/completed the core Life Group leadership training on the previous/main Life Groups Ministry page (optional training on this page not required), you can click on the button below to apply as a Life Groups leader, co-leader, and/or host!

When asked about which team on the form, indicate Life Groups Ministry and share how you could see yourself being involved as a leader or host. Also, please share what kind of a Life Group you would be interested in leading, co-leading, or hosting…

If you don’t think appling to serve as a Life Group leader, co-leader, or host is the best fit for you (above), head back to the Serving Teams page and dive into a different ministry of the seven…