Groups Training

Welcome to Group Leader Training

Thank you for being willing to learn more about leading a group! Here at Victory Life, we believe that healthy community is a vital part of following Jesus in discipleship so we create small group environments that facilitate Christ-centered relationships.

Leading a group isn’t about being perfect or fully ready – it’s about serving others by giving them a place to connect. In this guide you’ll find all the details about how to start and lead a group well. Please reach out to your Groups Pastor with any questions you have!

Jump to a section:

• The Purpose of Groups
• What a Group Looks Like
• The Role of a Group Leader
• How to Create a Great Experience
• Launching your Group
• Campus Group Leader Contact Info

The Purpose of Groups

Discipleship to Jesus is not a solo adventure – it requires other people! We need others to help us as we are being formed into the image of Jesus and we believe life change happens best inside the context of relationship.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Groups offer an opportunity for people to know and be known. Meaningful relationships can be hard to find, but our goal is to help bring people together through mutual connection. Our desire is to see our church grow as people are reached with the Gospel, but our heart is to always have smaller environments for care and community.

Our group model is based on the example of the early church. In the book of Acts, we learn how the first church in Jerusalem came together as a community in large-group gatherings and small-group meetings. We see that these smaller groups offered a place to connect, a place for care, and a place to grow.

Acts 5:42 | 1 Corinthians 9:22 (TLB) | 1 John 3:16 (NLT) | Proverbs 27:17

Our heart is to see every person who calls Victory Life their church home to be connected in a life-giving group!

What A Group Looks Like

Here at Victory Life, we have a “free market” approach to groups. That means that leaders can form groups around their gifts or interests. So the things you are already doing in your life are things that you can form a group around! That could be a sports group, a moms group, a Bible study group, a board games group, etc.

All of our groups meet throughout the year in 3 semesters. This helps to create both on-ramps and off-ramps for people as they navigate through seasons of life.

• Spring semester runs from the last Sunday in January to the last Sunday in April
• Summer semester runs from the first Sunday in June to the last Sunday in July,
• Fall semester runs from Second Sunday in September to the second Sunday in December.

No matter what kind of group you have, each of your meetings should include “The Big 4”:

1. Casual fellowship. Laid-back time for group members to talk and get to know each other.
2. Activity or Discussion. Time for your group’s activity or discussing the book, sermon, or resource that you’re studying together.
3. Prayer. Intentional time to hear prayer requests and pray for each other.
4. Spiritual component. Even if you’re in a recreational group, always find a way to include the Bible or a spiritual lesson that you’re learning to help guide people towards Jesus.

Please note, groups are not a place for:

• Selling products or services to others
• Taking up offerings
• Learning from unapproved materials or speakers
• Controversial topics

The Role of A Group Leader

If you’re not ready, you’re perfect! God has a part for all of us to play in the church and our group leaders play a special role of welcoming and caring for our people inside of community. The pastors at your campus are here to help you on your journey as a group leader!Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)The primary role of a group leader is to help your group members move one step forward in their relationship with Jesus. Wherever they are at on that journey, there is always a next step. That could be:

• Attending weekend services regularly
• Reading the Bible regularly
• Praying regularly
• Being water baptized
• Completing Start Here
• Joining a Team
• Tithing
• Inviting a friend or neighbor to church or group
• Leading their own group

Being an effective group leader looks like committing to the following things:

1. Pray daily for the members of your group and for your group itself – for wisdom, openness, and the Holy Spirit to be present.
2. Raise up others to help share the responsibility of caring for your group.
3. Connect with group members outside of weekly meetings and encouraging others to doso as well.
4. Foster a fun and enjoyable environment!
5. Respect people’s time by starting and ending your group meeting on time.
6. Invite your group to attend church and events together.
7. Rally your group around any member going through a crisis in their life.

When it comes to leading, it’s okay to be out of your comfort zone! In fact, that’s a great place to be because it increases your reliance on the Holy Spirit. The pastors at your campus are here to help you, so please reach out with any and all questions!

How to Create A Great Experience

It’s important to work at creating experiences where people feel welcomed, loved, and comfortable to share. Here are a few tips for doing that well:

1. Set expectations. One of the best ways to help people feel comfortable with your group is to clearly describe what to expect. When there is a lack of clarity, people often will be more timid or withdrawn. When you clarify things like the schedule, any assignments, and what to expect at this week’s meeting, people’s engagement will increase!
2. Follow the 70-30 rule. Give the members of your group the room to speak instead of doing all the talking yourself. Try to aim for 70% of the talking coming from group members and 30% coming from you as the leader.
3. Keep discussion positive and relevant. If the conversation takes a negative turn, guide it back to a healthy place. If someone needs to talk about a sensitive or complex issue, you can follow up with them after the group or connect with one of the pastors at your campus to help you respond well. Also, remember that everyone in your group will be at different places in their spiritual journey. Be thoughtful when you talk about spiritual concepts or church terms that might be unfamiliar to those newer to Jesus and church.
4. Maintain confidentiality. Everyone should feel open to share, but you as a leader must embody and ensure that confidentiality is maintained. If someone shares something with their group that they find out was shared outside of the group, this breaks down trust and will likely create a hesitancy to be vulnerable with this group in the future.
5. Respect boundaries. Men should minister to men, and women should minister to women. We want to maintain integrity and purity in our groups and these boundaries will help protect the leaders and group members from an uncomfortable or inappropriate situation. In the same way, we ask co-ed groups to have a co-leader of the opposite gender.

Launching Your Group

---

Groups Leader Contact Info by Campus