Confessions Of A Small Group Leader - Resisting My Natural Bent

Here is the next section of Joe Higginbotham's article"
Resisting My Natural Bent

Allowing myself to become the long-term leader played against my natural strengths. I'm a starter, not a sustainer.

Our original plan was for me to start the group, leave it in the hands of whatever leadership God raised up, and move on to launch another group. But I was swayed from my better judgment.

Yes, we started a spin-off group for people who couldn't meet on Tuesdays, but it never really took off. Instead of leading that group myself, I delegated the missionary task to two young men I'd been meeting with one-on-one. They were good students, willing "missionaries," but the fact remains that I was the more gifted spark plug. The main group would have done fine under their leadership; the second group would have done better under mine.

Leading a Bible study over the long haul is like pastoring—you become a marriage counselor, demonologist, and psychotherapist. My living room became a refuge for the romantically disturbed. Since my gifts are more prophetic than pastoral, I was playing a role God hadn't intended me to play. I wound up tired, frustrated, impatient.

This wouldn't have happened if I'd stuck to my plan of starting but letting others sustain.


It sounds like Joe really knows his strengths and weaknesses. I am always for reflecting on one's strengths and weaknesses. There is no doubt that some of the leaders in our small group ministry are more entrepreneurial than maintenance oriented. One of our leaders has started 3 or 4 groups already. I believe the key to doing what Joe says he should have done lies with choosing the right leader. Here are some guidelines I follow to help me choose that person.

• Find someone you like to work with - if you like them the chances are that others who are in your group do too. You need to know that the group members will stick with this person and not jump ship. Plus, you may need to spend time coaching this leader through future struggles the group may have. If you like to work with them you won't find this time spent coaching to be a burden.


• Know their spiritual gifts - You should have good understanding of your own gifts as well. By knowing your spiritual gifts you can lead more effectively by leveraging what comes natural to you in the group environment. For example: if your primary spiritual gift is administration, then you should lead through organization. Planning what night the group meets, setting up a calendar of events the group does together, setting up what study your group is going to do next, figuring out who in the group is going to lead the discussion next week (especially if this is not natural for you). You can click here and take a test to find out your gifts for free - http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/intro.html


• Observe the behavior of others - who is it that people listen to when they speak? During social time who always has people gravitate to them? These are the people you want to discuss leading the group in the future.

Hopefully these tips help your small group discover new leaders!