2 Ways To Inform, Equip and Encourage Your Small Group Leaders

Small group leaders are the real super heros of our student ministry.  They are the adults on the ground relationally connecting with students as they point them to Jesus.  In our postmodern-21st century-digital culture it is very rare for a student to have another adult genuinely care about them and ask them about their life and faith… face-to-face.

Bottom line small group leaders really matter!!

Orange XP3 has create two ways to inform, equip and encourage your small group leaders to make their job easier:

(1) Lead Small Students Blog

Orange has set out to create a place where small group leaders you can hear from a diverse team of family ministry staff, veteran small group leaders and dedicated volunteers with years of experience doing just what you do. Orange has spent months searching high and low, from local coffee shops to churches across the nation to find the very best Coaches and Small Group Leaders this country has to offer and have invited them to share their collective wisdom, experience and wit with you!

The Lead Small blog is ONLY for small group leaders.  It is their space to connect, learn and be encouraged by other small group leaders.

So invite your small group leaders to join the conversation!  Tell us your funny stories. Ask us your toughest questions. Share your moments of powerful life-change. And together we can create a community of individuals dedicated to making a BIG difference in the next generation by leading SMALL.  If your small group leaders have an incredible story, they can submit it here.  And if you haven’t purchased the lead small book for your small group leaders, you can do it here.

(2)  The Small Group Leader Email

XP3 Students has created a weekly email template that student pastors use to communicate series content and student ministry updates. XP3 users can download the small group leader email in the XP3 matrix under HS Large Group download panel (see picture).

Here is a sample of the Walk Away, SESSION 1: Denied | Small Group Leader Email

[For Student Pastors]

Remember to email your leaders every week with the small group questions attached. This will allow your leaders to review the material before they sit down to lead discussion.  Be mindful to encourage your leaders, celebrate their successes, and thank them for being committed.

[Small Group Leader Information – Email Content Below]

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Hi Small Group Leaders,

It’s time to kick off our latest series, Walk Away!  We’re going to explore the life of Peter and see what we can learn from his journey to apply to our own lives.  This is going to be a fantastic series for our students…and we as leaders might take a lot away from this series!

Series Preview for Walk Away:

http://vimeo.com/xp3students/walkaway

Week 1 Summary: Denied (include date)

Maybe when you think about being a Christian, certain things come to mind of what you shouldn’t do or be. But you can’t ever seem to get it together. And even though you know what you should be, the feeling of guilt from falling short over and over again is overwhelming. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples was familiar with the same kind of feeling, which could have caused him to walk away. But Peter didn’t walk away and you don’t have to either.

Bottom Line:  Jesus never runs out of second chances.

The Goal of Small Group:

To help students view guilt differently—not as something that causes them to hide or run away from God, but as something that can actually prompt them to walk towards Him; and to help students understand that Jesus always extends forgiveness.

Scripture References & Small Group Question

(insert attachment: Small Group Dialogue)

Quote of the Week:

When he says we’re forgiven, let’s unload the guilt. When he says we’re valuable, let’s believe him. . . . When he says we’re provided for, let’s stop worrying. God’s efforts are strongest when our efforts are useless.  – Max Lucado

[include important Ministry Dates/Announcements/Events, here]