When Groups Don't Want To Multiply You're tried everything. And like many group pastors before you - you just can't get this one Connect group to multiply. They are busting at the seams, but are afraid to split for numerous reasons. Some valid, most aren't. So what do you do? First, you must change your mindset. The goal is actually not to multiply groups. I know that sounds odd, but stay with me. The goal is to build fruitful people. Because fruitful people will reproduce. This is God's multiplication strategy, and it works. Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply." Sometimes we are so eager to multiply our groups, that we try to do it without first God's blessing. Or we try to multiply a group that is not being fruitful. These are fatal, time wasting moves. Fruitful People Reproduce The best way to multiply groups is to first build fruitful people. We need to coach our leaders how to build people towards a life of fruitfulness through relational discipleship. Here's how. Step 1: Ask Your Group Leader To Identify Fruit In People Ask your group leader: •
What does a fruitful person look like?
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What does a fruitful person in your group look like?
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How can you identify fruit in someone’s life?
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There are many scripture to reference this, here’s one you can share with group leaders.
2 Peter 1:5-9 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When Groups Don't Want To Multiply In this passage, you can see a list of attributes fruitful people may express. Show them this passage and have them think of people in their Connect group who exhibit these characteristics. You see, when the group leader begins to identify people who are fruitful, they open the door to the idea of empowerment. From there, you can guide them on a path of empowering more people to step into leadership. Be thankful Jesus didn't hoard the disciples. But rather, He said "GO and make disciples!" Step 2: Coach Your Group Leader To Empower Fruitful People Through Relational Discipleship with our Connect group leaders, we can plant seeds of multiplication by asking a series of questions. Such as: •
What does fruitfulness look like in your personal life?
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What does fruitfulness look like in your Connect group?
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Now, they have context to practically apply this concept to their group.
Have them think and be intentional about fruitfulness. Then ask them: Tell me about one or two people in your Connect group showing signs of fruitfulness. For example, maybe a couple in their group were recently healed in the area of their marriage. Great! Show you group leader that the couple may be in a place to help other couples and lead them to a healthier marriage. If so, your leader could release that couple into ministry, perhaps leading a group to help other marriages! It's a win-win situation. The couple is empowered to lead. The group leader feels the excitement of empowering someone in their gift. And YOU have just birthed a new Connect group following God's principle of multiplication: be fruitful and multiply!