July 2003 letter to small group leaders
from Bill Christensen, Small Groups Pastor

July, 2003

Dear Small Group Leaders,

It was a great pleasure for Dotty and me to attend the biennial National Pastors Conference for the Vineyard this summer. The main sessions on audio, some of which have downloadable text, are available at www.vineyardusa.org.
All of the talks were excellent. If you're only able to listen to one or two, check out Jill Briscoe and Rich's talks and read Bert Waggoner's opening session text. There was unity in the Spirit between everyone and lots of opportunity to meet friends and see what God has been doing across the Vineyard church at large.

I'd like to tell you about a friend I hadn't seen since 1997. John and I were fellow kinship leaders at the Anaheim Vineyard through the mid-90's. John admits that he enjoyed the church and served faithfully, but that his greatest passion was really in his job. A former Marine, long-distance runner and hard-driving salesman, John heard the Lord speak to him that He was changing His passion from selling stuff and managing a sales team to that of planting a church. Three years ago he signed up for VLI and now after one year he's pastoring a growing church plant of 100 in Lake Elsinore, California. I was so excited to see John and his wife, Denise, and their 8-year-old daughter Rachel and their enthusiasm and joy (in the midst of hard work!) serving the Lord as church planters!

There were a number of workshops at the conference for us to attend. I
chose one on small groups led by a guy who has done extensive research of
over 3,500 small groups in 20 different countries. His purpose was to find
out what factors impacted healthy groups.

Perhaps you'd like to guess which ones made a big difference, little difference or no difference. Here below is a partial list:

Small group leaders whose groups are most healthy...

1. Are married.
2. Are single.
3. Are well educated.
4. Have an outgoing personality.
5. Are younger.
6. Has been a Christian for a long time.
7. Have the gift of evangelism.
8. Have the gift of teaching.
9. Pray daily for their group members.
10. Spend time alone daily with God.
11. Set goals for group growth and multiplication.
12. Identify and involve new leaders.
13. Spend more time with group members.
14. Follow up with visitors.
15. Spend more time praying for the group meeting.

Guess what? Factors #1-8 were found to have no significant impact, # 8-15
all had great impact but the ones that made the most difference and had the
most significant impact on the overall health of the group were #9 (spending
time daily with God), #8 (praying daily for group members), and #10
(setting goals for the group).

This really stimulated my thinking and renewed my passion to pray for my
group and also for you. We don't need research to tell us that we can't do
anything on our own apart from God. Prayer for our group members, time alone
in prayer and meditation on the Word and listening to God really makes a
difference!

I've noticed something in leadership. When I am discouraged about leading,
it's usually because I think I don't do (fill in the blank) well enough. And that
blank is usually filled in with something that I should try harder at, work
better or smarter at, or achieve some skill or competency that is lacking.
Isn't it liberating that the most significantly impacting thing I can do to
lead my group is also so accessible - namely, prayer for my group and time
alone with Jesus!

Quiet time with God in a busy world is one of the most precious but often
most neglected needs we have. The busyness of our lives actually
contributes to burnout, fatigue and stress and often masks our deepest needs
for communion and fellowship with the living God. I want to encourage you
to think about the focus or the "center" of your life and ask yourself how
you can personally grow in your relationship with God this coming year. I
will be writing a second letter next month on having time with the Lord that
I hope will stimulate you and challenge you to come into His presence with
thanksgiving and praise more regularly. Please don't see this as another
"task"! This is the heart of what we are, what we become and how we
minister in His name. Without His life in us, we are empty.

I do hope that you are encouraged to pray for your group members regularly.
Watch and see what God will do! And remember, we like Christ, must pursue
the Father, getting away to be with Him, experiencing rest in His presence,
learning to deeply enjoy and receive His mercy and grace, and asking Him
daily to fill us with His Holy Spirit.

Please make note that we are having an all-church prayer meeting Wednesday,
July 30 at 7:30 pm. We really need to come together and go to God in prayer
for our lives, our families, the church, the city, nation and the world. Let
me encourage you to come and bring your group together as we go to God and
pray.

May God richly bless you this week in His presence.

Bill