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Are you thinking about a church-wide small group campaign? If you aren’t, maybe you should be. It’s not too late to get started on a great campaign for this fall. I don’t recommend starting small group studies in September. People just aren’t ready. So use August and September to get ready, choose a study, promote it and get people signed up for small groups that will begin in October.

What exactly is a church-wide small group campaign? It’s a mouthful, but it is really an alignment between your worship and discipleship ministries. In other words, the two ministries are on the same topic. In worship, the pastor presents a sermon series on a certain topic. In their small groups (or Bible study or Sunday School group), the congregation is studying and discussing the same topic.

The real advantage to a church-wide small group campaign is that everyone is on the same page. There is a great synergy (and excitement) created when topics are reinforced across ministries. There is nothing wrong with your small groups doing different studies. But if you want to create some real excitement in your church, I encourage you to try a church-wide small group campaign this fall. Fall is one of the best times, by the way.

1. A church-wide campaign will get everyone on the same page.
2. What people are discussing in their small groups they will also hear about in worship. The two work together to reinforce the message and create some real synergy.
3. A church-wide small group campaign means you will be promoting one thing, and the congregation is focused on one thing.
4. Church-wide small group campaigns give you the opportunity to increase the number of people in your congregation in small groups. Promote it as short-term commitment or a “test-drive.” Choose your study accordingly (6-8 weeks max).
5. With a little effort, you can help those groups stay together after the campaign is over. Small groups are the best way to make disciples.

It’s a win-win all the way around! Yes, it takes some time and some planning to get ready, but it is well worth it! May God bless your efforts!

It’s not as hard as you might think. Next, we’ll talk about making it happen.

 

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Welcome! Thanks for joining me on the journey.

The book of Acts has long been one of my favorite books of the Bible. I became even more interested in it while I was a studying for my MDiv at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. I caught a powerful glimpse of what the church can be in the world in Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter’s “Missional Church” course. In that course, I also came to understand the power of the book of Acts to revitalize the church.

A few years later, in my position as Associate Pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Salisbury, Maryland, I was feeling led to a study of the book of Acts for our annual church-wide small group study. I discovered there was no shortage of options. However, two trends soon became clear. First, most of the studies I looked at were quite long (8-20 sessions), and therefore not workable in our time frame. Secondly, many of them were just too time-consuming. It seemed that if we were to do a church-wide study of Acts, we would have to create our own resource. That’s how We Are The Church…Let’s Act Like It began. It has truly been a labor of love, as it has afforded me many hours of reading, researching, and writing about the very exciting and inspiring book of Acts.

I love the church, problems and all! I especially love the inspiring and amazing story recorded in the book of Acts, of the early church, which has in so many ways inspired me to pastoral ministry, and inspired me in pastoral ministry.

I also love small groups. It is in small groups that we can get up close and personal with the Word of God. It is in small groups that we come face to face with Jesus and all that Jesus has for us. I will write more about small groups and how they can transform your walk of faith, and just as importantly, how they can transform your church!

As We Are The Church is about to be released, I pray the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you work through the book, read the scriptures, meet with your group, and think through all the implications of this amazing story for your own life, and the life of your church. I pray that you will be inspired to rethink what is possible for your own church.    

Blessings on the journey, Linda Pevey