Print a List of Small Groups and Stick It in the Bulletin

To encourage your congregants to join small groups, print a list of all new groups and include it in the weekly handout. Denote which offer on-site child care, and ask a teen who works in your church’s children’s Sunday school to babysit for a small fee. (Parents with kids in your small group can chip in.) At the sign-up table, provide a list of reputable babysitters, so no one can claim lack of child care if their small group doesn’t provide a babysitter.

James P. Long
James P. Longhttp://JamesPLong.com

James P. Long was formerly the editor of Outreach magazine and the author of a number of books, including Why Is God Silent When We Need Him the Most?

Ohio Church Makeover

This move would not only give them room to grow, but also would enable them to do a lot more to fulfill their mission of being a church focused on “building the kingdom, one life at a time.”

How Much Tech Do You Actually Need?

Because you cannot do this alone, you are going to have to trust the right individuals who know more about tech than you do. Your calling is to shepherd. Do that.

Gene Appel: Do Less Ministry; Reach More People

None of the programs at our church were bad in and of themselves. The volume of it just prevented us from being focused on building relationships with those who are far from God. So, we had to do less ministry to reach more people. It sounds funny, but people had to be trained in how to do life with nonbelievers or people spiritually disinterested.