One of the best ways to make your small group more healthy and exciting is to share ownership with everyone.
Sharing ownership impacts your group in the following ways: (1) more consistency of attendance and participation, (2) more involvement in the discipleship process, (3) opportunities to recognize and utilize our own spiritual gifts and talents, (4) more opportunity to be involved in what we’re passionate about, (5) development of a true team as a group as everyone uses his or her own gifts, (6) less stress on the leader to do everything, which leads to (7) less leader burnout and (8) more opportunity to develop future leaders.
Below are some small group roles. I’m sure there are plenty more than the roles I list below, so I’m looking forward to what you suggest!
- Study Champion: Facilitates study time; helps group decide on what to study
- Serve Champion: Helps plan serving opportunities with group
- Outreach Champion: Helps group reach out to and pray for friends who do not have a relationship with Christ
- Inreach Champion: Keeps group focused on themselves rather than anyone else outside the group. Has strong belief that the group revolves around him and his needs
- Worship Champion: May lead worship in group, whether it involves singing, or other forms of worship
- Social Champion: Helps plan group social activities
- Prayer Champion: Leads prayer times, may keep prayer journal
- Doomsday Champion: Makes plans for the whole group for all end-of-the-world scenarios. Spiritual gift: prophesy (she says). Knows the book of Revelation forward and backward. Has seen the movie 2012 twelve times.
- Host(ess)/Hospitality Champion: Hosts group or helps plan who hosts
- Food Champion: Helps plan anything dealing with food
- Timekeeper: Helps group stay on track with time
- Topper: Role is to top anyone else’s story or prayer request (reference: Dilbert)
- Information Champion: Keeps group information up-to-date. Communicates with the Small Groups Ministry Office about the group. (This person is probably administrative and enjoys using the web; i.e. Facebook)
- American Idol Champion: Keeps the group up-to-date weekly on what is happening on his or her favorite reality TV shows, sometimes interrupting worship or Bible study to do so. Does not get along well with Worship or Study Champions or Timekeeper.
- Group Communication Champion: Communicates with the group about meetings, etc. (This person may enjoy using email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- Coffee Champion: Makes sure coffee is brewed at each meeting. Is usually a “coffee snob.” Helps keep group awake during Study Champion’s less-exciting lessons.
