In one church I know, small groups are a special secret held by the senior pastor and only revealed during a membership interview. In other words, you can’t join a small group until you join the church, and that requires a chat with the Big Guy.

In our Small Groups Advanced Training, we ask each church team to write down their process for getting people from the parking lot to a small group. In some cases, they have clear, accessible, and do-able steps that allow people to quickly find a small group. Other churches offer hopelessly complex systems with plenty of hand-offs just begging for a fumble. If someone actually gets into a group it is in spite of the system and not because of it.

How do people find their way into small groups at your church?

To be continued...