Six Essential Steps to Recruiting Small Group Hosts

A pastor must be in a small group. You need to show your congregation that small groups are so important for spiritual growth that even you belong to one. This allows you to share about your experiences, such as how being in a small group helped you during a difficult time or how the small group keeps you from becoming isolated as a pastor. I’ve been a part of a small group for almost ten years.

In addition, require your staff and key lay leaders to be part of a small group. It will not only help them, but it will also show the congregation that becoming part of a small group is essential to Christian growth.

Being a host is not limited to leaders and teachers. In fact, we started using the term HOST at Saddleback Church because many people do not think of themselves as leaders or teachers, and so they assume they are not qualified to facilitate a small group. We stress that being a HOST simply requires four things: Have a heart for people, Open up a place to meet, Serve something to drink, Turn on a DVD.

I used to ask if people could open up their homes, but changed this to a place to meet because so many people today have their small groups at coffee houses, restaurants, even in the park. Can you serve something to drink? In other words, we’re pointing out that hosting a small group only requires some basic hospitality? Can you Turn on a DVD? I even explain that, if the group is small enough, the host can use a laptop computer.

The point is, anyone can be a small group host: teenagers, senior adults, brand new believers. And be sure to tell your congregation that the host grows the most. Keep reading.