Hosting a Small Group

HOSTS:

Small group ministry is nothing without its small group hosts.  Hosts help lead 
small groups that are about 6 – 10 people in size.  Hosts help make the small
groups successful be completing the following three tasks:

Communicating:

Hosts are the communicating link between the small group ministry and the 
small group participants.  Frequently, the small group coordinator needs to pass
information to the groups.  In addition, small group hosts let small group 
participants know when and where the group is meeting.   If needed, hosts will
contact the group via email or phone for important information that wasn’t 
discussed at the group meeting.

Facilitating:

Our hosts are the sparks that start the action of small group meetings.  They 
will know the schedule of the meeting and help guide the members through 
each part of the night.  Hosts will encourage discussion in groups by starting
icebreaker questions, ask open- ended questions during the study, and 
encourage other participants to become involved during the evening.  Since all
leader guides will be provided for hosts for the study, only basic preparation 
will be needed for the teaching time.

There will be helpful training in learning how to facilitate the small group meetings 
at the end of March.

In the meantime, check out the “Train” section on on www.smallgroups.com

Delegating:

Small group health depends on the investment made not just of the host, but 
of the participants as well.  Throughout the small group session, there will be
opportunities for others in the group to take ownership of small events such as 
a planned social time, community service project, and facilitating small group
meetings.  A host’s role is to recognize the unique strengths of the members and
steer them toward ownership of these events.

Hosts really do help develop the relationships of people in the group by creating 
an environment for growth.  However, the health of the group also depends on 
the participation of each member and their willingness to be vulnerable.  With a
small amount of planning and people that are committed to the process, the Holy
Spirit has the freedom to do great things in our small groups.