9.26.2007

Open Season

Our small group season has officially opened. We start about a month into the school year to allow our kids to get back into the groove of homework, etc.

Last night, we kicked off with the first of two small group leader training nights (we offer two for convenience...leaders pick one). About 1/3 of our leaders are brand new this year and a good chunk of those leaders have moved up from our children's ministry. Our children's ministry has an INCREDIBLE small group program and each year we get leaders who want to continue leading the same students they've had through out elementary school.

Next Monday night we will have our annual 'Meet N Greet' which allows students and parents to meet their leaders, get maps to the host home etc. It's the only time all year that all the small groups and their parents get together at one time. It really is a major event for us.

Finally, the following week we begin meeting as groups in homes. This year feels like it's shaping up to be a great one.

4 comments:

Dana Kidder said...

It sounds awesome. Let me ask a question...how does the Children's staff feel about "losing" leaders? When I've seen this happen, there is generally tension between the youth and children's staff over volunteers.

Anonymous said...

they can't be too mad because the same thing happens to us in jr. high. each year we lose a few leaders to our high school ministry because they want to continue on with the students they have created relationships with over the last two years.

Judy Gregory said...

Kurt, great, great stuff! Hope it's all a smashing success my friend.

Kurt Johnston said...

Dana,
Because we have such a strong culture of small groups and they are so highly valued church-wide, the children's ministry celebrates leaders who want to move up with their kids...as we do when leaders want to move up into high school.

No department pushes the idea or presents it as the preffered option, but we certainly support it when it happens.