Starting & Hosting a
Shared Interest Group
[YOUR CHURCH‟S
LOGO HERE]
Today‟s Schedule
1:00-1:45 = Informational Luncheon
1:45-2:00 = Break
2:00-2:30 = The Overall Plan for SIGs
2:30-3:00 = Organizing & Starting Your SIG
3:00-3:30 = Coach Connection & What‟s Next
Opening Questions
Share name, something about your family, &
how long you‟ve been coming to our church.
What brought you here today?
What‟s your idea for a shared interest group?
Overview of Small Groups
at Our Church
SouthLake offers many different types of small
groups that meet at different times & places around
the area, including the church building. Some of the
categories of groups available include:
Bible studies on our Small Group-based classes
weekend messages, books like our church‟s Partnership
of the Bible, Christian Series, Building Healthy
books, topical studies, etc. Families, etc.
Shared Interest Groups Small Group-based
Women‟s & Men‟s Groups ministries including Alpha,
Recovery Groups & Beta, etc.
Celebrate Recovery Groups for Parents with
Groups for Newer Young Kids
Believers Social Groups
Mission, Ministry, & Prayer Groups for Young Adults
Groups
Most of the groups meet for short seasons with
breaks in between at which time people exit or
enter. Here‟s a general calendar we follow:
FALL: Late Sept / early Oct to
Thanksgiving Week
WINTER: Late January to Spring Break
SPRING: After Easter to mid-June
Some groups will have holiday parties
& other social events in between and
meet during the summertime.
Our Vision for Small Groups
Why We
Gather
Acts 2 Community
42They devoted themselves to the apostles‟
teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.
43Everyone was filled with awe, and many
wonders and miraculous signs were done
by the apostles. 44All the believers were
together and had everything in common.
45Selling their possessions and goods, they
gave to anyone as he had need.
Acts 2 Community
46Every day they continued to meet
together in the temple courts. They broke
bread in their homes and ate together with
glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God
and enjoying the favor of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily
those who were being saved.
Why We Value Small Groups
We believe small groups are the basic
building blocks that are necessary for
growing life-giving community
They’re a biblical and strategic way of
fulfilling The Great Commandment & The
Great Commission (our church’s mission)
WHAT’S A
“SMALL GROUP”?
Defining a Small Group
A “Small Group” is where two or
more people gather in Jesus‟ Name
to live out one or more of our
purposes together.
The Five Biblical Purposes
Our Church’s Mission
God’s grace
compels us to
Growing in God with Jesus Christ
GROW TOGETHER
Growing & sharing with one another
in sharing the
transforming love
of Jesus Christ
Understanding
what we mean by
“small group” at
our church
The [insert your church’s name]
Small Group
Fellowship
Use of spiritual Bible Study
Discipleship Gifts
Worship
Mutual Ministry
Ministry Giving of time & talent
Prayer
Evangelism MINISTY DISCIPLESHIP
EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP
Group Outreach Welcoming
Inviting others to join Eating Together
Mission trips & Fellowship
Community Service
A Community of Worship
Open Group
Safe & Caring Place
Family, Friends, & Neighbors
Realness &
Respect
Confidentiality Ministry Discipleship
Outreach
Worship
Evangelism Fellowship
Answering First Questions
First Questions
What‟s a “Shared A Small Group
Interest Group”?
When can I start? The 2nd Week of Oct
Where can I meet? Anywhere
How long should I go We recommend
for? starting with 6-weeks
What can I do? Almost anything
How will I be ________________ &
supported? future small group
leadership trainings
What‟s a “Host”?
Somebody who takes the lead in creating,
organizing, & facilitating a SIG
– Creating = Sharing the idea & welcoming others
– Organizing = Setting the meeting logistics
– Facilitating = Steering the group experience
The commitment level starts off small (6-wks)
You choose if & how you‟d like
to continue
What We Hope Will Happen
You‟ll have fun
Relationship-building
Outreach
Life-giving Community of Acts 2
Where Do We Go From Here?
We give you basic training during today‟s
orientation
We help you formulate your group profile
We help you promote your group on Oct
1st & 2nd at our Ministry & Small Group Fair
We walk with you each step of the way &
answer questions that come up
We offer ongoing training & resources
Q&A on Shared
Interest Groups
Shared Interest Groups
The Overall Plan
Timeline for Shared Interest Groups
Week of 9/18 = Interview & determine shared
interest group meeting logistics
Weekend of Sept 24 & 25 = Present list of
shared interest groups to our church
Week of 9/25 = Hosts pre-vite & complete
„application process‟
Weekend of Oct 1 & 2 = Get sign-ups at fair
Week of 10/2 = Follow-up with sign-ups & confirm
first meeting
Weekend of Oct 8 & 9 = Present updated list of
shared interest groups to our church
Week of 10/9 = Have your first meeting
Small Group Calendar
Winter: Starts around mid-Jan and completes
by Spring Break
Spring: Starts after Easter & completes by mid-
June
Summer: OPTIONAL (Starts after July 4th
weekend & completes around mid-Aug)
Fall: Starts late Sept / early Oct & ends by
Thanksgiving week
OPTIONAL: Have a holiday party in December
& resume contact right after New Year‟s Day
Essential Requirements
Has a growing RELATIONSHIP with Christ
Is in complete AGREEMENT with the
essentials of what we believe as a church
Will protect the UNITY of our church
Will support the MISSION of our church
Essential Responsibilities
Communicate with your “coach”
Contact your coach with changes to your
group‟s profile so we can represent it
accurately
Pray for your group
Organize group meeting details
Uphold purposes & practices in group
After the first season, communicate once a
month with your coach (support requests)
and meet about 3x/year in SGL team mtgs
GroupShare
Pair up with somebody at your
table and share in as much detail
as possible what you‟d like your
shared interest group to look like &
how it will work.
Organizing & Starting Your
Shared Interest Group
Creating Your Group Profile
Name of Group
Who‟s it for? (specify target or affinity group)
Location: At your home (give city name) or
the church (if available)
Day & Time: Plan for approx. 1½ - 2 hours
each gathering
Frequency: Weekly (specify first meeting)
Duration: 6-weeks (first season)
Focus: Coach can help select material for
studies
If You‟re Doing a Bible Study…
You‟re a FACILITATOR
Share 1-2 brief insights of your own to
jump start the discussion
– Ask one or more of the following questions
and allow the Holy Spirit to lead:
What stands out to you in this passage? What
impacted you during the reading?
Was there something read that‟s new for you,
reaffirming, confusing or challenging?
How can we apply this to our lives today?
Suggested Format
Social Time = 20 to 30 minutes
Focus on Subject = 40 to 60 minutes
Prayer = 10 to 20 minutes
Social Time = 20 to 30 minutes
What to Do at Your First Meeting
Welcome & introduce yourself (be yourself!)
Share a little background as to why you chose
the focus of the group you did and tell them
basically what each gathering will look like
Allow time for people to introduce themselves,
sharing who they are and why your group
interested them
OPTIONAL: Toward the end of your 1st gathering
take a „vote‟ on what works out best in way of the
start time for the group (it has to work for you
personally). You may note before doing this that you‟ll
select what works out for most of the people not present.
Encourage participants to invite friends to future
gatherings!
Cultivating an Outward-Orientation
Communicate how outreach and open group
make up your group‟s non-negotiables
Appoint Purpose Champion(s)
Be an advocate for outreach in your shared
interest group from day one
Extend your prayers to those beyond the
group
Brainstorm ways you could reach out to
others who might be interested in being a
part of your shared interest group
GroupShare
What would you like to see happen in
your shared interest group?
What does your vision fulfilled look like?
“In community – the divine community
especially – a heart comes alive. To
experience community is to know the
joy of belonging, the delight of being
known and loved, the opportunity for
giving and growing, the safety of finding
a true home.” – John Ortberg
Q&A on Shared
Interest Groups
What‟s Next?
Give your group profile to your “coach”
Invite people to your group you think would be
interested in coming
Be available after all services on Oct 1st & 2nd to
promote your group at our Ministry & Small Group
Fair (bring your friends who want to join)
Be creative in representing your group:
– Video or photos of their group in action
– Food or candy
– Books/materials they will be studying
– Special/Creative decorations
THANKS FOR COMING!
God bless you as you begin your
shared interest group!