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Prepare sufficiently.

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• Attend the leadership meetings.

• Decide whether your group will meet virtually or in-person. If in-person, establish the group meeting location (e.g. your home, restaurant, basketball court, Starbucks, park, gym, office building, college campus, group member’s home).

• Coordinate food/refreshments for in-person group meetings (e.g. a different person can bring it each time).

• Prepare for the activity/discussion (prayer, creativity, discussion outline or video/activity details, reading [if applicable]).

• Remind your group about each meeting (day, time, and location/zoom link) before the meeting.

• Arrive early to the meeting to prepare an inviting environment for your group (if applicable) and to be the first face they see even if others are late.

• Consider having name tags for the first few meetings until everyone learns each others’ names.

• Develop an apprentice so he/she is ready to lead without you when necessary. Support, encourage, equip, and give helpful tips as you see fit.

• Maintain the group size of 6-15 members. (Alert your coach if your numbers are far too high or too low.)

• Maintain regular communication with your coach to report testimonies, problems, and attendance.

• Log attendance.

 

Help your group build & maintain close relationships​.

 

• Record birthdays in advance & celebrate them among the group (e.g. singing & cupcakes).

• Support your group members & regularly encourage everyone to do the same for each other through life’s challenges and victories (phone, text, major life events, hospital visits).  

• Communicate with your group members regularly and follow up if someone is absent.

• Maintain the confidentiality of the group (“What is said here, stays here”).

• Pray for your group members in your personal prayer time.

• Choose to care about people, and make that obvious.

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Facilitate discussion to engage your group members & encourage participation.

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Help your group members move one step in their walk with God. 

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People will be at different levels in their spiritual lives, and everyone’s next step is different. But your job is simply to help them move one step forward from their current state. Here are some examples:

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• Start attending Sunday services

• Start reading their Bibles regularly

• Start praying regularly

• Get baptized

• Invite a friend or neighbor to church or to Life Groups

• Start tithing

• Forgive someone you’ve been holding a grudge against

• Find a way to serve others

• Become a WOF covenant member

• Become a Life Group facilitator :-)

• Lead by example.

• Maintain an integrous lifestyle and authentic relationship with God. Never be too busy to spend time talking with God and studying His word on your own time.

• Be transparent, modeling honesty among the group.

 

Be committed.

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• Attend the quarterly leadership meetings.

• Put your weekly or biweekly meeting times & location/zoom link on your personal calendar at the beginning of the semester and encourage your group members to do the same at your first meeting.

• Serve as a Life Group facilitator for at least 1 semester.

• Remain faithful to Sunday service attendance and encourage others to do the same. Encourage your group to attend the same service, when possible,  and sit together (if applicable). Fellowship after service while you all wait for the parking lot to clear out!

• Whether your group meets weekly or biweekly, be faithful. 

• Look at the calendar well in advance to reschedule for birthdays, vacations, etc. so you’re never caught off guard and forced to cancel.

• If some group members can’t make it, meet anyway for those who can. 

• If you are sick, assign your apprentice (if applicable) or another group member to facilitate that meeting.

• Whatever weeks your group does not meet, connect via group messaging (WhatsApp, GroupMe, or group text) to discuss prayer requests, life updates, testimonies, etc.