A collection of small group leader resources that asks what it takes to lead a group where people are known, cared for, and growing in Christ, including a four-week leader training course, role descriptions, and practical tools for hosting, outreach, and spiritual gifts. Free to use and adapt, from Vineyard Church North Phoenix in Arizona and Vineyard Church Maryville in Tennessee.
Small groups are where much of the real pastoring in a church happens. People are known there, cared for in hard seasons, and helped to follow Jesus in everyday life. This collection brings together the materials two Vineyard churches use to recruit, train, and support the people who lead those groups. If you’re building a small group ministry from scratch or want to strengthen the one you have, it gives you a tested starting point.
The core of the collection is a four-week leader training course from Vineyard Church North Phoenix, with separate teacher notes and participant class notes for each session. Week 1 covers eight qualities of a small group leader, from servant leadership to staying a learner. Week 2 lays out the big picture of a small group ministry, including basic requirements for every group and the kind of personal care leaders provide. Weeks 3 and 4 get practical: planning a group season, choosing study material, and working through seven common elements of a meeting, from welcome and worship to spiritual gifts, Bible discussion, and raising up future leaders.
The course comes with supporting resources that are useful on their own. There are role descriptions for small group leaders, hosts, worship leaders, intern leaders, and coaches, along with guides to hosting well, a Scripture overview of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and simple guidelines for sharing prophetic words in a group setting. There’s also a sample list of outreach opportunities for groups and short how-to guides for the church’s group reporting system.
Vineyard Church Maryville adds an overview of its small group ministry, which describes it as a church of small groups rather than a church with them. The overview explains the twofold goal of growing in Christ and growing in community, and it sets out expectations for group leaders. A leadership covenant spells out the lifestyle standards the church asks its leaders to model. Many of these documents include church-specific details such as staff names, membership steps, and software, so you’ll want to adapt them to your own context. Vineyard USA is sharing these materials from Vineyard Church North Phoenix and Vineyard Church Maryville with the wider Vineyard family, so use as much as helps and make them your own.