LEADERS RESPONSIBILITIES

Prepare and Lead the Meeting

Each week you will not only need to listen to the sermon and complete the weekly homework, you will also need to review your Leader’s Training Moment. This short training can be accessed from the TLC Website. It will give you some hints and tips for leading your small group as well as keeping you current on upcoming events.

Attend Annual Training Meetings and Quarterly Leaders Support Meetings.

For new leaders and hosts we will have “Beginners Training” which will last__________. This training is for both husbands and wives. The next training will be held on: _____________________

For all leaders and hosts we will hold our annual Leader/Host Kickoff in (August/September). This year’s kickoff will be held on: _________

Ongoing Training and Support Meetings for beginning leaders/hosts and veterans will be given throughout the year.

Track the Needs of Your Group Members

As a group leader/host, you will often be the first line of spiritual defense in the lives of your group members. It will be your responsibility to keep in touch with the spiritual pulse of the people in your group.

Communicate Special Needs Up-Line to the Life Group Coach and/or Pastor Keith

It’s possible that some issues will surface in your group or in a member’s life that are beyond your experience, expertise, or comfort zone. In that case, communicate your concerns up0line to either your coach or to Pastor Keith for guidance or additional help.

Complete Weekly Attendance Sheets

Group Leaders need to turn in weekly attendance sheets for their group. These sheets are very important. They not only help us track who is in a group; they also help the coach and Pastoral Staff keep an overall pulse on the groups as a whole.

Visit Group Members in the Hospital

When a crisis or major illness hits, your group needs to spring into action. While your host will take the lead in providing any needed meals, household or personal help, you as a small group leader need to be sure that you and others from your group are available for visitation, prayer and support.

HOST RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Life Group Host you do much more than just provide a meeting place. You are a vital part of the leadership team. Your combination with the Group Leader(s) makes a team that is hard to beat. Below is a list of some of your primary responsibilities.

Provide a Clean, Comfortable Home Environment

> Is my home clean and picked up at meeting time?

> Do I have enough comfortable chairs?

> Do I have enough lighting?

> Is my home free of dog or cat odors?

> Are my own children interrupting the group?

Provide a Warm and Friendly Environment

This involves introducing folks to one another. Making sure to talk with and involve the shy or quiet folks in your group before and after the meetings; keeping in touch with group members between meetings; if someone hasn’t been at church following-up with them to make sure they are okay.

Provide Feedback to the Leader

One of the host’s most important jobs is to discuss and evaluate the group with the leader(s) on a regular basis. This can often be done informally after everyone leaves the meeting. Items to discuss include the following: What’s going well, What’s not, Who’s hurting, How can you as a host help, is the meeting moving along at a good pace, Is it dragging at certain points?

Provide Support for the Leader

Another way to help the leader is to jump start the discussion when it lags. Sometimes a question will elicit no response (either because everyone is nervous or because the question isn’t understood). Whenever this happens, you can assist your leader by breaking the ice and answering the question yourself or even rephrasing the question to provide the group an opportunity to regroup and come at it from a different angle.

Organize Meals for Members who have been in the Hospital or Meet other Special Needs

One of the host’s most important jobs is to make sure that anyone in the group who faces a significant crisis gets the practical help and support they need. Hosts should organize their group to meet practical needs, provide meals, or render any special assistance that is needed.

Organize Refreshments, Socials and Service Projects

Refreshments: Hosts are responsible to organize the weekly refreshments and or desserts for the group meetings. The host is not expected to provide them.

Quarterly socials: With the help of the group, the host makes sure there is at least one social event during each quarter.

Service Projects: With the help of the leader, each group needs to carry out two service projects per year. Pastor Keith and the Small Group Coach can help you choose and coordinate a service project.

End-of-Series Life Group Evaluation Form

This form is to be filled out by all group members at the last meeting of each small group series. Hosts please have a large manila envelop for the group members to place their evaluations in and then give the envelope to the Life Group Coach. We will discuss the results of the evaluation forms at our next Support Meeting.

Group Name: __________________________________________

Your Name: ___________________________________________

One of the best ways to improve our Life groups is to evaluate it. Tonight you have the opportunity to assess both your group’s strengths and weaknesses. Please complete this form thoroughly and honestly.

THE GROUP

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about being in this group this series is:

Is the length of the meeting appropriate? Yes____No____ Please explain.

How have the group discussions gone? Is everyone who wants to share able to share? Are there any people or issues that quell the discussion? Please explain.

Do you have any suggestion to improve the meetings?

MY PLANS

For the next series of Life groups, I am planning to:

1) Remain in the same Life group

2) Try a new Life group

3) Take a break from Life groups

HOMEWORK

What do you like most about the homework?

What do you like least?

If you could change just one thing about the homework, what would it be and why?

The amount of homework is:

1) Just right

2) A little too much

3) Not quite enough – please explain

MY LEADER

One of the things I appreciate most about my small group leader is:

If your leader asked for advice on whether he or she should talk more, less or exactly the same during your meetings, what would you say?

Is there anything your leader could do to maker your meetings even better?

MY HOST:

On of the things I appreciate most about my host is:

Is there anything your host could do to make your meetings better? (Seating arrangements, lighting, temperature, refreshments, socials, etc.)