2. 4 Steps to Growing your Group Leadership kick-off 2011 Edmond’s First Baptist Church

3. Step 1 ~ Know the Possibilities Assimilation  Percentage of Christians who remain active in church after 5 years  Those not involved in Sunday School ~ 16%  Those involved in Sunday School ~ 83%  Sunday School involvement is related to a fivefold increase in long-term church participation (High Expectations by Thom Rainer)

4. Step 1 ~ Know the Possibilities Invitation  most unchurched people will accept an invitation if two conditions are met:  A friend goes with them & stays with them.  91% of people said they were likely to accept that type of invitation  Dr. Thom Rainer: the Unchurched Next Door  Highly Receptive ~ 11% & Receptive ~ 27%  Neutral ~ 36%  Resistant ~ 21 % & Argumentative ~ 5%

5. Step 1 ~ Know the Possibilities Situation  Regional Shifts in Religious Beliefs and Behavior since 1991 by George Barna (stats for Midwest)  1/3 of the US hasn’t been to church in 6 months  Each weekend 60% of the US doesn’t go to church  13% of the US is in Bible Study each week  38% believe the Bible is completely true  % who describe themselves as Born Again~42  % who describe themselves as Christian~80  Edmond’s 2010 Population~81,405  Circle-of-Influence-Census~_________

6. Step 2 ~ Enlarge the Organization Possibility  organize for the possibility, not the history  QUESTION-what would a group look like who reached your circle of influence? Describe the connection group ministry that would support that group.  Think door-to-door on Sunday as well as throughout the week.  If the members of your connection group had a Member’s Bill of Rights, what would be on it?  How would a great leader organize for that kind of possibility?  DREAM BIG, and GO FOR IT!

7. Step 3 ~ Enlist the Leaders Team  Enlist to a dream and Equip for a task  Pray together with potential leaders  Clearly define the ministry role (hidden beliefs create havoc)  Serve alongside of new leaders (I do it while you watch, we do it together, you do it while I watch)  Give away real responsibility (“people never wash rental cars” Tom Peters)  Recast the vision every 28 days ~ the Nehemiah Principle (life supplies distraction, leaders supply focus)

8. Step 4 ~ Go Get the People People  Love the people, not the task  Without this step, the other steps don’t matter  The need is for continuous, varied invitations  Invite members, guests, and your COI, until they are all active in your Bible Study group  DIAL  Call every new guest and every member every week  Keep a current prayer list for every group member  Pray specifically for group members

9. Huddles MIDWEEK  Effective teams practice  Divisions will meet on the 1 st Wednesday of the month in A201 from 7:00-7:30 ~ resources i.e. Hunt study  Connection Groups are encouraged to meet at east one of the other weeks in their CG rooms (g- rod needed)  Right Now Training will be sending each of you an email to verify participation is the online training and planning guides we will be using this year  Possible teachers huddle on an alternate wdnesday evening