Setup a small group care system if possible. There are many books that talk about how to do that. This makes sure that your people are well cared for. They develop a lot of relationships through the small groups: relationships that will help them grow spiritually. The major thing in this point is have breaks in your small group system where your leaders can recuperate and recharge.
The mistake I made in my first year was the small group leaders were serving all year round. By October ending, they were burning out and you could see lethargy was setting in the work they initially loved to do.
People are already used to semesters or seasons so have breaks and create semesters out of your care system.
You can have a Spring semester from February to April, Summer semester from June to August and Fall Semester from October to December. These give them January, May and September to relax.
Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
Mark 6:31
Give your leaders and volunteers intermittent rest especially if you operate a lay ministry system like our church does. Those bi-weekly to monthly breaks keep them fresh all year round.
Practical Ways To Have A Small Group System
- Every school should have a small group focused on outreach, fellowship and ministry
- Use the system to develop new leaders every semester
- My first book was on how you can grow your church using small groups. You can get it here