The feedback I received from this group is that we don't want to ask the current Sunday School classes to adopt the semester/break schedule. So, we are proceeding with the main idea I've shared in previous blogs...but NOT including current Sunday School classes as small groups.
Thoughts shared yesterday included concerns that asking SS classes to take 4-6 weeks off in between semesters would interfere with their rhythm and even break up the classes. I agreed with this because the whole idea is to start a new group every semester, encouraging our guests (new attenders) to join. It is harder for our guests to join a group that has already been in existence for decades.
I do think it will be easier for the Sunday School classes NOT to participate in this semester time schedule and maintain their integrity as a class. I also think it will be harder to recruit those already attending a SS class to participate in another small group -- therefore, we miss the benefit of having our wisest disciples participating in small groups with our newest attenders. I think the final result will be that small groups will be for our guests and newest members -- and Sunday School classes will be for our established members.
I don't have a sense about whether this is positive or negative at this point. I would love your feedback. (I hope we've solved some of the problems that were making it hard for people to comment.)
I have asked Janice Callaway, Casey Warren, and Kurt Gwartney to serve with me in recruiting small group leaders, establishing our course catalog, and looking toward group leader training. We will be getting together soon to map out this agenda.
Loved Jen Watson's comment about how we might be able to provide some "special interest" groups -- in the very BEST sense of that phrase -- to encourage our guests to join in.
Just FYI -- I met with Mike Wiley, last week. Mike works for the OK United Methodist Foundation. They created a new staff position for Mike so he can work with churches like ours, in a position to grow -- considering our stewardship needs, both ongoing and capital. Mike said the giving curve definitely follows small group involvement -- NOT worship attendance. Regardless of how we do it, we MUST find a way to help all our new friends connect and identify with our congregation.
Give me your thoughts!
Initially I think I liked the idea that our SS classes would have the same small group semester schedule. There very well may be some negatives associated with that I'm not sure. I'd just like for us to make certain our reasons for not adopting the semester schedule are valid.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with re-newing a group from semester to semester. KIHU/Open Doors/Pairs and Spares isn't in danger of going away. They'd just get "re-newed" each semester! What do we want "re-newed" to mean?
My guess is class make-up probably won't change much since we'll all likely gravitate back to our "regular" class each semester. That might break the rhythm or it might give the group leader a break and a chance to research and prepare the next study. No one says we can't "re-new" with the same core group. BUT no one says we HAVE to do that! That's just what we're all used to! The same 15-20 faces each Sunday. We idnetify with our group! Aren't we trying to get outside the box? To encourage new members to join us? I'd hate to see us divided along the lines of "old" vs "new".
I'm on the same wave length as Jennifer concerning small groups: Formed around common interests! Even though I regularly attend a SS class I'd jump at the chance to interact with another group with similar interests. It would be different enough from my SS class that I'd be more than willing to attend that in addition to my SS class!
I envisioned those kinds of small groups (interest based) being a way to bring new folks into our SS classes. Though as it is we have a couple of SS classes bursting at the seams so I'm not sure our current classes can accomodate many new joins. Maybe this is our way to form new SS classes using those interest based small groups to draw a core group together. That core group then forms a new SS class hopefully with a mix of "old" and "new".
We end up with a second tier of small groups. Level 1: Interests based groups are the hook if you will to draw folks in and let them try us on for size. Level 2: SS classes are our formal(?) education classes. Hmmm.
If that were the case I can see where we might want our SS classes to continue on the current year round schedule. As new SS classes form they start when they're ready.
Does it come down to how we define the mission/prupose of our SS classes. Are they just another small group? Then maybe they should be on the same semester schedule as other small groups. Are they formal education classes? Then maybe it makes more sense to have them meeting year round.
I'm not sure, I'm just thinking out loud.