Best Practice #1 - Newcomers and Your "Seemingly" Maxed Out Group: What To Do

In the first post of groups out you learned about cord groups. Cord groups are smaller, small groups of 3-5 people meeting IN the community (at restaurants, coffee shops, etc.). If you've just launched a cord group (triad or something similarly) and are quickly at 5 people, what do you do about newcomers? How do you keep the group open while maintaining intimate, smaller group discussion? 

Here is a strategy to try (with timeline example):

• 12:00 - 12:10 pm - Have everyone hang out together. This may involve standing around a single table together with coffees and/or donuts in hand or congregating in the entrance area. Use this as a time to catch up with each others, do introductions, etc.

• 12:10 - 12:55 pm - At separate tables (as space allows), meet in groups of 3s or 4s for the Bible study discussion and prayer time. Make sure that there is a person at each table equipped to facilitate the conversation.

• 12:55 - 1:00 pm - Say your goodbyes with all - including those who did not sit at your table. 

With this strategy, there is 1) room for newcomers to enter into your group AND 2) you are able to maintain some face time with folks with whom you've been doing group life together. (Note: even in these smaller groups, the best discipling relationships formed are those that happen in between group meetings. Group meetings serve as the hub of how discipleship happens with your small group members.) 

What about group multiplication? After whatever time period of meeting together - 10 weeks, 3 months, 6 months...however the Spirit leads - multiplication of the group can then happen. As you equip others to lead discussions and prayer at the separate tables, you are in fact raising up future leaders of multiplied groups! 

What are your thoughts on this strategy? Let's figure this out together. As we reach our communities with the love of Jesus and invite more people into Christian fellowship, what a terrific "problem" this would be to have!