Kudos, Fulton Second Reformed!

What would you be doing on this beautiful Saturday morning if you weren’t at this small group training?

That was the opening question for the small group leaders from Second Reformed Church in Fulton, IL as we began four hours of small group leader training. They had all of the answers one would expect; mowing the lawn, reading the newspaper, getting groceries, cleaning the bathrooms, going on a bike ride, refereeing fights between my kids, writing a sermon, etc. Saturday mornings are precious after busy, pressure-filled weeks. It takes a high level of commitment to give up this time for a training event, but these folks did it. The time was sweet. Their openness with one another brought us all to new understandings of what it means for a small group to experience the kind of community that makes a difference in our world. We discovered barriers to community, but also fresh ways of building it with one another.

This training event made me realize, once again, the importance of on-going training for leaders. Why is it so important?
• It demonstrates to leaders that they are valued
• It provides an opportunity to cast the church’s vision for small groups
• It gives leaders a biblical foundation for their work
• It provides leaders the necessary tools to help them succeed in their role
• It show leaders they are not alone in their task
• It gives an opportunity to learn from one-another

It’s been said that once we stop learning, we stop leading. On-going leadership training is essential for the health of our groups and the people in them.