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March 5, 2009
Small-Group Covenants: Part 1
Why it's vitally important that your leadership group has its act together
Like many of you, I'm part of the leadership team of our local church. As a Servant Team (that's what we call our leadership group), we've been re-exploring our covenant together. Many of you will already be familiar with small-group covenants or agreements. There are many versions of covenants, however, most all of them include these basic components:
- Why we exist (life-change, Bible study, task group, fellowship, etc.)
- What we do (socials, service projects, outreaches, retreats, eat snacks, etc.)
- How we relate (including expectations about the priority of participation and attendance, confidentiality about group discussions, accessibility of members to each other, accountability between members, and openness of the group to new members)
- When we meet (frequency, time, do we take breaks, etc.)
- Where we meet (location, how we handle childcare, etc.)
Let's be clear—the values behind the covenant are far more important than the covenant itself. Personally, I don't think having a written covenant is much better than having a verbal one (unless your memory-challenged, like me). The key is having values, expectations, and mission defined and understood ahead of time so that—as time goes along and issues come up that leave everyone with that "what do we do now" blank stare—you have a clue as to why you are all together in the first place!
And hopefully, re-orienting around that original covenant will keep your group headed in the right direction.
In the context of a leadership-team small group, these basic components still apply. However, the "catch" to a leadership-team covenant is that not only does the covenant have bearing on how the leadership group behaves, but it has a trickle-down impact on the folks who are being led by these leaders.
Here's an example: If I promote the value of everyone in my small group having an accountability-partner relationship with another person, I may be able to create some internal motivation within the group—possibly even to the point where accountability relationships are added to the group covenant. But as soon as someone asks, "Does the church leadership have accountability partners?" the value behind the practice of having an accountability partner will either be dramatically diminished or enhanced, depending on the answer.
So here's what I'm currently taking away from the discussions around my own Servant Team covenant: make sure you have your most basic components of "church life" built into your leadership covenant/agreement, so that it sets a baseline for your small-group covenant/agreements.
Otherwise, things could get a little sticky.
posted by Sam O'Neal on March 5, 2009 11:01 AM
Comments
We launched a small group last fall--a mixed generation group co-led by one younger couple and one older couple. At the first meeting, the older gentleman co-leading the group very graciously, and without fanfare, plainly stated the need for a confidentiality and commitment to the group in order for it to work. The mood grew quiet, not out of shock or dismay, but rather, out of a sincere recognition and realization that we as a group were committing to something reverent--something of value that required our respect and heartfelt attention.
None of this stemmed from a larger, churchwide approach, as Dan suggests here; whether your church does or doesn't embrace covenants, I highly encourage small-groups leaders to do it.
Posted By: Matt | March 17, 2009 10:52 PM
Besides helping groups with the "what do we do now" situation, covenants can also help with the "what do we not do" question. In too many groups (and churches, for that matter), every idea sounds like a good idea, so people expend their energies in multiple directions with very little unity or core purpose until the group has lost its common reason to be together. Covenants can help groups focus on why they're together and help them say no to distractions.
Posted By: Amy | March 18, 2009 4:07 PM