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1.4 Multiplication. The true sign of a growing small group.

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1.4 Multiplication. The true sign of a growing small group.

Chris and Dana knew the day would come. Their group had grown to nine couples, and
they were getting too massive to meet in their family room. The adults pastor, Kenneth, agreed it
was time. So they set off on a quest to divide into two groups. Doing this would allow more room
for growth in each group, even if it meant subdividing into further groups later on.
Kenneth knew how they got there. "They truly multiplied."
Kenneth purposely recruited small group leaders from among a large suburban
neighborhood outside of Louisville. "The neighborhood was middle class and at least nominally
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Christian," Kenneth recounts. "But, the number of churchgoing people from that neighborhood
had diminished greatly in recent years." Because of the close proximity of the homes to each
other (in this sidewalk community) Kenneth salivated over the idea of starting a small group that
would draw the attention of other homeowners on the street. His long-term desire was to launch
several groups in the community, but knew that starting with one group would be an achievable
goal.
Kenneth placed three other couples from their church into Chris and Danas group at the
time of launch. He then coached them on how to grow the group from within the neighborhood.
After four weeks of meeting, in which the group primarily prayed for the neighbors from Chris
and Danas street, it was time for the group to reach out and invite those same people into their
group.
They started with a Saturday brunch in Chris and Danas home. Of the six households
invited, three accepted the invitation and showed up. The purpose of the Saturday lunch was for
the invitees to connect with their neighbors (and their LifeGroup friends). By the end of the
brunch, several members of the group were to separately invite the neighbors to their following
mornings church service.
Regardless of whether the neighbors accepted the church service invitation, it was up to
Chris and Danas group to invite them to another group get-together the following week, their
LifeGroups regular meeting.
The Saturday morning brunch was the important icebreaker because now, the neighbors
werent being invited to a Bible study with strangers, but to another get-together with people they
already knewtheir new friends. Chris remembers, "Two of the three couples accepted the
invitation to the following mornings church service. One of those couples came back to the
group meeting the following week." The couple that came to the brunch but not to the church
service also came back to Chris and Danas the following week for the regular group meeting.
At this point, Chris and Danas group was now six couples. After gaining traction in their
home for a couple more weeks, one of the original couples from the group, Brock and Chantel,
held a Saturday morning brunch in their home, in a different neighborhood, inviting neighbors
from their street. The same invitation to the following mornings church service was extended to
these new friends. To help the new growth gain traction, Chris and Danas LIfeGroup decided to

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hold their meeting at Brock and Chantels that following week, giving new invitees familiar
ground to return to.
One more couple in the group held a Saturday brunch in their home, several weeks later.
Within six months, Chris and Danas group stood at nine solid, stable couples, with as many as
eleven attending at any one time. Brock and Chantel were praying about leading and hosting a
group in their home at that point. The time had truly come to split into two groups, and continue
to multiply.
Kenneths strategy for small group multiplication of brunch/church invitation/meeting
again had worked for Chris and Danas group. Kenneth summed it up, saying, "Within two years,
we'd grown four different LifeGroups meeting in their neighborhood, which had been the
mission all alonggrowth."

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WORK SHEET

1.4

Multiplication:
The true sign of a growing small group

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1. Kenneths desire was to start growing LifeGroups in an influential
suburban neighborhood that had become more secular in recent
years. Why was it important that he start with one home?

2. Why do you think that Chris and Danas first brunch was so
successful?

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1.4

3. Why do you think it was wise to host Chris and Danas LifeGroup
meeting at Brock and Chantels house after the latter couples brunch?

4. Into which neighborhoods in your wider community do you want to

multiply small groups?

Other Notes

2015 Reid Speck.