This week marks the beginning of our small group season. This is my favorite part of the year because all year-long students will be meeting with their leaders throughout the week, all over the city to talk and experience who Jesus is. There will be life change this year because of this and this makes me so pumped!

As a small group leader myself and as we are having training for our leaders throughout the year on how to be a better small group leader, I thought I would jot down some key commitments small group leaders need to make during the year.

My personal walk with Christ comes first. It’s a must. It’s a nonnegotiable item when it comes to me leading a group of guys. If I am not filled, how can I pour out to my guys?

I will be consistent in meeting. One of the most important things about small groups for high schoolers is that they are consistent because everything else around them and in them in changing so rapidly. Having a small group consistently is a great feeling for students and it makes them look forward to something stable in their life.

I will need to live a life worth watching. Being a small group leader comes with the expectation that I am living a Christian life-style and my students are watching me trying to live it out whether I know it or not. Am I going to mess up? Yup! But they are watching how I handle those situations to. Does my daily life leak Jesus?

I will communicate with our group and with their parents regularly to make sure everyone involved knows what is happening. The quickest way to lose trust of a parent is not communicate what is going on with their student or any event you have going on.

I will not be an island. Small groups can easily be a You Vs. the World thing. I will continue to learn and seek help, advice, encouragement from my mentors and other small group leaders and meet with them at least once every six weeks.

I will make sure to do the best I can for the personal growth and care for the students in my small group. I want to do the best I can to point them to Jesus so by the time they are graduated, they are independent and committed followers of Jesus.

I will make small group a place of not only learning, but of community and fun. Having group also be an enjoyable time for the guys in their break down so many walls they have up over the years. I commit to making this a place they want to be at mid-week during the school year where we can laugh and have a good time while learning about Jesus.

I am sure there can be more. But these 7 to me, are the most important commitments I can before going into a small group session.

What else would you add?