It’s the kick-off season for ministry! You’ve spent the summer assembling your team, ensuring each group has the right leader, and now it’s time to get these leaders with their new students. Here are some quick tips for making sure your leaders have what they need to be the best small group leaders they can be!

Get Leaders Curriculum Quickly!

If the main thing you want leaders to do is telling their students the truths about Jesus, then make sure they have the curriculum in their hands as soon as possible!

Remember that you have recruited teachers and engineers and stay-at-home moms, and other busy adults. Make sure you aren’t getting them things at the last minute so that they can be totally prepared when they walk into a small group!

Communication is Key!

Have a rhythm of communicating with your small group leaders. Whether that means you email them once a week or have an ongoing text message thread, make sure your leaders know you are thinking about them and are available!

Practical Tips help leaders win!

It may be old hat to you, but All of the tips and tricks that you have learned over the years as a youth pastor are golden nuggets to share with your small group leaders!

Make a list of five or seven and send them out one at a time in your regular communication. Think of small bite-size tips like “Make a note on your phone about each student, where they go to school, and their favorite candy.”

Putting practical tips in your volunteers’ hands can help them win!

Small Group Your Small Group Leaders!

We want our small group leaders to be in the lives of their students. We want them to take them out for coffee and to go to their sporting events, and text them throughout the week to let them know they are praying for them.

What if you did that for your small group leaders? What if you invited them out to coffee regularly and sent them a text every so often just to let them know that you are grateful they were on the team and that you are praying for them specifically?

If you treat your volunteers like your own personal small group, they will see what it’s like to lead. Your example will show them how they can in turn minister to their own students. And the biggest win of all is your small group leaders feel loved and ministered to!

What else?

If you were going to add one more tip to this list, what would it be? How would you help your small group leaders win? We’re always looking for great ideas!