Apprenticeship

Somewhere in your group is the next leader. Your job is to find them and hand them something.

This matters more than it sounds. Our mission is to keep growing new leaders and keep opening new groups, and there is no source of new leaders except existing groups. If nobody comes out of yours, the math stops working.

Spotting them

You are looking for two things, and neither one is Bible knowledge.

The first is that people already follow them. Watch who the group looks at when a decision gets made. The second is that they take ownership without being asked. They text the group. They notice who is missing. They bring something.

What to do about it

Name it out loud. “I think you could lead a group” is a sentence most people have never heard about themselves, and it changes what they think is possible.

Then give them something real. Let them run a night. Let them own an Us Night or a serving project. Hand over the part of the group they are already good at.

By passing on what you know, you prepare somebody for leading and you sharpen your own leading at the same time.

Two resources worth having

The Apprentice Field Guide is the complete guide to apprenticing somebody, and it is good at helping you identify who has potential.

Small Group Vital Signs by Mike Mack is worth reading with your apprentice. Each chapter gives the two of you something concrete to talk through. If you want a copy, ask your coach.