This document summarizes key findings from Josh Hunt's book about growing small groups. It examines statistics on factors that contribute to the growth of small groups, such as: purpose of the group (spiritual growth vs. outreach), time spent on preparation vs. relationship building, visitation rates, size of leadership team, frequency of fellowship events, teacher skills/abilities, and belief in growth. Consistently, groups that placed emphasis on outreach, relationship building, visitation, large teams, fellowship events, and belief in growth were more likely to experience rapid growth.
8. Reflecting this
change, in 1990,
only about
200,000 Americans
described
themselves as
nondenominational
Christians, but
in 2008, 8
million did.
9. Since that time,
those small
groups of eight
to twelve people
have
reproduced
countless times.
10. Today we are a church
with more than seven
thousand attenders and
a network of more than
thirty thousand people
celebrating every week
with several thousand
reproducing small
groups.
11. Today we are a church
with more than seven
thousand attenders and
a network of more than
thirty thousand people
celebrating every week
with several thousand
reproducing small
groups.
16. Things that don’t matter very much
Things that matter a little
Things that matter a lot
The one thing that is in a category all by itself
17. What percentage of your time do you spend
Ministering to people in the class
Ministering to people outside of the class
Embrace the vision of growing and dividing
Organizational skill
18. Of the time you spend in ministry, what
percentage would you say
Is spent on preparation for the lesson
Is spent on ministry and relationship building
Would you say the purpose of your class
(communicated as a percentage) is mostly about
Growing the members spiritually, or
Reaching out to outsiders
Teaching ability
Visitation
27. Of the time you spend in ministry, what
percentage would you say
Is spent on preparation for the lesson
Is spent on ministry and relationship building
Would you say the purpose of your class
(communicated as a percentage) is mostly about
Growing the members spiritually, or
Reaching out to outsiders
Teaching ability
Visitation
56. What percentage of your time do you spend
Ministering to people in the class
Ministering to people outside of the class
Embrace the vision of growing and dividing
Organizational skill
57. Of the time you spend in ministry, what
percentage would you say
Is spent on preparation for the lesson
Is spent on ministry and relationship building
Would you say the purpose of your class
(communicated as a percentage) is mostly about
Growing the members spiritually, or
Reaching out to outsiders
Teaching ability
Visitation
61. 0
10
20
30
40
50
Low people skills High people skills
19
420
5
Growing Rapidly
Growing
Teachers with
high people
skills are 147%
more likely to
be growing.
71. 0
10
20
30
40
50
Low spiritual vibrancy High spiritual vibrancy
17
44
0
4
Growing Rapidly
Growing
Teachers with
high spiritual
vibrancy are
182% more
likely to be
growing.
72.
73.
74.
75. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Low belief in growth High belief in growth
6
55
0
16
Growing Rapidly
Growing
Teachers with
high belief in
growth are
1083% more
likely to be
growing.
76. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Low belief in growth High belief in growth
Teachers with high belief
in growth are 3 times
more likely to report
high spiritual vibrancy.