Student Discipleship Structure

This three-week experiment targeting small groups for all students will begin Sunday, April 22. The groups will be open to new students at any time. We will meet at Northwest Chapel at 6:30pm until 7:45pm. At then end of this experiment, we will evaluate the program and consider if this is how we want small groups at all in Northwest Chapel Student Ministries.

Each small group has anywhere from 4-10 students in the group with an adult discipleship facilitator and co-facilitator (if available). We will group students according to the following criteria:

1. Grade: Middle school will meet separate from High School.
2. Middle School: If enough facilitators are available, we will gather sixth graders in one group from the seventh & eighth graders.
3. High School: If enough faciliators are available, we will gather upperclassmen in one group and underclassmen in another group.

I understand that these groupings may not be an easy transition. Egos, insecurities, poor communication skills, and personality conflicts abound to plague our efforts to connect students into the beginnings of meaningful relationships. So I discerned these objective groupings for this three-week experiment.

To facilitate relationships I propose small groups (2-4 students per adult). It will be my job to monitor this RUTHLESSLY because students and maybe some facilitators will not want to gather into two new groups when the group grows to 8 students. When one group reaches 8 students, then we will spawn a new group with another adult facilitator. If we can have a co-facilitators who will be ready to start a new group, the students and the adult facilitator can already have some relational connection.

I will add to this blog what I think about what you as a faciliator should eventually know, do, and become during this experimental session. Thanks.

Pastor D