Work Your Way to "Listed"

At Brook Hills, we love for our groups to be "listed" as their default setting. Unlisted means that a group will not show up in either our printed group directory or the web-based GroupFinder. We'll work with you where you are, but we believe that being a listed group is a helpful tool in keeping our people outwardly oriented. It's important for our people to learn and grow from their experiences of inviting and welcoming people into their group.

Some think of groups as open or closed, but we've moved away from that terminology because we never want a group to be closed to new people. Even is unlisted, we encourage members of the group to be inviting people they meet to their group. The greatest need for growth in maturity for most believers is in the area of evangelism and inviting a lost world to experience Jesus Christ. A closed group teaches a truth counter to that need. We believe groups that welcome new people reflect the heart of the gospel in many ways.

At times, we do allow a group to be unlisted for a reason and for a season. We ask that the group remain unlisted only for a season while you take steps toward being listed again.

There are various reasons a group would be temporarily unlisted. Often, the reason for that the group has no more physical space for people, or in the case of some off-campus groups, no more space for kids coming with their parents. At other times, a group fears loss of intimacy by welcoming anyone new into the group. Our experience is that new people are trained by the group's culture. Also, it's important to realize that our fear of loss can keep many people from being included in a group at all. Over forty percent of our active worshippers aren't in a Small Group.

If your group isn't too large but just needs a new vision, some steps may include:

• Pray About Your Group's Role - Pray about your group being a place where people find Jesus and find community. Focus on ways your group might fulfill the Great Commission in Your Setting.
• Form a Group Leadership Team - Medium to large-sized groups may consider forming a leadership team in your group to help plan this and all aspects of the group. You'll be surprised by the helpful ideas of others.
• Lead Your Group - Sometimes, leaders can be too timid about leading. A great leader, however, takes people where they don't want to go but where they ought to be.

If your group is too large, think through taking these steps to start a new group:

• Share the Church's Vision - People need time to adjust to change, so talk about starting a new group early and often. The vision is to make disciples through our groups by reaching people and helping them grow.
• Develop Leaders - New groups need new leadership. Invest in people by giving them opportunities to lead group meetings or serve in other volunteer roles.
• Consult Staff - Your staff has helped many groups in this process. If we can provide resources and tips, give us a call or send an email.
• Form a Group Leadership Team—Form a leadership team in your group to help plan this and all aspects of the group. You'll be surprised by others' helpful ideas. Pray for wisdom with this team.
• Plan a Goal Start Date - The key times for starting a new group are August, January, or the week following Easter. Put something on the calendar well in advance and plan for it.

We know that change can be challenging. You may have heard the quote, "The only people who like change are wet babies." But change can be rewarding when you see new people reached for Christ and for community or see new leaders being blessed by the opportunity to lead.