Small Group, Homegroup, Connect Group, Cells; whatever your church calls it, they are a vital part of modern day church.
With people moving and the rapid rise of large city churches, meeting and fellowshipping together in smaller groups throughout the week is an important and life-sustaining element of church life.
And while this is a fundamental element of the church that has been a component of the Christian life since the early church, as the body grows and people continue to move around, maintaining fellowship becomes more complex.
Missing a couple of home group days may not necessarily be a spiritual warning as it may have been in the days when we very rarely moved about, however it can be helpful that the group leaders are aware of members attendance, so that if there is an issue in someone’s spiritual journey, the leaders are aware.
Many churches run the traditional model of groups that members stay in consistently, but some churches also have additional groups that run for a number of weeks and then change. This a great way to learn, grow and meet a wider network of people within the church but when you have changes like this, it can be difficult to measure the spiritual health of each person.
An automatic flagging system is a great way to keep notified of a drop in attendance, as most group leaders have multiple tugs at their attention and so may not remember that someone hasn’t been to homegroup 60% of the time! iKnow gives leaders this information automatically so that they can determine the best course of action, whether that is to arrange a call or a meal just to have a chat and see if there is a way that they can help that person connect.
Often many spiritual issues are not addressed in the church simply because of silence and a fear of speaking out.
If you are a small group leader using iKnow, consider these features that can help you further:
- Commit to taking attendances regularly, this may seem a chore every week but by keeping this data you will soon see opportunities to minister that you may have otherwise missed.
- If you know that someone can only attend half the time for reasons that don’t relate to spiritual discipline, then choose the ‘ignore’ option for the dates they are not there and then you won’t receive a flagged notice.
- Keep your main leadership team updated, there is an option within your Group Module to message the leaders. This tool can not only keep them informed but it can provide much-needed encouragement to leaders who are very often isolated in their roles and duties.
- Encourage your group to use iShare, this is a really great way to keep sensitive information just between the group, rather than on social media where it could fall into the wrong hands. It is also just a great way to fellowshipping together during the week.
For more help with iKnow as a Group Leader, we have tailored webinars which you are invited to join, you can register for them here: iKnow Group Webinars and as always, if you want to talk with us, our team are always on hand. Call us on 0121 651 1125 or email hello@iknowchurch.co.uk