Life Group Leader Handbook

What is a Life Group?

Here at New Hope our Life Group leaders play a key role in the health and vitality of the church community. We so value the fact that you are wanting to give your time towards leading a group and we want to assist you as much as we can in this venture. Our Life Group leaders work in full alignment with the vision and mission of New Hope to see it outworked in the lives of others.

“Helping people connect with God and each other”

Our prayer and desire for each person who calls New Hope ‘home’ is that they would have a growing and developing relationship with God and that they would also find real community as part of this church; relationships that support and encourage their development in positive ways as they commit to outworking the mission of God here on earth.  
 
As a Life Group leader, you are central in making this a reality in the lives of others. You create a space for this to develop and help steward an atmosphere that assists people of their journey towards becoming the people God intended them to be.  

“A Life Group is a group of people committed to growth (discipleship) and connection (community) that encourage one another to live on assignment (mission).”

As a church we know that as we continue to grow numerically, Life Groups become even more vital. They are spaces designed for people to be seen, cared for, and encouraged so that no one needs does life alone.  

The Qualities of a Life Group leader  

Passionate follower of Jesus

The most important characteristic of a Life Group Leader is that they are first and foremost passionately following Jesus and have surrendered their hearts, lives, and everything to Him.  
 

Personally growing  

We are all a work in progress that is for sure, however, a Life Group leader should be committed to their own growth and be an example to others of what it looks like to follow Jesus and become more like him (Luke 2:52).  

Postured to help others 

A Life Group leader has a heart to use their gifts and time to serve others and encourage them to grow into mature followers of Jesus. Our model in this is Jesus himself who came not to be served but rather to serve (Matt 20:28), this requires us to walk in true humility.  

Pastoral Heart

To lead and care for others effectively, a Life Group leader needs to have a genuine love for people. Whilst the content and subject matter of the group is important and we should be passionate about that, the ability to connect and care for others is paramount. A Life Group leader helps shepherd the people in their group and is committed to praying for and with them.  

Starting a Life Group

Okay great! You understand the vision of Life Groups, and you possess the qualities of a potential Life Group Leader, what now?  Here are your next steps:
Step One - Apply Online
The first step is to go ahead fill out a form on our website expressing your desire to become a leader. Here you will be asked to specify your topic of choice, your planned location, day and time, as well as a start and expected end date of your Group. If you would like support or help in deciding some of this our team would love to help.
Step Two – Get Approved
Our Life Group overseer will look over your suggested topic and content to see that it aligns with our vision and values. Following this you receive confirmation from them that your group is approved, at this stage you will also be asked to complete a police check in preparation for the launch of your Life Group.  
Step Three – Start Recruiting
This is the fun part, now you start to actively seek out those who will join you on this exciting adventure. Text your friends, invite people you connect with at church, tap some shoulders and shake some hands. We will also promote your group on our website and in our weekly email blast to raise awareness and encourage people to join. We will manage all the sign-ups through of website so direct people straight there.  
Step Four – Ready, Set, Go!
Once you have enough interest, it’s time to begin. Communicate clearly with your group regarding your start date, time, and location. Send out a reminder and set the stage for your first meeting.  

Life Group Structures

Homes & Small Groups

Life Groups based in people’s homes with a specifically designed purpose.  These groups are designed for people to live life along side each other in groups that grow through studies or discussions. 

Activities

Activity groups are lighter groups centered around activities like sports or dog walking. These groups are meant to give people an easy way to connect with others in the church. They are more flexible for new comers and the entry barriers are meant to be a lot lower for those who are curious about faith. 

Courses

Courses are the most structured of the groups, with curricula and are catered to larger groups. These would be courses such as Alpha, Cleansing Streams, Marriage Course, Authentic Manhood, Divorce Care, Grief Share etc.  

Life Group Semester Guide

Life Groups run in semesters. Here's a breakdown of how the semesters are broken up.
Fall Semester
Groups running in the fall semester will run between September 14th and November 30th.
Winter Semester
Groups running in the winter semester will run between January 11th and March 22nd
Spring Semester
Groups running in the spring semester will run between April 12th and June 28th.
Summer Semester
Groups running in the summer semester will run in July and August.

How to run a home or small group Life Group session

There are many ways to run a successful Life Group and you as a leader will no doubt develop your own style and order to the group, but here are some guiding principles that may help you as you prepare to lead a group.  
1) Set the atmosphere
The space and atmosphere you create matters. Whether that be in your home, a coffee house, or at church, it’s good to think through how you be welcoming and hospitable. Do you want to have drinks and snacks? Do you want ask people to bring something? How can you best make people feel comfortable?  
2) Pray
Before you begin pray and commit your time to God, invite Him to come and move. Let’s make it normal to pray. It doesn’t have to be long or heavy, the purpose is to dedicate your group to honouring to God. 
3) Dive in
Whether you are watching a video series, reviewing a book, or going through course material, you lead people into this section.  
4) Facilitate Discussion
You are not expected to have all the answers or to be the expert. Listen, ask questions, and guide people in a discussion. At times you may need to resist the temptation to have the right answers, as much as you can bring others in and allow them to share.  
5) Pray
We begin with prayer and end with prayer. Pray over what you’ve discussed, invite others to pray if they want or it is appropriate.

Resources

If you are thinking about what you would like the subject of the Life Group to be here are a few resources, you could look through and think about:

rightnow Media

This is an online vast library of faith-based videos, Bible studies, and resources for all ages. Our church has provided full access to the incredible resource completely free. Simply create an account and take a look to see if there is something you’d like to use.  

Practicing the Way

Two thousand years ago, Jesus said to his disciples, “follow me.” But what does it mean for us to follow Jesus today? The Practicing the Way Course is an on ramp to spiritual formation, exploring what it means to follow Jesus and laying the foundation for a life of apprenticeship to him. Explore their resources here.