How Often Should You Provide Training for Group Leaders?

There’s a sweet spot when it comes to the frequency of providing training for your group leaders, and it may be surprising.

By Ken Braddy

I have an addiction: golf.

My grandfather introduced me to the game, and it set me on a lifetime quest to master the game. Sadly, I’ve now decided I’ll never accomplish that feat, but I do enjoy trying. I love playing, practicing, and watching golf. Over the years I’ve purchased many golf clubs, and they all have one thing in common.

Every golf club has what’s known as “the sweet spot.” The sweet spot has been defined as that place on the face of a golf club that transfers maximum energy to the golf ball when struck. When golfers hit the ball on the club’s sweet spot, they often do not feel the impact. Now that’s sweet!

There’s a sweet spot when it comes to the frequency of providing training for your group leaders. It’s where maximum energy is transferred to your group leaders, helping them accomplish more, increase in confidence, and develop new skills that benefit your church’s teaching ministry.

In a recent study, Lifeway Research discovered the current rhythm of training for group leaders in Protestant churches. Not surprisingly, there were great differences in frequency, ranging from never to weekly.

Among these churches, the frequency of training is mostly divided among quarterly, twice a year, and annually. But is there a “sweet spot” when it comes to the frequency of training? Are some of the frequencies more beneficial to the church and its group leaders than others? The answer is yes.

What is the sweet spot?

Additional research from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board suggests that while groups ministries experience some growth when leaders are trained either weekly or annually, the highest percentage of growth occurs when groups leaders are trained either monthly or quarterly.

The highest percentage of groups ministry growth occurs when leaders are trained either monthly or quarterly, according to analysis by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Share on X

When I share this information during training conferences, pastors often ask, “Why doesn’t weekly training make a bigger difference in the growth of the ministry?” They’re perplexed because it seems the more training you provide, the more your organization should grow.

But think about the content of the weekly training versus the content in monthly or quarterly training times. If a church decides to have a weekly training meeting with group leaders, the focus is almost always on preparing the group leaders to teach the upcoming Bible study session. If a church has a cadence of monthly or quarterly training, that isn’t the case. Instead, the focus in those times of training is on essentials for leading groups.

Group leaders in those less frequent training meetings are taught how to share their faith, how to study, how to use their curriculum, ways to involve their group members in leadership within the group, the different kinds of ways to teach a Bible study, how to keep their group open to welcoming new members, and much, much more. When these kinds of topics are regularly brought to the forefront, group leaders gain confidence in leading their groups.

Where should you begin?

The adage, “Crawl before you walk, and walk before you run” is in play here. If your church doesn’t provide group leader training each year, then your starting point is to introduce annual training to your group leaders. Start with an event in August or September as your new year of Bible study ministry launches around back-to-school time.

If you offer training once or twice a year, consider increasing the frequency to quarterly. I did this when I served in a part-time capacity at a church in the Nashville area that had no regular cadence of training. I was concerned monthly training would be too much of a culture shock for the group leaders, and I knew weekly wasn’t an option. Instead, I opted to introduce quarterly training.

“If you offer training for group leaders once or twice a year, consider increasing the frequency to quarterly.” — @KenBraddy Share on X

We started a second hour of Sunday School to give us needed space and, coupled with a pastor who promoted group membership from the pulpit, the quarterly training gave those group leaders new confidence. In the three years leading up to the COVID pandemic, we became the fastest-growing group ministry in Tennessee by percentage growth.

If you believe your group leaders would attend a monthly training event, there’s no reason not to do this. In my experience, however, even monthly can be a little taxing. For me, quarterly training is ideal.

Equip the saints for ministry

The only training option that should be off the table is “never.” Remember your group leaders have lives outside the church, and many are still employed either part-time or full-time. I can guarantee that whatever company they work for requires them to be trained regularly.

Let’s not make the church the place where training isn’t offered, or not offered enough. Your people are used to being trained for their jobs. Perhaps it’s time to raise the bar inside the church and give them more of what they long for, and even expect. They want to do a good job, and one way to help them is to provide ongoing support through training.

For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.