8 Ways to Provide More Training for Group Leaders

More than 3 in 4 groups ministry leaders (76%) agree more training should be made available to their leaders. So how do we make that happen?

By Ken Braddy

Churches need to make more training available to their group leaders. That’s the conclusion an overwhelming majority of pastors revealed in Lifeway Research’s State of Groups study.

More than 3 in 4 groups ministry leaders (76%) agree more training should be made available to their group leaders.

Going all the way back to the first Sunday School Superintendent of the Southern Baptist Convention, Arthur Flake, you can find appeals from leaders urging churches to train their workers. Back in 1920, enlisting and training new workers was Flake’s third step in his five-step formula for growing a church’s group ministry.

There’s almost no profession that doesn’t require its workers to receive ongoing training. Real estate agents, teachers, first responders, fast food workers, and many, many other kinds of employees are required to go through continuous learning and training. Because the church is focused on sharing the life-changing message of the gospel, how much more earnest should the church be in providing training for group leaders?

In my 30+ years of leading group ministry in the local church, I’ve discovered eight effective ways to increase the kinds of training events I provide to my group leaders. Think of this as having multiple hooks in the water — the more hooks, the more fish you catch. When it comes to training, one size doesn’t fit all. Which of the following have you tried, and which ones should you consider trying this year?

1. Host in-person events

In-person events are convenient, with many churches preferring to conduct this kind of training on Sundays, immediately following the last worship service of the morning. Group leaders are already on campus, and most don’t mind remaining for a “lunch and learn” opportunity.

In-person events also create a sense of community and camaraderie, which helps build relationships and a sense of family among the group leaders. When community is built and people feel part of a team, they tend to remain in their leadership roles from year to year, reducing turnover and giving the church consistency in group leadership.

“When community is built and people feel part of a team, they tend to remain in their leadership roles from year to year, reducing turnover and giving the church consistency in group leadership.” — @kenbraddy Share on X

2. Conduct training via Zoom

Wise church leaders will continue to take advantage of online technology we all used during the COVID pandemic years. Zoom provided groups with a virtual way to be together when social distancing rules were in place. Now that we’ve used that technology, it’s relatively easy to conduct a training event online.

Think of the advantages of this kind of training: people can participate from anywhere, the training can be recorded and shared with those who couldn’t attend the training, and you don’t have to provide meals, snacks, and drinks. I wouldn’t recommend a steady flow of virtual events, but one a year (if you’re conducting quarterly training) fits nicely into a training strategy.

3. Attend associational events

Your local association often provides training for its churches, and it tends to be cost effective or even free. You could go to your association’s website, discover what training is available for the year, and commit to promote the event and challenge your group leaders to attend it together. In the past, I’ve loaded up 30-40 group leaders in church vans, transported them to an associational training event, and then paid for their lunches afterward as a thank-you for taking time out of their Saturday to be trained.

In the end, this kind of training is cost effective, and it’s fun to be together with fellow group leaders from the church. The drive to and from the event and the conversations that take place are invaluable in creating a team atmosphere.

4. Pass along podcasts and webinars

As you discover podcasts and webinars that are crafted to help group leaders learn new skills, pass along links occasionally and invite group leaders to take 30 minutes and invest in their ongoing learning about group ministry. If you’re not sure where to start, check out the podcast I host — Disciple-making in Community.

5. Create a YouTube training channel

A growing number of churches have discovered the benefits of creating their own training, delivering it online through their own branded YouTube channel. Short videos that last no more than five to seven minutes allow you to “drip out” training to your group leaders in short bursts. You don’t have to have studio-quality equipment; in fact, it’s probably best that you don’t. Use your smartphone, record a short message, and upload it to your YouTube channel for “on demand” viewing.

6. Send regular emails to group leaders

Occasionally, I like to send out a mass email to my group leaders and include a quote from a book I’m reading on group ministry. I find that doing this accomplishes three important things.

First, it communicates I’m a leader/reader who’s learning about group ministry so I can more effectively lead all groups in my church. Second, it allows me to quote someone else about an issue we have in our group ministry, which gets a conversation started. Third, it allows me to invite the group leaders to begin a discussion in an email string about the content found in the quote. I can provide training for my group leaders through this simple action at a cost of zero dollars.

7. Partner with local churches

I love it when three or four churches come together in a city to do more training than any one of them could do by themselves. If four churches banded together, they could host an annual training event, rotating it through the four churches.

If the pastor of the host church became the plenary speaker at each event and if church staff from the host church (and/or associational personnel) led breakouts, churches could put together some fine training events that people would enjoy attending.

“If four churches banded together, they could host an annual group leader training event, rotating it through the four churches.” — @kenbraddy Share on X

8. Subscribe to Ministry Grid

Lifeway’s Ministry Grid is an online platform that delivers not only digital curriculum but also training. At last count, there are over 3,000 training videos and over 700 courses of study. In addition to these videos, a Ministry Grid subscription allows you to place your own training videos on the platform for viewing by your group leaders.

Change it up

Don’t forget that when it comes to training, one size doesn’t fit all. In the book Sticking Points, author Hayden Shaw reminded his readers of the different generations in the workplace (and in our churches). They don’t necessarily prefer to be trained in the same way.

Over the course of time, be sure to use different kinds of training approaches to help your group leaders grow. Here are some generational difference Shaw calls readers to keep in mind in Sticking Points.

Traditionalists / Seniors

• Lived in rural areas 
• Had few books 
• Valued classroom education/teacher’s word was law 
• View teachers as authorities 
• Appreciate lectures by experts 

Boomers

• Grew up with compelling TV and entertainers 
• Less tolerant toward poor communicators 
• Love group discussion 
• Value compelling stories/motivating speakers 
• Value certificates/certifications 

Gen Xers

• Think keeping current = job security 
• Expect organizations to train them 
• Have little tolerance for lectures like Boomers or Traditionalists 
• Believe training is essential for all, not a reward for a few 
• Don’t hesitate to question authority 
• Won’t believe a trainer simply because the person has a title 

Millennials

• Want interaction 
• Communicate through video and visual media 
• Boring is the kiss of death 
• Expect to work in groups/network in the classroom 
• Want practical training 
• 55% say YouTube is their preferred method of learning 
• Prefer face-to-face communication 
• Value anytime/anywhere training 
• Value shorter sessions 

Generation Z

• Will ask a co-worker to train them instead of the boss 
• As likely to ask parents as to look it up online 
• 60% say YouTube is their preferred learning tool 
• 85% of Gen Z has watched at least one online video in last seven days

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