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Lead a Connect Group

Thinking about starting a new Connect Group? This page will help you decide what kind of group it could be, and how to go about it.

Church isn't just about what happens on a Sunday. Church is about a community of people living life together, growing in faith through discipleship to Jesus and purposefully seeking the renewal of our city and our world.

We’ve found that Connect Groups play a huge part in this. As a church we’d like to see a wide range of groups with a focus on three things; helping people build friendships, deepen their faith and make a difference in our world. Community, growth and purpose.

Each Connect Group has community at its heart, but leaders have the freedom to focus on different things. Some may focus more on discipleship, perhaps by doing a bible study, whereas other leaders may want to start a group for those not yet part of us as a church, such as an Alpha series or a book club. Our aim is to have a wide range of groups that help everyone at different stages of faith to become part of our community.

Every Connect Group leader is supported by a coach with experience in leading a Connect Group, and has the opportunity to receive leadership training during the year.

If you’re thinking about starting a group, we’d encourage you to answer these questions for yourself, and then speak to your service leader about what to do next.

  • Why?

    The purpose of a group should always come from you. It may be something you’re passionate about, or it might simply be that you can see a need in your community that’s not being fulfilled yet. We have a range of options and resources that might spark some ideas.

    Connect Group resources

  • Who?

    Who do you want to lead? This is really important as it will affect where you meet and what you do in your group. You might have a heart for a certain people group, such as families with young children or young professionals, and so you'll need to make decisions that make the most of that stage of life. Also, consider how many people you can realistically lead.

  • Where?

    Once you know what type of group you want to lead and who the group is for, choosing where you meet should be a lot easier. For example, if the purpose for your group is to contribute to a local area, meeting in a home or public space in that community is a no brainer. Or, if your purpose is to meet with people who are not yet part of church life, gathering in a shared space like a pub or coffee shop might work best. Where you meet will affect the feel of the group you want run: for example, worship nights aren't perhaps feasible in a Central London bar!

  • How long?

    Some Connect Group leaders decide to run their group for just one term, others for a year, others longer than that. The decision is really up to you, although with all our groups we recommend taking a break over the holidays (Christmas, Easter and the summer).

What to do next

If you have a specific idea, or if you’d like to lead a group but you’re not sure where to start, we’d love to hear from you. Please speak to one of your service leaders or get in touch using the form below.

Due to the termly nature of these groups, it’d be great to hear from you at least two weeks before the new term begins.

Want to start a Connect Group? Get in touch.