If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a leader, below you will find a little more information on what the expectations of leadership are, and how to go about this.

What does it take to be a leader, and do I have to become a member of the church in order to lead a group?

• First, we want our leaders to have a desire to be in a leadership position and to grow in that position.  There may be some reluctance and fear to do this, which all leaders face at some point, but overall we want you to be passionate about leading a small group. 
• At the most basic level, leading a small group is nothing more than facilitating the group meeting.  We want to help you to grow into the other aspects of leading your group...such as listening well, asking good questions, and caring for people during and between meetings.
• Being a member of HCLC is not necessary, but a relationship with Christ is.  We want our leaders to be someone who already has a relationship with Jesus Christ, and who wants to continue to grow in that relationship, because you will be leading others to do the same thing, through your words, and your Christian walk. 
• Finally, we want our leaders to be able to lead with love and sensitivity.  We do not expect our leaders to have all of the answers, but we do expect you to model respect and sensitivity within the group. 

For a more detailed leader covenant, click here.

These are the basics of what makes up a leader.  You may also be asking what a leader does.  As a small group leader your job includes some of the following basic concerns:

• Communicating to your group members and potential group members about meeting times and places. (administrative concerns)
• Providing a place for your group to meet that is comfortable for all and well suited for the formation of relationships and spiritual growth. (hospitality concerns)
• Identifying resources that your small group will study, and facilitating discussion, with the goal of becoming more fully committed disciples of Christ. (teaching concerns)
• Caring for small group members during and in between meetings. (care ministry concerns)

Of course, you don't need to do all of these things as a leader.  You just need to make sure all of these things get done.  You could literally identify four different people to cover each of these roles, while you coordinate the joint efforts of each, or you could pick one of the roles and hand the rest off.  For more information on these roles click here

A friend of mine wants to become a leader, how does he go about this?

1. Connect with the leadership network in the church.  We will help answer any questions you might have, and then connect you with a small group coach for ongoing support, encouragement, and accountability.  Click here to send an email to Pastor Russ.
2. Attend/watch small group training and leader huddles.  Click here for more information.
3. Plan the purpose of your group.  Do you want your group to be a mixed group?  Couples?  Singles?  Do you want your group to be more focused on Bible study, or a common interest?  Write up a 2-3 paragraph description of the kind of group you would like to lead.
4. Plan a study.  Decide what kind of curriculum you would like to focus on within your group for the spiritual growth aspect.  Do you want to read a book?  Do you want to focus on a book of the Bible?  Is there a topic you would like to learn more about?  For more information on curriculum, click here.
5. Pray about who to invite into your group (based on your group purpose) and make personal invitations to those individuals. For recruitment information...click here.
6. Create a covenant.  Once the group meets together, make a group agreement about how often the group will meet, where it will meet, when it will meet.  Make decisions about how you will communicate with one another, especially if someone cannot make a group meeting.  We also recommend making an agreement about which values are important to the group, such as confidentiality.  Click here for a sample covenant.
7. Find a co-leader or an apprentice.  Find someone who will help you to lead the group, or someone who you can train to eventually lead their own group.  Also identify other roles that individuals in your group can fill.  For more information on group roles...click here.