Here's a small-group axiom so obviously true that it's easy to dismiss: Early on in your efforts to launch, or re-launch, your small-group ministry, create a very specific description of what you want to have happen within those groups.

A reasonable person -- and I'm sure you're one of them -- reads a sentence like that and feels like his or her intelligence was insulted. You might now be waiting for a follow-up proverb on the importance of heating the house before inviting the group over, or the importance of throwing a pair of jeans over those boxers before answering the doorbell. That's coming. We're a wealth of knowledge like that.

Seriously though, knowing which way "up" -- and communicating it clearly -- is critical to the success of any small-group ministry. Here are two key reasons why it's important to get a crystal-clear vision on what the purpose of group life is for your group or church:

1. Your church is already filled with multiple visions of what your small-group ministry should accomplish. Cooking is therapy for me, so when I married I was happy to take on the responsibility. I'll never forget making a pot of chili using my favorite recipe, presenting it to my wife, and having her ask why it didn't have more broth. Or when I slow-cooked a homemade spaghetti sauce and she asked if I could make with the same consistency of that jar of Prego she likes. We both enjoyed chili and spaghetti, but we had different visions of exactly what those two things were.

The same thing is true for your small-group ministry. You've got a church leader who's thrilled about small-group ministry and has pledged support to help you get things off the ground. What you don't know is that the pastor of his last church poured three years training him in a small group model that hasn't worked since the '80s. Billy and Sally were in a small group at their last church that ran more like a social hour. Your elder board can't decide whether small groups should all be studying the same thing or if each group should be allowed to choose their own curriculum. The possibilities, unfortunately, are endless. A strong and clearly stated vision helps end this kind of projection before it starts.

2. Everything settles. Here's another cooking analogy: Vegetable soup need to be stirred before being served. The good stuff always settles to the bottom. It's true of any good relationship as well. I once read an article that suggested you change workout partners every six months. Why? Over time you and your partner become less competitive and more permissive of each other and you stop expecting each other to push as hard in the weight room. The value of accountability settles in favor of comfort.

The same thing is true in small groups. Over time most groups have to resist the temptation to not drift just being a social club. A leader might hit a busy spell and not put in the necessary preparation over time, or the members get out of the habit of doing their mid-week reading. Whatever the cause, small groups can drift into being a social hour. There will come a day when you need to stir things up and lift up sagging values. Therefore, you're going to need to know where "up" is.

So,  as you create your vision for a healthy small-group ministry:

• Form the vision in community. Get your lead pastor and key leaders in the room. Keep talking through expectations until everyone's on the same page.

• Ask yourselves: What can a small group do that no other ministry in our church can? Then, maximize that benefit.

• Create a single small group of potential leaders. Lead that group until every person in the room has experienced the vision. "Show" trumps "tell." There are no exceptions. And once this model group "gets it," every member in the room will have seen just how you led, and be able to replicate that vision in their own groups.

• Review the vision regularly. Remember, everything settles.

Larry Shallenberger is a pastor and author in Erie, Pennsylvania. Visit him at www.larryshallenberger.com.