I recently completed months of research, of more than 1,000 small-group leaders and Sunday-school teachers, asking them what helps their groups to grow. In my last article (http://www.smallgroupministry.com/article.asp?ID=755) we discussed factors that mattered very little-those that produced a less than 10% difference between groups that were growing and those that weren't.

In this article, we'll look at those factors that had a positive impact-but not a huge one. The following factors produced somewhere between a 11% and 100% difference between groups that were growing and those that weren't.

Time Spent: Group or Lesson?

I predicted that this would matter. And it does. But I thought it would matter more than it did.

Paul told the Thessalonians, "we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children…. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:7, 11-12, NIV) Sounds more like a parent. Likewise, Jesus' plan for making disciples had a lot to do with spending time with them-lots of it.

Therefore, I predicted that leaders who spent lots of time with their groups would be growing-and that, on the other hand, leaders who spent lots of time on lesson preparation would not.

As it turns out, spending time with group members is a predictor of the growth of a group. Leaders who spend more time with their group members than they spend on the lesson are more likely to be growing than those who spend more time on the lesson than they do on their group members.

But only marginally so.

Our survey revealed that leaders who spend more time with their group members than they do on the lesson are only 34% more likely to be growing than those who spend more time on the lesson.

I have a guess as to why this is true. For one thing, people like to hear good teaching, and those who spend more time on the lesson are more likely to report that they are four or five star teachers.

This suggests that there's more than one way to slice the pie. You can get there through great teaching, or you can get there through spending lots of time with your group members. Either route shows that you care about the people in your group-and that will shine through.

You can grow a group on either strong teaching skills or strong people skills. Lucky the man or woman who has both sets of skills-and happy the group who has him or her for a leader.

That said, if you're bad enough at one of these skills, you're going to struggle. Therefore, shore up your weakness-make sure you're at least halfway decent at both. Then, lean into your strengths.

Group Focus: Inside or Out?

Groups that saw themselves as more about reaching out to not-yet Christians were 53% more likely to be growing than those who saw their purpose primarily about growing spiritually.

This raises an interesting set of questions. Can you grow spiritually without developing a deep interest in those who don't know Jesus? And, does a developing deep interest in reaching not-yet Christians tend to enhance spiritual growth, or distract from it?

The truth is, you can't grow close to God without caring about what-and who-God cares about. Jesus taught that as we engage with God in the task of advancing the kingdom, pushing back the darkness, we're going to experience a closeness to God that no Bible study can ever produce. (Please don't read that as I'm anti-Bible study, I think my life proves otherwise.)

Many have experienced this in the context of a mission trip. Something happened that went beyond the excitement of jet travel. God was there. As we engage on mission with God in fulfilling the Great Commission, God with us in a special way. I feel close to God when I serve. You will too. Many of you already know exactly what I'm talking about.

This is what is wrong with the sit-and-soak group. A group that wants to "just get closer and closer to God" and doesn't care one whit about bringing others close to God can't get close to God themselves. God is always on mission. God is moving. If you want to stay near to God, you must keep moving.

A group that is on mission with God in growing and reaching is not only more effective with that growing and reaching, but they are also more effective at drawing closer to God.

Teaching Ability

Teachers who described themselves as 4- or 5-star teachers are 68% more likely to report they are growing than those who are self-described as 1- or 2-star teachers.

This one didn't surprise me. I would have predicted that the better teaching, the more likely the growth.

• Five star teachers - 48% growing

• Four star teachers - 47% growing

• Three star teachers - 37% growing

• Two star teachers - 35% growing

• One star teachers - 6% growing

This puts to rest another myth you sometimes hear: "We're not growing, we just concentrate on quality teaching." Maybe. But the opposite is far more likely: The better the teaching, the more likely the growth. The less growth, the more likely that the teaching isn't all that good either.

Visitation

Regular participation in visitation was a strong positive predictor of growth. Leaders who regularly participate in visitation are 78% more likely to be growing compared with those who never or almost never participate.

It's not quite as strong a predictor of growth as having lots of parties, but that's a subject for next time. In Part III, we'll look at four things that REALLY matter in predicting the growth of a group.

Josh Hunt is passionate about small groups. He encourages small-group leaders through online lessons, books, and live conferences. He is the author of You Can Double Your Group in Two Years or Less (Group) and Disciple-Making Teachers (with Larry Mays, also Group).