While a lot of resources cover how to start small groups, you might not find much on how to end groups. Still, even good things often come to an end. So consider these four suggestions for how the small groups in your church can find closure.

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.
In many small groups, members start to feel like family. They share each other's joys and struggles and bear one another's burdens. It can be hard to end a group unless the group starts with an end in mind. Encourage leaders to think through the "term" of their groups from the outset and let prospective participants know what they're committing to if they become part of the small group. For example:

◗ A six-week primer on the essentials of the faith.
◗ A six-month short-term mission service group.
◗ A one-year book study for young married couples.
◗ A topical series or book-of-the-Bible-at-a-time study.

PASS THE LEADERSHIP BATON.
It's been said that there's no success without a successor. Encourage group leaders to keep an eye out for individuals or couples who are both gifted and willing to serve in an apprentice leader role. When a leader finds an apprentice couple to mentor, the group needs to know that the couple has stepped forward, and the couple needs an opportunity to practice. For example, they can take the lead once a month. Down the road, if God sets the current leader's ministry sights elsewhere, this apprentice couple will be well prepared to receive the leadership baton.

PLAN FOR A BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT.
Small groups are great places for spiritual growth to occur. Should God grow some groups in your congregation numerically as well, another ending option is that the apprentice couple leads a new group "birthed" from the original group. This step might have a tentative timeline of 18 months, yet encourage current leaders to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. He may indicate through numbers and opportunity that it's time to do this sooner rather than later. In birthing a new group, leaders can encourage members to seek God's direction for which group they'll meet with based on location, topics, their own mix of gifts, and potential to contribute to one of the groups.

PLAN TO BIRTH SEVERAL SMALL GROUPS.
Group leaders who champion not only "in reach" (ministering to one another) but "outreach" (sharing the gospel) may find that God sends numerous group members as well as various apprentice leaders their way. This may be an indication that God wants to use a leader to launch several groups.

Adapted from Small Group Ministry in the 21st Century (Group Publishing, Inc.)