Does your small-group ministry have a revolving door? Do leaders come and go so fast that your head is spinning just trying to keep up? Leadership turnover is a common frustration that seems to be the norm within small-group ministry. Even in the church we know that change happens, and the only thing we can do about it is plan for it.

Use these steps to be prepared for small-group leadership turnover:

1. Assess your turnover rate. How frequent is leadership turnover in your small-group ministry? What’s the average length of stay in a small-group leader position? If you’re seeing more than 20% of your leaders drop out within the first few months of service, you’ll need to investigate why. Consider conducting exit interviews to discover why they’re leaving. Assess the reasons for your current situation so you can determine solutions to move forward.

2. Set expectations. What length of commitment is required from your small-group leaders? Do you have written ministry descriptions that have an end date for the term of service, or do you just place someone in this role and hope they keep going until they die? If you’ve agreed on a period of service and the people are cutting short this expectation, consider whether the commitment time is too long. You may have better success if leaders (and group members) change out annually, rather than, say, every two years or longer.

3. Minimize damage Damage control often becomes necessary when dealing with volunteer turnover. Your small groups need to function smoothly even if leaders step out unexpectedly. Do you have a backup plan for when a small-group leader leaves? Can the group continue until a new leader steps in? This is where team ministry becomes so vital. No one should serve in leadership alone. When we serve in teams, and with ministry partners, we strengthen each other, and bring a synergy to the program that just doesn’t exist with a lone ranger. Organize small groups around team leaders to minimize the impact of turnover.

4. Redirect the volunteer. When a leader drops out from a ministry role, you’ll need to clarify the reason. Was the position just not a good fit? Are they having a season in their life which makes it difficult to serve (illness, new baby, unemployment)? Perhaps another position, not in a leadership role, might be a better fit for the person stepping down. Make a referral to the new ministry coordinator and transition the volunteer for new ministry placement.

5. Establish turnover procedures. You don’t always want to be putting out fires, so accept the fact that turnover is just a part of working with small-group leaders. Shift to being proactive so that when it happens you have a plan in place to ease the transition. When a leader drops out, what’s the next step to keep things running smoothly? Hope Moran, Lay Staff Assistant at St. James Lutheran Church in Greenfield, IN, recruits a SWAT team to deal with turnover. This is a group of adults who have small-group leadership experience and Serve Willingly Any Time. Even at the last minute, Hope knows who to call to stand in the gap for a small-group meeting. Develop a standard operating procedure which will outline action steps for when a small group leader steps down.

Follow these steps to change from revolving-door ministry… to multiplying ministry.

Bob D'Ambrosio has 25 years' experience with volunteer leadership in small group ministry, discipleship, and education. He now serves as a consultant and trainer with Church Volunteer Central, and is a frequent contributor to Children’s Ministry Magazine.