Several years ago while serving as pastor of Christian education and family ministries at Eastside Foursquare Church in Kirkland, Washington, Sharyn Spradlin started a small group ministry for her kids.

"Small groups as a foundation for ministry to kids has provided several benefits," says Sharyn. "The intimate setting of the small groups and the interpersonal relationships they create allow kids to feel safe, accepted, and have a general sense of well-being."

In a small group ministry, lives are changed. Sharyn found that it’s in the context of meaningful relationships that authentic life-change happens. And that’s where Christian growth and faith development flourish.

Starting a small group ministry requires careful planning. When Sharyn started small groups in her church, it took time and patience.

"At the beginning of this journey, we were treading on new territory," says Sharyn. "After months of vision-casting, planning, and training, we began to take our first steps." Start your small group ministry with these steps.

1. Pray. Pray for God’s guidance in setting up the ministry and that God will raise up leaders for specific groups of kids that he intends to be together. Enlist prayer support. If you have 15 kids and three leaders, ask six people to be prayer partners and commit to pray daily for three people by name. If you have more kids and leaders, enlist the help of more prayer partners.

2. Cast the vision. Start with a clear vision of God’s direction and leadership. A football coach would never enter the big game without a plan of action specifically detailed in the play book. You, too, need a play book. Prayerfully discern God’s path for your group, write a mission statement and goals, and make a list of anticipated problems and their potential solutions.

3. Enlist solid leaders. There are people who’d never stand up and teach Sunday school, but they’d be great small group leaders. Look for people who love children and are able to connect with them. Watch how potential leaders interact with kids. Do they make eye contact and get down on a child’s level so they don’t tower above a child? Are they drawn to kids and kids to them? These are the people you’re looking for.

4. Find your curriculum. Select a Bible-based program that fosters interactive discussion and is easy for leaders to use. A good curriculum enables the leader to facilitate—rather than "teach"—the group.

5. Train small group leaders. One of the biggest pitfalls in small group ministry to kids is the lack of leader training. Leaders need to know basic safety issues such as to never be alone with a child. Yet, small group leaders need specific training beyond the basics, such as the following:

*Leading a discussion—Leaders need to be taught how to facilitate discussions with open-ended questions. Asking questions such as "How?" and "Why do you think that?" engages kids. Questions answered with "yes," "no," or pat answers will kill a discussion.

It takes time for kids to trust that they can share their ideas. They’re a little unsure about thinking aloud, and they’re even more unsure about telling us what they feel. Kids will begin to trust their small group leader when they see that person cares about them, their thoughts, and their feelings.

*Providing consistency—"We live in a very transient society. Our kids are not in church every week," says James. "We haven’t solved this problem, but we can emphasize to the parents how important it is to consistently come to church. The other thing we can do is provide consistent leadership that’s always there so when our kids do come to church, there’s a familiar face to connect with."

*Creating a trusting environment—Don’t put a child on the spot to contribute to a discussion. Children will open up and share when they feel comfortable. Once a child starts to open up and contribute to a discussion, don’t ever tell him that his answer is wrong. Be sensitive to the child’s feelings.

*Allowing a group to become a group—Relationships don’t happen overnight. During the first six weeks of a group, focus on the relationship-building aspect.

"A litmus test for the effectiveness of a small group isn’t how well kids can recite the Bible information you’ve tried to communicate," Mikal says, "but it’s what happens the next time a child is transparent about a difficulty or a challenge. Do the other kids leap on that, get uncomfortable and ignore it, or do they offer reassurance to the child?"

*Understanding kids’ invisible world—"Kids don’t treat other kids the same way when an adult is around. They have a whole different pecking order," says Mikal.

The world of elementary and junior high kids becomes invisible when adults are present. So adults getting into a child’s life is all the more difficult without a positive and authentic relationship.

6. Kick off your ministry. Have a large kickoff event for kids and their parents. Or each small group can have a special gathering to celebrate the group’s new beginnings.

Starting a small group ministry may be much easier than you think, and the benefits are limitless. Small groups provide kids opportunities to engage in healthy relationships with adults and their peers. Knowing they can count on others for support and prayer will impact kids for a lifetime. Experiencing Christian community firsthand will strengthen their faith and change their lives.

Give your kids the opportunity to experience life-changing relationships through a small group ministry in your church. They’ll experience the body of Christ in action.

This article is excerpted from: Children's Ministry Magazine

Copyright © 2004 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.