Empowerment Leadership Model for Small Groups, Teams, & Families
Lesson 1/4
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A Critical Purpose is the Foundation
for Group, Team, and Family Success
Note: Whenever "group" or "team" is used, it can mean "group", "team", or "family".
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In many ways, nothing is more important to group success than the purpose of the group. Most groups have weak or inadequate purposes and no one realizes the dangers.
Foremost, the purpose must be a result that the group members all want. The more critical the purpose is to them, the more they will be dedicated to the group and its decisions and necessary activities. Therefore, the Purpose Statement must be an important result (an end), not just activity (the means).
A strongly desired purpose, with the help of empowering leadership, will do these things:
(1) focus and guide the behavior of the group and its members.
(2) help the group identify what behaviors are most helpful so that group members
can encourage the best actions and interactions of members.
(3) help the group spot and eliminate harmful or dysfunctional actions and
interactions of members.
(4) allow the group to measure everything that the group does in light of whether or
not it is helping the group progress toward accomplishment of the group purpose.
The purpose is so important that it needs to be put into a short, simple Purpose Statement and repeated throughout the life of the group until it is automatically foremost in group members' minds.
Every group probably thinks it has a purpose, but there are two big problems:
1) The purpose is not stated as an accomplishment, so progress is automatically assumed as long
as the group is having meetings and activity. However, when it becomes apparent that too few
results are achieved, group members begin to drop out of the group, team members begin to think
about other things during meetings, and family members gravitate to other relationships where
"something is happening."
2) The purpose is not one that is highly desired by the group members. As a result, commitment
to the group and its activities is weak. Also, there is no felt necessity to identify critical actions and
bring out member talents to complete those actions.
3) The purpose is not used actively. Behaviors of members and the group as a whole are not
measured by the purpose as to whether they are helpful, useless, or unhelpful. As a result, the
group or team or family becomes mediocre. A potentially superior group, team or family does not
develop.
Perhaps this can be best illustrated by contrasting inadequate purposes with results-focused purposes for a variety of groups, teams and families.
BIBLE STUDY GROUP or SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
Inadequate Purpose:
To study the Bible.
The group assumes it is getting somewhere just because Bibles are open. In fact, the group can feel successful even if they take up all but five minutes telling jokes.
More Functional Purpose:
To study the Psalms and help one another grow in our abilities to praise God and to use our relationship with Him to handle the difficult times of life.
This purpose allows the group to measure whether or not it is getting somewhere or just going through the motions. It allows the group to realize that telling too many jokes is counter-productive, but that just understanding what a Bible passage says is not enough. Keeping in mind that Genesis Chapter 2 makes it clear that individual group members need each others' help to apply the passage and grow spiritually, the purpose stated as a result will generate needed encouragement and loving accountability.
FAMILY PICNIC
Inadequate Purpose:
To go on a picnic.
More Functional Purpose:
To go on a picnic and help each family member have fun.
This purpose automatically brings to mind expected behaviors that will enhance the time out of
doors.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP TEAM
Inadequate Purpose:
To run the church.
As long as the doors open on Sunday, this purpose will mistakenly seem to be met.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another as the leadership team of this church to run the church so that church members grow in their relationship with God, so that members love one another biblically more and more, and so that new believers make up 25% of our annual 5% growth in membership numbers.
This purpose will drive far more effective behavior in meetings and between meetings.
FAMILY
Inadequate Purpose:
To be a family.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another enjoy God and life and be all that God wants to to be (as individuals and as a family).
YOUTH GROUP
Inadequate Purpose:
To get together and have fun.
More Functional Purpose:
To get together and help one another have fun as well as grow in our faith.
NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS GROUP (NRG or Energy Group)
Inadequate Purpose:
To meet to see how we can help Joe get a job.
More Functional Purpose:
To help Joe until he has a stable job and adequately provides for his family.
USHERS GROUP
Inadequate Purpose:
To help people find a seat in the sanctuary.
More Functional Purpose:
To work together and help one another make anyone who comes to the church feel welcome and be seated in such a way that they anticipate something good will happen during the service.
MARRIAGE COUNSELING GROUP
Inadequate Purpose:
To improve our marriages.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another improve your marriages so that they are better than they have ever been and the marriages glorify God more than you ever thought possible.
WORKSHOP
Inadequate Purpose:
To learn about Christian community.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another learn about Christian community and make at least one decision that will bring you into closer community within our church.
AD HOC PROBLEM-SOLVING COMMITTEE
Inadequate Purpose:
To discover why our church is not growing.
More Functional Purpose:
To work together to accurately discover why our church is not growing and come up with a reasonable plan for growth.
1) The purpose is not stated as an accomplishment, so progress is automatically assumed as long
as the group is having meetings and activity. However, when it becomes apparent that too few
results are achieved, group members begin to drop out of the group, team members begin to think
about other things during meetings, and family members gravitate to other relationships where
"something is happening."
2) The purpose is not one that is highly desired by the group members. As a result, commitment
to the group and its activities is weak. Also, there is no felt necessity to identify critical actions and
bring out member talents to complete those actions.
3) The purpose is not used actively. Behaviors of members and the group as a whole are not
measured by the purpose as to whether they are helpful, useless, or unhelpful. As a result, the
group or team or family becomes mediocre. A potentially superior group, team or family does not
develop.
Perhaps this can be best illustrated by contrasting inadequate purposes with results-focused purposes for a variety of groups, teams and families.
BIBLE STUDY GROUP or SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
Inadequate Purpose:
To study the Bible.
The group assumes it is getting somewhere just because Bibles are open. In fact, the group can feel successful even if they take up all but five minutes telling jokes.
More Functional Purpose:
To study the Psalms and help one another grow in our abilities to praise God and to use our relationship with Him to handle the difficult times of life.
This purpose allows the group to measure whether or not it is getting somewhere or just going through the motions. It allows the group to realize that telling too many jokes is counter-productive, but that just understanding what a Bible passage says is not enough. Keeping in mind that Genesis Chapter 2 makes it clear that individual group members need each others' help to apply the passage and grow spiritually, the purpose stated as a result will generate needed encouragement and loving accountability.
FAMILY PICNIC
Inadequate Purpose:
To go on a picnic.
More Functional Purpose:
To go on a picnic and help each family member have fun.
This purpose automatically brings to mind expected behaviors that will enhance the time out of
doors.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP TEAM
Inadequate Purpose:
To run the church.
As long as the doors open on Sunday, this purpose will mistakenly seem to be met.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another as the leadership team of this church to run the church so that church members grow in their relationship with God, so that members love one another biblically more and more, and so that new believers make up 25% of our annual 5% growth in membership numbers.
This purpose will drive far more effective behavior in meetings and between meetings.
FAMILY
Inadequate Purpose:
To be a family.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another enjoy God and life and be all that God wants to to be (as individuals and as a family).
YOUTH GROUP
Inadequate Purpose:
To get together and have fun.
More Functional Purpose:
To get together and help one another have fun as well as grow in our faith.
NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS GROUP (NRG or Energy Group)
Inadequate Purpose:
To meet to see how we can help Joe get a job.
More Functional Purpose:
To help Joe until he has a stable job and adequately provides for his family.
USHERS GROUP
Inadequate Purpose:
To help people find a seat in the sanctuary.
More Functional Purpose:
To work together and help one another make anyone who comes to the church feel welcome and be seated in such a way that they anticipate something good will happen during the service.
MARRIAGE COUNSELING GROUP
Inadequate Purpose:
To improve our marriages.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another improve your marriages so that they are better than they have ever been and the marriages glorify God more than you ever thought possible.
WORKSHOP
Inadequate Purpose:
To learn about Christian community.
More Functional Purpose:
To help one another learn about Christian community and make at least one decision that will bring you into closer community within our church.
AD HOC PROBLEM-SOLVING COMMITTEE
Inadequate Purpose:
To discover why our church is not growing.
More Functional Purpose:
To work together to accurately discover why our church is not growing and come up with a reasonable plan for growth.
Next, we will discuss how very important it is that the leader not do for the group, team or family anything the individuals or the group as a whole can do. This will assure against hindering individual and group development.
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