Commissioning New Leaders and Multiplying Groups

Hi leaders,

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been walking through a simple leadership pipeline for our groups:

• Email 1 – Vision and Simple PipelineRead it here
• Email 2 – Spotting Potential LeadersRead it here
• Email 3 – Shadowing and Micro-RepsRead it here
• Email 4 – Coaching Conversations that Build ConfidenceRead it here
• Email 5 – Handing Off the Meeting (with Safety Nets)Read it here

Today is our final email in this series on commissioning new leaders and multiplying groups.

Think about a family for a moment. If kids grow up but never leave home—never take responsibility, never mature, never step into their own identity—you wouldn’t call that a healthy family. At some point, healthy growth means they take on responsibility, step into adulthood, and start leading in their own homes.

Groups work the same way.

If everyone stays dependent on the same leader forever, the group may feel safe—but it isn’t growing. Healthy groups raise up new leaders, celebrate them, and release them so more people can find community, discipleship, and support. Multiplying leadership isn’t losing something—it’s making room for more people to encounter Jesus.

Commissioning new leaders is emotional, but it’s also a sign of health.

Your group has built deep relationships. You’ve laughed, prayed, walked through hard things, and formed real community. So yes—letting people step out and lead is bittersweet. But when you release a new leader, you’re recognizing what God is already doing in them and sending them out with support, not stepping back.

So mark the moment. Celebrate it. Make it meaningful.

In this next season, here are simple ways to celebrate and support emerging leaders:

• Pray over your emerging leader during group.
• Share the story.
• Pair them with a coach

Action steps this week:

• If you have an emerging leader lets work together to choose a commissioning date where your group can send them out (FYI the 1st of the year is a great time 😉 )
• Introduce your new leader to me so we can support them well.
• If a new group is forming, identify 1–2 people who can go with them to help seed the group.

Multiplication keeps our groups healthy, our leaders growing, and our church reaching new people. Thank you for investing in others, releasing responsibility, and multiplying what God has placed inside of you.

—Nathan

p.s. If you know of people in your group who might need assistance this Christmas season, please let me know. We have some very generous people who are willing to help assist people in our church this year for Christmas.