Group Leader Development Pipeline

✨ Goal: A repeatable process to identify, equip, and launch new Community Group leaders.

The Pipeline

1. Spot (Identify potential): Pastoral team + current leaders identify potential leaders during Stay Here, group participation, and serving rhythms
   • What you’re looking for (from the leader-dev series): Faithful / Fruitful / Teachable
   • Quick action: identify 1–2 names per group per quarter and affirm them specifically
2. Invite (Call them up): Conversation — “Have you ever considered leading a group?”
   • Goal: move from “helpful person” to “developing leader” with a clear next step
   • Next step options:
     • “Shadow me for one part next week”
     • “Take one micro‑responsibility next meeting”
3. Equip (Give reps + coaching): Move from watching → doing with low-stakes reps that compound
   • Use micro‑responsibilities (weekly, bite-sized):
     • Welcome newcomers + follow up during the week
     • Read Scripture + ask the first observation question
     • Lead the closing prayer
     • Facilitate a 5‑minute icebreaker
     • Organize prayer requests + send them out
   • After each rep: quick coaching using Celebrate → Reflect → Calibrate
4. Hand Off (Apprentice lead nights): Developing leader leads a full meeting with safety nets
   • Before: plan the flow, clarify the big idea, set timing
   • During: you host the room; they lead the content; you step in only if needed
   • After: celebrate strengths, one growth area, set the next rep
5. Commission (Release with support): Mark the moment and give real covering
   • Pray over them in group; share the story; pair them with a coach
   • Identify 1–2 people who will “seed” the new group with them (so they don’t launch alone)
6. Multiply (Split and keep it healthy): When group hits 15+, plan the split and launch intentionally
   • Goal: multiplication that feels like mission, not loss
   • Keep a simple “split plan”: date, new leader, host plan, who is going, coaching plan

Training Cohort Curriculum

• Week 1: Theology of discipleship + why groups matter at COTG
• Week 2: Hosting + facilitating discussion
• Week 3: Pastoral care basics + when to escalate
• Week 4: Multiplication mindset + launching well

Practical Tools (from the leader development articles)

Spotting potential leaders (Faithful / Fruitful / Teachable)

• Faithful: shows up, follows through, serves without prompting
• Fruitful: people open up around them; they create safety and connection
• Teachable: receives feedback, asks questions, keeps growing

Micro‑responsibilities menu (weekly reps)

• Welcome + follow-up, Scripture reading + first question, closing prayer, icebreaker, prayer-request coordinator

3-step coaching framework (10 minutes)

1. Celebrate: “I loved how you…”
2. Reflect: “What felt natural? What felt awkward?”
3. Calibrate: “One tweak for next time is…”

Full-meeting handoff checklist

• Plan flow + big idea + timing
• You host the room; they lead the content
• Debrief same day if possible; schedule the next rep

Commissioning moment

• Pray, affirm, tell the story, and connect them to a coach for their first season

Owners

• Pipeline: Discipleship Pastor
• Training cohort: Discipleship Pastor + 1 senior group leader
• Apprentice pairing: Coordinated by Discipleship Pastor

Quarterly Rhythm

• New cohort starts Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4
• Apprentice phase begins immediately after cohort
• Launch new groups at start of next semester

A simple 12-week rollout (repeatable)

• Weeks 1–2: Spot + invite (identify 1–2 people per group; start micro‑reps)
• Weeks 3–8: Micro‑reps + coaching (weekly reps + Celebrate/Reflect/Calibrate)
• Weeks 9–10: Hand off a full meeting (1–2 full nights)
• Weeks 11–12: Commission + make the split plan (coach assignment, seed team, target launch date)

Scoreboard (keep it simple)

• # of potential leaders identified this quarter
• # of micro‑reps completed
• # of full meeting handoffs completed
• # of leaders commissioned
• # of new groups launched / splits planned