Today is another guest post by Derek Irvin.   Derek is the Small Group Pastor at Northview Christian Life Church in Carmel, Indiana.  They are a church of about 3300with roughly 200 small groups.  Derek is a brilliant strategist and has a great ability to intuitively see how things fit together.  I have a ton of respect for him as a leader and think all of you should know who he is.  Today he’s writing about a group he’d like to form of small group pastors from around the country.  If you’re interested in talking to Derek about being a part of this group, contact him.  At the very least, you might think about starting a networking group like this yourself.

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I am all for creating original ideas ….they just don’t have to originate with me.  I often find the most significant ideas I have gained over the years have not come from a conference or a book, but from sharing ideas with peers. Learning what is and is not working in other church’s Small Group ministries has been invaluable to me over the years.

Therefore, I would like to put together a group of like-minded Small Group point leaders who are working in a similar environment to connect on-line once a month to share ideas.

General Overview

• Monthly meetings – 1 1/2 hours once a month (Web based)
• Networking group formally meets for 18 months
• Limit size of group to 10 churches

This network is for pastors who are in similar circumstances, so the preference is that group members meet the following profile:

• Church of 2000 or more
• Seventy-five small groups or more
• Church is pursuing “church of small groups” model
• Desire to be an active participant in sharing ideas and experiences

Purpose

• Share ideas & best practices
• Encourage & Support each other

Format

• Web based – video-conference tool such as WebEx
• Each month will focus in on a particular topic (ie. Training, Curriculum, Group Health, etc.)
• Possibly include special guest speakers in areas of expertise as a part of the call, including Q & A
• Membership fee of $120 for 18 months to cover the cost of connection tools

For more information, contact me at derek.irvin@northviewchurch.us

(www.northviewchurch.us)