Frequently Asked Questions

Have a party and celebrate the time you have shared together as a small group. Affirm those that leave and assure them of your prayers. Invite them to return to the group at any time. Schedule your next meeting with those that will be continuing, decide on the study that you will do next, and move on ahead. It is also recommended that you know about other small groups (men's, women's, singles, seniors, etc.) so that you can immedietly give recomendations.

First, make childcare a top priority in order to make it happen. If there are people who can't afford childcare, others should step up to help out. Another thing is that you want to rally together. You might be able to get a sitter to watch the kids in one part of the house while the group meets in another room. If there's a home nearby, one person can watch the kids there while the group meets in another house. You may even try to rotate people out of the group to take care of the children. Please be sure to provide a responsible and qualified adult to watch children.

This is a process where your group members can help and do small tasks and functions of your small group. Based on their giftedness, rotate leadership and have members lead a sub group. They can host when you are out of town and then they can be released to do their own group should they choose. Encourage your small group members to attend New Beginnings Small Group Training so they can more effectively develop as hosts.

Yes, we do. We find it very beneficial to have both the husband and wife lead in couples small groups. Each one brings different gifts to the leadership position. They each fill in and compliment the other.

Yes we do. God has anointed men, women, and children to share His love and salvation with others. We have women leading groups based on the biblical principle that the Pastors have given them the authority, so they are under the covering of that authority to lead that group.

The short answer is yes, we recommend once a week as the ideal frequency for a small group to meet. But, we also acknowledge that groups that meet every other week or monthly can still be effective as long as they use other mediums to provide ongoing care, nurturing and leadership development of the group.

We would suggest, that if a person is asking that question that they may want to lead a seekers group that would be targeted for people that may want to know more about Christ or are open to asking questions or to express doubts, so that there can be a positive open forum. But one of the most effective ways we have found is for someone to emphasize missions and evangelism in the small groups. This would help give a voice to that very need of bringing seekers to your group. Also we found that although a group may be doing a study, a seeker can also gain benefit just from the relationships and being around other believers in a group.

This starts with the vision, mission and strategy of your group being very clear to you and to the members of your group. New Beginnings' Small Group Vision and Mission Statements help small groups understand why their group exists: 1) Vision: "To see every person, from the core of our church to the ever-growing community, connected in a healthy small group." 2) Mission: "To help spiritual seekers become transformed believers who model Christs' example and motivate others to do the same." It is also very important to lead your group members through the stages of leadership development by helping people to discover roles and responsibilities, to the solidification of formal roles and apprentices being brought up and finding their purpose through subgrouping. Subgrouping allows your group to grow larger while maintaining a good leader to member ratio.

This is where connecting with your Small Group Pastor, Vasiliy Yarosh, vyarosh@newbeginningslive.com is important. Your pastor will be able to help you diagnose what is happening and recommend changes or training that could help you as a leader, and help your members as well. A common vision and mission and agreement on how your small group is to function is required for success as a continuing small group. If different people in your small group have different needs, or ideas, than what your small group is doing, it may be time for them to move on and find a group that will meet their needs. There also may be value in you taking a break from the group or go to other groups. Again, it is through relationship with your Small Group Pastor that you can be coached into seeing what is right for your group.

The answer to this question is contained in your answer to how much time you have to do ministry effectively? We have found that people do one primary and one secondary group or ministry the best. Life stage and family responsibilities will help to determine how many ministries you can do, i.e. an empty nester will have more time to devote to a ministry than a young family with multiple children. We encourage small group leaders to be sure they are involved in a small group or ministry where THEY are being fed spiritually. It is only out of the overflow of what God is doing in your life that you will have the stamina and heart to serve others.

Yes, we have found over time that people do move from one group to another. And that's ok.  It is important that you let people have the ability and the flexibility to move to another group. It's important that the leaders understand that meeting the members' needs is the primary concern, even if it means they find another group. We encourage leaders to remember that not all people grow at the same rate, or have the same needs over time. It is healthy for people to seek a group that meets their needs at the time.

A typical small group meeting is one and a half to two hours. However, it is unique for each group, depending on the type of group, and should be worked out by agreement of the group members in the process of developing the small group agreement that covers what will be done and how it will be done in your small group.

This is up to the group host and why the host is so important. The host is able to determine what they need to be doing. We suggest that the leader take a weekly snapshot to see that health and balance is brought into the group over time. You may want to open the group with a prayer, continue with an introduction time (10 minutes), begin the CD, DVD, or book series (30 minutes), have a discussion time (20 minutes), and conclude with snacks and social time (15 minutes).  But again, the time frame is up to the Host as he or she determines what works best for the group. A small group usually meets for a bout 11/2 to 2 hours.

We ask you to update your group information by contacting our Small Group Pastor, Vasiliy Yarosh at www.vyarosh@newbeginningslive.com or calling 503-256-6050 so he can support you with additional members or resources as you need them.

That is totally up to the Host and to the group. The point is to seek God prayerfully about who to invite. Hundreds of lives have been changed because groups have welcomed their unbelieving neighbors, coworkers, friends and family into their groups. Your group can too!

Yes! If you live out of the area we would still love to support you as a Host. We presently have small groups throughout Oregon and Washington. Since it is unlikely that we will be able to provide you with a list of potential group members, we would encourage you to pray about which neighbors, friends, coworkers and family members you could invite to join you.

Sure, all you have to do is say you are full or you can subgroup into smaller groups in several areas in the house. Subgrouping can actually be more fun for everyone, but it's really up to you.

People connect in new small groups consisting of 6 to 16 people who provide love, support, friendship, connection and spiritual strength. The format is an informal and comfortable 1½-2 hour gathering at the home of a Host for one semester (about 3 months). Participants are comprised of people from our church, as well as friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers who are invited to join in the adventure. Most groups are guided through the study series using DVD programs and study guides.

It's easy. Go to www.newbeginningslive.com and click on Find a Small Group for a list of all Small Groups. When you find a group that looks promising, call or email the host.  You should contact the host to learn more about the group and arrange to visit a group meeting. Please feel free to try more than one group. With several New Beginnings Small Groups to select from, there is one for you!

In its simplest form, a small group is defined as a "Small Group Bible Study". A small group is a subset of the church body that meets at various times. Small groups meet in non-church locations such as homes, restaurants, coffee shops, businesses or any location that is convenient for the attendees. They meet morning, noon or night, any day of the week. This follows the pattern of the early church in Acts 5:42 "Day after day, in the temple courts (weekend celebration) and from house to house (small group fellowships), they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. [NIV].