To be considered for small group leadership, one must be a member of Bethlehem or in the process of pursuing membership.

The military doesn’t hire generals; they promote lieutenants. The armed forces have picked up on a basic leadership truth: the wise prerequisite for giving someone more responsibility is to watch them walk in faithfulness with less (Luke 16:10, 19:17). Active and faithful participation in small group life at Bethlehem is the first step toward leadership. In love, humble yourself and take the low position of servanthood in your group, letting God reveal graces to be recognized by those around you for potential leadership (Luke 14:7–11).

This does not mean that if you aspire to leadership you should keep that secret. Tell leaders in your group of your aspirations and ask them to watch your life and give you feedback to help you grow as a Christian and servant. Tell the Pastor for Small Groups of your interest so he can be working alongside your leaders to help.

If you are not in a Bethlehem group but have aspirations to serve, we still hope to talk to you about the prospects of leadership. We want to know all who aspire so that we can discern together how the Lord may be leading you.

Our training for small group leaders at Bethlehem has three areas of focus: knowledge, experience, and relationship.

Knowledge helps aspiring leaders serve with wisdom and faithfulness in the work of discipleship. The Apostle Paul prayed for the believers in Philippi that their love would abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment so they could approve what is excellent (Philippians 1:9-11).

Knowledge is important for training, but completing a curriculum by itself does not mean someone can take that knowledge and translate it into discipling action; that comes through experience. On-the-job training is some of the most effective training as it provides an opportunity to practice what is being learned.

It is sometimes said that experience is the best teacher. There is truth to this, but it doesn’t quite go far enough. Experience isn’t the best teacher—evaluated experience is. The third ingredient for fruitful development is a relationship with a trusted leader who can model leadership, delegate responsibility, and offer constructive feedback.

So our practical approach to small group leader training at Bethlehem is a combination of these three things: instruction through a course we call the Lead Table, on-the-job training through involvement in a small group, and relational involvement on the part of small group leader(s) to offer helpful guidance.