At a recent meeting of small-group leaders, I shared my goal of having thirty small groups in our church within the next three years. From their incredulous stares you would have thought I said three hundred groups.

In fact, one of the leaders asked, "What's so great about multiplying our groups?"

I can think of three good reasons a healthy small group ought to multiply.

1. Multiplication helps a small group maintain its outward focus so that it does not become ingrown, introspective, or authoritarian.

2. Multiplication provides regular opportunities for more people to enjoy the benefits of a small-group experience.

3. Multiplication provides an opportunity for others to lead. Developing new leadership is one of the most important discipling tasks of small groups.

One way to accomplish this is through recruiting potential small-group leaders from existing small groups and training them within those groups.

The Recruiting Process

At our church we use three steps in the recruitment process. First, each small-group leader explains the three-fold purpose of small groups at the first meeting: intimacy, spiritual growth, and multiplication.

From the outset group members know that one of their jobs is to produce a new leader for the following year. This awareness leads naturally into the second step of recruitment—rotating leadership within the group. After groups have met together at least six times, group leaders identify those who might be capable of becoming small-group leaders. Members are less threatened by this invitation when they have already committed themselves to the goal of group multiplication.

The last step is making the final selection of new small-group leaders. One leader told me, "Nearly everyone in our group volunteered to lead a session. How do I narrow it down to one apprentice?" My response: Know what makes a good small-group leader and select someone on that basis. A good small-group leader should be:

•Teachable. Teachability is demonstrated in the way a person relates to authority. Does he have a submissive spirit toward church leaders? Is he supportive of the ministries of other Christians in the Body? Does he allow others to share insights from God's Word?

•Relational. Potential leaders show relational warmth that will set the tone for group intimacy. They have good relationships with a variety of people.

The most effective small-group leader has a shepherd's heart that keeps him in tune with what people are feeling. This is often the catalyst for expressing mutual care of one another.

•Spiritual. A group leader must be an example of godliness to others. Paul told young Timothy to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Tim. 4:12). Timothy's list is a good starting point for evaluating a potential group leader's spiritual maturity.

Recruiting the right leaders is essential for the ongoing multiplication of your small-group ministry. That search is easier when you have a plan for recruitment and a profile of the type of leader you want to recruit.

Gary D. Preston is an associate pastor of adult ministries and small groups at Foothills Bible Church, Littleton, Colorado. He and his wife, Suzanne, have two boys.