Sell Your Small Group

Creating and Casting the Vision for Your Small Group

“Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” (Luke 14:23; NIV)

What Are You Selling?

When I say sell your CG, that might sound unspiritual or even manipulative. You might think of an aggressive and annoying salesman trying to make you buy something you don’t need.

Don’t be that guy, but CGL are salesmen.

Stop and think of something that you use regularly or a place that you go to frequently: things and places that make your life better. Aren’t you glad that somebody took the time and effort to develop a strategy to connect you with their product? At the heart of every good company is the desire to make other people’s lives better.

As a CGL, you have a product. How you market that product matters.

How do you describe CG to somebody new? Do you share about CG in a way that makes them excited to join, or do you make it sound like just another boring Bible study?

What are your feelings when you invite new people? Do you believe in what you’re selling? Do you believe that CG would make their life better? Or do you feel guilty for taking their time?

When you feel like that annoying salesman, you must remember that what you’re selling has the potential to change lives. How can you effectively communicate that to people that are noncommittal and don’t believe you? That’s the skill of a good salesman.

Why Are You Selling It?

The higher we go in leadership, the more insecurities we discover. We doubt ourselves and our ability to make an impact in others’ lives.

To stay focused on what God is calling us to do, we must remember why. Why do we do what we do?

It’s not about building a fun community; it’s not about having deep talks about God; it’s not about sharing our great wisdom with others.

It’s all about the glory of God.

We lead CG because we believe that it glorifies God.

We lead CG because CG has changed our lives, and we believe God can use CG to change the lives of others.

A good salesman draws from their own experiences; nothing sells better than a good testimony. That’s why we need to learn how to share our experiences with others.

How has God used CG to change your life? What if you only have one minute to share? Can you effectively tell your story in a way that captures people’s attention and makes them want to join?

The good news is that if you’re not great at telling your story now, it’s a skill that you can practice. The more you share, the better and more confident you will become.

We are CGL because we believe in the power of CG. We’ve experienced it. Let’s learn how to communicate that with others.

Call to Commitment

You’ve done the hard work; you’ve gone out to the “roads and country lanes” to find people; you’ve crafted your testimony; you’ve expertly explained the vision of CG, but this next part is crucial.

Don’t let your hard work be wasted; don’t back down now. Stand up and boldly call them into commitment.

Jesus demanded extreme commitment from his CG. Some left because it was too much, but the ones who stayed changed the world.

People will remain half-committed as long as you let them. Don’t let them. Fight for them. Hold them accountable. Compel them to commit. The group needs them.

It’s better to have five with fire in their eyes than a crowd of spectators.

High commitment — high impact.

Low commitment — low impact.