Life Group Leadership Overview

Providence Life Groups exist to be warm communities, growing in the Bible, on God’s mission. Our vision for groups is that they’d be a place of radical hospitality for both guests and long-time members. In addition to being a relationally warm place, groups should also grow deep in the Bible. This means understanding and applying the Bible to life. Groups rally to be changed by God’s word. And one of the hallmarks of being changed by God’s word is a passion for God’s mission. God made us to make disciples, and groups help us accomplish this mission by serving our city and reaching the world. 

Does this vision excite you? Are you interested in joining us to make this vision a reality at Providence? If so, stepping into leading a Life Group might be right for you.

At Providence, we expect Life Group leaders to help disciple their group members, attend monthly trainings, build teams within their group, and mobilize their group for disciple-making. If you’re ready for these expectations, consider starting down the pathway to becoming a group leader.

First, becoming a Life Group leader requires having attended and engaged in a healthy Life Group. You can’t lead what you have not experienced personally.
Secondly, we offer a Life Group Leading class that takes place 2-3 times a year. After you engage with a healthy group, consider participating in our class to go deeper.
Next, if Life Group leading is still where God is leading you, consider submitting a Life Group leader application. Our groups ministry team will follow up with you to discuss next steps. 

Overall, God is calling Providence Church to make disciples. Wherever God is leading you to advance His kingdom at Providence, we’re ready to join you. 

Life Group Leading Class

3 Myths About Leading a Life Group

At Providence, we love making disciples by developing leaders. The following are three myths that we often encounter when challenging people to step up as leaders. Do any of these apply to you? Have you heard them yourself? 

Myth #1: “I need to have it all together.”

Truth: 1 Corinthians 15:10 – “By God’s grace I am what I am”

With his murderous, sinful past in view, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that it is by “God’s grace I am what I am.” 

What qualifies us to lead and make disciples is not what we bring to the table, but God’s grace that qualifies us. Now, this certainly does not mean the bar for leadership is low. The Bible shows us that leadership comes with higher expectations (1 Timothy 3, James 3). However, there is a difference between perfection, striving, and apathy. God is calling us to grace-filled, Spirit-empowered striving where we bring our best and entrust God with the rest.

In reality, leaders who are well aware of their insufficiencies make some of the best leaders because they recognize their deep need for Christ, the Gospel, and the power of the Holy Spirit. If you believe this myth, I encourage you to remember the power for leadership does not ultimately come from you but from a humble leaning on the Lord. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Myth #2: “I need to be a Bible expert.”

Truth: 1 John 2:20 – “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth”

This myth arises from hearts who desire authentic, Bible-saturated ministry. They know that true spiritual growth only arises from connecting people to God’s word (John 17:17). The disconnect, however, comes from their subtle belief that they must be the ones that must understand and be able to apply all of the Bible.

The truth is that we don’t need to be Bible experts. God’s very Spirit dwells in us, guiding us to share the right truth and helping us understand. This means that the Spirit is working much harder and much better than a group leader at connecting the heart of a group member to the Bible. As leaders, we can rest in the fact that God is going before us.

Again, this does not mean leaders should be okay with Bible illiteracy. We do all that we can to be effective, mature leaders. This means knowing our Bible well (2 Timothy 2:15). Our Bible knowledge, though, ought to foster an environment of collaborative learning. Where we collectively go to the Bible to understand truth. The opposite of this is where we go to a “master teacher” to tell us all things. Jesus has given us His spirit so we can enjoy direct access to God. The Spirit is the only Bible expert we need.

If you believe this myth, let me encourage you to rest in the sufficiency of the Spirit over your knowledge (or lack thereof) of the Bible. 

Myth #3: “I need to be an extrovert”

Truth: 1 Corinthians 12:7 – “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Life Group leading is shepherding. It is the art of meeting people where they are and walking with them toward growth in Christ. Ultimately, we’re unable to accomplish this work on our own. That is why God gives us gifts to make disciples. 1 Corinthians 12:7 shows us that God provides all that we need through His Spirit to encourage and build up others.

We do not need to be extroverts or introverts, ultimately. We don’t need to be great conversationalists or people persons. Being the king or queen of small talk is not a prerequisite to leadership. Instead, resting in and relying on God makes great leaders. We ought to be the most Christ-like version of ourselves as we lead.

Did God make you to be an introvert? Be the most Christ-like introvert. Did God create you with a knack for connecting with people? Be the most Christ-like version of yourself. Are you a details person? Be the most Christ-like details person you know!

God uses introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between to make disciples through groups. We need both kinds of people. If you’re inclined to believe this myth, let me encourage you to thank God for making you the way you are and placing you in Providence to lead as you are.