"W" #7: Branching Out

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

The previous post in this series was all about the exponential benefits of leaders who reproduce themselves. The reality is that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of groups just waiting to be formed. All we need are leaders who are willing to step up and take the lead. In fact, I have a theory that many of our groups are full of would-be-leaders who just need a word of affirmation, or a gentle kick in the pants, to stand up and take a step toward leading a group of their own. Leaders reproducing leaders, therefore, is a win that leads to another win, and that’s when these new leaders branch out to form a group of their own.

You know, I first started talking about the concept of branching out about three years ago, mostly to the response of blank stares or angry emails. My own group was ready to excommunicate me when I suggested it to them a while back. It doesn’t matter how I try to verbalize it, most people interpret this concept as splitting the group (which usually carries negative implications with it). The reality is, however, that branching out is a very positive, natural and healthy course for groups to take over a period of time, and it’s a big win for our groups. There are a couple of reasons for this, and I’ll share them with you right now.

First of all, branching out is a great way to keep an open chair for new friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to join the fellowship. The “open chair” is something that we’ll talk about more in the future, but the simple concept behind this is that groups should always have a season where they can expand by adding new members. Branching out allows that to happen as it will ultimately create new open chairs.

Secondly, branching out helps groups avoid becoming stagnant in their life together. One of the dangers with any group that remains the same closed group of friends over prolonged periods of times is that can become ingrown. Francis Chan said in his book, Crazy Love, “A friend of mine once said that Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly.” Branching out is just a way that we hope to see groups naturally spread out, helping others grow, and avoiding the tendency of stinky, stagnant ingrowth.

So what happens when a group branches out? Simply put, one group becomes two. Inevitably, someone responds by saying, “But aren’t you just splitting this group up? Why would you do that? Don’t you have a soul?” Believe me, I completely resonate with that line of thinking. The reality is, however, this doesn’t have to be a damaging thing and, as our group has discovered over time, it usually ends up happening on its own, anyway. What we see as a real win, however, is when a leader reproduces themselves in the form of an apprentice (or co-facilitator), and when that new leader naturally steps out to form their very own group. It’s natural (not forced), healthy, and something you can celebrate together as a group. It creates new open chairs in your group, and it keeps your group from stinking. All of these are reasons why branching out as a group is a big win all around.