January 30, 2025

92| Parish Transformation Story: Small Groups

42 minutes

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In this episode of the Rebuilt Podcast, Father Roger Gustafson and Dawn Stearns share their experiences in revitalizing St. Hilary through the implementation of small groups. They discuss the journey of prioritizing small groups, the initial community engagement, the formation of a leadership team, and the training of small group leaders.

The conversation highlights the growth and impact of small groups on parishioners' lives, transformational stories, challenges faced during implementation, and the importance of measuring success. They conclude with valuable advice for parishes looking to start their own small group ministries.

Takeaways

Small groups are essential for church growth and health.

Community engagement was previously limited to large events.

A leadership team is crucial for successful small group implementation.

Training and equipping leaders is key to small group success.

Small groups have transformed the parish community.

Personal connections have been strengthened through small groups.

Measuring success involves both qualitative and quantitative data.

Overcoming indifference is a significant challenge.

Flexibility in group participation is important for retention.

Creating a welcoming environment encourages participation.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Small Groups at St. Hilary

02:51 - The Journey to Prioritizing Small Groups

06:02 - Initial Community Engagement and Resistance

09:01 - Building a Leadership Team for Small Groups

11:54 - Training and Equipping Small Group Leaders

14:54 - Growth and Impact of Small Groups

17:49 - Transformational Stories from Small Groups

20:50 - Challenges in Implementing Small Groups

24:08 - Measuring Success in Small Group Ministry

26:55 - Advice for Starting Small Groups

30:02 - Conclusion and Future Goals

Keywords

small groups, parish growth, community engagement, church leadership, faith transformation, discipleship, church revitalization, St. Hilary, leadership team, training

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