Lead a Weblog for Young Adult Leaders

Catalyst Conference 2008 is just around the corner—October 8-10 in Atlanta. Threads is one of the partners for this year’s event, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. The folks at Catalyst have put together a great program with an extensive list of next generation church leaders and visionaries. Jason Hayes, Threads’ Young Adult Ministry Specialist, recently interviewed Ben Arment, the Experience and Innovation Director at Catalyst. Here’s what Ben had to say about the Catalyst Conference. Hopefully we’ll see you in Atlanta!

A couple of Sundays ago, my church launched a new campus. By all accounts, it was a rousing success. God showed up, inhabited something clearly imperfect and flawed in its planning, and breathed on us. In many respects, it was the end of a six-month sprint to the finish. In many respects, it is the beginning of a long, sweaty marathon where an entirely new body of believers comes together in the name of Christ.

One of the first questions you will answer as your group begins to meet is why the group exists. This is a great conversation to have because you’ll discover the expectations people have as they describe why they need a group. As a leader, you can reinforce their expectations or even redirect their expectations when appropriate, so that your group starts with a common understanding of why the group exists.

The difference between a small group and a Bible study is what happens after the group meeting ends. As a leader, your responsibilities don’t end when the group meeting is over. What’s left to do?