10/06/16
Leader Spotlight! Glenda Thompson of Unity of Arlington, TX
"Secretly, I call SpiritGroups my 'laboratory for life.'" - Glenda Thompson, SpiritGroups Program Leader, Unity of Arlington, TX.
You may recognize the name from the creation of THE GLENDA AWARD this year at the 1st Annual SpiritGroups Leadership Summit held in June. The award was named after Glenda Thompson, SpiritGroups Program Leader at Unity of Arlington, Texas because she was the first SpiritGroups Program Leader to engage more than 50% of her congregation into their small groups program.
Glenda and her husband, Truman came to Unity of Arlington, in Texas, in 1998. They were looking for a spiritual home that spoke to their hearts and provided practical help in their lives.
After a change in church leadership, burnout and frustration sent them seeking elsewhere, and they landed at their son’s church. That’s where they had their first small group experience in what were called “Growth Groups.” They were blown away by the experience and, in particular, the wonderful structure of the program.
They decided to go back to Unity and bring this wisdom with them. At the time, there was resistance. At that time, their Spiritual Leader had left for another position and Mendhi Audlin, founder of the SpiritGroups program, came to speak.
Guess what she spoke about? The five Spiritual Disciplines and small groups! Much to Glenda's amazement, the leadership of her church was now on board!
So, off Glenda went to Austin to the first Program Leader Train the Trainer program! Without a minister but with the current leadership’s full support, it was full speed ahead...
Glenda and Truman soon had more than half of the congregation signed up for groups. New hosts were trained, and a ministry "in transition" found a powerful way to stay deeply connected through the process of hiring a new minister.
When asked to share tips she has learned since her initial launch in December of 2014, Glenda shared these nuggets of wisdom:
- Support your leaders and hold them accountable. Saying "no" can be very important for everyone’s learning.
- Marketing, Marketing, Marketing! Keep your small group presence visible in your ministry and go all out with every season launch.
- Never launch your program in December. ☺
- Service by the groups is a crucial component of the program. The Spiritual Discipline of Community is a non-negotiable aspect of leading a SpiritGroup.
- Computer issues are usually User Error. Be patient and recognize your own growing edge.
- Strong, supported Hosts/Leaders are key. Develop a sense of teamwork within your host/leadership team by offering ongoing trainings (making them fun as well as informative!) and inviting them to YOUR home for connection time, sharing and support.
- Connection with others in "the field" (the SpiritGroups leadership community) is imperative! Stay connected with the SpiritGroup community and stay inspired and informed with what is happening with other SpiritGroup ministries in the field.
- The support of a minister can make an enormous impact on the small groups program. When in transition, question candidates about their understanding of and openness to small group ministry.