Starting the Year Right: Setting Goals for Your Group and Personal Life
As we step into a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re headed. For small group leaders, this season offers a chance to set new goals, both for your group and your personal spiritual journey. Here’s how you can start the year right and make meaningful progress together.
Goal Setting for Your Group
Reflect on Last Year: Begin by looking back at the previous year. What worked well? What challenges did you face? Take note of the highs and lows to better understand where to focus your efforts.
Set Clear Objectives: Establish specific, measurable goals for your group. This could include increasing attendance, fostering deeper relationships, or embarking on a new service project.
Encourage Participation: Involve group members in the goal-setting process. This creates a sense of ownership and commitment to the goals.
Plan Activities and Studies: Outline a plan for the year with Bible studies, social gatherings, and outreach activities. Having a structured plan can keep your group engaged and growing.
Pray Together: Cover your goals and plans in prayer, seeking God’s guidance and blessing on your efforts.
Personal Goals for Spiritual Growth
Daily Devotions: Commit to a daily time of prayer and Bible reading. This personal time with God is foundational to your spiritual health.
Accountability: Find a trusted friend or fellow leader to share your goals with and hold each other accountable.
Serve Others: Look for ways to serve both within and outside your small group. Serving is a powerful way to grow in Christlikeness.
Continue Learning: Invest in your own growth by reading Christian books, attending workshops, or listening to sermons and podcasts.
To ground our goals in Scripture, let’s look at Proverbs 16:3:
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." - Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
As we journey through life, we often find ourselves setting goals, making plans, and striving to achieve them. It's natural to want to map out our future and work towards our aspirations. However, as Christians, we are called to a higher way of planning and decision-making—one that involves placing our trust in God.
Proverbs 16:3 reminds us of the importance of committing our endeavors to the Lord. This verse speaks to the essence of surrender and trust. It encourages us to not just seek God's blessing on our plans but to fully entrust our plans to Him. When we align our goals with God's will and seek His guidance, we can be assured that He will establish our steps.
Commit to the Lord: Committing our plans to God means more than just a quick prayer before we start something new. It requires that we:
Surrender: The Hebrew word for "commit" is "galal," which means to roll or to roll away. it suggests a deliberate action of transferring one's burdens, plans, or works onto the Lord. This act of commitment is not passive but requires an active decision to trust God with the outcomes of our endeavors. Historically, this reflects the ancient practice of rolling heavy burdens onto beasts of burden, symbolizing the transfer of weight and responsibility. Spiritually, it calls believers to a deep trust in God's sovereignty and faithfulness. (Berean Study Bible)
Trust: Believe that God knows what is best for you, even when things don't the way you expected.
Obey: Be willing to follow God's direction, even when it leads you down an unfamiliar or challenging path. Don’t run from difficulty, embrace what God Led you to do and push forward.
Establish Your Plans: When we commit our plans to the Lord, we can trust that He will establish them. This doesn't mean that everything will be easy or that we will always get what we want. Rather, it means that God will guide us, provide for us, and use our efforts for His glory. It means our plans will be rooted in His purpose and will bear fruit in His timing.
Pray: Begin each day by dedicating your tasks and goals to God. Ask for His wisdom and guidance.
Seek His Word: Let Scripture shape your decisions and plans. Spend time in the Bible to understand God's principles and promises.
Be Open: Be willing to adjust your plans according to God's leading. Sometimes, God may close a door to open a better one.
May this new year be a time of growth, unity, and deepening faith for you and your small group. Let’s embark on this journey with a heart full of hope and expectation, trusting that God will do amazing things in and through us.