Cluster Group...What's That?

Last year I read a book called The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, Eric Bramlett. It wast a very good book, I highly recommend to it to church leaders. After reading the book, I found that we already do a lot of the stuff in the book. This was a huge sigh of relief. Then I began to ponder the idea of going full steam with the Big Idea concept. Then I ran across a guest contributor to the book Hank Brooks of Coastal Community Church. I was overjoyed that he was in Virginia Beach as well.

I met with him and began to discuss the concept of the Big Idea. After some time he invited me to check out a cluster group for church planters. I couldn't have been more excited to accept such an invitation. Last week I went to the cluster group and thoroughly enjoyed it. For me it was an answer to prayer. I was already praying for some kind of coaching/mentorship. God used the Big Idea to lead me to this group.

I know your wondering, "What exactly is a cluster group?" I got the same question when I posted on Facebook that I was at a cluster group. Here's what the group is in a nutshell. It's a group of pastors, church planters and established churches, who come together once a month for teaching, lunch, accountability, idea sharing, and coaching. The teaching is based on the homework, a book, from the previous month.

In our first meeting we had the teaching and then we did introductions. Our homework is reading Effectiveness By The Numbers by William Hoyt. This has been an excellent read. I can't wait to discuss this book later this month. MAN!! This is a serious answer to prayer!!

The accountability consists of four questions:

How are you doing as a person?

How is your relationship with Jesus going?

How is your ministry going?

How is your marriage doing?

This is a closed, confidential group and what gets said there, stays there!! As a man, it can be hard to share this kind of things out fear of being seen as weak. The confidentiality is important.

Thank you Lord for this blessing in my life. You continue to give me what I need, when I need it!

As a leader in the church or marketplace, how are you doing in those four areas above? You don't have to share here but at least begin to think about these questions. Where do you look for mentorship/coaching and accountability in your life?