Last week, we talked about the Big Challenge: the reality that without a faith of their own, many kids will walk away from the church after high school. We also introduced the Small Solution: Lead Small. It’s our strategy to invest strategically in the lives of a few over time to help them build an authentic faith. 

Today, we are diving into the very first principle of the Lead Small playbook: Be Present. 

Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to unpack exactly what it means to be present. But today, we are starting with the most foundational piece: Show Up Predictably. 

To understand why consistency matters so much, I want to share a story about a guy who changed the trajectory of my own life. 

It was about seventeen years ago that I met Travis Chavez. At the time, Travis was a young Student Ministry intern at my church. When I think of the people who impacted me the most, Travis is at the top of my list. As great as he was as an intern, that’s not what impacted me the most. Once I got to junior high, he became my small group leader. 

You know what’s interesting? I don’t necessarily remember anything that he taught me. I can’t remember any of his messages. I don’t recall much of the conversations we had in small group. Now, I am sure he spent a lot of time on those; but they’re not what I remember. 

Here is what I do remember: 

• I remember playing soccer or basketball every Wednesday night before groups. 

• I remember the random Tuesday afternoon when he got me from school and took me to get Starbucks. 

• I remember being in the middle of prayer when his massive dog Finny ran into the living room and threw up several pairs of socks. 

• I remember when I had a solo performance at a choir concert and he showed up to support me. 

• I remember when I really got into movies in junior high, and he would always reach out to see what my take was on the latest release. 

I can think of three or four pivotal spiritual moments in my young life, and just about every time, Trav was there. If he wasn’t responsible for the moment, he was there encouraging me and praying for me. I don’t remember many of his words, but I’ll never forget his presence in my life. I am who I am today because he consistently showed up in my life, week after week, during a time that I most needed it. He changed my life. But it wasn’t his words, his training, or any event he organized. It was his presence…that simple. 

This brings us to a massive realization: Influence is built on a foundation of presence. 

I believe that your very first, basic, fundamental task as a small group leader is to show up predictably, which for most of us means weekly. 

Why do we push so hard for our SGL’s to serve with a weekly mindset? It isn’t because we are trying to fill a spreadsheet or manage a roster. It is because you cannot lead a small group or build community without trust. The first step to gaining the trust of your few is making sure they know you will show up predictably. 

Every single week you show up, you are making a deposit into a kid’s trust bank. You are proving that you aren’t a casual observer; you are a committed leader. For an elementary schooler, that weekly predictability might simply mean you become the person who remembers the name of their goldfish. It means you are the someone who knows their name, and what’s happening in their life. 

When we ask you to serve weekly, we are asking you to step into the long game of life change. Don’t underestimate the power of your presence when you show up week after week.  

Someone you least expect may never be the same because of it.