Here’s How To Lead A Conquer Group Like A Champion Coach
How do I lead a Conquer Group well?
Master the fundamentals and insist your men do too. John Wooden won ten NCAA championships, and his first lesson every season was teaching players how to put on their socks and shoes so blisters never sidelined them. Leading a Conquer Group is the same. It is more than a weekly video. Push your men to finish the Study Guide each week and use the Conquer Journal daily.
Look around, and you will see that much of our nation is being impacted with the issue of sexual sin. Presently, there is danger lurking on the television, internet, and billboards along the highway.
Sadly, many fall to the temptation which not only damages an individual, but their marriage and their families. As a result, the time to do something is now.
Equipping The Church
Studies have found that most churches often feel ill-equipped to deal with the challenges that are arising as a result of our highly sexualized culture.
In fact, only about 7% of churches offer a ministry program to help individuals struggling with porn or sexual sin find freedom. But thanks to a powerful cinematic study, churches no longer have to wonder where to begin.
Countless churches around the world have helped men begin the healing process through the use of the Conquer Series.
Through the use of the Conquer Series, individuals learn why trying harder does not work. They gain knowledge of how the brain operates and the importance of renewing the mind. Activities throughout the Conquer Series will help them identify areas of pain that the enemy may have used to embed a lie in their belief system, and they will uncover the truths that will set them free.
Related Article: Identity Attacked: How Satan Authors Lies
For churches who choose to offer this life-changing program, it’s important that they understand that it’s more than merely offering a once-per-week DVD lesson. Leaders are going to have to encourage the men in the groups to complete the assignments in the Study Guides each week, and spend time daily in the Conquer Series Journal.
Related Article: How To Lead An Effective Conquer Series Group
John Wooden
James Craft, co-founder of the Novus Project, wrote an article for us to highlight the importance of having a strong Conquer Leader.
The great John Wooden won 10 National NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years and was rightly named Coach of the Century. Wooden led his team to the unbelievable winning streak of seven straight National Championships in college basketball. No other coach has matched this feat, and he stands today as one of the greatest leaders of all time. Coach Wooden had the privilege of mentoring some of the greatest players in basketball such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.
Related Article: How To Disciple Men Into Leaders
Many of his players have talked about their first encounter with Coach Wooden and have expressed the uniqueness of the first day of practice under his tutelage. All the players were asked to come into the locker room and Coach Wooden would ask them to circle around. At that point he would ask them to take their shoes and socks off. The first thing he would teach them was how to properly put on their socks and shoes so that they would not get any blisters while playing the game.
He would express to them that if they didn’t do this basic practice every day, they would end up with painful and debilitating blisters and sores during the game, and possibly have to sit out. If they were a valuable player, sitting out might cost the team the game or even a championship. So being preemptive and learning how to properly put on their socks and shoes would prevent his players from injury.
This simple yet priceless practice was the foundation of the many principles he taught each and every athlete who came into the UCLA basketball heritage.
What does John Wooden and the putting on of shoes and socks have to do with the Conquer Series?
Just as UCLA had the best basketball program in the U.S. for many years, the Conquer Series is the best resource available for helping men across our nation win the battle against porn addiction. Often leaders in churches will pick up great resources with the intention of introducing them into the life of their church community but hit road blocks with implementation.
Related Article: How To Lead An Effective Conquer Series Group
I can relate to this first hand being a pastor for over 20 years at churches with attendance from 200 up to 10,000. What made all the difference when introducing a new resource was knowing the foundational principles of implementation and the collaboration of trusted and proven leaders who had gone before me.
I have personally walked through the Conquer Series during a recovery season in my life, and have subsequently implemented Conquer groups in my own church and churches across the nation.
Related Article: 4 Awesome Ideas To Promote Your Conquer Group
Starting A Group
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Below are a few suggestions that we hope will help you get your Conquer Group off the ground.
1. Take Advantage
For both in-person and online groups, the Conquer Series is now available through digital streaming at SoulRefiner.com. Members who wish to join your group will simply need to sign up for the digital pass, which will provide them with everything they need to complete the course. They’ll get access to the weekly video, an interactive study guide, online journal, and other daily tools to help them be successful.
Through the Accountability Tracker feature, you can share your study guide responses, journal entries, and more with the entire group.
Group leaders will be able to track the percentage completed by each member weekly. They will see where they’re at on their daily FASTER Scale check-in tool and will know when they need to reach out to someone to offer additional encouragement, prayer, and support.
Members who are regularly checking-in will receive a private, personalized report should they relapse. This report referred to as a Crash Analysis can help them identify blind spots in their lives, which can help them to avoid them in the future.
2. Create A Plan
Put a plan of execution in place for your church. How do you want to promote the Conquer Series at your church?
Some churches have had the pastor announce it from the pulpit on a Sunday morning. Others chose to introduce the Conquer Series to the men of the church through a men’s breakfast or conference. And some hang up posters around the church, and have a registration table out front for men to sign up.
Related Article: 4 Awesome Ideas To Promote Your Conquer Group
Consider reaching out to other local Conquer Leaders to strategize with them. Ask them what has worked for them in the past. Talk to them about the challenges they’ve faced and how they overcame them.
Get creative on how you will run a Conquer Group. Yes, most are offered within a church or individuals’ home. But, we’ve heard stories of other groups taking place on a boat or around a campfire in the woods. Plus, with Soul Refiner, you now have the option to host groups online if you prefer to do so.
Related Article: Changing The Future Of Men's Small Groups
Give thoughtful prayer and consideration about who you will ask to co-lead the group. A co-leader is vital, as it ensures that the group can continue foraging forward – even in your absence.
3. Execute
Once you have a plan in place, the only thing left to do is to execute that plan.
In the first session, be sure to review the Memo of Understanding and Covenant to Contend documents. These will lay the groundwork for confidentiality and expectations while participating in the group. Emphasize that regular attendance is important for personal and group benefit.
Related Article: Are You Ready To Do Whatever It Takes To Find Freedom From Porn?
Ideally, groups of 5-8 men work best for discussion purposes. Large in-person groups can view the videos together and then may break down into smaller discussion groups. For online groups, members get the video released to them the week prior to the scheduled group meeting.
These men should watch the video in advance and plan to attend the meeting ready to discuss what they have learned. Encourage these men to reach out to one another periodically throughout the week for ongoing prayer, support, and accountability.
Finally, as a leader, have someone in your circle who will continue to uplift and encourage you on this journey.
To date, more than one million men have started their journey to freedom through the use of the Conquer Series. Are you ready to lead the men of your church and surrounding community like a champion coach?
Get started today at SoulRefiner.com.
Writing at the intersection of faith and neuroscience to help men and women break destructive cycles and walk in lasting freedom.
More articles by Jeremy Wiles →Frequently Asked Questions
How many men should be in a Conquer Group?
Groups of five to eight men work best for discussion. If your church draws a larger crowd, watch the video together and then break into smaller discussion groups so every man actually gets to talk. Size matters here because the video is only the doorway; the healing happens in the conversation afterward, and a man will not open up in a room of thirty.
How do I promote a Conquer Group at my church?
Put a plan of execution in place rather than hoping men show up. Some churches have the pastor announce it from the pulpit on a Sunday morning. Others introduce it at a men's breakfast or conference, hang posters around the building, and set up a registration table out front. Reach out to other Conquer Leaders nearby and ask what has worked for them.
What should we cover in the first session?
Review the Memo of Understanding and the Covenant to Contend before anything else. Those documents lay the groundwork for confidentiality and for what is expected of every man in the room, which is what makes honesty possible later. Emphasize that regular attendance matters for the man himself and for the group, and pray carefully about who will co-lead with you.
Can a Conquer Group meet online?
Yes. The Conquer Series is available through digital streaming at SoulRefiner.com, and members simply sign up for a digital pass that gives them the weekly video, an interactive study guide, an online journal and daily tools. For online groups the video is released the week before the meeting, so men watch in advance and arrive ready to discuss it.
How can a leader tell when a man is struggling between meetings?
Use the Accountability Tracker. Members can share study guide responses and journal entries with the group, and leaders can see the percentage each man has completed that week. You will also see where he is on his daily FASTER Scale check-in, so you know when to reach out with encouragement, prayer and support before a hard week becomes a fall.
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