You’ve got your co-leaders and you’ve got a topic. Now you need to recruit a core team. This is a group of returning Chi Alphans who are not life group leaders themselves but are going to commit to your life group and to helping it flourish.
You don’t need to be scrambling the first week of school trying to get someone who’s been involved in Chi Alpha for the last five quarters to come to your life group. You know who those people are – go get them now.
What are you inviting them to do? You are inviting them to commit to attend your life group. “But I don’t know my schedule yet!” Tell them, “That’s okay – I’m willing to plan around you. If you commit to me I’ll commit to you. I won’t pick a time you can’t attend.”
And then ask them to help you bring people to life group and help life group flourish. Invite them to begin praying for your life group now. Have them recruit their friends who are not in Chi Alpha (and, to be clear, not in Intervarsity or RUF or whatever) to come and be a part.
How do you find these people? Use a list and winnow it by prayer. Generate a list of people in Chi Alpha. Look through the Facebook group or the Groupme. Find a photo from last year and look over it. And then pray: Jesus spent a night in prayer before choosing his disciples. I’m not saying you gotta pray all night – I’m saying you can’t just throw up a five second “Help me Jesus” prayer. Actually go before the Father and ask Him, “Lord, raise up laborers for your harvest field. I need a team. Show me who they are.”
Finally, make the ask. Call them, Skype them, text them. Do whatever but do it 1-1 and make it as personal as possible. And ask, “Will you join the core team for my life group? I’m looking for a posse of like-minded people to help this life group thrive. I’m asking you to pray for the life group, to commit to come five minutes early every week, to be actively engaged in the conversation, and to help me recruit people into the life group. What do you say?”
And then wait for their answer. If they have questions, answer them. And then come to back to, “So, are you willing?”
Do this, and your life group will thrive.