How to Care for Your Growth Group Leader
By Josh Smith
We usually think about Growth Group as a place we go to be cared for—and that’s good and right. It’s where we are prayed for, listened to, challenged, and encouraged. But have you ever asked, Who cares for the person who’s caring for me?
Growth Group leaders aren’t super-Christians. They’re regular church members like you who said yes to leading—not because they have it all together, but because they love Jesus, love people, and want to help others follow Him. That’s why, especially in a month where we reflect on love, it’s worth asking: How can I love my Growth Group leader well?
The Burden of Love
The apostle Paul says something striking in 2 Corinthians 11. After listing off all the beatings, shipwrecks, and dangers he endured, he ends with this:
“Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.” (v. 28)
Spiritual leadership comes with daily pressure. It comes with an emotional, mental, and spiritual load that can’t always be seen.
Let me be clear. Your Growth Group leaders feel that weight. They pray for you and prepare to lead the sermon study. They rehearse thoughtful questions, clean their homes, and text reminders every week. Not to mention other things, there is this daily pressure: they wonder how you’re really doing—even when you say, “I’m fine.”
While they don’t expect perfection, it stings when members cancel at the last minute, show up disengaged, or slowly disappear. It can feel like the love they’re giving isn’t returned.
But it can be.
Five Ways to Love Your Leader
Here are five ways you can love your Growth Group leader this month:
1. Show Up Like It Matters.
Love endures all things.
Your consistent attendance each week says, “This matters to me.” If you must miss, communicate early and kindly. Leaders don’t need perfection—but they do need people who show up.
2. Take Ownership.
Love is not arrogant.
In your Growth Group, there are at least four shared roles you can take ownership of:
- Weekly Greeter – creates a welcoming atmosphere when people arrive.
- Prayer Warrior – keeps a prayer list and follows up.
- Party Planner – organizes your group’s monthly party.
- Service Organizer – helps coordinate your service quarterly.
Take one of these off your leader’s plate. It’s not just helpful—it displays a loving servant’s heart.
3. Practice Hospitality.
Love is kind.
Hospitality isn’t just about hosting. It’s the habit of making others feel welcomed and cared for. Bring snacks. Invite a new member out for coffee or over for breakfast. Ask how your leader is doing—and listen. To be hospitable is to be invitational.
4. Encourage Their Faith.
Love is not boastful.
When you tell your leader how God is growing you—or how their words encouraged you—you remind them why they said yes to leading a group in the first place. Don’t assume they know what kind of impact they are having. Say it out loud to them. Say, “Thank you.” It matters more than you know.
5. Pray for Them by Name.
Love bears all things.
Your leader prays for you. Pray for them too! Choose a day each week to pray by name for their spiritual strength, their family, their rest, and their joy in the risen Christ. When leaders are spiritually healthy, the whole group benefits.
A Simple Step of Love
So here’s your February challenge: Pick one way to care for your Growth Group leader this month.
Better yet—volunteer for one of the shared responsibilities in your group: weekly greeter, prayer warrior, party planner, or service organizer. It’s a small act that speaks volumes.
Love, after all, isn’t just a feeling. It’s an action. And in Growth Groups, it goes both ways.
