We are looking for people who love to host, have a pastoral heart, and are passionate about seeing others grow and develop. We ask that our GS Community leaders model a life of following Jesus, have attended regularly for at least six months, actively serve on a team, and regularly give. We will provide more information on expectations as part of the onboarding process, including training and support.

Ideally, Communities meet every week (with breaks during holiday periods) as this creates the best environment for meaningful relationships and depth of discipleship. Some groups may want to meet every other week. We’d be happy to discuss the options with you!

Broadly speaking, GS Communities will meet over the same dates as school terms. However, we don’t expect you to meet every single over the term because they can be long. To safeguard leader’s rest, we also mandate breaks over the school holidays. These dates vary depending on the year, and we can help you decide the frequency of meetings, so please reach out if you have any questions.

We ask that each new community leader commit to at least two terms. We hope you’ll love the honour of leading over a sustained period and encourage others in your community to share the load. If you do decide to stop leading, we will work with you to train or recruit replacement leaders.

Most of the time, no! People who lead the same group over a more extended period find it easier than leading a new group once or twice a year for only a term. Sustained relationships and community are more life-giving and usually take less from you as a leader. You can also share leadership responsibilities the more you know the people in your community.

We will send material that facilitates discipleship and formation. All of our GS communities will follow the same material each term. As a leader, you'll be given either video content or a Bible study with notes, discussion questions, and prayer points. It should take at most 30 minutes to read, plan, and pray ahead of time. We're not looking for experts but for those who enjoy facilitating a group discussion.

The pastoral needs will vary greatly depending on your community and their situations. Where possible, we encourage pastoral needs to be met by other community members or the leader; however, as soon as it becomes too much we have a Pastoral Care Team who you can refer people to for further support.

There are appointed members of the Discipleship Department, GS Community Coaches, and Locations Pastors ready and willing to support you in any way you need as you undertake this vital role. We will check in regularly, but if you ever need anything, just reach out!

As with all our leadership roles, we ask that you attend our 'Leaders Gatherings' throughout the year. We also hold a termly meeting for GS Community Leaders, which is a time of training, input, and encouragement.

The best GS Communities have at least one co-leader. This is great for support, encouragement and accountability. If can’t think of anyone to co-lead with you, let us know, and we’ll try to help you find someone.