Podcast Summary: unSeminary Podcast
Episode: Great Leaders Over Great Content: Secret Sauce to Thriving Groups with Adam Ader
Host: Rich Birch
Guest: Adam Ader (Groups Director, Parkview Christian Church)
Date: February 6, 2025
Main Theme and Purpose
This episode delves into a core tension in church group ministry: the relative importance of strong leaders versus strong content. Rich Birch and Adam Ader bust myths about small group structures, discuss Parkview Christian Church’s approach to groups, and draw out practical strategies and philosophies any church can apply—emphasizing that great leaders are more vital to group health than perfect content.
Episode Structure & Key Insights
1. Parkview’s Story and Adam’s Journey
[02:50-05:01]
- Adam’s background: Started at Parkview as a student ministry intern in 2005 and never left, marking 20 years in ministry soon.
- Parkview’s growth: Based in south suburbs of Chicago, now three locations. The church rapidly expanded in a heavily Catholic (often ex-Catholic) area.
- Adam: “I couldn’t imagine a better place to get to do ministry and just feel incredibly blessed every time, every day I get to do this.” [04:44]
2. Small Group Strategy at Parkview
[05:01-07:41]
- Current Model: Term-based, free-market small groups. Three 10-week group terms per year via an online group finder.
- “A great leader is going to outweigh content...a great leader can make average, mediocre or even substandard content work really well. But a poor leader can take just about any content off the tracks.” — Adam Ader [06:27]
- Leadership focus: Leadership recruitment and development are emphasized over finding the perfect curriculum.
3. Types of Groups and Content Mix
[07:41-10:08]
Parkview’s “Five Buckets” of groups:
- Rooted: Foundational faith journey groups.
- Shared Interest Groups: Hobby/community, e.g., a hugely popular pickleball group (“We had to close at 40 registrations.” — Adam [08:58]).
- General Small Groups: Leader chooses Bible study/discussion content.
- Support Groups: For people in challenging life circumstances.
- Alpha Groups: For skeptics/questioners, including creative expressions like Alpha in bars/restaurants.
- Emphasis: Any group—even those not centered on Bible study—should still help people take a step toward Jesus.
4. Why 10-Week Terms? Longevity vs. Opt-Out
[10:08-13:51]
- Initial skepticism: “I was one of those people who was skeptical of that model...” — Adam [10:44]
- Post-pandemic community: People are hungrier for authentic connection, so they open up faster.
- Ten weeks is enough for measurable spiritual steps and avoids stagnation/fizzle among groups.
- “How you end things is almost as important as how you start them. And by giving groups a solid end date, you give them the chance to end well and also to recommit going forward.” — Adam [12:36]
- Off-ramps: Members don’t feel trapped if group dynamics sour.
5. Great Leaders Outweigh Great Content
[13:51-16:24]
- Story: Adam learned (from musical and ministry experience) that obsessing over “perfect” content or gear is less important than empowering people.
- Analogy: “People are the engine...If we’re helping people become people who can disciple, who can help others grow...that’s where we need to be pouring gas on the fire.” — Adam [14:17]
- Adam describes Parkview's years focused almost exclusively on Rooted and seeing real growth due to strong leadership, not just innovative curriculum.
6. Leader Recruitment and Development
[16:24-19:54]
- Clarify expectations: “We don’t need you to be a preacher, a theologian ... just gotta have some relational chops and care enough to go in on this.” — Adam [17:22]
- Reframing the role: Leaders are not lecturers but guides/Sherpas.
- “We like to say that we can take a willing heart with some relational skill and a love for Jesus, and we can get them to the place where they can lead a great group.” — Adam [18:07]
- Ongoing support: Rooted taught Parkview to invest deeply in leaders, not just hand them curriculum.
- “The best recruiters of leaders are leaders.” — Adam [19:25]
- Multiplication principle: Leaders are equipped and expected to develop future leaders from their own groups.
7. Training and Support for Leaders
[20:12-22:13]
- 90-minute onboarding session on mission, vision, values, and systems.
- Assigned a volunteer coach (leaders-of-leaders model).
- Weekly, modular training during the group term (both in-person and online options).
- Topics like building community, serving together, handling conflict, and fostering growth.
- “We're really committed to 10 weeks of ongoing training that happens around the first 10 weeks that their group meets.” — Adam [21:27]
8. Promoting and Communicating Groups to the Church
[23:19-26:29]
- Regular rhythms for group promotions create expectancy/culture.
- Storytelling: Celebrating and sharing wins is key.
- FOMO: “When we can say...they fill up fast. And there's not an unlimited set of spots...you need to get up on that group finder on January 4th when those [open].” — Adam [25:32]
- The importance of senior leadership buy-in: The lead pastor’s authentic, off-the-cuff comments about groups have a “multiplier effect.”
- “That's the most trusted voice in our organization for our people.” — Adam [26:29]
9. Supporting Group Leaders: Resources and Tools
[28:36-31:49]
- Parkview produces weekly sermon study guides for use by long-term groups (25-30% use rate).
- The Parkview Group’s Leader Guide (linked in show notes):
-
All leaders get this orientation, which covers mission, philosophy, systems, and four traits of successful leaders.
-
Clear language on what coaches are/aren’t, and explicit direction on when leaders should refer group crises upward.
-
“It’s not your job to manage people in crisis...support, pray and love, but send them where they need to go.” — Adam [31:29]
-
10. Looking Forward: Group Ministry’s Future
[32:10-33:38]
- Exploring assessment tools to match people to the best group for their stage of faith.
- The complexity of options: More choices mean more chances for confusion; simplicity and clarity are critical.
- Considering a survey that provides group “fit suggestions” via app or site.
11. Final Thoughts & Advice
[34:20-35:05]
- “The real journey for me has been people, people, people. ... Every hour spent pouring into a leader, pouring into people, man, that's not one wasted. And yeah, that's where I want to continue to pour my, my energy and I hope others will too.” — Adam [34:20]
- For more info: Parkviewchurch.com
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
- “A great leader can make average, mediocre or even substandard content work really well. But a poor leader can take just about any content off the tracks.” — Adam Ader [06:27]
- “Ten weeks is enough time for a person to take one solid step forward in their faith.” — Adam Ader [11:41]
- “How you end things is almost as important as how you start them.” — Adam Ader [12:36]
- “People are the engine...If we’re helping people become people who can disciple, who can help others grow...that’s kind of the money spot.” — Adam Ader [14:17]
- “We like to say that we can take a willing heart with some relational skill and a love for Jesus, and we can get them to the place where they can lead a great group.” — Adam Ader [18:07]
- “The best recruiters of Leaders are leaders for us.” — Adam Ader [19:25]
- “The regularity of it has really helped us create some rhythms...that have created a sense of expectancy in our people...” — Adam Ader [23:26]
- “If your lead pastor can say, ‘I did rooted this fall...’ ... those reinforced the importance of the big announcements and they turn people's ears.” — Adam Ader [26:46]
- “It’s not your job to manage people in crisis...support, pray and love, but send them where they need to go.” — Adam Ader [31:29]
- “Every hour spent pouring into a leader, pouring into people, man, that's not one wasted.” — Adam Ader [34:20]
Key Takeaways for Listeners
- Prioritize leader development over obsessing about content; great people can redeem average material, not vice versa.
- Term-based, opt-in/opt-out group structure lowers barriers and keeps community fresh and engaging.
- Diverse group offerings (from traditional to interest-based) allow the ministry to “catch” people wherever they are spiritually or socially.
- Train and support leaders actively and personally; assigned coaches, ongoing training, and clear resources are essential.
- Promote consistently and tell stories; secure visible lead pastor support, but also lean into stories of life change and clear, timed windows for joining groups (FOMO-driven marketing).
- Match people to the right groups and balance simplicity with choice to keep people from getting lost or overwhelmed.
Useful Resources (as mentioned in the episode)
- Parkview Group’s Leader Guide: Outlines philosophy, expectations, processes, and support structures for group leaders (link available in show notes).
- Parkview’s Website: parkviewchurch.com for more information and to connect with Adam.
This summary captures the core of the episode and its actionable wisdom for church leaders seeking practical, people-first group ministry strategies. The focus remains on the importance of relationship and leadership over content perfection—real “secret sauce” for thriving church groups.