SmallGroups.com

I personally think that this is the best model for small groups, especially for students, in the kind of culture we live in today. To keep a spiritual focus the leader would have to make it a priority to have one of the following: a time of prayer, worship, or testimony at the beginning or ending of the small group time. This keeps the focus of the interest driven model spiritual. Organizing a group around a common interest keeps the group fun and interesting. I know of a very large youth ministry that has great success with this model and I am looking to implement it as well. :)

Well said Dan! I wholeheartedly agree. The word is intentionality. I am a pastor in the Groups ministry at New Life Church and I have also led several groups in the past 10 years. In order for there to be a spiritual focus in your activity based group someone, typically the leader, needs to be intentional about guiding the discussions or activities that way. For instance, our hockey group was a bunch of guys who just wanted to play hockey. The leader didn't even promote his groups as a "church small group." He just invited friends who wanted to play hockey. However, in the locker room before they took to the ice, he stopped everyone and asked if he could pray for them. With a well placed "plant” other guys asked for prayer and by the end of the short prayer, there were buig burly men with tears running down their cheeks because the Holy Spirit was working inside them. This was a perfect opportunity for the leader to minister the guys afterward.

First of all, remember that everything has spiritual ramifications, particularly when it comes to relationships. If you are meeting and communicating regularly with a group of people, that is a spiritual activity by default. The only question becomes, what spiritual impact are you having? Is the person of Jesus coming through in those encounters and conversations and activities? Then the real question becomes, what spiritual disciplines do we need to implement to help our group join Jesus in the journey we are on? That's where being very intentional helps. We seldom slide into spirtual practices as a group, even with good intentions. This is where leadership becomes important. If you want your activity-based group to pray every time, or share a testimony every time, or read a Bible verse every time, then someone is going to have to be willing to lead the group through that activity and make time for it.