Small groups that thoughtfully use Scripture can serve an evangelistic purpose.
by Marilyn Kunz
It is now clear that large numbers of people have become Christians through peer-group discussions of the Bible. And when unchurched participants become serious about the Christian faith, they normally begin attending church, often the church of their group's initiator.
Whole churches have been built using this method, and the gospel has penetrated neighborhoods and workplaces that likely would not ...
Even if your group doesn't seem a good fit right now, God may have big plans for it.
by Life Together
When I first started attending my group, I felt really uncomfortable. Actually, I shouldn't even call it a "group." It was just a couple and myself, and I found that extremely awkward. It just felt way too small for me. I really wanted to quit the group.
But thankfully, I didn't. Instead, I talked with the other couple about inviting others into our group. They were enthusiastic about the idea. And ...
One man's simple question produces a legacy of life change.
by Brett Eastman
In this story, Brett Eastman, founder and CEO of Lifetogether, recalls how one man's simple question produced a legacy of life change:
I attended college in Southern California, and one day (I remember this like it was yesterday), a guy named John tapped me on the shoulder and asked me how I was doing spiritually.
I thought, "This is odd," but I didn't dismiss him; I actually talked with him for a few ...
Reflection is an important practice in the life of a small group.
by Diana Bennett
Whenever I guide a group through the spiritual disciplines, I ask the question, "What comes to mind when you hear the words spiritual disciplines?" Often, the response is "fasting" or "working harder" as they study the Bible!
While these two topics certainly are part of the picture, there are numerous options for understanding and experiencing spiritual disciplines that become the root of our spiritual ...
Being in a small group is important to meaningful life change.
by Chip Ingram
Often I get into discussions with people about the early church.
They say, "I wish we could be just like the early church. God was so alive, and he was doing such powerful things."
What was it about the early church? After Peter gave his very first sermon, thousands came to Christ. Then Acts 2 tells us what they did next: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the ...
The key to interactive discussions in your small group
Eric Metcalf
One of the biggest challenges of leading small groups is keeping the discussions interactive. If that doesn't happen—if people don't interact with the material and with each other—then the group simply becomes a class focused on you as the teacher, and people can easily lose interest. But when a discussion is interactive, it can leave everyone wanting to come back for more because the ...
The basics of Bible study and discussion in small groups
Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey
If community is the glue of your group, worship is the heart, and evangelism the fruitful mission, then the foundation of the group is your weekly time spent together in the Word of God.
Do not underestimate the power of the Word of God. Among other things, the Bible is the best-selling, most read, most studied, and most memorized book in the world. It is also the most published book in the world—currently ...
An in-depth look at some of the Master Teacher's methods
Greg Carlson
Jesus involved his disciples in a special style of learning experiences. And as rock-solid teachers, we have the privilege of following the Master Teacher's model. Consider the three different aspects of learning situations: awareness, truth, and experience.
Awareness. Awareness is when the student's motivation has been developed. The student hungers for the content of the lesson. Teaching for awareness occurs when you build the need for knowledge in a student's life. Bruce Wilkinson states that when you build the need, you provide the main method of motivation in a student's life. This is our primary calling, because it brings the student's real need to the surface before we teach him or her the "content."
Practical advice for one of a group leader's most important roles
Joel Comiskey
Peter, a member of my small group, recently accepted my challenge to lead four consecutive lessons. Two of them were as dry as a bone, while the others stirred exciting discussion. What was the difference? Peter's questions. In all four lessons, he listened intently, called individual members by name, and was careful not to dominate. On only two occasions, however, did he use questions that stimulated ...
Who do you consider your real friends? What factors do you look for to know that someone is your "real" friend? Real friendship is something we all long for. Some of us have really great friends and some of us have felt like we have been "alone" most of our life. Yet, we have been hard-wired by our creator to experience deep meaningful relationships. Share this Bible Study with your group and encourage ...
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