How one person learned that sharing his faith was about relationships.
by Life Together
Trevor grew up in a Christian home, attending church every Sunday. He knew the gospel, and he believed it. But when it came to sharing his faith with others, he never really gave it much thought. In his mind, explaining the gospel to someone who wasn't a believer was something only "super spiritual" people did.
When Trevor arrived at college, he met guys who were really serious about their relationship ...
Delegate leadership responsibilities and serve together to build group unity.
by Life Together
If you lead a small group study, you have a servant's heart. As a group leader, your desire is to develop this same heart in the members of your group.
How do you build a muscle? You build it by using it. Similarly, you need to build the servant's heart by working it.
One way to do this is by rotating leadership. Think about the gifts and abilities of your group members. At the end of your meeting, ...
I grew up with a single mom, two sisters, a girl cousin, and an aunt. One Christmas morning, we were sitting around the tree rifling through presents. We tore a package open and showed it to the entire family. One time I opened my gift, and I pulled out … a skirt! The family exploded in laughter. Late on Christmas Eve, my mom had gotten the gifts all goofed up.
Serving together as a small group can make a big impact.
by Life Together
Ellen watched her neighbor, Meg, deal with a volatile marriage. When reconciliation failed, Meg and her husband finally separated. With five children and no job, Meg's future was dim. Sometimes despair set in as Meg looked ahead to the responsibilities she had to face alone. Though Ellen cared for Meg, she was overwhelmed and, consequently, reluctant to serve her and her family.
Dividing responsibilities not only eases your leadership burden, it helps your group members grow.
by Life Together
First Corinthians 12:7 says that God gives every believer spiritual gifts for the common good of the body. But if your small group is like most, it's led by just one person—you! Not that you're probably complaining, but that's a huge burden. Aside from that, it's also keeping everyone else from growing in their gifts.
The load usually falls on one person because many leaders feel like the only ...
Setting up task groups is a great way to develop a growing number of faithful volunteers in almost any area of ministry. A task group is distinct in that it isn't just a traditional fellowship-building group or a team of people simply fulfilling a task. By definition, task groups attempt to accomplish both fellowship and ministry at the same time.
The principle mission of a task group is to set aside ...
Ways you can extend the hand of fellowship beyond the perimeter of your group.
Esther M. Bailey
A small group encourages members to share with each other on an intimate level, which is good. Yet there is a danger that isolation may result. By focusing on each others' needs, group members may become detached from the body of the church.
The following ideas suggest ways you can extend the hand of fellowship beyond the perimeter of your group:
Bring in a special speaker and invite other groups to be your guests. Plan refreshments and a social time afterward.
Lurking beneath the surface of small group life and leadership is the issue of authority.
Steve Cordle
Jason shared with his small group that he had moved in with Jackie…even though they weren't married. As Jason's group leader, what should Nick do?
Jackie was excited about the new direct marketing company she had joined. As a group leader, she felt it was a natural step for her to tell her group members about the company's great products and opportunities. As Jackie's coach, Barb knew that this ...
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