Sooner or later, every small group will experience conflict. In some groups, conflict will become evident from the first meeting. In others, great pain is taken to avoid conflict. The members maneuver around it and make it clear that "we don't do conflict here." But the ways we behave ...
Fill in an acrostic with words that apply to forgiveness.
Tami Rudkin
Give every person a blank sheet of paper. Have your group members write the word "forgiveness" in an acrostic. Have them write words that begin with each letter of the acrostic that have to do with forgiveness. After they are finished, have them share what they came up with.
As a coach, there are several questions you need to ask yourself when helping a leader through conflict.
Rick Lowry
I am a coach or director in a small group ministry. When a leader comes to me asking for help resolving a conflict within their group, what questions should I ask myself before responding?
Is this the right time and place to be discussing this?
The church lobby between services is not the place to discuss a group conflict with a leader. One-on-one, in a quiet, relaxed setting is optimal.
In complex issues, if you know your own preferred reaction to conflict, it can help you choose the right course.
Betty Veldman Wieland
Conflict is a normal part of small group life. In fact, if we don't have conflict, someone is not being honest. People are just too different from one another to avoid it completely. I do not like conflict. It makes me feel, well, conflicted! At the same time, I believe that understanding the nature of conflict and being prepared to deal with it as a small group leader, coach, or staff person is essential ...
Acknowledging conflict, and turning the focus to Christ, can sometimes quell a rising storm.
Marilyn Yocum
It was an unusual gathering of people; not quite what we expected when we offered a small group in the home of a church member on the west side of town. The hostess mentioned the group to several neighbors and former coworkers and, quite to her surprise, they ALL came. That is how we ended up with a group of ten people, representing five different area churches.
How to keep your small group from running aground.
Ken Gonyer
Shipwreck!
It was after midnight on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker leaving the Trans Alaska Pipeline Terminal, struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, tearing open the hull and dumping eleven million gallons of sticky, black crude oil into the ocean. The resulting oil slick polluted the shores and destroyed wildlife in Valdez Harbor. It was the worst oil spill in U.S. history. ...
Embrace conflict as an opportunity for growth and fellowship.
Sue Skalicky
I read through the small group covenant as I had done countless times before. I like to revisit the purpose of our small group and restate the need for commitment and confidentiality every time we begin a new study. I expected this time would be no different than the others, when agreement with the covenant was unanimous. As I finished reading the last point, I asked the group as I usually do, "Is ...
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.
Practical guidelines for leading in a difficult situation
Betty Veldman-Wieland
Conflict is a normal part of small-group life. In fact, if we don't have conflict, someone is not being honest. People are just too different from one another to avoid it completely.
Personally, I do not like conflict. It makes me feel, well, conflicted! At the same time, I believe that understanding the nature of conflict and being prepared to deal with it as a small-group leader, coach, or staff ...
Why we need to err on the side of love, not politics
Alan Danielson
I had no idea what I was in for when a former marine came into my office and asked me to mediate a conversation between himself and a man who attended his small group. The marine said this man was completely anti-war. You can already see where this is headed.
I met with them both to hear the story of how the subject of war came up in their group, and it turned into a full-blown political debate. Without ...
Printer view of these results
