What one senior pastor from a small-sized church learned as he prayed for his small-group ministry to flourish.
by John Larson
When people ask me how we grew our small group ministry from zero small groups to a solid 19, I plainly answer, "You just have to pray."
In some ways, I hate to give this advice to another pastor who is as desperate as I used to be. What senior pastor doesn't pray for his church's small group ministry? But I know it is only through prayer that our ministry grew.
Identifying the key roles in your group ensures its long-term health.
by Life Together
As a leader, you're the champion for fulfilling the purposes of your group. It's critical, then, that you fully understand each member's role ahead of time. That will simplify figuring out who should be in them after your group kicks off. Below are several "job descriptions" of key roles in the group. You'll need to identify who can fill these roles—and then recruit members in your group for ...
Note: This article has been excerpted from the SmallGroups.com training tool called Family Friendly Small Groups.
When I speak at conferences or seminars, I ask people to write down the areas of ministry they are involved in and then prioritize them. Sadly, the majority of people never list one of the most important ministries entrusted to them by their Heavenly Father: their own family. It's the ministry ...
How God solidified and expanded one church's vision for small groups.
by Stacie K. B. Maslyn
Everyone at Community Church of Joy (CCOJ) in Glendale, Arizona, knew that God was moving in their church and preparing them for something new. They just didn't know what it was.
With this spirit of expectancy, Dr. Walt Kallestad decided to take a sabbatical. He and his wife, Mary, set this time aside specifically for prayer and seeking God's will for their next step. They visited churches in Africa ...
How to keep your small groups from turning into cliques.
by Brett Eastman
You've seen them walk by. The "cooler than thou" group. The group that everyone in the church wants to be a part of and everyone outside of the church blames as the reason why they don't come.
Most of us became aware of cliques in high school: the preps, the jocks, the high-achievers, and the rockers, to name a few. Ancient cliques included groups like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Hellenists, ...
Just because people are hesitant doesn't mean they're not ready to be small-group leaders.
by Brett Eastman
When it comes to small group ministry, the need for leaders is always great, yet people are often hesitant to take on this role. Being asked may open the gate to a herd of excuses:
"I'm just too busy."
"I don't have enough knowledge of the Bible."
"I'm not the leader type."
But as Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, says, "A small group leader doesn't have to be a spiritual giant, a Bible scholar, ...
God equips us each with powerful ministry tools. Discovering yours will help you find your place as a vital minister to your small group. Below are two tools to help you identify your shape for ministry. Use the first tool to begin the process. Use your results to complete the second. Afterwards, talk about the results with your group leader and fellow members. Together you can figure out how you ...
Understand the practice of lectio divina and how to incorporate it into your small group.
by Adele Calhoun
Adele Calhoun is pastor of spiritual formation at Christ Church of Oak Brook in Oak Brook, Illinois. She is also author of The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (IVP, 2005). Building Small Groups talked with her about the need, benefits, and challenges of using lectio divina and contemplative prayer in small groups.
Building Small Groups: What are the differences between contemplative prayer and lectio ...
Follow this step-by-step approach to learn more about contemplation in small groups.
by Tony Jones
Exodus 14:14
A small group of high school seniors meets at our house on Monday evenings. Every week, they gather with Julie and me on our couches in the basement, munching popcorn and drinking Diet Coke. We've spent the year trying to get our arms around the entire Bible, reading a chapter each week from Walt Wangerin's novelized version called The Book of God.
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