Encouraging people to start new small groups is a key to getting everyone connected.
by Stacie K. B. Maslyn
In Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable of a man in need of guests for the elaborate banquet he had prepared. To get these guests, he sent his servants out into the streets and alleys of the town to bring anyone they could find to his table. He told them, "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full."
Pastor Kerry Shook shared this vision on a videotape given ...
Whether your small group is open or closed, or whether or not you always leave an empty chair, there's one uninvited guest hovering around the meeting place ready to barge into the proceedings. The longer your group lasts, the more likely this intruder is to make an appearance. The ...
Here's how to successfully "birth" a new small group from an existing one.
Eric Metcalf
First love often seems perfect in our minds—the season, the romance, the memories. For many people, their first small-group experience also seems perfect. They wonder, "How could any group be as good as this one?" That's why birthing a new small group can be a scary proposition.
For those of you who have had a child, your first birthing experience is vividly etched in your minds—crazy, ...
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 ...
The life cycle of small groups has been studied by a variety of researchers, both secular and religious, for several decades. Here are some of the models they've come up with.
David Limiero
The life cycle of small groups has been studied by a variety of researchers, both secular and religious, for several decades. Christians can benefit from the extensive research done in this area, as the basic phases of group life cycle are generally agreed upon by most group theorists.
Each theorist, however, divides the life cycle into slightly different numbers of stages, and proposes slight variations ...
Small-group cycles are much like the stages of life.
Michael C. Mack
The small group goes through stages of life, much like a person does. It is not surprising that people pass through different levels of understanding and ability. Two year olds are not expected to have the same tolerance level as 32 year olds. Likewise, in small-group ministries, we should not expect a recently formed group to "have its act together" the same way a long-standing group does.
An overview of the stages a small group goes through.
Michael C. Mack
Small Groups are not static organisms. They go through stages of life like any living organism. Groups have a life cycle from birth through infancy and adolescence to adulthood and sometimes, death. Leaders especially need to realize this. Knowing the pattern will help leaders accept their group wherever it is and press on for further growth and fulfillment.
These stages are flexible and are not intended ...
Ask these questions about your group to determine if it may be time to split-up, bring in new people, or focus on a new purpose.
Keith Wright
Great things happen in small groups! Danger arises when you enjoy what's happening so much that you become a "holy huddle".
Ask these questions about your group to determine if it may be time to split-up, bring in new people, or focus on a new purpose.
1. Has your group become a clique? Signs of a clique include inside jokes, no newcomers in years, and less involvement with other's in your church fellowship. ...
Birthing a new small group can be exciting; it can also be painful.
Murphy Belding
Birthing—that is, multiplying—a new small group can be one of the most exciting events in the Christian life. It can be a painful experience too. Leaving our Christian friends who have shared our lives is tough. The process is much easier if we focus on others instead of ourselves. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you birth your next small group.
Great Commission leaders must be influencing those "allotted to your charge" to become multiplying leaders who will at the same time develop a multiplying strategy to reach the world for Christ.
Rod Dempsey
When you think of difficult tasks, what comes to mind? Becoming a violin virtuoso? Competing in the Olympics? Building a house? Having a great marriage? Raising kids? Maybe it is patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time! Go ahead; try it. There are many difficult challenges in the world today. Life is not easy.
When it comes to the church, one of the most difficult challenges that ...
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