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 ...
Get your group members thinking about the paradigms inherent in the lesson you are studying.
Sue Skalicky
I teach sophomore English. Most students come to me with a preconceived idea of what English class is like. For some, it is interesting. For most, it is boring. After ten years of English classes, these kids have formed an opinion that includes me, even before they have witnessed me teach. This year, I decided to challenge their opinion. On the first day of school, I gave each student a 4 X 6 index ...
Help your members identify areas where the lesson has impacted them.
Sue Skalicky
"Listen! Listen to stories! … stories convey the mystery and the miracle—the adventure—of being alive … .[stories] speak to the limits of our endeavor … suggest hope and, ultimately, the promise of our shared journey." - Ernest and Katherine Ketcham
Thomas "Toivi" Blatt, a Polish survivor of the WWII extermination camp Sobibor, recounted his experience to the auditorium ...
Understanding the difference is vital to life-changing transformation.
Joel Comiskey
I love education, and I've dedicated my life to learning. But I must constantly remind myself that learning should never become an end in itself. The goal of all learning is obedience to God's Word, thus giving glory to his name.
The Hebrew word for obey means "to hear." To truly hear God's Words implies obedience, as opposed to simply receiving information. James writes, "Do not merely listen to ...
Four truths about the practice of constant and careful evaluation.
Len Woods
Stepping on the scales, checking one's cholesterol, going to the dentist, paying a visit to a financial advisor—these are just a few of the many ways we routinely monitor ourselves and/or our lives.
Some assessments are seen as "no-big-deal" (perhaps taking the car in for a 30,000 mile check-up?). Others are the cause of much dread (perhaps your annual job review or mammogram?). But evaluation, ...
Tools to help see where you're going strong, and where you might need a little support.
Len Woods
Prayerfully ponder each of the following categories and descriptions and plot your group experience somewhere on the spectrum. Talk over the results with your small group pastor or coach:
Assessing Your Leadership Effectiveness by Len Woods
Rate yourself 1-10 (1 being "HELP!" and 10 being "Hallelujah!") in each of the following categories. Discuss the results with your small group pastor or coach at ...
Some tips for developing a curriculum for children that will help them grow spiritually.
Daphne Kirk
As I travel all over the world I am repeatedly asked about materials for the children's small group/cell meetings or for the children in the "Kids Slot" of an intergenerational cell. ("Kids Slot" is a time when the children of a small group will go into another room to have their own small group "lesson.")
An Encounter with Jesus
Generally people want to know how to keep children interested, how to ...
What makes Christian education distinct from its secular counterpart?
Howard Hendricks
As a Christian educator, my goal is not to lecture, or even to lecture with excellence. My goal is to teach in such a way that students both learn and employ their knowledge. Teachers should view themselves as nothing less than disciplers. The knowledge we communicate affects more than the minds of our hearers; it should change lives.
In particular, I want to see the members of my group develop five ...
A most rewarding experience for any Christian leader happens when a life-changing experience takes place for at least one member of the group. That kind of result requires discussion on an intimate level, which is difficult to achieve.
In hopes of motivating group members to bare their souls, one leader asked, "What one temptation do you wrestle with most often?" Instead of leaving the question open ...
Darryl feels a need to be further equipped and encouraged; what can he do?
The Small Group Network Community
Darryl's been leading his group for nearly two years. He had good up-front training before he began leading, and he reads a book about leading groups (bought, of course, from the SGN Bookstore!), but he still feels a need to be further equipped and encouraged. Other small group leaders from Darryl's group have shared the same concern.
Printer view of these results
