Churches all over the nation are recognizing a need to get small groups going in their congregations. As people sense a desire for deeper relationships within the body of Christ, interest in the movement is rising. But getting small groups started in a church and keeping the groups healthy are two completely different jobs.
As head of Touch Outreach Ministry, my job is to look at churches that have ...
Okay, so that may seem obvious, but one of the critical roles of a small group leader is to shepherd the people in your group. Does the word "shepherd" scare you? It shouldn't. God has provided you with the gifts and abilities to care for those in your small group.
In a healthy small group, the members, as well as the leaders, must be "healthy." In fact, I would ...
The initiative of some church members led to amazing results.
by Kenneth L. Bemis
As a pastor, I know the feelings of frustration and helplessness that surround the counselor who attempts to assist the chemical-dependent person toward sobriety. Counseling the alcoholic is a time-consuming and often discouraging project.
I groped about for a solution to my dilemma as a busy pastor with an increasing number of alcoholics and their families to counsel. I attended seminars and read ...
Being a champion isn't too hard, but it makes a big difference.
by Brett Eastman
Although I've championed small groups in several big churches over the past decade, and even though it's been almost twenty years since I led my first small group, I still remember the day I led my first group like it was yesterday.
My palms were sweating, and I thought my heart was going to thump right out of my chest. But even though I was terrified, I knew God was there with me. He knew exactly ...
Brett Eastman's story about the development of small groups at Saddleback church.
by Life Together
After five years of championing small groups at Willow Creek Community Church, Brett Eastman shuttled his family westward to Orange County, California. He was hired at Saddleback Church and figured he would pick up where he left off at Willow.
But Saddleback was not Willow. In this interview, Brett Eastman, founder and CEO of Lifetogether, talks about the difference between the churches and what he ...
How one ministry partners with churches to put the homeless back on their feet.
by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra
Belinda Bowden couldn't believe she was homeless. The 41-year-old had been ascending the corporate ladder, making $50,000 a year as a Kmart assistant store manager, when one by one the rungs snapped.
Asked to lie about the store's stability to potential employees, Bowden quit her job. Her savings account depleted by credit-card debt and medical bills, Bowden couldn't pay her rent. Two months later, ...
The story of a church who found the first thing they needed to do with small groups was to offer them.
by Life Together
Three weeks into the initial launch of small groups at Church of the Resurrection in Leewood, Kansas, church leadership is still feeling overwhelmed by its members' eager response. The church was expecting to begin with 150 small groups and 1,500 participants, but ended up with 240 groups and 2,600 participants.
Debi Nixon, Director of Small Group Ministry at this United Methodist church, says she ...
How to effectively coach leaders for their continued effectiveness.
by Brett Eastman
Without a guy named John I wouldn't be where I am today.
He was the coach of the first small group I led. When my confidence was waning or I was tired of leading, he came alongside me and said, "I believe you can do it." That meant the world to me. Everybody loves hearing this kind of encouragement.
He also repeatedly said, "I'll help you. I'll walk alongside of you, and you can come to me when you ...
The desire for genuine community is the strongest motivator for small group involvement, but you have to be willing to commit.
by Dan Lentz
It seems like small groups are popping up everywhere. And churches that have a recognized small group ministry are becoming more the standard than the exception. Why is that? What's going on?
As director of smallgroups.com, I have a lot of contact with churches that are neck deep in the small group movement. My job revolves around helping pastors and small group leaders keep their small groups active ...
How to create small groups that really care for each other.
by Sue Dunn
If you want to create a church community that really cares for one another, the best way to do it is through small groups. When small groups become the vehicle for care-giving, the whole church gets involved in sharing one another's burdens—a much more personal approach than relegating the task to a committee.
The whole congregation should be making hospital visits, taking meals to people when ...
Printer view of these results
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