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, ...
Take these steps to care for small-group leaders and keep them functioning well.
by Brett Eastman
Sally had been leading a small group for a few months when Jane, her small group coach, called her. Sally thought, That's her job to call me; she really doesn't care, and consequently, didn't connect with her. A week later, Jane called again. This time Sally thought she was really nice but was still just doing her job.
Jane had to call Sally eight times before she believed Jane actually cared and ...
Showing your small-group leaders how important they are is essential to keeping them going.
by Brett Eastman
As a leadership coach, you have a crucial role in sustaining the small group structure of your church. Without this layer of your leadership, small groups stand on shaky ground for the simple reason that their leaders feel unsupported and therefore unwilling to take ownership of the group and its mission.
To keep this from happening, you need to let your group leaders know that they are most valued ...
I grew up with a single mom, two sisters, a girl cousin, and an aunt. One Christmas morning, we were sitting around the tree rifling through presents. We tore a package open and showed it to the entire family. One time I opened my gift, and I pulled out … a skirt! The family exploded in laughter. Late on Christmas Eve, my mom had gotten the gifts all goofed up.
How one church built groups from natural affinity groups.
by Life Together
When our church took a health assessment, we made an interesting discovery: People who were not in small groups rated themselves just as highly in fellowship/connectedness as people who were in small groups.
We used to view our church as hundreds of disconnected souls in desperate need of community. But we learned everyone in our church is connected to someone: a family member, co-workers, customers, ...
A small group's one-time mission project turns into a ministry.
by Life Together
When challenged to invest $100 in a mission project, I suggested to our small group that we partner with an inner-city church and host a neighborhood cookout where we would distribute clothes and Bibles.
Everyone agreed and chipped in a few extra dollars. Toys, clothes, and Bibles were donated. A few days before the event, we posted flyers in the neighborhood, unsure of what to expect.
One man's simple question produces a legacy of life change.
by Brett Eastman
In this story, Brett Eastman, founder and CEO of Lifetogether, recalls how one man's simple question produced a legacy of life change:
I attended college in Southern California, and one day (I remember this like it was yesterday), a guy named John tapped me on the shoulder and asked me how I was doing spiritually.
I thought, "This is odd," but I didn't dismiss him; I actually talked with him for a few ...
Learn what to expect, and how to react, as a small-group coach.
Joel Comiskey
I'm sorry to say it, but no coaching relationship develops to perfect levels of openness and communication overnight. Instead, most coaches pass through predictable stages of highs and lows, which can be understood as a series of coaching stages. The following is a brief walk-through of those stages, including practical advice for growth.
Can't seem to find the right group? Maybe you're what's missing.
Len Woods
We've all heard that old joke where one guy says, "I'm looking for the perfect church" … to which his friend replies, "Yeah, well, if you find it, don't join it or you'll RUIN it!" The point is obvious: There's no such thing as a perfect church. The reason should also be clear: Churches are composed of imperfect people!
What's true of churches is certainly true of small groups. Every group has ...
Check out these statistics to get your finger on the pulse of small-groups ministry.
Dan Lentz
Definition: Benchmarking is a tool used to measure or compare your work or progress with others who are doing the same thing. Benchmarking is a powerful tool because it overcomes "paradigm blindness"—the mode of thinking that says, "The way we do it is the best because this is the way we've always done it."
Because it is difficult to get a handle on what is going on in other small groups outside ...
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