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 ...
A simple assessment tool for gauging how healthy group members are.
by Life Together
If you want to have a healthy small group, it goes without saying that its members need to be healthy. So a good way to move yourself and your group toward well-being is by assessing each individual's level of health. Once this is established, you can help one another set goals for growth and can encourage one another in the problem areas.
The following questions are geared toward helping you and your ...
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 ...
Telling your story is a great way to engage seekers and other Christians.
by Life Together
One skill every small group leader should have is the ability to talk with unbelievers about your experience of God in ordinary language that an unbeliever will understand. In the church we use some specialized words like "repentance" and "being saved." Of course, the average person who hasn't been to church very often has no clue what these words mean.
Starting something new is often easier than keeping it going—especially going well. Many small group pastors and champions especially feel this way after the completion of 40 Days of Purpose. People are connected like never before and rising to new spiritual heights, but you question how you are going to sustain this mountaintop experience.
In Part 1, Brett Eastman, CEO and Founder of Lifetogether, ...
Take the time to make a wise choice in what your group will study.
by Michael Mack
One question often heard in small groups is, "What are we going to study next?" Rather than sailing toward a destination, many small groups are like a sailboat at sea being "tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching" (Eph. 4:14). As you lead your group, these questions provide you with five principles for selecting the next study for your group:
Practical suggestions for equipping your kitchen to serve
by Erin Brownback
OK, you're hosting a small group. You've got a date, a time, guests, and food. But your kitchen isn't equipped with enough dishes to serve everyone. What are your options?
Paper. Paper or Styrofoam dishes are convenient and relatively cheap. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be thrown away, making cleanup simple and easy. For a little more money, party stores carry attractive and themed patterns, making the dishes more inviting. The down side to taking the paper route includes the dishes' lack of sturdiness, the abundance of trash they make, and that the cost can add up over time.
Everybody needs an easy, crowd-pleasing meal on hand for when hungry visitors stop by. This soup costs little, takes only a few minutes to make, and is a favorite among even non-tomato soup eaters because it tastes just like pizza. And these ingredients are easily kept on hand at all times.
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 ...
The folks at Liquid have hit a homerun with their first mock-umentary.
Sam O'Neal
Being on the Leadership team here at Christianity Today International, I hear a lot of complaining from pastors when it comes to preaching about money. And I'm sure they have a legitimate point. I wouldn't enjoy telling hundreds of people that God has commanded them to give money to the institution that pays my salary.
But when it comes to the awkwardness surrounding stewardship issues, I think preachers ...
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