What one senior pastor from a small-sized church learned as he prayed for his small-group ministry to flourish.
by John Larson
When people ask me how we grew our small group ministry from zero small groups to a solid 19, I plainly answer, "You just have to pray."
In some ways, I hate to give this advice to another pastor who is as desperate as I used to be. What senior pastor doesn't pray for his church's small group ministry? But I know it is only through prayer that our ministry grew.
Recruiting is the holy act of helping others discover their leadership gifts.
by Roberta Hastenes
Some years ago I was responsible for recruiting someone to oversee a pastoral care program involving over 200 adults. It was a big job, and I was looking for a couple who could commit a great deal of time and energy to the program.
I prayed about this problem literally for months, wondering who would be willing and able to take on such a challenge. Eventually I sensed the Lord pointing me to Bill and ...
Leader read: Our spiritual act of worship is doing as Jesus commanded. Our obedience is a direct reflection of what is in our hearts. It shows the world the depth of our love for God and for others.
What did Jesus tell us to do? Love. It is simple … not a bunch of do's and don'ts, just love.
Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied, "Love the Lord ...
Pray one-sentence prayers based on chosen "Praise God" statements.
Tami Rudkin
Leader:Â In preparation, take the following "Praise God" statements and write them on small separate pieces of paper (one per paper). If you have more people than statements you may use some twice or write a few of your own.
Praise God for something in nature
Praise God for someone in the church
Praise God for something in your past
Praise God for something good happening in your world right now
One Small-Group Leader shares her needs with her coach.
Maymie Lau
Dear Coach Emma,
Today marks my second anniversary as a Small Group Leader. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting me all the way. During our last huddle, you asked us what our needs were and you said that our answers would help you a lot. I've been thinking about this for the past 2 weeks, and I'd like to share it with you:
You know, as a young leader, sometimes I really do not ...
Small-Group Leaders often don't feel they qualify for counseling; what do Christian counselors say?
Dan Lentz
Some have said that small group leaders are not qualified to fill the role of Christian counselor; it is best to leave it up to the professionals they say. I, personally, am not a trained counselor. I have spent some time with Christian counselors, and I have spent time listening and reading what several respected counselors have to say about small groups. I have determined that while small groups ...
Questions to ask that'll help you find the natural leaders.
Steven Reames
In all human interaction, there are two major ingredients: content and process. The first deals with the subject matter of the task on which a group is working. In a small group, this might be the specific songs picked, the subject of prayers and discussion, the icebreaker, etc. Usually, most people consciously focus on content. The second ingredient, however, may be even more important than content, ...
Are your small group members being transformed by the Bible?
Scott Olson
Are your small group members becoming better informed about the Bible? Great! But are they also being transformed by the Bible?
To ensure growth, application, and change in the lives of small group members, try some of these suggestions:
Paradigm Shift.Change how you look at the Bible study portion of your meetings. Begin referring to this as "Bible application" time rather than Bible study time.
Relevant Teaching. Seek out materials that will speak to group members' real and felt needs. Don't assume that your pet topics will also appeal to them; make the effort to discover what they want to learn.
I can look into God's word many times a week, but these things will be forgotten if I'm not transformed into Christlikeness as a result.
Dan Lentz
I was involved in a group leader training session recently when the leader asked the group to do the following exercise: "Take off your watch and put it in your pocket. Now take a piece of paper and draw your watch in as much detail as you can without looking at your watch." After a few minutes of drawing circles, lines, and numbers, we were instructed to take our watch back out of our pocket and ...
Paul's expert convictions about small group ministry.
Dan Lentz
If you are a small groups director or a small group leader, at some time you've probably shared your heart for small groups ministry; in fact, you have talked about the vision and values of small group ministry until you're blue in the face. Then one day you take your people to a small groups conference or workshop. As they walk out of that conference, a new sense of conviction and vision and excitement ...
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