Being in a small group is important to meaningful life change.
by Chip Ingram
Often I get into discussions with people about the early church.
They say, "I wish we could be just like the early church. God was so alive, and he was doing such powerful things."
What was it about the early church? After Peter gave his very first sermon, thousands came to Christ. Then Acts 2 tells us what they did next: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the ...
Groups should consider whether their requests line up with what God is doing.
by Wayne Jacobsen
You'd have thought I'd just cussed by the way the mouths around the table soundlessly fell open. And all I'd said was "I don't think I can pray that for you."
The woman who had just asked us to pray was perhaps the most shocked of all.
My home group had just finished eating dinner, and we were sharing prayer requests. With obvious distress, Kris had told of her daughter's plan to move in with a boyfriend ...
Practical instruction on how to get an accountability group going and why it is important.
by Christopher Easley
An accountability group exists to help people of God stay pure and faithful in their walk with him and help them overcome sins. It provides a context to live out James 5:16, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
There are many benefits and blessings that come with an accountability group. ...
Why church members often run from community despite their attraction to it
Thomas G. Kirkpatrick
In a book called The Different Drum, M. Scott Peck suggests that while we want intimacy, we often run from it. Perplexing, isn't it? We want to be honest and open, but we are not willing to risk being ourselves in a group of sisters and brothers.
As an example, let's say that Greg is upset over his teenager's recent experimentation with smoking pot. He wants help to sort out his feelings but is reluctant ...
Make a baby's pacifier avaialble. Pass the pacifier around the circle and, as each person takes their turn holding it, have him or her answer these two questions: What was this called in your home (i.e. binky, nuk, plug)? As an adult, what is your binky (that which gives you security or a sense of comfort)?
Principles that guided our small group as we navigated the rough and muddy waters of human life.
Pat J. Sikora
I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was a fairly new Christian, leading my first small group of singles. The topic was how to be happy though single and was aimed at those who just knew that life would be so much better if only they were married. My co-leader and I were prepared to challenge that assumption, and God gave us the perfect vehicle.
If you have been a member of a church leadership team, whether a staff team, a governing board, or a ministry leadership team, you know that it is not untypical for these leadership groups to have a different "feel" than your mid-week small group. The type of Biblical relational community that is emphasized in your mid-week small group may or may not be present in your leadership group.
How is a Christian supposed to approach recovery groups?
Pat J. Sikora
Jenny approached her first meeting of the incest survivors' group with anxiety. She and her counselor had concluded that she had been sexually abused as a child. Her world seemed to spin as she grappled with what that meant. She needed help. She had heard of a 12-step support group for survivors sponsored by her church's Recovery Ministries.
Only a handful of women attended the meeting. The facilitator ...
Leading change in groups that are rooted can be difficult, but it's all about relationships.
Mike Shepherd
"Young man, I was here when you came and I will be here when you are gone!" Those were the actual words a long time church member shared with me in the first church I served as a small group pastor. I was amazed at his "prophetic" word. It was true. I was "gone" shortly after hearing those words (my choice) and he is still there, some 15 years later.
Those words had an impact on my life. I did heal ...
God created each of us with soulcare needs that can only be met by love.
Mike Shepherd
For three years now I have been an avid fan of the reality show "Survivor" on CBS. I look forward each season to watching 16 potential survivors outwit, outplay and outlast each other in their 39-day adventure. My favorite of the four so far was surviving in the Outback. I enjoy the dual challenge of human relationships along with the quest for food, water and shelter. I like it so much that I have ...
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