Reading groups encourage unity and lead to some deep discussion.
by Randy Hasper
Every pastor knows that growth as a Christian requires more than a Sunday experience. I want to give the congregation something worthwhile to do between sermons to stretch their intellect and their faith.
I started a reading group.
Today, homemakers and house painters read and discuss Kierkegaard. Hair stylists and law officers read Augustine and Bonhoeffer and Pascal. And they love it. My first group ...
Encouraging people to start new small groups is a key to getting everyone connected.
by Stacie K. B. Maslyn
In Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable of a man in need of guests for the elaborate banquet he had prepared. To get these guests, he sent his servants out into the streets and alleys of the town to bring anyone they could find to his table. He told them, "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full."
Pastor Kerry Shook shared this vision on a videotape given ...
Good endings can make for good beginnings in the future.
by Randall S. Brenton
Healthy closure of any group experience is extremely important. It can help group members process and define their experience and positively set the stage for a new group. On the other hand, poor group closure can lead to barriers for a member's future involvement with groups.
Poor group closure can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
1. Lack of casting a vision for launching a new group, which ...
Whether your small group is open or closed, or whether or not you always leave an empty chair, there's one uninvited guest hovering around the meeting place ready to barge into the proceedings. The longer your group lasts, the more likely this intruder is to make an appearance. The ...
Living life in relationship with others is God's pathway for living a life of purpose.
by Brett Eastman
In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren writes, "God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this fellowship … real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services … It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other 'one another' commands found in the New Testament."
Launch new groups using these creative projects and activities.
by Erin Brownback
People bond over projects. Doing something with our hands loosens our mouths to talk about things we wouldn't say to someone who was looking us in the eye. Some people do it while working on cars. Some people do it while washing dishes. Even going for a walk side-by-side makes talking about our deep places a lot easier than a face-to-face conversation with no buffer of activity.
A shared interest, hobby, or practice can bring a deeper connection to your group.
by Erin Brownback
People are drawn together by a shared sense of identity. That identity can be based in almost anything—a science-fiction TV show, a nationality, a shared crises, a hobby, a love of Starbucks, or a desire to save the whales.
For my small group, it was tea. Being greeted with a kettle of hot water and several flavors from which to choose was welcoming and soothing to our somewhat harried souls. ...
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 ...
One of the great stories in the Bible about community involves a paralyzed man and the friends who brought him to Jesus (Mark 2:1-8).
Imagine what life was like for a paralytic in the ancient world. This man's whole life is lived on a mat three feet wide and six feet long. Someone has to feed him, carry him, clothe him, move him to keep him from being covered with bedsores, clean him when he soils ...
Use this practical tool to determine the childcare options in your small group.
by Michael Mack
Every church's small-group ministry is different. So is every small group. That's why we all need to think through the choices that will work best in our individual situations. If you plan ahead, the right childcare option can open up great opportunities for your small group instead of becoming a burden.Â
1. What is the childcare policy for your group?
[ ] No children are present except for nursing ...
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