SmallGroups.com

Most leaders who dream of "finding a shepherd for every sheep" find themselves a bit lost when it comes to starting small groups. You're not alone.

At Lifetogether, we say,"Fall is to small group ministry, what Easter is to the church"—that is, if you want to launch a small group ministry, do it in the fall. You can also, of course, start one in January or after Easter, but there's nothing like ...

Topics:	Calendar, Goals, Launching, Leadership, Planning, Recruiting leaders, Strategy
Filters:	Coach, Director, Leader, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Date Added:	September 19, 2004

I have a number of different gift assessment tools at my disposal. I have used an eight-week curriculum that utilizes video, overheads, a nice book, and a leader's guide in classes and small groups. This curriculum also involves consultations with trained consultants after the course is over. Our church has used this course in the past and we have developed a database of people's gifts and passions ...

Topics:	Community, Encouragement, Fellowship, Interaction, Service, Spiritual gifts, Spiritual growth, Teaching
Filters:	Coach, Group Leader, Pastor, Train
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	Acts 2:42-47, Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12
Date Added:	April 12, 2001

I have a confession. I like Mike. I like Mike so much that I named my first son after him—well, kind of. His name is Jordan Michael. I like Mike so much that I was selected as the biggest Michael Jordan fan in Anderson, Indiana, in 1993, the year of M.J.'s first retirement.

I like Michael Jordan for a reason: I like basketball, and he is the greatest basketball player of all time. Yet his first ...

Topics:	Assessment, Community, Fellowship, Spiritual gifts, Teamwork, Training
Filters:	Coach, Group Leader, Train
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Date Added:	June 12, 2007

Few subjects are more discussed and/or debated among Christians than the issue of "spiritual gifts." Since almost every believer has an opinion (often deeply held convictions!), this topic often tends to generate more heat than light. In such a supercharged atmosphere, wrong ideas often creep in.

While a great amount of mystery will always surround this subject, a few truths are crystal clear. Consider ...

Topics:	Group dynamics, Leadership, Participation, Spiritual gifts
Filters:	Coach, Connect, Director, Group Leader, Member
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	Exodus 36:1-2, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:13-28
Date Added:	February 12, 1998

Small-group leaders play a vital role in the discipleship process of many churches by teaching, supporting, and even confronting the members of their groups. But who teaches, supports, and confronts the group leaders? That is largely the role of small-group coaches. This downloadable resource can help focus and strengthen your church's coaching ministry. And if your church doesn't support small-group ...

Topics:	Coach, Director, Discipleship, Guidance, Management, Shepherding
Filters:	Coach, Director, Pastor, Train
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Romans 12:9-13, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Timothy 4:15-16, Hebrews 13:20-21, 1 Peter 5:1-4
Date Added:	September 23, 2008

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 ...

Topics:	Assessment, Developing, Evaluation, Leadership, Management, Recruiting leaders, Resources
Filters:	Coach, Director, Leader, Train
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:1-13
Date Added:	September 19, 2003

God created living organisms to go through life cycles. Jesus used these life cycles to illustrate points in many of His parables. Because churches and small groups are living organisms (1 Peter 2:4,5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 4:1-16)we would be well served to pay attention to life-cycles when it comes to discussions about 'open' and 'closed' small groups. Close knit communities go through ...

Topics:	Closed groups, Covenants, Evangelism, Group size, Growing, Open door, Open groups, Planning
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Start
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Peter 2:4-5
Date Added:	May 12, 2003

Small group gatherings highlight multiple aspects of the spiritual community, and none more so than the unique gifts given by God to individual people for specialized roles and responsibilities. Spiritual gifts are more deeply discovered, enjoyed, and shared in the environment of close relationships — perfect for the small group.

Rare is the gathering of people who share the exact same mix of ...

Topics:	Community, Encouragement, Fellowship, Friendship, Interaction, Spiritual gifts, Spiritual growth
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Pastor, Start
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12
Date Added:	April 12, 2001

Holistic groups do not equal perfect groups. The perfect group does not exist. Small groups are places where broken people are in the process of becoming whole.

A few weeks ago, I was teaching a small group seminar in York, PA. On Monday night I attended one of York Alliance's small groups. I was bone-weary before attending that group, and I thought to myself, I do not need another meeting.

However, ...

Topics:	Fellowship, Group dynamics, Group size, Meeting, Organic, Structure
Filters:	Coach, Director, Group Leader, Organize
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Date Added:	June 12, 2007