With intention and perseverance you can begin small groups at your church.
by Life Together
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 ...
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 ...
An elderly woman embraces the call to minister to others in her nursing home.
by Life Together
Edith, recently widowed, was depressed. After her husband's death, she experienced a stroke and was partially paralyzed. Against Edith's will, her daughters urged her to move to a nursing home. Nursing homes, Edith thought, were for Alzheimer octogenarians in Depends—not for the youthful in spirit like herself.
For the first few months, Edith refused to mingle with the residents, despite numerous ...
I grew up with a single mom, two sisters, a girl cousin, and an aunt. One Christmas morning, we were sitting around the tree rifling through presents. We tore a package open and showed it to the entire family. One time I opened my gift, and I pulled out … a skirt! The family exploded in laughter. Late on Christmas Eve, my mom had gotten the gifts all goofed up.
This seven-session course will remind us of how to live the basic Christian life.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he knew they needed to be instructed in the basics. Today, we also need to be taught the basics of the Christian life. This seven-session course from 1 Corinthians will remind us why we go to church, how to use our bodies to honor God, how to find unity in diversity, how to love, serve, and worship together, and how to face death.
If Martians were to visit your group and ask to be taken to your leader, they should end up meeting everyone!
During the early meetings, the leader must take the most initiative, but each member is contributing as well. Furthermore, leaders should delegate responsibilities from the very first meeting, for symbolic reasons if for nothing else.
Leaders should watch and encourage role playing within ...
Though spiritual gifts are greatly debated, there are a few clear truths.
Len Woods
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 ...
Darryl is looking for a way to help group members identify and use their spiritual gifts.
The Small Group Network Community
Darryl feels like the individuals in his group are not serving the Lord within their unique areas of giftedness. He is looking for a way to help group members identify and use their spiritual gifts.
What advice or study helps would you give Darryl?
His group could use/go through a spiritual gifts based bible study which may help people identify their particular gifts and areas where they could serve. ...
Small group members can provide valuable insight when assessing an individual's spiritual gifts.
Robert Damon
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 ...
I believe that small groups are the best place to practice spiritual gifts.
Joel Comiskey
"Joel, you're placing too much emphasis on small groups," the board member insisted. "I believe we should focus on developing more ministries in our church—like a social action program—so that people can truly exercise their spiritual gifts."
"But in the small groups they'll have a chance to exercise their gifts," I countered. "Those with the gift of mercy will have the opportunity to ...
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