An email small group can be a great solution for those too busy for another meeting.
by Marilyn A. Yocum
Note: This article has been excerpted from the SmallGroups.com training tool called Growing Small Groups.
My ideal small group would have included three good friends: Lynn, Margaret, and Susan. But I figured it could never happen. They were all busy people. We saw each other in church on Sunday and exchanged e-mail through the week, but the last thing any of us needed was another weekly meeting to ...
Follow these steps to lead meaningful and effective leaders meetings.
by Doug Patch
It is difficult to imagine how a leader can effectively communicate to the home group—verbally and by modeling—excitement and direction for evangelism and discipleship without healthy leaders meetings that evaluate the success and direction of the group. Here is a brief guide on how leaders meetings can help a home group "stay the course."
Here are some potential barriers to good leaders ...
Identifying the key roles in your group ensures its long-term health.
by Life Together
As a leader, you're the champion for fulfilling the purposes of your group. It's critical, then, that you fully understand each member's role ahead of time. That will simplify figuring out who should be in them after your group kicks off. Below are several "job descriptions" of key roles in the group. You'll need to identify who can fill these roles—and then recruit members in your group for ...
Follow these six steps to help your leaders grow spiritually.
by Brett Eastman
When my daughter Michelle was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy, we thought she'd never walk. But one day she started getting up on her haunches and crawling. The next minute, she was pulling herself up on furniture and trying to walk, but she didn't look like she would ever stand sturdy on her legs. After we put her in a little walker that allowed her to cruise around the house, she went from ...
Take a step back and evaluate the effectiveness of your small-groups ministry.
by John Ortberg, Roberta Hestenes, Jeffrey Arnold, and others
Often small groups run on autopilot, and no one steps out of the picture to see how the group can be made more effective. The seven assessments in this download help your group measure some common issues like what it takes to lead a group, how to make small groups an outreach, and disciplines that are beneficial to incorporate into your group. Each assessment conveniently fits on one page, so they're ...
Successfully leading a small group is a difficult task all by itself. But that task can become nearly impossible when your group contains one or more challenging personalities—people who talk too little or too much, people with emotional problems, people who promote false theology, and so on. ...
These trusted leaders can help your ministry move to the next level.
by Russ Robinson, Randall Neighbor, Patrick Morley, and others
Note: Click E-Groups to see a free article from this resource.
Discover the transforming power of small groups. Whether you are starting a new small groups ministry in your church or revitalizing an existing one, this theme offers you many valuable tools. An interview with Russ Robinson, pastor of Meadowbrook Church in New Jersey and former Director of Small Groups at Willow Creek Community Church, ...
How to learn the deep "one another" community described in Scripture
Howard A. Snyder
Community in the New Testament sense of koinonia assumes and requires face-to-face communication, whether in a horse-and-buggy age or an Internet age. Three things marked New Testament Christian community: It was centered in Jesus Christ (believers met together as Jesus' followers, constituting his body); this fellowship was a gift of the Holy Spirit; and the community was missional. That is, the ...
Wash a windshield so someone can see God more clearly.
Sue Skalicky
Recently, I waited in line at a car wash for 45 minutes. Spring temperatures had begun to melt the landscape leaving my car a muddy mess. I can usually tolerate the mud on the hood and doors, and I'm even patient with how much mud comes in the car on my kids' feet, but one thing I can't stand is a dirty windshield. I gradually become claustrophobic as the windshield closes in to encompass just the ...
Can't seem to find the right group? Maybe you're what's missing.
Len Woods
We've all heard that old joke where one guy says, "I'm looking for the perfect church" … to which his friend replies, "Yeah, well, if you find it, don't join it or you'll RUIN it!" The point is obvious: There's no such thing as a perfect church. The reason should also be clear: Churches are composed of imperfect people!
What's true of churches is certainly true of small groups. Every group has ...
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