A church needs to carefully consider the risks and benefits before launching a group.
by Randy Christian
Support groups cost something. They tax the entire system of the church. A church may be flush with excitement at the prospects of helping a needy group, but if a church is not ready, a new support group can do more harm than good. We are wise, then, to count the cost of support groups before we start them.
After starting more than two dozen different support groups in our church, I've learned what ...
This five-session course challenges people like you and me to join Jesus’ revolutionary mission.
A revolution invites a complete change in life. In the opening section of the letter to the Romans, Paul writes about having a transformed mind, which yields a transformed life. A transformed life is a radically different life, driven by different forces, motives, and hopes. Christ lives inside the believer and causes a fundamentally noticeable inner and outer transformation. Christ followers have ...
This six-session course helps single parents navigate the struggles and joys of parenting on their own.
Being a single parent is one of the tougher jobs a person can be given. This six-session course gives perspective on unique problems that a single parent faces, such as: tight budgets, parental visits, time for yourself, spiritual encouragement, dating again, and loving your job as a parent. Written by a single parent, this course will encourage you that although the job is tough, it's not impossible ...
Planning ahead can ensure that you're not the only one who shows up for the meeting.
Michael C. Mack
Have you ever held a small-group meeting where no one showed up? Rather than feeling resentment, try these steps to help avoid this situation in the future.
Develop a core group. Include a leader, apprentice leader, and a host or hostess (any of these roles could be held by couples). The core leadership group is expected to be at every meeting. Also, if you are hosting the meeting at someone else's ...
You can approach nearly any plan by looking at values, strategies, and tactics.
Dan Lentz
Don't you love it when a plan comes together!? Perhaps you started a new small group and used a great new curriculum or group agenda to get it started. Everyone loved it. People grew. The group grew. Things went great…for a while. Then it came time for the group to choose the next study focus. How do you follow something that was so life-changing? Then suddenly, an unexpected issue surfaces. ...
Avoid the frustration of a poorly run group with a little planning.
Mike Shepherd
Have you ever participated in a group meeting that was poorly run? It can drive you nuts. I got stuck in one of those meetings recently when I was asked to evaluate a particular church's group ministry. I went incognito. They had no idea who I was. It was fun but chaotic to say the least. When I arrived, no one greeted me or extended any kind of welcome. I sat down. No one interacted with me. I waited ...
Sometimes you may not follow it, but an agenda can help God work within your small group.
Joel Comiskey
"But what about the Spirit's leading in the small group," a lady asked me during my lesson on small group agendas in Krosnodar, Russia. By the way she asked the question, I perceived she was questioning the "spirituality" behind following a pre-planned agenda. "After all," she thought, "wouldn't a pre-planed order hinder the Spirit's work?"
This Russian lady sincerely wanted to follow the Spirit, not ...
Small group ministry thrives when you the end result is kept in view.
Joel Comiskey
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, tells people to "live life with the end in view." Covey counsels a person to imagine what others would say at his or her funeral and then to live a life that would fulfill those compliments.
Successful small group ministry is like running a marathon and not a 50-yard dash. It thrives when the end is kept in view.
The gospel is all about the opportunity for every individual to experience restoration from sins and become reunited with Christ. One of the best ways churches can live out the gospel is by offering recovery ministries, such as support groups and counseling. These handouts will help your leaders to remember ...
Printer view of these results
