Your church has been on a spiritual roll with the 40 Days of Purpose campaign. Everyone's excited, but you're actually worried: What will happen to these wonderful small groups once 40 Days is over?
No need to fret. Whether you just finished the 40 Days of Purpose or another fall campaign in which you launched new small groups, with these tips, you can sustain and strengthen your small groups from ...
Starting something new is often easier than keeping it going—especially going well. Many small group pastors and champions especially feel this way after the completion of 40 Days of Purpose. People are connected like never before and rising to new spiritual heights, but you question how you are going to sustain this mountaintop experience.
In Part 1, Brett Eastman, CEO and Founder of Lifetogether, ...
Follow these steps to lead people down the path of continued spiritual growth.
by Brett Eastman
Our small group, like most small groups, is comprised of people with varying degrees of Christian maturity. One lady arrived as a spiritual seeker. Within time, she committed her life to Christ and was baptized. The evening of her baptism was a special time for our small group, as we celebrated her decision and prayed with her. Both seasoned prayer warriors and new believers lifted up praises and ...
John Ortberg helps us to understand God better in this five-session course from our new Great Bible Teachers series.
John Ortberg, pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California and author of numerous books including The Life You've Always Wanted and If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, helps us to understand God better in this five-session course from our new Great Bible Teachers series. Ortberg challenges us to partner with God in our spiritual growth by responding to the tests ...
God is trustworthy and can be counted on to treat people right.
"This 6-session course is by Marshall Shelley, written within a year after the deaths of two of his children. During Marshall and his wife's desperate turning to Scripture, they discovered that God is trustworthy and can be counted on to treat people right. These six studies focus on six sections of the Bible that offered them fresh glimpses of how God works.
This four-session course emphasizes that joy comes from pursuing God wholeheartedly, giving ourselves away, and learning to dwell on the good.
We live in a world that constantly offers ways for us to achieve happiness by improving our circumstances. Unfortunately, such happiness is always fleeting. In contrast, the apostle Paul retained his joy in the midst of difficult circumstances, because he understood that true joy comes from gospel-first relationships, goals, desires, and conduct. This four-session course emphasizes that joy comes ...
In this seven-session course, learn how habits like fasting and prayer can help you live out a life of faith.
The Christian life is simply a matter of faith. Yet to grow in that faith, we must develop certain beliefs, rhythms, and practices. We must find our satisfaction in Christ alone and understand that our spiritual growth is a joint effort between God and us. We also must have a sincere desire to imitate Christ. This will lead to practices such as silence and solitude, fasting, a consistent combination ...
If you want your small group to go to the next level, you have to lead the way.
Jay Firebaugh
I recently talked with a cell leader who was afraid to be real with his cell group. "If they knew I had these type of struggles, they would never respect me." In truth, just the opposite is true. I have found when cell leaders open up and share what is really going on in their life: good, bad, and ugly, rather than being repulsed by it, group members are drawn to the leader. They are struggling with ...
As a coach, there are several questions you need to ask yourself when helping a leader through conflict.
Rick Lowry
I am a coach or director in a small group ministry. When a leader comes to me asking for help resolving a conflict within their group, what questions should I ask myself before responding?
Is this the right time and place to be discussing this?
The church lobby between services is not the place to discuss a group conflict with a leader. One-on-one, in a quiet, relaxed setting is optimal.
In complex issues, if you know your own preferred reaction to conflict, it can help you choose the right course.
Betty Veldman Wieland
Conflict is a normal part of small group life. In fact, if we don't have conflict, someone is not being honest. People are just too different from one another to avoid it completely. I do not like conflict. It makes me feel, well, conflicted! At the same time, I believe that understanding the nature of conflict and being prepared to deal with it as a small group leader, coach, or staff person is essential ...
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