SmallGroups.com would like to officially welcome you to 2009! While we are certain that this will be an exciting year, let's take a moment to look back at some of our favorite moments and resources from 2008. Below, you'll find the resources that people like you downloaded most from SmallGroups.com in 2008. Best of all, each of these resources is now 25% off!
And as always, SmallGroups.com members have full access to the downloadable resources on SmallGroups.com.
Finally, are you a part of our weekly newsletter? It now reaches more than 45,000 small-group leaders, pastors, and volunteers. If you haven't signed up yet, there's no time like the present! You'll receive updates from the site every week, along with a great deal of free material—articles, icebreakers and other tips, Q & A advice, Darryl's Dilemma, and more.
Blessings to you and your small groups in the year ahead!
10.Building a Culture of Discipleship—Training Theme
Many small-group ministries fail because churches view them as "just another program." In reality, a successful small-groups program should be a foundational element for the church that runs it, and building community should be a central goal and regular practice. This download will help your church grow a culture of discipleship that goes beyond a single ministry focus.
9.Coaching Small Group Leaders—Practical Ministry Skills
The role of a small-group coach is to teach, support, and confront the group leaders. This downloadable resource can help focus and strengthen your church's coaching ministry. And if your church doesn't support small-group leaders with coaches yet, this resource can help you get started today.
8.Ministering to Difficult Group Members—Practical Ministry Skills
The task of leading a small group 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. This download contains articles and assessments written by noted experts and is sure to be a source of comfort and help to any group leader attempting to serve where extra grace is required.
7.Small-Group Assimilation Strategies—Practical Ministry Skills
It can be hard to integrate newcomers to your church into small groups. Similarly, small-group visitors may have a difficult time becoming more involved in other ministries. This training resource can help your church accomplish both, as well as help your individual small groups become more welcoming.
6.Best Church Practices: Small-Group Ministry—Best Church Practices
Leading a small group isn't easy, but we've taken the chore out of creating documents and procedures for you! This download contains 16 policies and forms that can be fully customized to fit your church and ministry. These documents include job and ministry descriptions, application forms, leadership criteria, profiles, and much more.
5.Missional Small Groups—Training Theme
There's no question that the word missional is generating a lot of buzz in ministry circles today. Can missional practices and principles really enhance your small-group ministry? Yes! This downloadable resource features devotionals, activities, assessments, and how-to articles from trusted leaders around the world.
4.Effective Turbo Groups—Practical Ministry Skills
Turbo groups are an effective way to train several new small-group leaders and co-leaders at once. An extensive five-week curriculum will also show you how they are an excellent method for exposing potential leaders to the routines and requirements of a small group in order to gauge their willingness and capability for the role.
3.Sermon-Based Small Groups—Practical Ministry Skills
This resource features a wealth of practical training material that can help your church adapt to a sermon-based discipleship program in a short amount of time. Experienced authors help you write discussion questions, create study guides, and even build sermon-based DVD curriculum. This download also features a variety of helpful sample forms that you can adapt to get started now.
2.Small-Group Evaluations—Assessment Pack
You may have received this top-selling guide during our free giveaway in July. If you haven't seen it yet, the handouts in this Assessment Pack are designed to evaluate specific dimensions of small-group ministry. They address individual small groups as well as church-wide group ministries to maintain ministry health.
1.Small Group Leader—Orientation Guide
This guide is a must-have for every new leader and ministry. It is designed to help you equip your church to provide orientation and basic training to new small group leaders, and to help seasoned small group leaders refresh themselves on their responsibilities. Use for a training meeting or hand out to individual leaders.
Bonus! Editor's Pick While this download didn't make the Top 10, SmallGroups.com's managing editor Sam O'Neal selected Meaningful Worship in Small Groups as his pick for 2008. He says of this Practical Ministry Skills download, "Worship is something that a lot of groups struggle to do well, and I really think this download has some practical and innovative tips that can help."
Hollie Baker-Lutz is the marketing coordinator for SmallGroups.com.
Copyright 2009 by the author and Christianity Today
