Prayer is a crucial part of small-group ministry, yet many leaders struggle to facilitate meaningful prayer in their group meetings. One group member may never share prayer requests, while another shares for 30 minutes. One may only share requests for their aunt's stepdad's mother-in-law, while another requests the same thing every week. Developing meaningful prayer times not only brings you closer to one another, but also brings your group members before God.
That's why we've put together this Small Group Essentials Training Tool. This resource gives you everything you need to evaluate your group's prayer and implement practical ideas that will deepen and revolutionize your prayer. This resource is perfect for leaders to train themselves on how to lead better prayer times at meetings. It's also perfect for directors or coaches who are training an apprentice leader or a team of leaders. The Get Started Guide shows you exactly how to maximize the comprehensive training included in this resource.
Evaluating Prayer in Small Groups
If you're like most small-group leaders, you understand that prayer is supposed to be an important component of group life. It's supposed to be something deep and meaningful—a way for your group to maintain a vibrant connection with God. But if you're like most small-group leaders, you probably aren't experiencing that kind of prayer in your group. At least, not regularly. We'll help you identify areas of weakness and strength when it comes to prayer in your small group. Then we'll give you practical ideas for moving deeper into the kind of life-changing prayer you've always wanted.
Revolutionary Prayer in Small Groups
Prayer is a major part of every small group. Or at least it should be—when the goal of gathering together is spiritual growth and transformation, the Holy Spirit needs to be involved. And prayer before, during, and after a group gathering is a key element in that involvement. Unfortunately, prayer has become an uncomfortable time for many small-group members. Or a boring time. Or a waste of time. That's because many groups dig themselves into a rut during prayer time—doing the same thing week after week. At some point, sharing around the circle and praying for the person on your right just loses its meaning. Fortunately, we're here to help with a number of great articles to show you how to make prayer revolutionary.
Go Deeper with God
As we grow, prayer and Bible reading should become deeper, richer experiences. This resource will help you and your group understand and practice contemplative prayer and lectio divina. It’s sure to take your group meetings to a new level. Discover what these ancient practices are and how they can benefit your group. You’ll learn practical tips for helping group members practice these disciplines.
Meaningful Prayer in Small Groups
Most groups spend time praying together during meetings. But how many treat it as a way to simply end the meeting in a Christian way? Or spend more time sharing requests than actually praying? How often is your group's prayer time truly meaningful—time spent intimately connecting with God? If our goal in small groups is to experience life-change and connect with one another and God, we must spend time engaging in meaningful prayer together. We'll help you with assessments, case studies, articles, a prayer activity, and more—all designed to help your groups and group leaders understand the importance of genuine application.
You have permission to make up to 1,000 copies of this resource for use within your local church.
