A New Book on Spiritual Disciplines That Gets It

Philip Nation is the Director of Content Development with LifeWay Christian Resources, serves as Teaching Pastor for The Fellowship, a multi-campus church in Nashville, and is someone I am proud to call friend. He has a new book that is released yesterday – Habits for Our Holiness: How the Spiritual Disciplines Grow Us Up, Draw...

Looking for an Incredible Discipleship Conference to Attend?

Are you coming to the Disciple Leader Gathering at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary? I sure hope so. Be sure to register soon. FEATURED PRESENTATIONS What is a Disciple? – Featuring Robby Gallaty, Replicate Ministries, Pastor, Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN. Models of Discipleship Forum – Multiple presenters led by Bruce Raley, LifeWay Christian Resources and Casey...

Where New Small Group Pastors Can Get the Training They Need

If you're like me, you started in ministry with a lot of gaps that needed to be filled. You were excited about doing ministry but didn't really know what you were doing. Once I realized where my weaknesses were, I could respond accordingly. I disciplined myself to learn what needed to be learned by reading...

Undeniable Facts… Why Starting New Small Groups Isn’t Optional

Every groups pastor I've ever met is outrageously passionate about starting new groups. In fact, starting new groups may be, in the minds of most groups point people, the most important thing they do. In order for that to happen the groups pastor has to sell the idea to group leaders, coaches, and sometimes, even...

What Is A Successful Small Group Ministry – Really?

What is a successful small group ministry? This is a question every small group point person must ask. If we never ask this question, we never know what we must accomplish so we can never strategize for accomplishment. But we must first ask who gets to answer the question, "What is a successful small group...

Pastors and Self-Centeredness… The Social Networking Challenge

Is it possible that a pastor can be self-focused, self-centered, downright narcissistic and not even know it? I'm certain it’s possible. I must confess that there was a time in my life when those terms described me and I didn't realize it. You say, "How can that be?" Because, in this social networking world, what...

7 Audacious Practices of Those Who Lead Ice-Breakers Effectively

Many small group leaders have backed away from doing ice-breakers. As you understood after reading yesterday's seven reasons for doing ice-breakers, these moments are important if you want to have a transformational conversation. There are seven audacious practices of those who use ice-breakers effectively that may be helpful. When asking an ice-breaker question, keep your...

“Ice-Breakers Suck!”

I was once again leading a small group leader training event in a southern state. The room was completely full. Over 100 group leaders were there. The small group pastor had invited me to spend 4 hours with them. His one major expectation, "Be sure you help them know how to host an effective conversational...

Provocative… Group Sizes and What Is Best Accomplished in Each

There seems to be great debate concerning the number of people that make up a healthy group. Part of the reason this is so is due to the fact that today's church seems to have embraced the idea that almost any group that has fewer people in it than is in a weekend worship service...

The 10 Commandments of Conversational Small Group Bible Study Facilitation

Facilitating a small group Bible study is one of my favorite things to do. Hearing the combined wisdom of the group, drawing the hesitant group member into the conversation, searching for God's truth while keeping each other's opinions in check, and seeing the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit as He uses many voices to...