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...

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...

Seven Reasons A Small Group Should Be 12 or Less People

The number of people in a small group really does affect the group member's experience. Some have come to believe that a group of 13, 30, even 50 is capable of accomplishing the same thing in the lives of group members as a group of 12 or less. While it may be true that the...

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...

Three Outrageously Dangerous Group Leader Types

Being a small group leader is a seemingly overwhelmingly responsibility. At least, that's what some will say. I actually believe that almost anyone can be an effective small group leader. That is, anyone whose heart is in the right place. Sorry to say, not everyone's heart is in the right place. There are three group...

Four Times a Small Group Leader Must Speak Up

I'm often asked, "How would you describe the role of a small group leader?" The answer to this question isn't difficult to respond to. Having mulled this over for many years and considering what most churches require of the individuals who lead a small group, the response is simply, "A small group leader is the...