Ask “Why?” 5 times

It’s always frustrating to be attempting to lead a discussion, and nobody’s discussing.  This is when the snack table looks the most appealing.  Or maybe the answers you are hearing are to cliché.  We used to tell our kids that

Do others love your group?

So you love your small group. That’s understandable.  If your group is functioning as it should, there will be a lot of reasons why you feel a strong bond to those with whom you meet.  But how often have you had someone not in your group come up to you and say

Friends and buddies

Okay men, If you would like to read a concise article on the the difference between a friend and a buddy, check out The Path of Friendship written by Matt Teel and featured in Rebel magazine’s winter 2011 issue, page 26. Teel teaches college level ethics, and in a nutshell references Aristotle in saying

When buildings get in the way

Although I’m embarrassed to admit it, I have sometimes expected the physical trappings of my worship system to be the instrument for change with those I am hoping to lead to faith.  I have watched visitors walk in the front door of a building that some call a sanctuary, observed them participate in the music and readings, and marketed my faith with other stuff.  And I have often expected the stuff to convince them that Christianity is

Water wings and cannonballs

What would you think if you watched a parent push four children into a swimming pool because she knew that eventually all the children would have fun in the water?  Good motive, bad method. I watched a scenario today that

Lead your group to give

Maybe you have seen the public service billboards along the highway that encourage us to Pass It On. They often feature a well-known person who is impacting the world in a positive way through some act of serving others. One in particular inspires me. It features a man by the name of Albert Lexie who

A pastor’s view of small groups

Thanks to Pastor Jerry Mitchell for the following thoughts.

Twenty years ago, as a friend and I were meeting weekly for discipleship, we caught wind of a new church modality called “small groups”. Like rebels with a cause, we were determined to become the resident experts and convince everyone in our 1200 member congregation that they needed to be in a small group.

Having been discipled in a small group in college, the management and leadership of this bad boy was not unfamiliar to me. But

Study the everyday

Despite Christian small groups having an abundance of resources available to them for study material, it is not uncommon for leaders to fret and worry about choosing the right material for their group. However, if you approach the learning element of your small group time with the understanding that you want to build community, then

Leading past the study

At some point during the learning part of your small group meeting, a leader needs to be able to lead past the study. The fault of many, if not most, studies are they rely on imparting information instead of building community.  I am not opposed to studies, just the opposite, but

Spread the wealth

If you were to gather the members of your church together and ask them, “What is the responsibility of the pastor?” almost certainly someone would reference Ephesians 4:12 where Paul states, “equip the saints for the work of the ministry.”  Certainly pastors like the potential of this verse. It gives them