3 Things that Make a Group Memorable

As I think back to all the groups I’ve been a part of over the years, I believe there are 3 things that have made certain groups memorable and others not so much.

1.  Crying. There are special moments in group, when a person shares raw and honest emotion. And these are the moments you never forget. I remember one night only a few people showed up to our small group and I was disappointed and thought about scrapping the lesson all together. But, we went ahead and went over the lesson and out of nowhere something happened. In response to one of the questions I asked one woman started sharing some of the tough stuff she was going through. And in response to that the others in the group began to share some of the biggest wounds they experienced in their life. I didn’t script it, but, I knew, in that moment that God was doing something special. As you have group, don’t shy away from these sort of moments. If you know someone is going through something difficult, give them the opportunity to share their struggles with group. They may or they may not, but some may find comfort in sharing.
2. Laughing. When we laugh, we relax. If I laugh at something a speaker says, I’m more likely to think I enjoyed his talk than if I didn’t laugh. It’s great to help your group to laugh together. Fort the first few weeks of group I’ll have everyone go around and share their name and their favorite movie, or cereal. Or, I’ll have them share what super power they’d have. One time I asked what’s the one thing they would save out of their house if it was on fire- if their family, pets, and computer was safe. I said my comics. Apparently some people thought that was funny. A group that laughs together, grows together.
3. Special Moments. I remember the time one group I was in went to an old folks home and played bingo with the residents there. I called out the numbers and took it upon myself to spice it up a bit. So as I called out the numbers I would say, “And now, it’s everyone’s favorite vitamin…..B5, who has B5”? Some residents didn’t find me very amusing and asked the others with me, “Who does he think he is, a comedian…..just call the numbers!” For the rest of that year and a few years after, everyone who was there that night loved to remember the time that I was heckled at the old folks home. You can create special moments in your group by finding a way to serve together, meet somewhere different than where you normally meet, do something totally random and different than what you normally do.

–       I will warn you though, if you’re ever going to do something out of the ordinary, talk about it for weeks and weeks before you ever do it. And even with that, expect 30-50% of your people to not show up.  

If you will help your group to laugh, cry, and create special memories, you will create a group that people will remember for a very long time.