6 Different Types of Small Groups
I’ve been thinking a lot about discipleship recently and looking at how different churches develop their people. At the core of most churches discipleship program is some sort of small group. So, I’d like to briefly go over 6 different types of groups churches use to disciple their people. To make sure we’re on the same page I’ll define “small group” as any group of less than 50 that meet for the purpose of discipleship (becoming more like Jesus) and relationship. 6 Different Types of Groups: 1. Ongoing, multiplying: The goal of these groups is to grow and eventually multiply ...
4 Benefits of Small Group Breaks
I love that God worked for 6 days and then rested. He didn't need rest- He's God. But, He chose to rest, partially to set us an example. We see the same thing in our week. Monday through Friday- we work, But, then it's Friday and we look forward to the weekend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0 In the last year our church moved from year long groups to more semester-based groups. We have a fall semester, spring semester and are trying to figure out what to do with the summer. Between each semester we take a break. I recently read an article outlining ...
The Secret to Gathering a Group (to do anything)
You’re standing in front of the movie theater, waiting for people to show up- and the movie starts in 5 minutes. You begin to panic- what if no one shows up? What if only that one “somewhat weird” person shows up and it’s just the two of you? You think back through your invites- you sent out some e-mails and invited a few people at church. A few told you it sounded like fun and they’d try to make it. But, there you are- waiting. You’re about to give up and go home and then…...new guy shows up. On a ...
4 Ways to Help Guys Love Groups
My Bible was beginning to literally fall apart so I took a trip to my local Christian Bookstore. I was in the store about 5 minutes before I suddenly realized I didn’t belong. I felt like I accidently time-warped into a Bath and Body Works that smelled like cinnamon, and everything was pink, and sold “trinkets”. What man buys “trinkets”? In fact, the only people in the store were a group of older women waiting in line to use the bathroom. I took a few minutes to look through the Bibles before I realized that almost every single one was ...
Ending a Group Well
I remember the last night of the group. It was relatively the same group that had started together a year and a half before. I had led the group for a year and someone else had taken over for the following 6 months. The group had been through a lot over that year- laughing, crying, an adoption, new babies, good times, and tough conversations. I had personally baptized 5 of them. But, there we were, saying goodbye. There was some frustration, but overall, I think everyone knew it was time to move on. Ending a group is never easy! But, ...
Top 10 Teams on T.V.
For any group to reach its potential, a leader has to understand his strengths and weaknesses. He also has to value the strengths and weaknesses of those on his team. For example, I was just playing t-ball with my sons and we lost a ball in the neighbors yard. I could figure out how a person could retrieve the ball, and my 4 year old was just the right size to sneak under a bush and through a fence to actually get it. Yay 4 year olds! When we each used our strengths, t-ball could continue. In light of recent ...
Personality Matters in Small Group
Who you are affects how you lead a group. The better you understand yourself- your personality, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses, the better you’ll be able to help your group thrive. I remember being on a leadership team in college with 3 others students. Two of them talked things out loud- like me. So, we would spend a lot of time in meetings throwing out ideas and brainstorming together. And then there was Bob. He didn’t talk very much and I found I had a hard time trusting him. I felt like he wasn’t contributing and I even accused him of ...
You’re not a robot: 7 ways to experience God
You are not a robot! Sometimes we believe the lie that there's only one way to connect with Jesus. We're supposed to love being around people and music and quiet Bible study. But, the truth is, God didn't create an army of robots- he created individuals; and not one person is like another. That means because of everyone's backgrounds, personality, giftings, and passions, we're all going to relate to and connect with Jesus differently. Understanding these differences are very important as a follower of Jesus and as a group leader. A few years ago, Bill Hybels adapted Gary Thomas’ book ...
Beware Chocolate Bunny Syndrome
It’s always great around Easter to get a chocolate bunny. But, over the years, I’ve learned to temper my excitement until I better examine the bunny. Some are made of pure chocolate and I’m joyfully forced to figure out how to consume so much chocolate. But, other chocolate bunnies hold a dark secret. They may look as amazing as other bunnies, but inside- they’re hollow! Picking up these bunnies I feel like I’ve been tricked or hoodwinked into hoping for a high quality chocolate bunny. Instead, I’m holding a hollow Easter imposter. As a leader, I think there’s a lot ...
How the Grinch Stole Small Group
In the story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch believes the true meaning of Christmas is presents. Believing this, he steals all the Christmas presents from the unsuspecting Whos in Whoville to stop Christmas from coming. But, Christmas morning he finds all the whos singining their hearts out and realizes that Christmas had nothing to do with presents- it meant so much more. Like the Grinch, I’m coming to realize that small groups mean so much more than what I thought they meant. You see, this spring semester we’ve had a few groups who haven’t had as many people ...