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 ...
“Christianese”: Not Suitable for Small Group
Every group tends to have their own terms and language that only "insiders" understand. For proof, here's a link to 31 military phrases only people in the military will understand. Or 22 phrases that only wall streeters will understand. Christians are no different. I grew up around church and church people and it wasn't until I was in college that I realized half the things Christians talk about make no sense to people who aren't Christian. (In reality, half the things Christians say don't even make sense to themselves.) "Christianese": N. 1. Any word or phrase you use to sound ...
Over 70 Game Ideas for Small Group (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Download over 70 ideas for small group games for free here--> Small Group Games If you want to develop a small group that likes each other and feels comfortable sharing during discussion- you have to take time to play games. It’s nerve-wracking to walk into a strange person’s house for the first time. You’re hoping they're not a bunch of weirdos. The best way to “break the ice” is with a game of some sort. It doesn’t have to be complicated. For the first few weeks, in addition to a game I’ll have everyone go around and say their name and ...
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 ...