An Equation to Determine Group Health
Below are some numbers you can use after people sign up for your group to determine if you have enough people. (You may not know the people who signed up for your group, but may be able to work with your group coach or staff to see if others may know them.) Here's an equation you can use to calculate your potential group health. (Include yourself) For each committed couple you have in your group give yourself: 3 points For each committed individual (not couple) you have in your group, give yourself: 2 points For each non-committed couple you have in your group ...
How Size Matters, Part 1: Group Size
Do Numbers Matter? Typically we say an ideal small group consists of 10-15 people. Less than that can sometimes feel awkward and more can feel overwhelming. But, what if the number doesn't matter at all? I believe there are two things that affect group health more than how many people attend on a weekly basis. Expectations I’ve had groups in the past where only a few people signed up and so had to help the group navigate through what to do. I realized what mattered most was people’s expectations of how many people “should” be in the group in order ...
5 Secrets of the First Year of Marriage
Marriage secret As my wife’s youngest sister is getting married this weekend, it makes me think back to all the things I’ve learned about marriage over the last 10 years. I thought I’d share 5 secrets of marriage no one talks about: 1. They never go away Shortly after my wife and I first go married I have this specific memory of coming home from Starbucks to our one bedroom apartment and there was my loving wife, waiting for me. Because we had recently moved into the area, she was looking for a job and we were still looking for a social life. ...
5 Fun Icebreaker Games
The group that laughs together, stays together. Icebreakers are especially important over the first few weeks after a group starts. Games that help people get to know others in the group also help build connections in the group, which helps people feel like they belong. Here's 5 games I like to use: 1. M&M Game Supplies Needed: A bag of M&M’s Pass around a bowl of M&M’s and ask everyone to take out 5. Each color of M&M represents something they need to share about themselves. Red: Something you do well Brown: Ways you relax Green: Goals you have Yellow: ...
15 Questions Every Person Asks When Joining a Small Group
Signing up for a group for the first time can be intimidating. As group leaders, it's our job to help people feel comfortable attending group for the first time. Here's an idea of what could be going through someone's head after signing up for a group. I just signed up for a group. Oh no, what did I just do? Should I go? Maybe I'll start next week? What about next semester? I've never been in a group before and have no idea what to expect? Everyone's going to know I'm new and I'll probably do something stupid. Why am I ...
First Night of Group, Part 2: Lesson and Prayer
On your first night of small group, your lesson is very important. This is your one chance to set a tone for your group for the rest of the semester or year! So, I want to share a possible template to use for your lesson for the first night of group. Lesson: Welcome everyone to group. Explain group big picture. I hope this will be a safe place. I hope we’ll grow together. Everyone comes into group with different backgrounds. It’s ok to ask questions and not have the answers. Ask if anyone’s been in a group before, and if so, ...
First Night of Group, Part 1: The Template
Your first night of small group will always be a little different. People are meeting each other for the first time and wondering if they'll like each other, and what to expect from the group. It's important to know that your first night of group will set the tone for what your group will be like, so you need to have a plan. Here’s a template of what a typical first night of group should look like. With Dinner: 1. Dinner (30 minutes) 2. Icebreaker Game (15 minutes) 3. Lesson (45 minutes) 4. Prayer (15 minutes) Total: 1:45 Without Dinner: 1. ...
Be The Fun You Want to Have
My boys helped me pass out fliers a few weeks ago, inviting people to our house for a cookout. Together we would walk up to someone’s door and knock. When they answered, my older son would say, “We’re having a get together at our house this Sunday,” and my younger son would finish, “…and you're invited,” then hand them a flier. I would follow up with a quick affirmation that what my kids said was true. My kids had a blast! But, there was one house on the corner near us whose owner answered our invite in the strangest way ...
How to have a neighborhood cookout
I’ve always dreamt of living on a street where everyone knows each other (kind of like Cheers, but on a street instead of a bar). I presently live on a street where that’s very far from reality- but we're trying to change that. My wife and I have lived in our house for almost 6 years and have slowly worked on getting to know the neighbors bit by bit and year by year. This past Sunday, we hosted our 3rd neighborhood party and had 38 people come. They had a great time and profusely thanked us for hosting the get together. I ...
7 Simple Questions to Begin a Small Group (with free download)
As we began our yearly preparations for small group to begin about a year ago, I began to feel bad about how many times I had to e-mail our leaders for their group info. It felt like I was bugging our leaders- which I never want to do. Finally, I decided to sit down and figure out all the info I needed so I could ask them in one easy step. After I received their info, I made a simple excel sheet to find out where there are holes and could easily follow up. As I'm working through this process ...