Apr

28

Is it Time to Give Up on Your Small Group?

April 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Sam Neal has posted a great article called “When Is a Small Group ‘Just Another Meeting’?” on BuildingChurchLeaders.com. In it, he tells the story of Randy Frazee, who hand selected a model small group to lead, and then learned that the most exciting event of the evening was happening right next door in his neighborhood. […]

Mar

4

When a Group Member Is Emotionally Troubled

March 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment

CT’s BuildingSmallGroups.com has just released a new download called “Ministering to Difficult Group Members.” It features four articles on dealing with difficult personality types, including one by Les Parrott called “Coping with People Who Beef, Bite, and Bellyache:
How To Handle Difficult Relationships In Your Small Group.” I can’t wait to read that one.
My […]

Mar

3

Keep it Small–Again

March 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

This seems to be my mantra lately. Probably because I keep seeing the effects of groups that have grown too big.
I’m preparing my workshops for the Bay Area Sunday School Convention (BASS) for this coming weekend, and noticed that I have something about “keep it small” in all of them. Must be important. I just […]

Feb

7

Small Group Check Up

February 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment

How do you check the pulse of your group? When I’m leading a group, I like to do a periodic check up to see how we’re doing. Below are some of the questions I’ll distribute to members and ask for their honest feedback. We may or may not discuss them, depending on the group. People […]

Jan

29

Decision Making

January 29, 2008 | 1 Comment

How does your group make decisions? How do you decide what to study, how large you will be, when you will split?
Groups have different personalities and different ways of making decisions. In some groups, the leader is the benevolent dictator, issuing decisions by fiat. If that’s the culture and it’s handled with sensitivity, that can […]

Dec

13

Four Types of Groups–Part 4

December 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Action Groups
An action group is one that comes together for a different purpose, but that incorporates many of the elements of small groups, especially community. For example, a choir can be a choir, or a choir that shares a brief Bible study, prayer requests, or care for one another. This type of group is perfect […]

Dec

12

Four Types of Groups–Part 3

December 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Focused Groups
This is the type we are in now. Our group came together during a Purpose Driven Life focus and found that we have a lot in common. We are all older and new empty nesters. We’ve all been involved in active ministry for what seems like forever, and we’ve each gone through some events […]

Dec

11

Four Types of Groups–Part 2

December 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Closed, Limited Duration Discipleship Groups
These have been my favorite types of group over the years, meeting for a specified time and having a closed membership during that time. These groups may meet for anywhere from six weeks to a year. They’re perfect for the September to June schedule or the quarter schedule many churches follow. […]

Dec

10

Four Types of Groups–Part 1

December 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Do you have groups for every need? Do you know that when it comes to small groups, one style won’t fit everyone? As I’ve led groups over the years, I’ve identified four types of groups. If you have some of each in your church, your ministry will be more effective than if you have only […]

Dec

9

Keeping Your Small Group Small

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Jamie commented on my last post. I thought her question was worth bringing up and answering on a main post. She said,
Curious: how do you count “people” in a couples group? Six would be way too small, because if one couple misses, you’ve lost a third of the group. But we currently have better than […]

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