Ideas on How to Create Your Own Small Group Curriculum
“How can I prepare, write, and publish small group curriculum?” I saw this question raised on the Small Group Network Facebook page the other day. I thought to myself, “This is the one topic I actually know something about.” I began writing curriculum when I was a small group pastor, and it has evolved into […]
Smartphone Discipleship
Smartphone Discipleship I hear a lot of talk about how dumb and unspiritual our phones are making us. There is surely some truth in that. In this article, I want to focus on how our phones can make us closer to God, closer to each other, and better disciples. Smartphone Quiet Time The fundamental discipline […]
How to Recruit Volunteers
I would be willing to volunteer. In fact, I would be happy to volunteer—maybe even honored—but I haven’t volunteered. And, there might be a lesson here about how to recruit volunteers. I started hiking a couple of years back. I hike mostly on National Park Service land—specifically the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. I didn’t […]
The 1st 5 Minutes of your Small Group are Critical. Are you Doing This?
The first five minutes of your small group are the most important. It is a good idea to start with some kind of icebreaker—a get-to-know-you question. Ideally, this will tie in to the lesson itself. For example, if you are teaching the story of the Prodigal Son, you might ask everyone where they fit in […]
Tips to Reading the Bible Together in Small Groups
My dad used to say: “You gotta know what the Bible says before you can understand what it means.” We have to get the text itself in front of them. People are shockingly ignorant about the Word of God. We have to get the text in front of them. People are transformed by the renewing […]
Are You Asking Your Small Group Great Questions Like Jesus Asked His?
Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & accelerate the health & growth of your small group ministry! We have 100 examples of Jesus asking questions. It raises the question. Why did Jesus ask so many questions? One of the classic examples of Jesus using a question to teach is found in Luke 9.18 where […]
Helping your Small Group Deal with Grief
Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & learn the essentials of small group ministry by attending Align Denver! My dad died two days ago. I am sitting in the chair where I always sit when I come to visit. His chair sits across from me. His chair is empty. I though this would be […]
4 Habits of Highly Evangelistic Groups
Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & learn the essentials of small group ministry by attending Align Nashville! Almost all groups struggle with evangelism. Most Christians struggle with evangelism. Rarely do I find a group that says that they are doing well in evangelism. But, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Steve Gladen says: Our enemy […]
Small Group Evaluation Questions
Grow as a leader, strengthen your team & accelerate the health & growth of your small group ministry by attending “Accelerate!” On the Small Group Network Facebook group, I recently asked for suggestions for questions group leaders could use to evaluate their group. Boy, did I get some great ideas! I have in mind that […]
3 Proven Models for Small Group Outreach
Lobby Gathering 2021, one of the nation’s premier small group training & networking events, is now going to be a live virtual event from 9am-12pm PST Feb 23-24. See the session line-up or register HERE An ideal small group is a micro-church—a church in miniature. As such, it fulfills the five purposes of the church: Worship […]
