4 Ways to Bounce Forward through Tough Times
It might be fashionable to say that brighter days are ahead. That we’ve got this. This kind of messaging might even help people feel hopeful. And I hope they are right. But we need something more than just feelings if we are to move forward with Small Groups. The last few years have taught us […]
6 Questions You Need to Ask Small Group Leaders
Meeting with small group leaders is one of the most impactful things you can do as a small groups point person. Group leaders need care, coaching, and encouragement to stay in the game. While we all know this to be true, have you ever walked away from a one-on-one meeting with a leader and though, […]
4 Keys to Flourishing Small Group Friendships in 2023
Everyone knows in their heads that friendships are important. The pandemic seemed to heighten interest in the topic of friendship. You could hardly turn on your phone or TV without a significant number of popular culture events and stories through the news and social medias related to the subject. But the experience of many is […]
The Ultimate Christmas Playlist to Guide your Group in Prayer
How do you feel about Christmas music? When fall ends and the Christmas season is ushered in with enthusiasm, you begin to hear Christmas songs everywhere; what is your reaction? You either love it, hate it or tolerate it. Here in Ottawa, Canada, we have a radio station that starts playing Christmas music right after […]
5 Steps for Purposeful Conversations
I’m sure you know people that are famous for being good communicators and listeners. After all, they can carry on a conversation with anyone. You might even think they can “get a conversation out of a brick wall.” But don’t confuse effective communication with meaningless noise. Yes, there might be fewer uncomfortable moments of awkward […]
Failing at groups
One of the major themes of the Bible is that: FAILURE IS NOT FINAL. We can risk failure because we know that God is a God of a second chances. We can recover from failure because we know that God forgives and restores. Consider the story of Jonah. The […]
Small Groups, Mental Health & a Few Good Men…
As you may well know, mental and relational health issues are at what experts believe to be an all-time high in our world. Therapists, counselors, life coaches and psychiatrists routinely have waiting lists for clients who are mentally, emotionally and spiritually desperate to see them. Prior to writing this article, I spoke with a well-respected […]
Help! I Hate Small Group Ministry!
Okay, I confess, I crafted that title to get your attention. But now that you are here, I wanted to ask you a question: “Have you ever felt like that? Have you felt like you hated small group ministry?” I have. Several weeks ago, I was ready to walk away from it all and said, […]
C.S. Lewis Speaks to Small Groups
There is an overlooked insight into Small Groups that Clive desperately wants us to get. The Chronicles of Narnia have sold over 100 million copies in 47 different languages, The three movies released by Disney have grossed over half a billion dollars. So yes, I’m going to assume that you know something about it. And […]
Effective Ministry Leaders are Thieves
Recently, I heard my friend Mike Draper say that there are three types of football coaches: innovators, thieves, and the unemployed. He admitted he was no innovator, but he still has a job. In fact, he and his team are doing quite well. His secret? He is a skillful thief! Similarly, Rick Warren says, “If […]
