11 Keys to an Effective Small Group Ministry by Judy Colegrove
Regardless of which small group model you choose for your church, there is no “right” way to do small groups and every church leader needs to evaluate which model fits best into their culture. Although there are many books, articles, and blog posts telling us how to “do groups,” there are some principles that are […]
Lifeway Interviews Steve Gladen on Life-in-Community
Brian Daniel: In June 2015 we ran a post entitled Three Environments for Disciple-Making about three spaces, or environments, to consider in your mission of making disciples. The environments identified in this post were Life-on-Life, Life-in-Community, and Life-on-Mission. Rick Howerton and I have addressed notions of disciple-making environments on the Groups Matter podcast to some extent, but as […]
3 Powerful Sources of Leadership and How to Use Them By Dave Alford
One natural byproduct of the spiritual growth that people experience in small groups is a better understanding of who they are. They discover the uniqueness with which God made them, or their personhood. They discover the reason that God created them, or their purpose. They discover the definition of success in which they can invest […]
Two Key Qualities of Leaders in Ministry By Jay Daniell
Whether identifying a new Pastor, a new Ministry Leader or a new Small Group Leader, I have found two key ingredients necessary for success. Please don’t misunderstand; many variables come into play when identifying specific ministry leadership roles. But, if leadership candidates do not meet these two criteria, their leadership is doomed before they begin. […]
Creating the Conditions for Growing Groups By Andrew Mason
How important is it to see growing small groups in our churches? Christian Schwarz spearheaded a research project called Natural Church Development. The research center in Germany now has more than 20 million pieces of data about why churches grow and don’t grow. Schwarz says, “If we were to identify any one principle as the […]
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Lead with Questions and Avoid Those Awkward Moments by Matt Graybill
Awkward conversations are the worst. I remember the first time I struck up enough courage to call a girl I liked on the phone. I am pretty sure I said hello and then waited a minute for her to say something. Sometimes small groups and leading small groups can be as awkward as a middle […]
5 Ways To Keep Small Group Leaders Encouraged And Engaged by Jon Noto
Small group leaders are great people, but just like the best of us they can become distracted, discouraged, or disconnected. Below are five great ways for you to help leaders catch the vision and know that no one leads alone. Send a book A friend of mine is known for saying, “leaders are learners and […]
Merry Christmas – Now Get Out of My Way By Jon Noto
It was December a couple years ago. We had just moved into our first house and had a newborn at home. I was working in full-time ministry and had a part-time job on the side. It was a snowy weeknight and I had just finished a holiday-themed event for job number 2. The text message […]
It Would Be a Shame Not to Deal With The Issue of Shame By Laura Copeland
If we want to talk about community, we have to talk about authenticity and vulnerability. If we want to talk about authenticity and vulnerability, we have to talk about shame. Shame is the greatest barrier to community. If we can’t learn how to address shame properly, our churches and our small groups will struggle to […]
