Have you seen this?  As powerful as DVD-driven curriculum can be, what if you could download it?

I like this newest solution from Zondervan and CBD.com.  With over 20 of their most popular titles (including Tim Keller’s The Reason for God, Craig Groeschel’s WEiRD, and Max Lucado’s God’s Story, Your Story), this is looking like a great resource.

Each study is made up of individual sessions and each session offers a downloadable PDF and a downloadable MP4 video that can be purchased separately. You can also buy all the video sessions together, or a complete kit which includes all the video sessions plus group use PDF participant’s guides. The group use PDF covers each of the video sessions and can be reproduced for all the members of your group.

The pricing works pretty well, too.  Video downloads at $2.99 per session and group use PDFs at $4.99 make this an interesting product option.  Whether you’re looking for individual sessions or entire studies, I think you’ll want to take a look at it.

Looking a challenging study?  Need something that will take your group members into deeper waters?  New from J.D. Greear and Lifeway’s Platform series, Presence: Overwhelmed by God delivers.  Greear, senior pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh/Durham, NC, is widely recognized as one of America’s most gifted communicators.  It definitely shows on this six session, DVD-driven study.

With Exodus 32-34 as a scriptural context, Presence: Overwhelmed by God examines six facets of God’s presence.  Each of the sessions is taken from a weekend message series at The Summit Church.  A no-frills approach, the segments are just the right length.  At 10 to 12 minutes, Greear’s style is very compelling and will easily hold group members’ attention.  Great content, powerful delivery, a quick wit and a great sense of humor make these segments both inspiring and very engaging.

The member book is designed to offer a great experience.  The video setup and viewer guide will give your members a way to retain what they hear and learn.  The Biblical Background section along with the scriptures used in the session make it easy for everyone to participate.  The small group questions are well thought out and will take your members deep into the concept and every session includes a challenge to help members practice what they’ve learned.  In addition, a simple set of leader’s note precede each section.

Like Greear’s earlier study, Gospel Revolution (one of the most popular curriculum reviews of 2011), I’m thinking this is going to be a very popular study.  I really liked it.  And I’m pretty sure you’ll be right there with me!

You can order it from Amazon right here.  Prefer to buy from Lifeway?  You can order your copies right here.

There are books about small group ministry that are written by theorists and there are books assembled by practitioners.  Every once in a while there is a book written by a writer who is also a practitioner.   Sam O’Neal’s Field Guide for Small Group Leaders: Setting the Tone, Accommodating Learning Styles, and More is a great example of this third category.  A practitioner in the sense that he has led small groups for a number of years, Sam also invested five years as the managing editor of smallgroups.com before moving on to a new position with Lifeway.

No stranger to groups, Sam’s focus for the Field Guide is “a group leader’s responsibility to prepare for and lead small group meetings (p. 14).”  A little further along, he defines the primary role of a small group leader as preparing “for small group meetings, both short-term and long-term, and leads his or her group members through the essential activities of those meetings in submission to the Holy Spirit (p. 32).”  While my sense of the role of a small group leader includes what happens in the meeting but isn’t limited to the meeting, I still think there is so much here that will help group leaders prepare for the meeting.  I also really like Sam’s coverage of a wide variety of angles.

Creating Environments

Hospitality: Preparation for the meeting is much more than getting ready to facilitate.  Hospitality gets a very thorough treatment and covers everything from performing chores in preparation, praying for the meeting, and incorporating elements of fun.

Learning Styles: Since learning styles influence how group members learn, how group leaders lead, as well as group dynamics.  There are some excellent ideas in this chapter and will really serve to open the eyes of leaders on this important topic.

Ice-Breakers and Learning Activities: There have been several good resources on the subject of icebreakers over the years.  What I like about this section is that it explores the concept and provides some very good guidance in developing and using the technique.

Crafting Great Discussion Questions: One of the things I appreciate most about the Field Guide for Small Group Leaders is that it doesn’t assume that an off-the-shelf study guide is the only thing being used.  The key here?  Even if a group does normally use a plug and play study, this very practical chapter will serve lots of leaders who want to lead their members to grow in Christ.

Part three of the Field Guide is all about the meeting itself.  With preparation in place, this section includes a discussion of the art of leading a discussion, leading a well rounded meeting, and guidance on what to do when the meeting doesn’t go as planned.

Sam O’Neal has assembled a very good training resource for small group leaders who want to leverage the meeting to make a difference in the lives of members.  It can be distributed to small group leaders in training or by small group champions looking for inspiration in building a training and development program.  I like it and it’s a welcome addition to my resource library!

Ever heard these truths?

• You have to be a member of a group before you can lead a group.
• Only closed small groups can develop genuine intimacy.
• Coaching helps small group leaders develop better technique.
• Healthy groups grow and birth.
• Apprenticing is the best way to produce new leaders.

What do you think?  Believe they’re true?  Or could they be small group ministry old wives’ tales?

Like a lot of mythology, they have the appearance of truth.  They seem reasonable.  In some cases, they seem obvious.  But are they true?

I think they’re only partly true at best.  In fact, a couple of them are only barely connected with the truth.  Here’s what I mean:

• Do you have to be a member of a group before you can lead a group?  No.  This is an incorrect assumption and a very damaging one.  Think about it.  If 25% of your adult worship attendees (using the Easter number makes an even stronger case) are members of a group, what’s the likelihood that the best potential leaders are all already in a group?  Slim.  So for starters, if you have to be a member first, you’re starting with weaker genetic stock.  In addition, there’s nothing to leading that can’t be developed on the fly.  Especially if you’re using a curriculum that guides the discussion.  Add in the feature of preferring that the leader fill their own group…and it’s nearly a slam dunk.  This myth is busted.
• Is there any truth to the idea that closed groups develop a deeper intimacy?  None.  In fact, studies have shown that open groups can be even more deeply connected.
• Is coaching primarily about technique?  No.  In fact, coaching has very little to do with technique once a group has been together longer than about three to six months.  This is the main reason that retroactively assigning coaches to existing groups has such a low success rate.  So, if coaching isn’t about technique, what’s it about?  It’s about care!
• Do healthy groups really grow and birth?  It sure sounds good on paper…but is it true?  Think about your own efforts in this practice.  What percentage of your groups have actually grown and successfully birthed a new group?  In my experience, the most successful small group ministries are only able to identify a 30 to 40% success rate over the previous 2 years.  Does that mean the other 60 to 70% of their groups are unhealthy?  Maybe.  But it’s more likely that growing and birthing is an indicator of something other than health.
• Is apprenticing really the best way to launch new groups?  Much like my previous answer, apprenticing is primarily a leadership development strategy (as opposed to a group multiplication strategy).  When you evaluate your system, it’s very helpful to consider this great Andy Stanley line: “Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you’re currently experiencing.”  That said, it seems fair to ask, “If apprenticing is really the best way to launch groups, how’s it working?  Are you multiplying fast enough to actually absorb the demand?

I’ve written on many of these topics in the past (my article Top 10 Axiomatic Beliefs of Group Life wrestles with many of these same ideas).

Want do you think?  Have a question?  Want to argue?  You can click here to jump into the conversation.

The contest is closed.  We have a winner!  Thanks everyone for playing.  And thanks Zondervan for a great product and a great prize!

I am so excited about the best give-away I’ve ever offered!  One of the very best church-wide campaigns I’ve come across in quite a while is Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World.  New from Craig Groeschel and published by Zondervan, this is a great match of a fantastic communicator and great topic.  I am always on the lookout for topics that are cross-cultural, that is they make sense to the friends, neighbors, family and co-workers, too.  Soul Detox fits this bill perfectly!  You can learn more about it right here.

To support the contest, Zondervan has put together a great offer!  The winner will receive:

• A Soul Detox Campaign Kit (a $100 value)
• 10 Soul Detox DVDs  (a $270 value)
• 100 Soul Detox Participant Guides (a $1,099 value)

You must do TWO (2) things.  And you have to do both to win.

1. Use the comment section to tell me why you’d like to win.  You can comment right here.
2. Tweet or Facebook the following line: “RT @MarkCHowell: Win a Soul Detox Church-Wide Campaign Kit by Craig Groeschel, a $1,470 value  http://bit.ly/KKlAnk”

The contest ends on Tuesday, May 15th, at noon (PT).  Thanks for playing!

Recognize any of these?

1. You’re still searching for a problem-free grouplife strategy.
2. Your menu of discipleship options looks a lot like buffet at the Bellagio.
3. Your senior pastor is committed…to giving every ministry an equal shot at the megaphone.
4. Your method of wrestling with the aligator is to call everything a group.  Abracadabra…we’re a church of groups!
5. You’ve become way more Calvinistic and now believe that the chosen make it into a group without your help!
6. You’ve found yourself thinking, “Man, the 50s were great weren’t they?”
7. Your leadership requirements include an application, a background check, a credit check, and two interviews…to be accepted as a group member!
8. You start new groups only when the existing groups don’t need new members.
9. You’re a big fan of church-wide studies like Hell: The 5 People You Meet When You Go There and How to Judge Like Solomon.
10. You’re hoping the Mayan’s were right!

What do you think?  Look familiar?

In a recent post I reviewed the new edition of Bill Donahue’s Leading Life-Changing Small Groups (which is an essential resource in my opinion) and mentioned the DVD-driven companion resource, Equipping Life-Changing Leaders.  Let me say this right at the top…this is a great resource!

Several Reasons to Love Equipping Life-Changing Leaders

There are several reasons to love Equipping Life-Changing Leaders.  First, it is way more than a talking head that delivers content.  The combination of great instruction and training, testimonies from actual leaders and coaches, as well as role playing (featuring a number of Willow Creek’s actors) makes for a very engaging session.

Second, each of the sessions provide direction for the assignment ahead; a kind of roadmap that clarifies the why and makes sense of the how.  I really think this is a critical component.  In addition, the  extensive background of Bill Donahue, Russ Robinson and Greg Bowman as practitioners will lend credibility to the training process.  These three men played key roles in the development of the small group ministry at Willow Creek Community Church and their coaching exudes deep experience.

Third, I love the fact that Equipping Life-Changing Leaders includes the DVD content for three different resources in Zondervan’s Groups that Grow series.  Along with sessions that accompany Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, you’ll find sessions that accompany Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders and Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry.  This is a tremendous value and will provide continuity that is so important.

I really think this is an extremely valuable resource.  The combination of the right content and an excellent presentation will quickly find a place in the training process for many churches intent on becoming churches where nobody stands alone.

I had an interesting question last week that prompted this post.  Here’s the question:

Hey Mark, I am looking for a small group resource that will help a group become more aware of guests – inviting, welcoming, etc. Suggestions?

Thinking I understood the situation, I sent the reader a link to Skill Training: Top 10 Ways to Find New Group Members (which was written as a resource for group leaders who need to train their members to “fill the empty chair“).  Here’s the reader’s response to my answer:

That is helpful! Here is why I asked. We have an open group that meets on Wednesday nights on our campus. I refer new people to this group (emphasis mine).

When I read that last phrase, I knew I needed to respond differently.  Here’s why: The Downside of Existing Groups Although I believe that there are upsides and downsides for existing groups (which I’ve listed right here), my chief concern when I read that last phrase was the knowledge that the longer a group has been meeting the harder it becomes for a new person to break in and really connect.  In fact, I often say that a nearly  impermeable membrane begins to form in months four to six.  Can a new person enter?  Yes…but only the most extroverted and least self conscious will make the effort.  And I should add, these very same people will often alter the group’s culture and sometimes the group’s ultimate demise can be traced to their inclusion (By the way, I know that sounds harsh, but then again, sometimes the truth hurts!). What about the whole issue of helping existing groups stay viable once they lost members?  Or their leader?  I’ve worked through that important issue right here. The Upside of New Groups I have a bias toward new groups for many reasons (the main reasons are described in this post).  New groups come with lots of advantages (which are listed in this post).  I also believe that new groups lead to a church OF groups (which I explain in this post). Conclusion So…what’s the solution?  By now, you know I always acknowledge that there is no problem-free solution.  Adding new members to existing groups comes with a set of problems.  Launching new groups comes with a set of problems as well.  I prefer the set of problems that comes with a bias toward new groups and the constant effort to launch. That said, I also believe that the easiest way to help unconnected people take a baby step toward connection is an on-campus connecting event (I describe and explain this fully in How to Calm an Unconnected Person’s Second Greatest Fear).  As much as I’ve found it helpful to provide a 24/7 way that unconnected people can use a small group finder (like ChurchTeams) to search for an open group that meets their needs, I view this as an always on, fall back measure. My recommendation?  Build a small group strategy that regularly launches new groups (using a combination of an annual church-wide campaign and periodic on-campus connecting events (like a small group connection).  As new people arrive, give them an opportunity to sign up for the next connecting opportunity and let them know about the online finder (or list of open groups at the small group booth in the lobby). Want do you think?  Have a question?  Want to argue?  You can click here to jump into the conversation.

Last week was a great reminder about the power of a small group connection.  We had over 1100 people sign up to attend.  Over 600 people attended one of five connection events and we launched 45 new groups.  The connection process identified over 100 new leaders.  Many, many people said on their way out that they felt more connected at Canyon Ridge than they ever had.  There was a lot of laughter.  There were tears.  It was very fun watching new groups linger to keep talking after the event was over.  Very, very cool.

Let me say right at the top, I don’t see this as a large church strategy.  I know that’s a lot of people.  Think of it on a percentage basis and you’ll see how it can help you, too.

Exhausting and exhilarating, it was a great week.  It was also an important reminder.  Here are 5 incontrovertible takeaways:

1. Your senior pastor’s support and engagement is absolutely essential.  I’ve said this many times, but I want to say it again so that it’s clear.  Our pastor took a couple minutes during his message on the three weekends leading up to the connecting events.  Embedded in his message was a very clear call to sign up and attend a connection.  He took out the sign-up form.  There was no hedging and no waffling.
2. Connecting is a team sport!  We recruited and engaged a large team in order to pull it off.  Over 25 of our existing small group leaders and community leaders made phone calls to remind those who signed up about the upcoming connection events.  Our facilities team made sure the room was set up and ready to go every night.  Our database and check-in staff member was at each event to make sure check-in took place without a hitch.  Our child-care team was in place and ready to help children get settled so their parents could get connected.  Many of our community leaders attended more than one of the events so that the new leaders would feel supported right from the start.  Several staff members were at every event, helping to greet and make attendees feel welcomed and comfortable.
3. New groups provide the easiest point of entry for unconnected people.  One of the most compelling aspects of the small group connection is that everyone is new.  That is a big, big factor and very important.  No one is trying to fit into a preexisting circle of friends.  Executed skillfully, everyone gets a chance to start fresh.
4. The connection process identifies undiscovered leaders in a way that nothing else does.  Although it does happen that a few people attend hoping to lead a group, they are distinctly in the minority; a nearly invisible percentage.  The vast majority of leaders discovered admit later that they were surprised to be chosen, felt absolutely unqualified, were humbled by the selection, and only reluctantly said “yes.”  Sound like any biblical characters you know?
5. Connecting people is a spiritual battle.  I’ve said many times that the easiest thing to do is put off doing the hard work necessary to connect people.  Looking for an easy way to take names versus slogging through multiple connecting events can look very appealing.  It is worth it to work hard to connect because unconnected people are always one tough thing away from being knocked out of the crowd.

Want do you think?  Have a question?  Need clarification?  You can click here to jump into the conversation.

One of the books that shaped my understanding of small group ministry was Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue.  When it was originally published in the mid 90s it quickly became the most important tool in my leader training efforts.  With the 3rd edition (published in May, 2012) it’s even better!

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Leading Life-Changing Small Groups is the fact that it really begins at the beginning…literally; the introduction develops a very understandable theology of community.  As you’re beginning to build a small group ministry this is an essential ingredient.

Another aspect that makes this book so valuable is that Bill Donahue is truly a practitioner.  Don’t miss this key.  He wrestled with developing small group leaders for years in one of the most interesting grouplife laboratories anywhere (Willow Creek Community Church).  The practices and principles included in this book aren’t theoretical, but practical and proven.

The layout of the content also provides a very helpful leader training roadmap.  Beginning with a chapter on clarifying your purpose, every chapter develops an important concept, building block by building block establishing a strong foundation.  Covering many of the basics, Leading Life-Changing Small Groups could become the core curriculum for the ongoing leader development that needs to be done in many small group ministries.  Here are topics covered:

• Clarifying Your Purpose
• Sharpening Your Leadership
• Developing Your Apprentice
• Pursuing Spiritual Growth
• Leading Life-Changing Meetings
• Measuring Group Progress
• Caring for Members
• Impacting Your World

In the 3rd edition the chapters include a variety of reflection activities, assessments, and assignments, providing a rich experience that goes well beyond a reading exercise.  This is a great development, really taking it to a whole new level.

One of the most exciting aspects of this 3rd Edition is the companion resource, Equipping Life-Changing Leaders (I’ll be reviewing this resource next week).  With a DVD-driven design, it’s not difficult to imagine the two forming a core curriculum for leader development in many churches.

I’ve been using Leading Life-Changing Small Groups for years (I actually have a worn-out, dogeared copy of the original version produced in-house by Willow Creek in the mid 90s).  I’ve used it to train leaders and I’ve used the content to shape training exercises of my own.  I’ve got to say though, this new version is definitely new and improved.  I like it and I think you will too!