Looking for new ideas for men’s ministry?  You might want to take a look at 33 The Series: A Man and His Design.  Building on many of the timeless truths taught by Robert Lewis in the original Men’s Fraternity study, this fresh new series includes new material on authentic manhood.

The design of 33 The Series make it easy to use in individual off campus men’s groups or as an on-campus men’s study.  Although it can be used by individuals, there are several challenges in the first two sessions to “do this study with a team.”

DVD-Driven, each of the six sessions include approximately 30 minutes of teaching along with a variety of creative elements, interviews, documentaries, roundtable discussions and moving testimonies .  The multi-generational and racially diverse teaching team makes this a very compelling series that will connect broadly. Presenters John Bryson (co-founding teaching pastor of Fellowship Memphis), Bryan Carter (senior pastor of Concord Church in Dallas, Texas) and Tierce Green (teaching pastor and executive pastor of small groups at Woodlands Church in Houston, Texas) provide inspirational and challenging teaching.

The Training Guide includes a note-taking section to be used while viewing the teaching segment, as well as a reflection and discussion guide that will direct the group experience.  In addition, you’ll also find an engaging set of short between-session reading assignments on a series of topics that will capture and hold the attention of group members.  Because of the way the questions are designed, no leader is required.

This is a study that’s designed to compel action.  Every session drives toward a personally selected strategic next step and the series drives toward an action plan.

Along with the six session teaching DVD, an included group leader resources DVD provides helpful guidance in the format and plan of your study.  The resources DVD also includes many of the creative elements as separate media files for those studies that prefer to deliver the teaching in a live format.  In addition, you’ll find ideas for promotional materials and tools on the resources DVD.

Additional volumes of 33 are in development and will include topics on a man’s wounds, traps, parenting, marriage and career.  You can register to be notified of future volumes and their release dates at 33theseries.com.  You can find out everything you need to know about the series right here.

If you’re looking for new ideas for men’s ministry, you’re going to want to take a look at 33 The Series: A Man and His Design.  I really like the feel of it, and I think you will too.

Looking for a simple study that can help your small groups take a big step? A few weeks back I noticed that my friends over at People of a Second Chance had produced a DVD-Driven study based on founder Mike Foster’s powerful little book, Gracenomics.  They provided a review copy for me to check out, and let me tell you, you need to add this simple study to your recommended list!

Several things come together to make this a great opportunity.  First, this is a topic and a presentation that will help give a new perspective to group members.  Imagine the impact of a group that unleashes radical grace everyday, in every moment, for everyone!

Second, this four session study is really easy to use.  The DVD segments are short, simply done and feature Mike Foster.  The study guide has a very simple design and will help your groups focus on the topic.  Although it’s not essential for participation in the study, Mike’s book Gracenomics is both easy reading and powerfully inspirational; an interesting combination.

Third, right now the beta version of the study is available virtually free!  You can find out about this offer right here.

There’s a lot to really like about the Gracenomics study.  I found it both inspring and personally challenging and I think you will too!

One of the most challenging books in the last several years has been David Platt’s Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.  What made it so challenging?  Radical began with a great question, “What if Jesus actually meant what he said?”  When the dust cleared on the book, readers had been challenged “to abandon everything for the sake of the gospel, take up their crosses, and follow Christ.”

Platt is the lead pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, and one of the most dynamic young communicators in America.  Whether you’ve heard him before or this is your first time, you’ll not soon forget the power of this message or the conviction of this messenger.

There are several components to this small group Bible study.  First, while this is a DVD-driven study, it is anchored by a very thoughtfully designed member book that provides an experience that goes well beyond the meeting.  In addition to a viewer guide makes it easy to follow Platt’s teaching, a very good set of discussion questions will help members begin to engage in the content. Reinforcing the experience of the group meeting, each of the sessions are supported by five daily studies that will take participants even deeper into Jesus’ teaching and the call to His first century challenge.

The DVD segments represent some of the most compelling teaching I’ve ever reviewed.  With footage taken from a message series at The Church at Brook Hills, I found myself reminded of certain eyewitness accounts of certain communicators during the time of the Great Awakening.  Averaging just over 30 minutes, these segments will easily hold members’ attention.  Members may find themselves searching for an easier explanation but they won’t find their minds wandering.  So compelling is the message, I found myself glued to the screen.

In addition to the member book and the DVD, the Radical Small Group Study – DVD Kit also includes a number of other resources:

• Radical (a paperback copy of the 2010 book)
• Radical Together (Platt’s follow up to Radical; written to speak directly to groups)
• Downloadable sermon outlines
• Downloadable worship suggestions
• Downloadable prayer experiences

If your groups are looking for a challenge,  the Radical Small-Group Study may be just the ticket.  This is an extremely powerful study.  In many ways it deserves a warning label (something like “Caution: Messages inside this box are more powerful and more dangerous than they appear.  Leave unopened only at your own risk.”).  I highly recommend it.  Not for the faint of heart but just might be the medicine you’ve been looking for.

Prefer to buy from Lifeway?  You can do that right here.

Looking for a way to jump start (or re-energize) a men’s ministry? You need to take a look at Sleeping Giant: No Move of God Without Men of God.  Published with the tag line, “Men’s ministry in a box,” I believe that might be the understatement of the year.  There are some extremely powerful ingredients inside this box and a better tagline might have been, “Do Not Open Until Ready for Impact!”

In response to the dangerous decay in our culture, Kenny Luck’s Sleeping Giant is a men’s strategy designed to help churches issue “a clarion call to action.”  As the president and founder of Every Man Ministries and co-author of the bestselling, Every Man, God’s Man, Kenny has logged more than 2 million miles speaking to audiences everywhere, helping churches worldwide develop healthy men’s communities (Read: He knows what he’s talking about and his passion for this work bleeds through in everything he does).

There are three components included in the Sleeping Giant DVD Leader Kit.  Although any of the ingredients could be used independently, their use as an integrated training, encouragement and challenge formula will deliver a powerful outcome.

First, this experience is anchored by the Core Team Workbook.  The six sessions are designed to provide a rich experience for the men on your core team.  Four short work at home segments lead up to the Core Team Meeting and are completed in advance as preparation.  Each of the work at home segments is further enriched by the inclusion of suggested additional reading as well as movie and media recommendations.  The core team meeting questions and activities will help “lay the foundation for intentional men’s ministry.”  The workbook also includes a leader’s guide and additional resources.

A second key ingredient to the experience is the six session DVD featuring teaching by Kenny Luck.  The segments average 30 minutes and are pitched just right for men.  An authority on the topic, Kenny is a compelling speaker and holds attention well.  Also included on the DVD is a special message to pastors and a specially crafted message to the church explaining the Sleeping Giant strategy.

A third ingredient to the experience is the recently published book, Sleeping Giant by Kenny Luck and Tom Crick.  Although the workbook features excerpts, you may want to read the book for the full effect.

This is powerful stuff!  More than a men’s study, this is a game-changer that will produce leaders.  If you want to build a men’s ministry that has impact, I can highly recommend Sleeping Giant.  Purchase from Amazon  Purchase from Lifeway

If you like Matt Chandler, you’re going to want to add The Explicit Gospel Bible Study to your recommended list.  If you don’t know him yet, this study will be a great introduction to the lead pastor at The Village Church. one of America’s most dynamic preachers.  DVD-driven, Chandler’s delivery will easily capture and hold your group members’ attention.

I love this paragraph from the introduction: “Over the next six weeks I want to challenge you to grasp the centrality of the gospel for all of the Christian life, from the moment of salvation, through the lifelong process of sanctification, and continuing into eternity.  We’ll see how the glory of God reigns supreme over every moment in His plan for our lives and how the cross captures and resurrects our dead hearts.  We’ll also see that the gospel is not just personal but cosmic.  Christ’s atoning work reveals God’s plan of redemption from the beginning of time to the end of time.  The gospel fulfills the longing of all creation to be made new in Christ.”

A six-session DVD-Driven study, each session is anchored by teaching by Matt Chandler.  The sessions average 30 minutes and with most other speakers would be too long.  In my opinion…not with Chandler.  Great insight into a challenging topic, passionate delivery, and compelling communication make these sessions fly by.

The participant guide has a number of very good segments.  The viewer guide will help your members listen with an eye for the outline and the respond section will help them being to wrestle with the key ideas of the message.  While there isn’t a leader’s guide, the questions should take most groups along a path that is easily followed.  Additionally, the questions include enough meat to provide a good challenge.

In addition to guiding the small group meeting, the participant guide also includes 5 personal daily assignments for each session.  Participants will work through the assignments in preparation for the next session.  These assignments will be challenging for some, but the discipline will be well worth it for the understanding of the gospel.

Want to dig in even deeper?  Just published in March, 2012, Lifeway has published The Explicit Gospel, a 233 page hardback by Chandler and Jared Wilson.  Rick Warren wrote that “If you only read one book this year, make it this one.  It’s that important.”

I like where this study will take a group.  If you have groups that are looking for challenge, this might be the one.  If you want to equip your leaders, you might want to look at The Explicit Gospel as leader development.  I like it.  And I think you will too!

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.

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.

Every once in a while, a study comes along that just seems a perfect fit for the needs and interests of the culture.  Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World, based on Craig Groeschel’s newest book, is one of those studies.  With built elements of a church-wide campaign, this is a study that many churches will want to take a look at.

An engaging look at five of the most damaging issues in our culture, this is a very practical study.  Definitely on the easy end of the easy/hard continuum, this will be an easy invite for neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family members.  The five topics are:

• Lethal Language: Experiencing the Power of Life-Giving Words
• Scare Pollution: Unlocking the Chokehold of Fear
• Radioactive Relationships: Loving Unhealthy People without Getting Sick
• Septic Thoughts: Overcoming Our False Beliefs
• Germ Warfare: Cleansing Our Lives of Cultural Toxins

DVD-Driven, the five sessions are anchored by Groeschel’s creative and very practical teaching.  Each of the sessions are just the right length.  Averaging 11 to 12 minutes a session, the teaching will hold participant’s attention very well.  In addition, the creative use of a variety of locations and camera angles help keep group members engaged.

The participant guide provides a great discussion guide as well as personal activities to be completed during the week.  Although it will engage even the casual participant, group members that work their way through the personal activities will find the assessments and between session work very rewarding.

Looking for an opportunity to fully engage?  Each study refers to a chapter assignment from Groeschel’s book (to be released on May 1, 2012).

Interested in the possibility of a church-wide campaign?  Preaching resources, downloads and samples will soon be available at http://www.souldetoxcampaign.com/.

Always on the lookout for studies that will make sense at the edges of the crowd, Soul Detox is a slam dunk.  Continuing in the same pattern that WEiRD developed, for people who are recognizing that normal is no longer working, this will be a no brainer.  I really like the feel of this study and I bet you will too!

Looking for creative small group resources?  You might want to take a look at Stolen, a new study from Chris and Kerry Shook.  Taking its cue from John 10:10, Stolen takes a look at how the Enemy uses our circumstances to rob us of treasures like passion, joy, peace, strength, and dreams. Recognized as one of today’s most creative communicators, Woodlands Church Pastor Kerry Shook and his wife, Chris, will lead you into a discovery of the ways you can reclaim the treasures God intended for you.

A six session study, the DVD segments have a creative twist that sets up the discussion.  Each session begins with an ominous dramatic vignette; an eerie blend of the black and white feel of Death of a Salesman with a twist of the 1962 version of Cape Fear.  Trust me…this is story-driven visual media.  Your members will be captivated by the story that unfolds and perfectly prepared to learn about the abundant life that God has prepared for us.  The sessions average 16 to 17 minutes and will easily hold the attention of your members.

The member book provides a well developed study of how to reclaim six of the treasures the thief wants to steal (inheritance, strength, peace, dreams, joy and passion).  With a note-taking section, eye-opening scripture study, included devotionals that will help your members take the truths even deeper, and a basic leader’s guide, Stolen is a study that will open your member’s eyes to the promise of the abundant life.

If you’re looking for an engaging study that will take your groups deep into God’s truth with creativity and passion…Stolen ought to be on your list.  I found myself captivated by the storyline and intrigued by the approach…and I think you will too.  Very well done.  I highly recommend it.