Looking for a way to help group members really understand each other?  You’ll want to take a look at the Group Insights Leader Kit.  Developed to help groups maximize the experience and leverage the benefits of the Small Group Insights Profile (based on an assessment developed by Dr. Les Parrott), the Leader Kit is designed to guide the group experience.

DVD-Driven, the Leader Kit is designed to be played in the group meeting.  Featuring Les Parrott and Bill Donahue, the DVD provides a message for leaders, an introduction for group members, and four segments that will guide the group in their experience.  Presented in a conversational style, it feels almost like it would if Les and Bill had stopped in to lead the session.

Similar to the way the DiSC or Myers-Briggs introduces a language and a way of understanding temperament and preferences, the Small Group Insights assessment and profile could provide just the beginning or next step that many groups need in order to fully understand each other.  You can find out how to purchase the assessment right here.

The more I’ve thought about the benefit to group health, the more I like the idea of the assessment.  And the Group Insights Leader Kit makes it easy to facilitate a great experience for your members.

Prefer buying from Lifeway?  Here’s a link to the Group Insights Leader Kit.

Looking for a study that will help your groups put their toe in the water of spiritual practices like meditation, fasting and silence?  You might want to take a look at Fresh: Reviving Stale Faith.  The newest addition to Lifeway’s Platform Series, this six session study features Kerry Shook, senior pastor of Woodlands Church, a multi-site church in Houston, Texas and one of the fastest growing churches in America.

The DVD segments are engaging and compelling; each a portion of a message from a series delivered live at Woodlands Church.  Noted for his creative presentations and application oriented teaching, Shook will keep your members’ attention.  Better, the teaching is delivered in a style that leads to practical application.

The Participant Guide includes several important components.  Like many DVD-driven studies, the Viewer Guide provides a little bit of room to take a few notes during the DVD segment.  It also includes a couple key questions that will help your members ease into the session’s discussion.  A Biblical Background section along with key included Scripture passages make it easy for group members to participate.  A well developed set of Small Group Questions steadily pull members toward application.  Each of the sessions conclude with a simple Journal assignment to be utilized at another time and a You’re Up section that provides a between meeting assignment (a different spiritual discipline every week).  While this is a simple curriculum to use, it’s important to note that there is no leader’s guide.

If you’re looking for a study that can be used by beginner groups as well as seasoned veterans looking for a fresh take on an ancient practice, take a look at Fresh: Reviving Stale Faith.  I came away with a number of fresh insights…and I think you will, too.

Prefer buying from Lifeway?  You can purchase this study right here.

Had an opportunity to review Start Becoming a Good Samaritan, a powerful DVD-Driven study from Zondervan in partnership with World Vision.  If you’re looking for a way to help your group members learn to love their neighbor as themselves, you might not find a better study.

The DVD features an amazingly diverse cast and includes Eugene Peterson, Philip Yancey, Matthew Sleeth, Jim Cymbala, Charles Colson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Brenda Salter McNeil, Kay Warren, Joni Eareckson Tada, Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, and many others.  In fact, every session is presented in magazine format and feels very much like a documentary.  The message is communicated through a series of compelling interview segments.

While the 6 DVD sessions average 30+ minutes, somewhat longer than our 15 minute attention spans normally allow,somehow hold attention very well.  In fact, there are moments in every session that will grip and change hearts.

The sessions cover:

• Becoming a Good Samaritan
• Caring for the Sick
• Seeking Justice and Reconciliation
• Honoring the Poor
• Tending to God’s Creation
• Loving the Forsaken

The Participant Guide provides the questions that make for a good discussion and a way to interact with the video, but there is so much more.  There is an important bias toward first steps and action that will enable group members to move beyond being informed and step into application and transformation.  And that’s the goal.

In addition to the in-session discussion guide, there is also a series of between session activities that provide concrete steps that move individuals and groups toward the life of a good Samaritan.

Providing additional resources, JustStart.org is packed with resources like sermon outlines, promotional materials, a leader’s guide, and much more.

Start> Becoming a Good Samaritan can be done by a single group.  It can also be done as a church-wide study.  Either way, this is a study that will open eyes, probably break some hearts, and hopefully compel action.  I hope you’ll take a look at it.  It will definitely move onto my recommended list!

I got a great question yesterday and it was so good I wanted to answer it here.  Preparing for a fall church-wide effort, my friend Spence asked, “What are the top 5 resources you’d give someone to lead a study with non-Christian friends?”

I definitely have some favorites.   They’re not apologetic in nature and don’t lead immediately to conversion or faith.  Instead, this list consists of studies that make an easy invite and produce an engaging discussion.

• Love at Last Sight by Kerry and Chris Shook: This study is based on their best-seller by the same title.  The core idea is that while we hear about love at first sight all the time, what we really long for is love at last sight.  I love the premise because it communicates to everyone.  You don’t have to be a believer to be interested in improving relationships.  Everyone longs for the kind of relationship that lasts right to the deathbed.
• One Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook: Same authors, this study also will appeal to everyone whether they’re a believer or not.  The core idea is very simple.  When you find out that you’ve got one month to live, there is almost always an urgency to spend time with family and friends.  There’s often a desire to mend fences.  There is definitely the sense that every moment is precious.  When you find out you have one month to live, everyone seeks to live their last days to the fullest.  One Month to Live is about learning to live that way, like you only have one month to live, everyday.
• Putting Plan B into Action by Pete Wilson.  Again, this is a very cross-cultural concept.  Everyone can relate to the reality that life rarely works out according to plan.  Especially right now, in such unsettled times, this would be an easy invite.
• 40 Days of Purpose by Rick Warren.  Based on Warren’s mega best-seller, The Purpose Driven Life, this study readily appeals to unchurched friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.  It’s a very familiar title.  Everyone’s seen it at Barnes & Noble and Walmart.  They heard Rick Warren give the prayer at the inauguration and they’ve seen him on Larry King Live.  Best of all, wondering about the purpose of life is universal.  You definitely don’t have to be a Christian to get that.  All of that works together to make it an easy invite.
• Mirror Image by Liquid: With its modern day take on 5 of Jesus’ best known parables, Mirror Image easily pulls group members into an engaging conversation.  Everyone knows the terms “good Samaritan” and “prodigal son,” but not many know the stories behind the terms.  The latest studies show conclusively that people like Jesus but don’t like the church.  Here’s an opportunity to talk about some of the most provocative things Jesus said to his followers.

Want do you think?  Have a favorite I didn’t include?  I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can click here to jump into the conversation.

Looking for resources that will help your group members begin to understand the culture in which we live?  You may want to take a look at Dan Kimball’s 6 session study, They Like Jesus But Not the Church.  Published by Zondervan in 2008, it is nowhere near out of date.  Extremely relevant and very much in line with the discoveries in David Kinnaman’s unChristian and You Lost Me, as well as Gabe Lyon’s The Next Christians, this is a very good resource.

If you’re unfamiliar, Dan Kimball has been a leading voice in the emerging church movement as well as a sought after speaker and communicator.  He is also the primary teaching pastor and has oversight of the missional aspects of Vintage Faith Church, founded in 2004 as a church plant of Santa Cruz Bible Church.

A number of components make this a great study.  First, it is a DVD-Driven study and features 6 DVD segments that are a combination of Dan Kimball’s compelling narration and an engaging set of interviews.  Each of the sessions is presented in a two-part format.  First, a narrative description of a root issue that grows into one of the objections to Christianity.  Second, a kind of look back at the statements from the interview coupled with Kimball’s grace-filled and compelling teaching.

The subjects covered include:

• The Danger of the Christian Bubble
• Is the Church Negative Judgmental, and Political?
• Does the Church Restrict and Oppress Women?
• Is the Church Homophobic?
• Do Christians Arrogantly Think All Other Religions Are Wrong?
• Are Christians Fundamentalists Who Take the Whole Bible Literally?

The Participant’s Guide provides a note-taking section for the DVD segments, a set of discussion questions that pull in response to the ideas presented on the DVD along with an informative set of scripture passages that are designed to build a solid biblical foundation.  Each session also includes activities and opportunities for reflection designed to enhance between session development.  Finally, the “for further study” section provides additional resources that will enhance new understanding.

In addition to a basic leader’s guide, an appendix provides a very detailed set of suggested answers to cross-referenced questions in each section.

In addition to the small group sessions, They Like Jesus But Not the Church is also designed to be used as a church-wide campaign.  You’ll find sermon outlines, powerpoint presentations and promotional materials at www.theylikejesus.com and the DVD a includes a set of six video clips to be used in connection with the six message outlines.

Forgiveness.  What a concept.  If you’re looking for a solid, biblical look at the subject of forgiveness…you need to take a look at Have the Funeral by James MacDonald.  Joining Lifeway’s Platform Series in 2011, this six session study is very solid material.

I reviewed another MacDonald study, Always True: God’s Promises When Life is Hard in September of 2011.  One of America’s most popular Bible teachers, MacDonald is the founding/senior pastor of Chicago’s Harvest Bible Chapel, host of the radio show “Walk in the Word,” and author of several books and Bible studies, including “Gripped by the Greatness of God,” and “Ancient Wisdom.”

The DVD features six excerpts from two messages given at Harvest Bible Chapel.  Averaging 12 to 17  minutes in length, the segments are very compelling, full of great practical application, and fly past.  Important for small group studies…they grab your attention at the outset (there’s a coffin in the background) and never let go.

In addition to the discussion questions, the Participant Guide also provides biblical context and historical background.  A great set of questions takes the teaching and drives immediately to application.  Along with the session activities, the Participant Guide also provides journaling ideas as well as next steps for every session.

While there is no leader’s guide, this is a very straightforward study.  The practical, application orientation of this study should provide a solid basis for discussion for even the newest groups.

If you’re looking for a study that will deeply impact small group members or Bible study attendees, I want to suggest that you take a serious look at Have the Funeral.  This is a study that will leave a powerful impression on leaders and members alike.  I highly recommend it.  In fact, a solid understanding of biblical forgiveness is so important, this study definitely joins the recommended curriculum list for me.  And I hope for you too!

Had an opportunity this week to spend some time with an interesting new DVD-driven small group study from Lifeway.  Rooms: The Small Group Experience is the first study I’m aware of that was inspired by an award-winning novel (Published in 2010, Rooms was named the Best Inspirational Novel of 2010 by the Reviewers’ Choice Awards).

Likened to The Shack, Rooms is the story of “young software tycoon Micah Taylor and a cryptic letter he receives from a great uncle he never knew.  It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast.  In Cannon Beach.  The one place he loves.  The one place he never wants to see again.  But strange things happen in the house.  Things Micah can’t explain.  Things he can barely believe.  The locals say that the house is ‘spiritual.’  But Micah slowly discovers the house isn’t just spiritual, it is a physical manifestation–of his soul (from the cover).”

The study is designed to guide groups through four significant themes: woundedness, destiny, (spiritual) warfare, and freedom.  The DVD segments feature a combination of author James Rubart’s teaching/narration against the backdrop of reenacted scenes from the book.

The participant guide provides discussion questions that enable group members to work through the biblical basis for each of the four themes.  Each week also includes four daily devotional experiences, continuing to pursue the theme through the week.

A Leader Guide section is included in the participant guide and provides some important hints for the study.  In addition, each of the four DVD segments includes a “watch me first” moment for group leaders.  In view of the challenging themes developed in this study, it may be too challenging for some leaders.

Although the study was “created so that even someone who has not read the book–or who does not intend to–can still find fresh perspectives and strong biblical content for becoming a more effective disciple,” it will be a far different experience for those who participate without reading the book.  In my mind, the most likely participants of the study will be readers of the book.  I should point out that while I haven’t finished the book, I read the first 20 pages to get a feel for the writing style and the quality of the writing.  It’s an intriguing story-line and caught my attention right away.

This is an interesting new category.  While it’s easy to envision a book club that leads to a four week study, I’m finding it harder to imagine just any group choosing a study based on contemporary Christian fiction.  For the right group, Rooms will be a great experience.

Next in the line of DVD-driven studies from Gabe Lyons and Q Group Studies is Being Countercultural: Restoring Our Identity in a Changing Society.  I think this is an essential study and series if you’re interested in connecting the widening 60% that will never be reached by the attractional model.

Being Countercultural is a five session DVD-driven study with an accompanying Participant’s Guide.  The DVD segments each feature an opening dialogue between host Gabe Lyons and Laura Waters Hinson (film-maker, director and producer of As We Forgive).  Like the other offerings in the Q Group Studies series, three of the five sessions also include a talk from a recent Q Conference.  Being Countercultural features talks by Gabe Lyons (on being countercultural), Andy Crouch (on Power, Privilege and Risk) and Mike Foster (on the People of a Second Chance).

Like the other studies in the Q Group Studies series two of the five sessions do not include a DVD segment.  Instead, session two includes a Q Short (a 15 page reading) by Jason Locy and Tim Willard (authors of Veneer) and session five guides the group to select a culture shaping project.  Putting the topics from the study into practice is an important aspect of the Q Group Series strategy, so the suggested projects include an anticonsumerism emphasis (spending time and money for the sole benefit of someone else), a creative power effort (using the gifts and talents of the group to create something for the good of the city or community), and a gift of grace extended to a person or group that has been judged or condemned by the church.

This is a powerful study and a powerful series.  If you want the groups in your small group ministry to experience something beyond their own sense of community, Being Countercultural will provide some of the necessary ingredients.  I love the Mike Foster line from his segment.  ”If we’re going to be people of the second chance we need to chase prodigals.”  Chasing them requires developing compassion and developing compassion almost certainly requires understanding.  This study will help you grow in your understanding.

My first encounter with Ed Dobson was in 1993 when I read Starting a Seeker Sensitive Service.  Pastor Emeritus of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, you may have run across Dobson in his 2009 book, The Year of Living Like Jesus: My Journey of Discovering What Jesus Would Really Do.

My most recent encounter with Ed Dobson was at The Story conference in Chicago.  As his session began…it was immediately obvious that something had happened.  In the first sentence or two I learned that he had ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  For the next ten minutes or so, I heard…and observed…the damage of the disease.  Amazingly, I also heard…and observed…the power of God.

Flannel’s 2011 release of Ed’s Story: A Film Series about Hope (1-3), a mesmerizing example of story-driven visual-media, pulls you steadily into the story.  A series of short films (five of seven are currently finished and separately available as 1-3 and 4-5), each one tells a piece of the story and all of them are very immersive.  Something about the pacing, the intelligent spacing of speech to video (almost like white space) and the camera placement and shot selection itself, create a backdrop against which an irrepressible hope stands firm.  Sometimes all the description in the world fails what a sample will do.   You can watch the first short film right here.

Ed’s Story wrestles with the issues suffering raises: worry, identity, forgiveness, gratitude, and healing.  Accompanied by a personal reflection guide, there is a powerful discussion to be had.  Although deeply biblical, this isn’t your typical set of small group questions complete with directly referenced scripture.  While a leader’s guide would help ensure direction, the video content along with a thought-provoking set of discussion questions will open the door for some very memorable meetings.

This is a powerful experience; one that I want my group to have.  I have a feeling you’ll want your groups to have it, too.

Can’t see the video? You can watch it right here.

I review a lot of curriculum every year.  Some DVD-driven.  Some homework intensive.  Some story-driven visual media.  I review everything.

Although my blog is sponsored by several of the larger publishers (much appreciated), it was interesting to see that 2 of the 3 most popular reviews I did were for Not a Fan and Basic: Who Is God; both from publishers that don’t sponsor me (hint).

Why did I rank these reviews separately from yesterday’s top 10 posts of 2011?  I decided that this list may be an indication of sales strength.  8 of 2011′s 10 most popular reviews were written in 2011.

1. Review: Not a Fan (posted in September, 2010)
2. New from Beth Moore | James: Mercy Triumphs
3. Basic: Who Is God (by Francis Chan)
4. The Story: A New Church-Wide Campaign from Zondervan
5. Review: Life’s Toughest Questions (from Lifeway’s Platform Series) (Posted in August, 2010)
6. New Church-Wide Campaign from Bill Hybels: The Power of a Whisper
7. Crave: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (a 7 session study from Lifeway)
8. Review: Walking with God in the Desert
9. Courageous: A New Church-Wide Campaign (based on the movie)
10. Review| Gospel Revolution: A New DVD-Driven Study from J.D. Greear