Looking for a creative way to jump-start a discussion about finances and stewardship in your congregation?  You may want to take a look at Money Talks, a new 5 week small group study from Liquid.  Similar to other studies in the Liquid series, Money Talks takes a look at the Penders, a California family with an outrageous view of money.  A little different than others in the series, this topic is explored with a twist of comedy…taking a little of the edge off the topic.

Episode one takes a look at Matthew 25 and The Parable of the Talents…but in a way that will capture the attention of your groups and generate a great discussion.  Whether you know your Real Housewives of Orange County or not, there’s a very familiar feel to the interview format that is very engaging.

Each of the 5 sessions follows the Pender family as they encounter the principles of a different New Testament passage.  A short talk wraps each session and sets up an engaging conversation.  The video segments are short…less than 10 minutes.  Just about the perfect length to grab attention, explore the concept, and whet the appetite for discussion.

If you’re looking for a way to help your groups talk about stewardship, Money Talks could be a way to get things started.  You can preview session 2 of the study right here.  Take a look!  I think you’ll like it.

What curriculum helps a group get off to the best start?

I’m asked this question (or one like it) almost every week, so I thought I’d take a day and answer the question.  If you’ve asked it…here you go!  If you already have a favorite…use the comments below to add your favorite to the list!  But before I start naming names, how about a little philosophy?

First, keep in mind the skill level of your new leader.  By “skill level” I mean more than their reading level.  I’m talking about their ability to jump-start participation, to grab the attention of new members, and to facilitate interaction.  Unless I know differently, such as in the case of a new group with a seasoned leader, I know I need to choose material that is easy to use.

Second, keep in mind the maturity of the members of the new group.  This is very important.  And by maturity I don’t mean how long they’ve been at your church.  I’m really referring to the fact that they’re already living out a lot of what they’ve learned.  The Apostle Paul points out that you can look like an adult and still need milk (1 Corinthians 3:1) and the writer of Hebrews reminds us that “though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! (Hebrews 5:12).”  Unless they’re already living out what they’ve already learned…I look for material that helps with the basics to get a group started.

Third, I look for a topic that will peak the interest of the new members.  When I’m starting a group for men, I look for a title and topic that will make sense to men.  Same for women, couples, singles, etc.

Fourth, I look for a six week study.  Lyman Coleman said that six weeks is short enough to make a commitment to and long enough to begin to develop a sense of connection (very rough paraphrase).  I’ve found that to be very, very important.  There are some great 12 to 14 week studies.  They do not work well to start new groups.  They seem daunting to new people and they are tough to join after about week 3.  Six weeks is the perfect length.

Fifth, I lean toward a DVD-driven study.  I always say “there’s an upside and a downside to everything.”  The biggest upside of DVD-driven curriculum is that it makes it possible for an ordinary person to start a small group. Think about it…when you bring John Ortberg or Erwin McManus into the living room you allow them to get the discussion started.  That’s a big advantage.  When you’re using a curriculum to implement a strategy to help lots of people test-drive a small group…helping ordinary people open up their home and invite a few of their friends…that is a HUGE advantage.
I’ve found that most groups are ready to set the video aside after two or three series.  Some hang on much longer.  Most discover that they get a lot more out of their own Bible study and discussion.

Looking for a list of studies that work well?  Here are many of the studies that I’ve reviewed.  And, if you haven’t signed up to get my updates…you can do that right here.

What if you had one month to live?  Think you’d make any changes in the way you spent your time?  Would you spend more time with family?  Would you tell friends what they really mean to you?  Would you take steps to seek or give forgiveness?  What would you do differently if you found out that you had only one month to live?

One Month To Live is a church-wide campaign designed to engage the people in your church with one central question: If you knew you only had one month to live, what would you do to make what’s left of your life really matter?  Developed by Kerry and Chris Shook and based on their New York Times bestseller by the same name, One Month is available as a campaign in a box.  Much like 40 Days of Purpose, everything you need to pull off a church-wide campaign has already been developed to assist your congregation.  You can find out how to preview and order materials right here.

I’ve found there are a few key factors to determining whether a given church-wide campaign is a good fit for your congregation.  Production quality, presentation style, full featured, customer service, and topic are 5 distinctives that must be evaluated for fit.

1. Production Quality: One Month to Live is a professionally produced suite of materials.  DVD, study guide, available marketing materials, hardback book, extras…all have a high-quality look and feel.
2. Presentation Style: The DVD has a magazine feel to it.  Each session features Kerry and Chris Shook speaking from a well designed set.  In addition, rather than a “talking head” presentation, instead of telling a story to make a point the DVD cuts to a video testimonial.
3. Full Featured: Everything you need is available in the kit.  I refer to it as a “just-add-water” campaign.  You can take a look at the kit contents right here.
4. Customer Service: You’ll appreciate the fact that customer service is an inside job with OMTL.  Rather than using a fulfillment center, you’ll be working with service representatives who are very familiar with the product and believe in its purpose.
5. Topic: This church-wide study features a topic and presentation style that are cleanly on the easy end of the easy/hard continuum.  If you’re looking for a study that your members can invite friends and neighbors to attend…this study will be a great fit.

Final Word: I found this study to be really easy to promote and super easy to encourage members to invite friends to join.  We had some complaints from a very closed-minded few who wanted a “deeper” Bible study.  On the flip side, the vast majority of our groups loved the study and were very enthused about the depth of conversation and challenge that developed.  If you’re looking for a church-wide campaign that is easy to invite friends and neighbors to attend, I heartily recommend One Month to Live.

What do you do for student small group curriculum?  Anyone?  Anyone?

If you’re like a lot of us, you don’t have a comprehensive plan.  In fact, most of us are a little stumped when it comes to how to pull off group ministry for students!  That makes what’s coming out of Simply Youth Ministry pretty interesting!

Live is the new four year curriculum for students from Doug Fields and the folks at SYM.  You can read about it right here.  You can even download a free lesson today!

While you’re here, be sure and sign up to get my update whenever there’s something new in the world of small group ministry.  Whether you’re looking for strategy, ideas and tips, or curriculum…we believe it can be better!  Click here to get the update!

I have some favorites!  You probably do too!  Take a minute today and take my short survey so we’re not missing anything we ought to be using!

Click Here to take survey

If you’re looking for a DVD-driven study that is provocative, easy to use, and generates great discussion, you’ll love Mirror Image.  From the Liquid series, this is a study of five of Jesus’ best known parables (including The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan) and it is a must-have in our suggested curriculum list.

What makes it so engaging is that rather than a talking head, each session presents the truth of a parable in a dramatic and contemporary retelling.  For example, The Prodigal features a drug-using runaway daughter who returns to the welcoming arms of a mother and the disapproval of an older sister.  There are five sessions and they are all very compelling.

One of the things that I love about this study (and the series) is that it is on what I call “the easy end” of the easy/hard continuum.  It’s not hard to invite a friend to join in, and whether they’re familiar with the parable or not they will find it engaging.  I also really like this study (and the series) because it doesn’t require a teacher.  Group members can take turns facilitating the session and the included questions are very good at driving a great discussion.

Want a sample?  You can watch the trailer and a session right here.

The Easter Experience, from City On A Hill Productions, is a new church-wide study from the folks that produced H2O.  With host and teacher Kyle Idleman, The Easter Experience includes a six session DVD-driven small group study that coordinates with a six weekend message series–designed to conclude with Good Friday and Easter.

The DVD-driven small group curriculum, much like H2O, uses a highly cinematic approach.  Rather than a talking head approach, each session uses dramatic storytelling and challenging teaching to present the passion and resurrection of Jesus.

Very much a campaign in a box, you’ll find basic instructions for implementation on the Leader’s Training DVD, as well as sermon outlines, graphic elements, posters, bulletins, included on the resource CD in the Church Kit.

You’ll appreciate the high quality of this production.  The onscreen reenactment of the passion week’s key events coupled with Idleman’s observations make for a dynamic experience.  In addition, they’ve done a very good job with the Participant Guide, producing a set of questions that lead to a great discussion.  If you’re a regular reader of my reviews you know that I am always looking for studies that will appeal to the people who aren’t part of your church.  Although this is a topic that’s not necessarily on the easy end, I believe it will interest many of the friends of your members.

If there is a challenge, it is the cost of the Bible Study Kit.  At $39.99 for the DVD and Leader’s Guide it is on the expensive side, however, with orders of 10 or more kits there is a 15% discount (and higher discounts may apply with larger orders).

All in all, The Easter Experience is another great study from City On A Hill Productions.  I highly recommend it.

Looking for small group curriculum that will connect with 20 and 30-somethings?  Threads is a relatively new line of curriculum specifically designed to meet the needs of younger adults.  With core values like community, connection, responsibility and depth…it’s not a lightweight line.  If you want materials that will engage the younger minds in your ministry, you’ll find some of what you need at Threads.

One of the newest studies at Threads is Red Revolution: Seeing the World Through the Lens of Christ.  Based on 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race…,” Red Revolution takes a look at the lenses that color everything we see (race, color, economics, history, religious background, etc.), the separation that these lenses produce. and the challenging truth that as believers we’re called to see “Christianity as our primary culture and live as one.”

Red Revolution is a 6 session study that will be challenging.  It’s more than a show-up-and-open-book study.  Instead, this is a topic that can provide a thought-provoking journey.  Although there is a DVD and CD, it is not a DVD-driven study.  Rather than providing a teaching segment for each session, there is a variety of media that supports the discussion.  In addition, the extent and depth of the material in each unit will be challenging to complete in a 90 minute session.  That said, this is a very engaging topic and will produce some great discussions.

For groups to have the experience as designed, they’ll need the Leader Kit and individual member books.  You can order your materials right here.

When you think about Heaven…what comes to mind?  For most of us, even those of us who have been walking with Christ a long time, Heaven is a only a very vague concept.  Is it a real place?  Will there be clouds?  Will we have wings, play harps and walk on streets of gold?  Will it be boring?  Will we do a lot of singing?  Sound familiar?  Ever wondered what Heaven will really be like?

God has put eternity in our hearts.  This group discussion guide will help bring eternity to light in a way that will surprise you, spark your imagination, and change how you live today.  Randy Alcorn

Based on Randy Alcorn’s best-selling book Heaven, the new Small Group Discussion Guide is designed as a companion to the Heaven DVD, which is currently available in the back of the book itself.   At seven sessions, it is long enough to provide a thorough examination of the topic and yet short enough to encourage every group member to complete it.

If you’ve used Lifetogether’s Doing Life Together or Experiencing Christ Together, you’ll find the basic format very familiar.  Each session begins with a CONNECTING with God’s Family section, designed to prime the pump of conversation and warm up the group.  After watching the DVD segment (featuring Randy Alcorn and interspersed with a steady dose of man-on-the-street comments), you’ll find a well-developed GROWING to Be Like Christ segment as well as PRAYER and SURRENDER.

A great addition to the format is the Reflection segment that provides a daily opportunity to continue to learn about and reflect on the topic.  This makes the Study Guide a really good value and more than a source for the questions.

Finally, you’ll want to take advantage of Leaders Sessions on the DVD and features like the health assessment and health plan, leader’s notes, calendar, and prayer and praise report in the Heaven Small Group Discussion Guide.

One of the challenges in this topic is its someday orientation.   Although it’s an important topic, and one that group members should find engaging, I didn’t expect it to have as much present day application as I found it to have.  In fact, this is a study that will have appeal to the believers in your groups and many of their friends.

Can it be used successfully as a church-wide study?  Absolutely.  Although this is not a great outreach topic, it still is somewhere in the middle on the Easy/Hard Continuum.  As such, it would make a great follow-up study to a more outreach oriented ministry season beginning.

In addition to a handful of classics, there are some new church-wide studies that you’ll want to take a look at.  Here’s the short list:

40 Days of Love, the newest campaign from Saddleback, is fully loaded with everything you’ll need to take the relationship principles of Jesus church-wide.  Be sure and pick up the Campaign Online Access Pass and take advantage of the reduced pricing and coaching that comes with it!

Heaven, based on the best-selling book, is a 7 week study with companion DVD featuring Randy Alcorn.  Produced by Lifetogether Publishing, this study will open your congregation’s eyes to what the Bible really teaches about Heaven…and it’s really different than what most Christians think.

Although the newest studies from the Liquid series are not true church-wide campaigns (there isn’t a prefab set of sermons and a campaign kit), they offer a very compelling opportunity to build your own alignment.  The 10 takes a look at the Ten Commandments with dramatic flair, following the lives of 5 drivers on I-10.  Money Talks is new as well and takes a look at the relationship between money and God, but with a wry, comedic slant.

Need help building a custom church-wide study that meets the needs of your congregation?  Let’s talk!  Email Me to find out more about how to take a great off-the-shelf study and add in all the elements that produce lasting results.

For additional ideas, take a look at my earlier article on the same topic.

(Need help?  Click here to find out about my Church-Wide Campaign Coaching program)