Comments on: Do Good Groups Really Practice the Open Chair? http://www.markhowelllive.com/do-good-groups-really-practice-the-open-chair/ Pushing Boundary-Free GroupLife Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mark Howell http://www.markhowelllive.com/do-good-groups-really-practice-the-open-chair/comment-page-1/#comment-457 Mark Howell Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:10:19 +0000 http://www.markhowelllive.com/?p=1523#comment-457 Joe! Thanks for jumping in! The semester idea does some nice things, as you mention. I'm starting a series next week on the upsides and downsides of the main small group strategies. The semester idea is one that I'll be covering. Watch for that. mark Joe! Thanks for jumping in! The semester idea does some nice things, as you mention. I’m starting a series next week on the upsides and downsides of the main small group strategies. The semester idea is one that I’ll be covering. Watch for that.

mark

]]> By: Joe Donaldson http://www.markhowelllive.com/do-good-groups-really-practice-the-open-chair/comment-page-1/#comment-456 Joe Donaldson Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:49:08 +0000 http://www.markhowelllive.com/?p=1523#comment-456 Mark, appreciate the insight here. We are trying small group 'semesters' this year where groups will meet for 10-12 week sessions and then take a break. At the start of each semester we have open sign-ups where new people can join a group. Some groups are brand new while others pre-exist. The core of those pre-existent groups are more likely to meet over the break. Our goal is more for people to connect on a friendship level than for the entire group to develop a deep bond with each member. We do encourage and facilitate 1-1 accountability. I agree that the 'open chair' concept does not work well once a group gets deep into a series. That's one reason we use the semester approach - it gives us 3x each year to heavily recruit people to join a small group. Mark, appreciate the insight here. We are trying small group ‘semesters’ this year where groups will meet for 10-12 week sessions and then take a break. At the start of each semester we have open sign-ups where new people can join a group. Some groups are brand new while others pre-exist. The core of those pre-existent groups are more likely to meet over the break. Our goal is more for people to connect on a friendship level than for the entire group to develop a deep bond with each member. We do encourage and facilitate 1-1 accountability. I agree that the ‘open chair’ concept does not work well once a group gets deep into a series. That’s one reason we use the semester approach – it gives us 3x each year to heavily recruit people to join a small group.

]]> By: Mark Howell http://www.markhowelllive.com/do-good-groups-really-practice-the-open-chair/comment-page-1/#comment-455 Mark Howell Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:41:46 +0000 http://www.markhowelllive.com/?p=1523#comment-455 Josh, I do think many groups that are theoretically "open" are really closed, because they're no longer able to add another connection. Allen White (and others) have said that we're like Lego blocks. We only have so many bumps and slots that can receive a connection. Once they're full... mark Josh, I do think many groups that are theoretically “open” are really closed, because they’re no longer able to add another connection. Allen White (and others) have said that we’re like Lego blocks. We only have so many bumps and slots that can receive a connection. Once they’re full…

mark

]]> By: Josh http://www.markhowelllive.com/do-good-groups-really-practice-the-open-chair/comment-page-1/#comment-454 Josh Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:18:09 +0000 http://www.markhowelllive.com/?p=1523#comment-454 Don't you agree that on the whole most groups are too closed for no good reason? Don’t you agree that on the whole most groups are too closed for no good reason?

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