New from IVP Connect: Field Guide for Small Group Leaders

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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!

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2 Comments

  1. Sam O'Neal on May 15, 2012 at 6:06 am

    Big thanks for the good words, Mark. Much appreciated!



  2. Anonymous on May 15, 2012 at 6:46 am

    Good stuff, Sam. Your investment will pay off for small group leaders.