Let me start by saying, “Wow!”  Although I loved Life’s Toughest Questions (a previous Lifeway title featuring Erwin McManus), this one is even better.  CRAVE: An Exploration of the  Human Spirit really delivers a great example of story-driven visual media, an important grouplife trend.

There are a number of elements to really like about CRAVE.  First of all, this is a study that will take your small group on an important expedition; an expedition into the depths of their own souls. As pointed out in the opening session, “every human being has a craving for intimacy, to find a love that is unconditional.”  In addition, “every one of us has a craving for destiny, a longing to become.”  At the same time “we all have a craving for meaning; we’re all striving to make sense of our life and are searching for someone that can be trusted.”

Second, each session is anchored by a teaching vignette featuring Erwin McManus, the engagingly charismatic Lead Pastor of Mosaic; exploring these soul cravings (intimacy, destiny and meaning), pointing out that they are “the fingerprint of God on our soul.  And what we are experiencing is our soul longing for God.  If we’ll just look into our souls we just might find the proof of God we’ve been looking for all along.”

Third, along with the teaching vignettes, CRAVE features three original short films that “take advantage of some of the youngest and brightest directors and writers in the film industry…uniquely created to drive the CRAVE small-group discussion (from the study guide).”  All three films will provoke a great conversation.  The closing scene in Midnight Clear will probably take a long time to forget.

Fourth, the teaching vignettes in combination with the short films will prompt some very good discussions.  The questions and exercises included in member book  will help keep the conversation on track.  Along with the in-session guide, there is also a personal time section for each session designed to help participants continue to process their new understandings.  Although there is not much to the Leader’s Guide, this isn’t the kind of study that requires a jump-start.  If anything, leaders will require some sensitivity to keep the conversation on track.

Finally, some groups may want to read McManus’ Soul Cravings (2006) as a companion.  Although CRAVE is a great stand-alone study, reading along will only enhance the experience.

CRAVE is a grouplife study you’re going to want on your recommended list.  It’s a great entry into the story-driven visual media category and covers an important topic in a way that will get groups talking.  I highly recommend it.

Erwin McManus is easily one of the most engaging speakers today.  Whether you catch him at Mosaic or at a conference…you’ll find yourself leaning forward in your seat, straining to catch every line, desperately trying to remember the phrase while you frantically try to write it down.

At least for me.  I love listening to him and have found myself challenged many times by his radical, barbarian-way, style of communicating.  And if you’ve found him engaging, you’re going to love Life’s Toughest Questions from Lifeway’s Platform Series.

A 6 session, DVD-driven study, Life’s Toughest Questions leverages the provocative teaching style of a great communicator.  Pulling no punches, McManus does what can only be done by someone who leads a congregation like Mosaic (now 7 locations in Southern California), designed to reach a broken and fragmented humanity, helping it become a work of beauty under the artful hands of God.

The six topics covered in Life’s Toughest Questions are:

• Does God Care?
• Is There a Hell?
• What About Sex?
• Is Jesus the Only Way?
• Is Faith Nonsense?
• Is God in Your Future?

Each session is anchored by an 18 to 25 minute DVD segment (the average viewing time is about 20 minutes) featuring a portion of a weekend message.  Although I’m generally an advocate of shorter video segments, I found myself completely engaged in even the longest segment.

A study guide accompanies the DVD Leader Kit and is required to lead the session.  It’s important to note that while this is a “show-up” study, not a homework or preparation driven study, it will probably be helpful for each participant (or at least most participants) to have a study guide ($7.95 from Lifeway) in front of them during the session.

Each session has plenty of material and the included questions are written to facilitate a very engaging discussion.  Although fairly self-explanatory, one drawback is the absence of a Leader’s Guide.  It may be important for less experienced leaders to have access to some in-house coaching that can help with session preparation.

If you’re looking for a resource that will provide an engaging and challenging experience for your groups, you can’t go wrong with Life’s Toughest Questions.  This one will definitely be on my recommended list.

What in your life is unexplainable apart from God?   Is there anything?  Or is there a perfect explanation for everything do?  For your decisions about jobs, your finances, and your relationships?

If this is a question that intrigues you at all, you might want to take a look at a new 8 week DVD-driven study from David C. Cook publishing.  Unexplainable: Pursuing a Life Only God Can Make Possible, by Don Cousins, will not be for every group.  But if your group is looking for a challenge, almost a dare to move towards the life described so vividly in the New Testament, this is a study you need to take a look at.

Unlike most of the DVD-driven group curriculum you’ll find, this DVD features a series of interviews with real people who have begun a new kind of adventure and are living lives and making decisions that are unexplainable…apart from God.  Watching session one and the story of Lee Eilers I couldn’t help but be pulled in to a great story; one man’s story of a decision he made to follow a course that could only be explained by God.

Each of the sessions is designed to be watched after reading the assigned section of the book.  Each section is about 25 pages.  After viewing the DVD segment the group will tackle a discussion of the ideas presented and be encouraged to apply what they’re learning.  I found the questions for session one well written and could imagine a lively discussion as a group wrestled with the question, “What would you like to see God do in your personally that would qualify as “unexplainable apart from God?”

This is probably not a study for a brand new group or a group of brand new Christians.  But if you’ve got groups in your small group ministry, or unconnected adults in your congregation, who are ready for a challenge, Unexplainable may be just the ticket.  I can say that session one and the first chapter already has me mulling over the decisions I’m making and the life I’ve found myself living.  Is it unexplainable apart from God?  Maybe I’ll let you know after I’ve finished the study!  In the meantime, if you want to learn more or pick it up for your group you can do that right here.

As I’ve mentioned, when you’re launching new groups using a church-wide campaign it is very important to give your newest groups something to do next that is similar in kind.  DVD-driven.  Easy to use.  Plug and play.  They will be much more likely to continue if you help them at this critical moment.  Here are two suggestions you should take a look at:

• Mirror Image
• Growing to Be Like Christ

Both of these studies are from series that have several very good titles.  They’re easy to use.  They’re on topics that will be engaging for your new groups.  Want more, you’ll find a whole list right here, but these two are my favorites for a next step.

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.

Have you heard about Life’s Healing Choices, Saddleback’s newest campaign?  Looks like a great new resource on a topic that’s been a home run for many churches and is clearly on the easy end of the easy/hard continuum.

An 8 week church-wide study based on The Beatitudes, Life’s Healing Choices features

• DVD-driven small group curriculum
• sermon transcripts for the weekend messages
• a complete campaign kit
• and leverages John Baker’s book by the same name as a companion resource.

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.

What’s the best study for a new group to use?  When you’re selecting curriculum for new groups there are several keys to keep in mind.

• Easy-to-use. I often refer to great launching curriculum as “just-add-water” or “plug-and-play.”  The main idea is that when a group is new, regardless of the way it began (connection, HOST, small group vacation, etc.), preparing for the study is less important than simply making sure that everyone is connecting well.  A great launching study allows the leader to simply push “play” and enjoy the time along with everyone else.
• Not too long (and not too short). The length of the study you choose is another very important element.  I’ve found that 6 weeks is just about the perfect length.  It’s short enough for potential members to imagine putting their toe-in-the-water and testing it out.  It’s long enough to let them begin to form connective tissue and be ready to stay on for the next one.  In addition, since new groups are easier to join than long-standing groups (they’ve not yet formed that impermeable membrane) you’ll want your new groups to be free to invite based on the idea that “we’re starting a new study next week!”  If your groups are using a study with too many sessions that will come around less frequently.  In most cases it’s tough to add someone to an ongoing study after the second or third week.
• Built in “get-to-know-you” elements. These opening few weeks are great opportunities for new group members to enjoy the carbonated atmosphere of new relationships.  It can be both fun and a little nerve-wracking to share things like how you met your spouse or what was the warmest room in the house when you were 7 years old.  The best materials for new groups will have these elements because getting to know each other forms the basis of next level relationships.  People who are enjoying getting to together are more likely to form the pattern of meeting.
• A group agreement or covenant. Discussing an agreement in the first week or two is very beneficial for new groups.  Nailing down things like what time we begin and end, how refreshments work, and what we’re going to do about childcare may seem pretty mundane…but talking about it early gets those details out in the open and that’s very important.  In addition, taking a few minutes to address things like confidentiality (what gets shared here, stays here) and shared ownership (everyone contributes in some way) will set healthy expectations.

How do the studies you’ve been using stack up against these four keys?  Are you on the right track?  In tomorrow’s update I’ll be posting a list of some of my favorite “new group” studies.  Hope you come back!