FAQ: What Should I Count in My Small Group Ministry?
One of my most frequently asked questions is “what should I count in my small group ministry?” Here are the seven numbers I’m looking for: Average adult worship attendance: This gives you a baseline attendance number that provides one of the numbers you need to determine percentage connected. Most recent holiday adult worship attendance: Whether…
Read MoreIf I Was a Martian…Could I Identify Your Real Mission?
Think about your mission…the one on your wall and in your vision talks. Got it? Let it roll around in your mouth for a minute so you can really get the taste. Here’s the question: If I was a Martian (or a visitor), and I showed up at your church this weekend or called your…
Read MoreHow Long’s It Been…Since You Checked These 3 Details?
Just like that cracked windshield or the little tear in the armrest of your car, there are certain things that just blend in after a while. To you. You don’t even see them anymore. Everyone else? They see them immediately. Just like the way you don’t even remember the last time you really looked at…
Read MoreComing Soon: Bible Studies for Life
I’ve wanted to tell you about it for months. A few of you saw my invitation to preview it. I just can’t wait any longer! Last fall I was invited to help put together a new Bible study series for LifeWay. And coming soon to a website and bookstore near you is Bible Studies for…
Read MoreSideways Energy
Ever found yourself struggling with a program that draws a crowd and generates a kind of buzz…but actually moves people in a different direction than you want them to go? For example, you’ve designed your strategy to move everyone in the direction of a small group, but a legacy program, maybe an ongoing on-campus class…
Read MoreHere’s How Saddleback Does Week #1 of a Church-Wide Campaign
Willing to take a dare? If you want to know how Saddleback launched their newest 2200 small groups–and that’s not a typo–I dare you to give me 3 minutes of your time. Watch the first 3 minutes of this video to get a feel for the way Saddleback launched What On Earth Am I Here…
Read MoreMinistry in a Fog? Here are 6 Critical Questions that Create Clarity
Yesterday I added a simple exercise you can use to identify next steps. It occurred to me as I wrote yesterday’s post that even completing that simple exercise is very tough for many organizations, because they don’t know the answers to a set of essential questions (what I often refer to as the Drucker Questions).…
Read MoreTry This Simple Exercise to Identify Next Steps
Need a little push in order to get moving? Try this simple exercise to identify some next steps. It’s based on this great Andy Stanley line: “Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you’re currently experiencing.” The exercise? There are two steps. First, make a list of all the individual components in your…
Read MoreFaith Limps: Trusting a Good God in a Broken World | New from Lifeway
Spent some time this weekend with a relatively new study from LifeWay. Faith Limps: Trusting God in a Broken World, featuring Michael Kelley, is DVD-driven study that will help your group members wrestle with some of life’s most challenging questions. There are several very important aspects to Faith Limps. First of all, the back story of…
Read MoreThe One Thing That Changes Everything…and How to Get It
What changes everything in small group ministry? What’s the one thing that makes the biggest difference? I’ve written about this many times in the last several years, but it’s clear to me that the one thing that changes everything is senior pastor support. To be clear, I’m not talking about moral support. I’m not talking…
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