New from Heather Zempel: Community Is Messy
One of the books I’ve been anxiously awaiting is Heather Zempel’s Community Is Messy. A talented speaker and writer, Zempel delivered one of the most memorable talks ever at Willow Creek’s grouplife conference. With a title like Community Is Messy: The Perils and Promise of Small Group Ministry, you just know it’s going to be a…
Read MoreCreate Connecting Steps that are Easy, Obvious, and Strategic
Public Service Announcement: If you want to connect unconnected people you’re going to have to create connecting steps that are easy, obvious, and strategic. Ever notice how often we begin with a crystal clear understanding of a genuine need (for example, lots of unconnected people in our congregation) and end up with a strategy that…
Read MoreNeed to Raise Your Leadership Bar? Join My 2012 Fall Coaching Network
Looking for an opportunity to raise your leadership bar? To grow in your ability to connect beyond usual suspects? I want to invite you to join my 2012 Fall Small Group Ministry Coaching Network; an experience designed to give you the tools and strategies you need in order to build a small group ministry that works in…
Read MoreNew from Matt Carter: Creation Restored: The Gospel According to Genesis
Looking for a way to open group members’ eyes to the gospel thread that runs through the Old Testament? You’re going to want to take a look at Creation Restored: The Gospel According to Genesis by Matt Carter and Halim Suh. An examination of Genesis 12-50, this study “explores how the very first book of the…
Read MoreTop 10 Reasons to Give a Failed Strategy One More Chance
Is it time to change direction? Try something new? Admit that old faithful isn’t working anymore? Or would one more try really be the right thing to do? Here are my top 1o reasons to give a failed strategy one more chance: Failure is such a harsh word. You prefer to think of it as…
Read MoreWhat’s Next in GroupLife?
Ever wonder what’s next in grouplife? Have any ideas? In 1996 I heard about an experiment at Willow Creek called a Taste of Community. Knowing only a little bit about it, I held a connecting event and sorted attendees out by the style of music they listened to. Seriously. It actually worked. I remember first…
Read More5 Essential Practices of a 21st Century Small Group System
Want to build a small group ministry for the 21st century? I think there are a few essential practices. In fact, if you want to connect beyond the usual suspects, you need to: Look for leaders who are closer to the edge of your congregation. If you want to connect beyond the usual suspects, you’ve…
Read MoreWeak Ties: Leveraging the Upside and Mitigating against the Downside
I’ve said many times that there’s an upside and a downside to everything. And we all ought to be on the lookout for upsides to be leveraged and downsides to guard against. I actually use the phrase, “downsides to be mitigated.” Sometimes people want to paint it differently. Sometimes people will want you to believe…
Read MoreMissing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Looking for your next women’s Bible study? You might want to take a look at Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense. New from Jennifer Rothschild and LifeWay, this is a study that will give hope to many and touch a lot of hearts. If you’re unfamiliar with Jennifer Rothschild, you may want…
Read MoreWhat Can You Pull Off in 3 Weeks? Block Party with a Purpose
What could you pull off with just 3 weeks notice? Could you plan and pull off a block party? Think about your block. What would you have to do tomorrow? Get a couple other neighbors to say yes? Make a flyer? What about the next day? Circulate the flyer? Think you could do it? How…
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