New from J.D. Greear: Presence | Overwhelmed by God
Looking a challenging study? Need something that will take your group members into deeper waters? New from J.D. Greear and Lifeway’s Platform series, Presence: Overwhelmed by God delivers. Greear, senior pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh/Durham, NC, is widely recognized as one of America’s most gifted communicators. It definitely shows on this six session, DVD-driven study. With Exodus 32-34 as…
Read MoreNew from IVP Connect: Field Guide for Small Group Leaders
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…
Read MoreDebunking GroupLife Mythology
Ever heard these truths? You have to be a member of a group before you can lead a group. Only closed small groups can develop genuine intimacy. Coaching helps small group leaders develop better technique. Healthy groups grow and birth. Apprenticing is the best way to produce new leaders. What do you think? Believe they’re…
Read MoreWin the Soul Detox Church-Wide Campaign from Zondervan
The contest is closed. We have a winner! Thanks everyone for playing. And thanks Zondervan for a great product and a great prize! I am so excited about the best give-away I’ve ever offered! One of the very best church-wide campaigns I’ve come across in quite a while is Soul Detox: Clean Living in a…
Read MoreTop 10 Signs You May Have Missed the Church OF Groups Off-Ramp
Recognize any of these? You’re still searching for a problem-free grouplife strategy. Your menu of discipleship options looks a lot like buffet at the Bellagio. Your senior pastor is committed…to giving every ministry an equal shot at the megaphone. Your method of wrestling with the aligator is to call everything a group. Abracadabra…we’re a church…
Read MoreEquipping Life-Changing Leaders
In a recent post I reviewed the new edition of Bill Donahue’s Leading Life-Changing Small Groups (which is an essential resource in my opinion) and mentioned the DVD-driven companion resource, Equipping Life-Changing Leaders. Let me say this right at the top…this is a great resource! Several Reasons to Love Equipping Life-Changing Leaders There are several reasons to…
Read MoreCritical Decision: Add Members to Existing Groups vs. Start New Groups?
I had an interesting question last week that prompted this post. Here’s the question: Hey Mark, I am looking for a small group resource that will help a group become more aware of guests – inviting, welcoming, etc. Suggestions? Thinking I understood the situation, I sent the reader a link to Skill Training: Top 10…
Read More5 Incontrovertible Takeaways from Our Recent Small Group Connection
Last week was a great reminder about the power of a small group connection. We had over 1100 people sign up to attend. Over 600 people attended one of five connection events and we launched 45 new groups. The connection process identified over 100 new leaders. Many, many people said on their way out that…
Read MoreGreat New Edition of Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
One of the books that shaped my understanding of small group ministry was Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue. When it was originally published in the mid 90s it quickly became the most important tool in my leader training efforts. With the 3rd edition (published in May, 2012) it’s even better! One of the…
Read MoreFresh Eyes and No Emotional Attachment
Stuck? Can’t figure out why? Or maybe, you can see what needs to change, but you can’t figure out how to even begin. Andy Stanley makes a great point in a talk from the Drive conference where he quoted something that Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel said to Gordon Moore, when they were stuck…
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