This Little Tweak Will 10X the Impact of Your Coaching Structure

I write a lot about building an effective coaching structure. Maybe I should say, I write a LOT about building an effective coaching structure. Building an effective coaching structure is a frequent topic here for two reasons: Coaching plays a very significant role in launching and sustaining new groups. This should not be overlooked or dismissed.…

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Top 10 Reasons North Coast Has Consistently Connected Over 80%

One of the most effective small group systems is the one made popular by Larry Osborne’s Sticky Church. Osborne is the Senior Pastor of North Coast Church, a multisite church in southern California. Every system has a distinctive (or several). North Coast’s is what I refer to as a semester system (participants sign up for a…

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GroupLife Southwest 2017 Launches TODAY!

Update: You’re looking at a post from September of ’16 Click here to read my latest update. It’s official! I launched the website for GroupLife Southwest 2017 this morning! It’s been on my mind for a number of years to hold a small group ministry conference here in Las Vegas. And it finally happens  March…

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5 Keys to Keep in Mind When Choosing Your Small Group System

Yesterday’s post, Top 10 Reasons North Point Has Connected Over 72,000 in Groups*, prompted me to think about the similarities (and the differences) between North Point system and Saddleback’s system. In the midst of that process I thought about North Coast’s successful group strategy (consistently over 80% of their adults in groups) as well as…

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Top 10 Reasons North Point Has Connected Over 72,000* in Groups

One of the churches you ought to be paying attention to when it comes to small group ministry is North Point Community Church (technically, North Point Ministries, which is their name for their 6 Atlanta churches and global network of more than 30 strategic partner churches). Led by senior pastor Andy Stanley, North Point has accomplished…

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Patrick Lencioni’s The Ideal Team Player is a Must-Read

I spent some time with Patrick Lencioni’s newest book this week. Like every one of Lencioni’s books, The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues is a great read. Like virtually all of his books (with the exception of The Advantage), The Idea Team Player is part fable (a very compelling and…

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Patrick Lencioni on Humility

“Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self, and define success collectively rather than individually. It is no great surprise, then, that humility is the single greatest and…

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