Can Your Small Group Ministry Take These Four Next Steps?
When you are a beginner, you do what beginners can do. Think about when a newborn turns over for the very first time. Or takes their first step. Or puts a phrase together. Clearly, there are things that you do when you are a beginner. And then there are things you can only do once…
Read MoreReview: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Church-Wide Initiative
Finally had a chance to finish previewing a new church-wide initiative from Peter Scazzero and Zondervan. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is an 8 session campaign based on Scazzero’s best-seller by the same title. You probably remember Scazzero’s previous book, The Emotionally Healthy Church, a groundbreaking best-seller that was awarded a Gold Medallion by the ECPA. The Main Idea…
Read MoreThe Big Idea Behind Small Group Coaching
Without a doubt, the struggle to build an effective coaching structure is one of the most challenging aspects in building a thriving small group ministry. I hear this again and again. I’ve probably heard this over a thousand times in my 20+ years of small group ministry. Taking my cue from Jim Collins and Great…
Read MoreHow to Do an “Exit Interview” for a Launch-Phase Coach
In a previous post I shared my “secret formula” for how I recruit a small group coach. If you didn’t read it, you should go back and read it first. Then, what I’m going to tell you today will make a lot more sense. Today I want to tell you how I do a kind of…
Read MoreIt’s Not Too Late! Take Advantage of My 2015 Coaching Network
Have you thought about joining my 2015 Small Group Ministry Coaching Network? It’s not too late, but you need to act pretty quickly. I have only a few spots left! A few important details: Before you decide you can’t participate, make sure you know a few important details: There are several payment plans: All you…
Read More5 Small Group Ministry Truths I Hold to Be Self Evident
There are certain things, certain ideas, that are just true. This was the case for Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers of the United States of America (Jefferson maintained they were self-evident). And it is true for small group ministry. With over three decades of small group ministry experience, I have found certain truths to…
Read MoreMissional Living Resources You Should Know About
Every year I end up being sent well over a hundred new small group studies, church-wide campaigns and ministry books of all kinds. It’s a great privilege to be asked to review them. A few weeks ago I received a box with a collection of resources on missional living from a variety of publishers. Over…
Read MoreHow to Recruit a Small Group Coach: My “Secret” Formula
I’ve written a lot about the small group coaching. If you’ve been along for very much of this conversation, you’ve seen articles about the importance of coaching and the role of a coach. You’ve also seen articles how to identify the right candidates, the characteristics of an effective coach, and even how to develop and disciple…
Read MoreReview: Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth by Hugh Halter
Spent some time with a new book from Hugh Halter this week. Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth is the latest book by Hugh Halter, lead pastor of Adullam and founder of Missio. Flesh is best described by its alternate subtitle: Learning to be human like Jesus. I loved this book! Hugh Halter is…
Read MoreYes, But What Do I Do First?
You’re in, right? Ready to do the work that will take your small group ministry to new levels in 2015? You’ve taken the time to write some new year’s resolutions and are beginning to figure out where you need to go. But where do you start? How do you figure out what must happen first?…
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