Making Your Small Group Work: A DVD-Driven Resource That Strengthens Groups

Looking for small group ministry development ideas?  Making Your Small Group Work (previously released as ReGroup) is a resource you may want to take a look at.   Featuring small group expert Bill Donahue along with well known speakers and best-selling authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend (Boundaries and Making Small Groups Work), this is a DVD-Driven curriculum that helps groups work.

An interesting concept, Making Your Small Group Work is intended to be used by groups.  Rather than focusing on the small group leader, this is a program that can be used by groups to develop a greater closeness and effectiveness.  “Designed to create healthy group dynamics and an atmosphere that fosters personal growth,” this study equips leaders and members with essential skills and values “for creating truly life-changing small groups.”

Incorporating many of the ideas and principles from Making Small Groups Work by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, this four session study features a unique combination of coaching by the panel of Donahue, Cloud and Townsend and a drama segment that allows the group to see for themselves the kinds of behaviors that create a functional, healthy group (as opposed to a dysfunctional, unhealthy group).

Topics included are:

• Getting Connected: God’s purpose for small groups.
• Five habits of life-changing small groups.
• Setting the ground rules.
• Determining your group’s purpose.

The participant guide includes a viewing guide as well as exercises designed to help individual group members talk about the keys to group health.  These are the kinds of discussions that have the potential to develop the kind of environment that is essential for life-change.

The participant guide also includes over 70 pages of additional tips for healthy groups.  In addition, this section is supported on the DVD  with 16 short companion segments, making this a resource that has a recurring role in group development.

While there are a number of available leader development resources, Making Your Small Group Work is the only one I’ve come across that does this kind of work with group members.  If you’re looking for ideas that will help your groups develop the kinds of environments where life-change happens, you’ll want to add Making Your Small Group Work to your recommended list.