Posts Tagged ‘discipleship’
Essential Ingredients for Life-Change
You’re reading this…so you already know that the optimum environment for life-change is a small group. Right? After all, that is one of the key axiomatic beliefs of small group ministry enthusiasts everywhere. The question is, “Is it true that a group is the optimum environment for life-change?” Or are there some factors that must…
Read MoreFour Questions That Will Inspire Breakthrough Thinking
How dry is the cement around what’s possible in your discipleship effort? Pretty firm? Room to wiggle? As we continue to think about how to help more people experience genuine life-change, I find myself drawn again to ideas in Gary Hamel’s The Future of Management. Here are four questions he uses to maximize the chances…
Read MoreEscaping the Straitjacket of Conventional Thinking
How limited is your thinking? When you stop long enough to examine how your ministry is designed…particularly the assumptions that it is based on…how limited is your thinking? Need an example? Try these statements on for size: “New groups must begin with a qualified leader and an apprentice.” I remember hearing Jim Dethmer talk about…
Read MorePhilosophy of Ministry: Off-Campus Groups vs. On-Campus Classes
I’ve written quite a bit about the subject of building a small group ministry in a church with a Sunday School culture. This is an important topic because it is where so many churches are. A legacy program in a changing landscape. And it’s a challenging situation. That said, I want to talk today about…
Read MoreDiagnosing Your Discipleship Strategy
Ever slow down long enough to look at whether your discipleship strategy is actually working? I know…who has time? Here’s the thing, we better make time! As I see it, you don’t have to read between the lines to see the link between leadership and accountability for results (See Matthew 25 or Luke 19…
Read MoreDesigning Your Small Group System
We had a great call today with my good friend Kent Odor, this week’s guest on the Small Group Fraternity. Definitely in the small group pioneer category, Kent has a long small group history and has had many great experiences along the way. In today’s call there were a number of important insights. Just wanted…
Read MoreHeaven
When you think about Heaven…what comes to mind? For most of us, even those of us who have been walking with Christ a long time, Heaven is a only a very vague concept. Is it a real place? Will there be clouds? Will we have wings, play harps and walk on streets of gold? Will…
Read MoreLearning How to Pray Together
Praying together at the end of a small group meeting is one of the real challenges for almost every small group. The very common fear of public speaking (number #1 fear for many) is compounded by the unspoken belief held by many that it’s important to speak an unfamiliar dialect when praying (a thee and…
Read MoreWhat’s the Best Way to Close a Meeting in Prayer?
What’s the Best Way to Close a Meeting in Prayer? I get a lot of questions. Some from readers and some from attendees at a workshop I’m giving. Here’s a very common question, especially when I’m talking with new leaders. “What is the best way to close a group meeting in prayer?” Great question! But…
Read MoreClarifying the Win In Your Small Group Ministry
How do you know you’re succeeding at what you do? If we were baseball players…it’d be easy. At the end of the game we’d see who had the most runs on the scoreboard. Would hits matter? Yes. Would RBIs matter? Yes. What about our pitcher’s ERA? Yes. But would they themselves be a win? No. …
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