Making Small Groups Work

There are a few books every small group pastor needs.  One of those books is Making Small Groups Work by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.  You may recognize their names as the authors of the best-seller, Boundaries.  If you’re looking for source material to build a leader training or enrichment course, this is a must…

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Better Group Life Through Technology

What technologies are you using in your small group ministry?  Website page?  Blog?   Facebook?  Twitter?  Data management system (like Churchteams or GroupsInteractive)? Or are you doing the things according the the KJV?  You know…the old fashioned way.  Printed catalogs?  Phone trees?  Sign up forms? The times are achangin’ you know.  Today your leaders can…

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Who Makes the Best Coach?

In our ongoing look at the top 10 axiomatic beliefs of group life, one area that ought to draw our attention is coaching.  It is logical that a coach would be helpful…even required.  But who makes the best coaches?  It is so common for churches to make that assignment to their elders or deacons.  But…

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Debug Your Thinking – a Group Life Webinar

Thursday, September 3rd, 12:00 to 12:45 pm CDT Click here to register Trying to figure out why your small group ministry isn’t really delivering the results you’re looking for?  Resigned to the fact that in your church it just doesn’t work?  I want to suggest that there are probably some underlying assumptions that are keeping…

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Where Can I Find New Coaches?

A great conversation yesterday drew an important question.  We’re getting ready for a church-wide campaign and know we’ll need coaches for our newest hosts.  Where can I find new coaches? Ever asked that one?  It’s a good question.  Important on a couple levels.  First, it is important that your newest hosts have a coach who…

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The Exponential Power of a Church-Wide Campaign

What is the most powerful way to impact your entire congregation?  Many believe that a church-wide campaign, what Rick Warren refers to as a spiritual growth emphasis,  is the most important spiritual innovation in the last 50 years…maybe the last century.  Why?  Read on. Although there are very basic church-wide campaigns that simply offer a…

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Designing 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…

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Learning 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…

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What’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…

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