Posts Tagged ‘small group resources’
Becoming Aware of Your Decision-Making Tendencies
What are the prefab tendencies that you use to make decisions? In other words, what are the built-in tactics that pre-determine what you decide to do? Not sure? Here are a few that you may want to sort through: Idealistic vs. Pragmatic: This is a huge filter that all of us use when we’re making…
Read MoreWhat Is The Most Effective Method of Launching Small Groups?
What is the most effective method of launching small groups in our church? While this is an important question, it’s not one that has a boilerplate answer. It really depends on your church and your situation. There are a few basic strategies and each has it’s advantages and disadvantages. Here are the most commonly used:…
Read MoreWhat about birthing groups?
Q: “Shouldn’t we train our groups to birth? Shouldn’t we guide them to develop an apprentice and then help them birth a new group? Isn’t that kind of multiplication worth promoting?” A: The key is that birthing can happen…but is not a high probability. If you’re talking percentages, it’s a low probability. Think about your…
Read MoreDo Healthy Small Groups Grow and Birth?
One of the five small group values that Willow promoted in the early 90s was that “groups must expand and multiply so that eventually every believer can be connected to others.” Short version? Healthy groups grow and birth. Makes sense, doesn’t it? After all…if something is healthy there will be growth and it will give…
Read MoreThinking Strategically…about the Fall Season
Short story? Most of us think more clearly about how things begin than how they end (or move to the next stage). The test for this statement? Think about learning to ride a bike. Did you stop to think about what you’d do if you needed to stop? Did you think about what you’d do…
Read MoreEssential Ingredients of Life Change
“The optimal environment for life change is a small group.” No doubt you’ve heard that line over the years and even used it yourself to explain the importance of a thriving small group ministry. But is life change automatic? And if it’s not automatic, what has to happen to produce it? What are the essential…
Read MoreWhat to Do About Childcare?
One of the most frequently asked small group ministry questions is, “What can we do about childcare?” It’s an important question because it is a very real stumbling block for many people. At the same time, the question reveals an assumption that important to deal with. The assumption is that if small groups are really…
Read MoreThe Power of a Spiritual Training Partner
Have you ever made the decision to lose weight or start exercising (or any number of other things) only to find that you really couldn’t do it alone? The benefit of a training partner or participating in a weight-watchers group is unquestioned. Yet, when it comes to spiritual next steps, most of us attempt to…
Read MoreLife On Life is the Essential Ingredient
"The optimal ingredient for life change is a small group." No doubt you’ve heard that line many times (or some variation of it). These days I am more convinced than ever that there is some truth to the line, but not the whole truth. I actually think it’s better to say something like, "Small groups…
Read MoreHost Gift Bags
What do you provide your hosts when they sign up? When our hosts assemble at the orientation they’ll receive a gift bag that includes a half pound bag of Starbucks coffee, a small bag of Hershey’s Kisses, a 7 Day Prayer Guide, The ABCs of a Great Start for Your Group, and nametags for their…
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