Designing Your Small Group Ministry to Get To There

Ready to see change in your small group ministry?  Ready for the day when your small group system really is producing life-change?  Not in pockets or individuals but in number?  How many times have you thought, “I’ll give this one more try?”  How many times have you thought, “Maybe we should just give up!” I…

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It Is What It Is

As I've written previously, I evaluate the effectiveness of small group strategy through a carefully developed process.  My process is based on three assumptions and the first assumption I make is that "it is what it is."  That is, what is happening in your small group ministry right now is directly related to the way…

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Launching Groups That Connect with Your Community

New 4 Week Telecourse:  Launching Groups That Connect with Your Community Looking for a way to connect with your community?  Trying to figure out how to develop a "crowd-to-core" small group strategy?  Available for limited time at $49.95, our new 4 week telecourse could be just what you need.  Packed with practical ideas and a…

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The Pursuit of Problem-Free

One of the assumptions I have about strategy and strategic planning is that there is no problem-free solution.  In other words, every solution has a set of problems that accompanies it.  How do you determine which solution to use?  Most groups simply go along with the loudest voice or the most powerful voice…or the most…

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Where Will I Be?

I'm excited about my upcoming schedule!  I've got some breakouts planned on topics that I love talking about (including GettingToThere). Really looking forward to seeing a lot of my friends around the country over the next few months!  Will you be there?  Be sure and let me know! Here's where I'll be: January 27-28, Dallas,…

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Leveraging Communication Tools

How are you communicating with your small group leaders and hosts?  How hard (or easy) is it for you to get the word out about upcoming events, recommended curriculum, and leader development?  How do you do it?  Still using a print newsletter?  Sending an email out to a list?  Smiling and dialing?  In this post…

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Small Group Myths

Note: This post originally referred to an article on a friend’s blog that no longer exists. Here’s a link to my series by a similar title: 5 Small Group Ministry Myths that Need Busting.

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How Serious Are You…About Connecting 150%?

You say you want to be a church of small groups.  You say you want to be a church where nobody stands alone.  You say you want to connect 150% of your weekend adult worship attendance.  All good, pithy, mantras.  But what are you really doing to make that happen?  How serious are you about…

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Web Cams, Headsets, Tokbox, and More!

Have you begun testing the waters of video conferencing yet?  Maybe you’re light years into it and have it all figured out…but if you don’t, can I steer you toward a couple things? Maybe three? In my consulting work, I’m beginning to use video chat to make it better than a conference call.  To do…

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How To Make the Small Group Ask

Regardless of the strategy you use to invite unconnected people to join a small group or to consider hosting a group in their home, learning how to effectively ask people to take a next step is essential.  Done poorly, you’ll get a weak response.  Done well, you’ll get a great response.  Here are the four…

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