Articles for Small Group Leaders

Dealing with negative people in church has been a huge part of my work. I talk with pastors every week who tell me they have large groups of people who are always negative about something they are doing.

Why join a small group? Small groups provide the kind of accountability and emotional support we need in order to mature as believers. Here are four reasons why they are important to your congregation.

God’s Word makes a difference between constructive conflict and small group pitfalls like senseless quarreling.

Recognizing that the life span of a small group has natural stages helps leaders and churches normalize transition rather than resist it.

"I wish I could go back in time and pull words out of the ears of my wife, children and friends, but in that moment, I was blind."

Church isn’t confined to four walls on a Sunday morning. Sometimes, it shows up in the breakroom on a Wednesday afternoon. Church small groups that meet at work represent a powerful shift in how we think about ministry.

Just as in the early church, a synergy combines the dynamic of corporate gatherings and the intimate sharing of home groups.

Leading a small group effectively requires an understanding of small group dynamics. By recognizing how groups develop, interact, and function, leaders can create an environment makes discipleship bloom.