Small Group Leaders
The Critical First Five Minutes of Your Small Group
The first five minutes should answer the question, “Why should I give you my attention today?” What is a good introduction to do, and why is it important? Why do we need an introduction—or do we?
Is Porn Adultery?
In recovery, folks say, “We’re only as sick as our secrets.” Porn is the sickest of the secrets.
How to Really Measure Church Size
"On any given Sunday, 80 percent are regular attendees and 20 percent are non-regular attendees." So what does infrequent church attendance mean for discipleship?
The Number One Small Group Transparency Killer
Perhaps the number one destroyer of transparency is asking questions that are closed-ended and don’t allow people to share.
The Worst Icebreaker Question – Ever!
Jim Egli tells of his experience with bad icebreakers and how you can avoid them.
52 Church Small Group Ideas to Encourage Fellowship
Here's a list of 52 fellowship activities that groups in my church have used through the years. This list is meant to serve as an idea starter for your group so you can come up with your own activities and plans for implementing them. The key is to do it together.
Dealing With Needy People in Your Group
Neediness becomes a problem to address when it manifests in unhealthy ways.
Counting What Counts: Soft and Hard Metrics
Numbers are hard metrics: names on rosters, number of groups, meetings attended, verses memorized. Hard numbers don’t paint the entire picture.
The Dangers of the Mountain Bottom Experience
It’s not the mountain-top experience that’s the most dangerous. No, it’s the return to reality--the mountain bottom experience--where people trip, fall, injure themselves.
5 Things You Need to Know About Connecting Unconnected People
"Unconnected people attend less frequently than connected people."
11 Great Online Small Group Resources
Where can we find good small group Bible studies? What small group curriculum should our groups study? These are questions I frequently get asked at small group workshops and in conversations with pastors.
3 Simple Connection Ideas for Small Groups
When it comes to connection ideas, "simple" means just providing opportunities! Below are three simple connection ideas you can try to help foster connections with those who are new.
5 Small Group Hacks for Stronger Meetings
Here are five small group hacks that will ease each Small Group Host or Leader’s efforts and make their group stronger!
8 Objections to Leading Small Groups (And How to Overcome Them)
If people had no objections to leading small groups, your job would be very easy. They would just line up and sign up to lead a group.
Men’s Group: Accountability and Confessions
Principles to keep in mind when setting the stage men's groups.
Pastors Leading Small Groups – 5 Important Tips
I hear from pastors who don’t want to lead a group or feel that they shouldn’t, but from my experience, I believe in pastors leading small groups.
5 Key Steps to Men’s Small Groups
Andy Lie offers suggestions from his successful experience starting, renewing and maintaining men's small groups.
Reading the Bible Together in Small Groups
My dad used to say: “You gotta know what the Bible says before you can understand what it means.” We have to get the...
Online Small Groups – Which Method is Best?
When you think about types of online groups today, consider these two questions: What is the purpose of the group? How can groups meet online?
The Idolatry of Excellence
Most of the pastors I’ve worked with fit a description by Dallas Willard. This is because of what I call the idolatry of excellence.
Cathedral to Replace Confederate Windows With Stained Glass Reflecting Black Life
Four years after the Washington National Cathedral removed windows depicting Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, the windows will be filled with work by artist Kerry James Marshall related to racial justice.
Ann Voskamp: What We Are Missing in God’s Vision for Hospitality
"It's not about becoming like Julia Child," says Ann Voskamp. "Hospitality is about welcoming in the marginalized as the next child of God."
