Home Small Group Leaders Articles for Small Group Leaders 6 Reasons Many Small Groups Aren't Transformational

6 Reasons Many Small Groups Aren't Transformational

The goal of a small group meeting is to see those in the group transformed into the likeness of Christ. This demands that the leader allow the Holy Spirit to be at work, the Gospel to be the centerpiece of the conversation, and Jesus’ story to invade and transform each group member’s story.
 
Some group meetings miss the mark. There are at least six reasons why that may be so.
 
1. The group leader spent too much time preparing for the meeting and too little time praying.
 
2. The conversational Bible study was allowed to be hijacked by an overly talkative group member.
 
3. When a transformational moment was about to occur, the facilitator of the group wasn’t sure how to handle the emotions that surfaced so he/she quickly moved on.
 
4. The group embraced personal opinions rather than discovering and embracing what God was saying through His words discovered in the Bible.
 
5. The leader of the group gave full attention to group members gaining head knowledge while ignoring the hearts of the group members.

6. There’s unresolved conflict between group members.  

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rhowerton@churchleaders.com'
Rick has one passion… To see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.” He is presently pursuing this passion as the Small Group and Discipleship Specialist at LifeWay Church Resources. Rick has authored or co-authored multiple books, studies, and leader training resources including A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic, Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual, The Gospel and the Truth: Living the Message of Jesus, Small Group Life Ministry Manual: A New Approach to Small Groups, Redeeming the Tears: a Journey Through Grief and Loss, Small Group Life: Kingdom, Small Group Kickoff Retreat: Experiential Training for Small Group Leaders, and Great Beginnings: Your First Small Group Study, Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making. Rick’s varied ministry experiences as an collegiate minister, small group pastor, teaching pastor, elder, full-time trainer and church consultant, as well as having been a successful church planter gives him a perspective of church life that is all-encompassing and multi-dimensional. Rick is a highly sought after communicator and trainer.