Small Groups
Following Jesus Together
Very little of importance happens outside of relationships. God designed his people to live in the context of relationships… with him, with the created world, and with other people. It should be no surprise then that the life of faith is designed to be lived out in the context of relationships.
Groups help us grow as disciples, connect with God and each other, and serve in our communities. In this relational context we can live life on mission together, experiencing transformation as we follow Jesus.
7 FAQs about small groups
I recently taught a group of church leaders on the topic of leadership and asked them to submit questions in advance, so I would be sure I was addressing their main areas of concern. I was surprised by how many questions I received on the topic of small groups. Here’s...
Help! My small groups are all over the place
A lot of church leaders that I coach ask for help because their small groups are all over the place. The issue, essentially, is central control of groups. To what degree can the leadership get all of the groups on a similar track? Can/should they create a consistent...
Don’t Give Up on Your Small Groups Ministry
Your small groups ministry may be struggling post-pandemic but don't give up. If you want healthy church growth, you need small groups. It's as simple as that. In a small church, the pastor gets to know and care for everyone. As the church grows, it becomes too much...
Small Groups: Guidelines and Norms
Every group has norms, whether they are stated or unstated, examined or unexamined. If you are overseeing small groups in your ministry, I would suggest there are significant advantages to be had by stating, examining, processing, and reinforcing small groups...
NEW BOOK! An Undivided Heart
Early in the pandemic, I was talking with my friend Ralph Plumb about the role of compassion in the Kingdom of God and in society. Ralph is widely traveled with much of those travels focused on the relief of human suffering. He also served the Union Rescue Mission in...
Living Life as God Intended
Last week in my blog I wrote about the role process groups can play in local churches as a supplement to more traditional small groups. Today I want to share with you a free five-week process group I created about ten years ago called Living Life as God Intended. I...
Small groups or process groups? What about both?
Most churches have small groups of some kind. They can be called missional communities, fellowship groups, community groups, etc. These groups are most often essential to the life of the church. They are where people gather to be known, prayed for, challenged, and...
The loneliness epidemic
Two years ago, the UK appointed a “Minister of Loneliness” as part of their National Health Service to tackle a rising epidemic of loneliness. Doctors could refer patients to community workers who connect people with social gatherings such as cooking classes, walking...
My recommendations for discipleship processes
This blog post is adapted from an excerpt from my latest book, The Church Planting Journey. In any healthy ministry, there needs to be a strategy in place for passing discipleship along from one person to the next. Here I cover a few of my most important...
Looking to get your small group leaders ready for the fall?
Today's post is by guest blogger Tara Miller. This time of year is not only back-to-school season, but for many churches it’s also back-to-small group season. If you’re looking for ways to prep your leaders for the fall semester, I’d like to introduce Finding the...