http://smallgroups.com en-us http://smallgroups.com N/A bryan@upstateimage.com Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:24:27 -0400 20 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1198/1/Multiplying_Values.html When you think of difficult tasks, what comes to mind? Becoming a violin virtuoso? Competing in the Olympics? Building a house? Having a great marriage? Raising kids? Maybe it is patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time! Go ahead; try it.  There are many difficult challenges in the world today. Life is not easy. rdempsey@liberty.edu (Rod Dempsey) Sun, 05 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1199/1/Cell_Biology_for_the_Church_Why_Small_Groups_Dont_Multiply.html "Charles" is the pastor of a growing, mainline church near my home. I met with him this week to talk about his home fellowship groups. The goal of this church's small groups is to be evangelistic and multiply. The problem is, more than six years after the launch of the small group program, the groups have achieved neither. My job, if I choose to accept it, is to find out why, to offer some insights, and to, perhaps, provide some solutions. bill@spiritualhabits.com (Bill Tenny-Brittian) Sat, 04 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1200/1/Finding_New_Small_Group_Leaders_Does_the_Search_Ever_End.html Does the search for small group leaders ever end? If you are the small groups pastor or lay leader and your ministry is multiplying, and it needs to be to keep it healthy, the answer is no. When I first started the small group ministry at Bay Area Fellowship, I looked up and realized I was spending a huge amount of my time trying to find new leaders. I remember thinking how great it would be someday when I could sit back, relax, and focus on other things. 170 groups later, I am still waiting for that break. jccatkinson@aol.com (John Atkinson) Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1201/1/Multiply_Your_Options.html When I first became involved in small group ministry, there were two options for how small groups finish: multiply or die. micmac@smallgroups.com (Michael C. Mack) Thu, 02 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1202/1/Branching_over_Birthing_the_Alternative_to_Splitting_Up_a_Good_Thing.html My optimism has been repeatedly challenged by group multiplication. I can, at least, give myself an 'A' for effort. It is not easy taking a tough position on this subject because the motivations and goals of encouraging the multiplication of small groups and small group leaders are all very good ones. I share the same heart, and I hope for the same outcome as group multiplication enthusiasts. However, I personally have been forced to find new how-tos. Maybe, as a fellow practitioner, you will benefit from some of my learning. reidsmith777@msn.com (Reid Smith) Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/186/1/Onward/The_Natural_Process_of_Deploying_Leaders.html I've stopped telling our small groups they need to multiply or birth their groups. That might sound odd; I've been encouraging and envisioning leaders to multiply themselves for years. micmac@smallgroups.com (Michael C. Mack) Sun, 07 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/188/1/New_Math/Learn_Multiplication_then_Addition_and_then_you_can_Avoid_Division_and_Subtraction.html In school, we typically learn addition then subtraction followed by multiplication and division.   In spiritual life, I would argue it's more important to learn multiplication first, then addition, and avoid division and subtraction altogether. dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Fri, 05 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/190/1/Advice_from_Grandma.html When you hear the words "small group multiplication," what comes to your mind? dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Wed, 03 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/191/1/Three_Ways_to_Birth_a_New_Small_Group.html While there are several ineffective ways to birth new groups, there is no one right way to birth a group. Any form of these three basic methods can be very effective. As can a combination of them. dearley@liberty.edu (Dave Earley) Tue, 02 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/278/1/The_Coachs_Role_in_Breaking_Growth_Barriers.html It is my conviction that multiplication is the number one barrier in small group ministry. Many resist multiplication because they associate it with the numbers game or statistics. joelcomiskey@msn.com (Joel Comiskey) Thu, 03 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/305/1/Open_Or_Closed_What_Really_Matters.html Well…it is Thursday night and the gang is gathering again. Not sure what will happen, things are pretty open and agendas are floating. We are trying to understand what it means to be church right now…right here. jhpatton@uplink.net (Jeff Patton) Mon, 05 May 2003 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/353/1/Downsizing.html Downsizing is a scary word when it means losing jobs. It's scary in the church, too, if it means losing members. On the other hand, it's a good thing to break large groups into smaller groups. baileywick@juno.com (Esther M. Bailey) Sat, 03 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/419/1/Multiplying_Your_Small_Group_Multiplication_Efforts.html When it comes to small group multiplication, there is the "ideal" and then there is "reality". dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Sun, 05 Aug 2001 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/420/1/Embracing_Small_Group_Birth_By_Developing_A_Kingdom_Vision.html Once our groups become large they are no longer small groups. It's kind of a funny statement, but think about it for a moment. Small and large groups do not share the same dynamics. office@smallgroups.com (Eric Bryce Johnson) Sat, 04 Aug 2001 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/421/1/Dont_Give_Up.html July 26, 2001 was the fulfillment of a dream for Brett Noble. Testimonies. Covenant making. Prayer. And food--lots of food. Brett had overcome incredible odds to give birth to a small group. And now he was enjoying a well-deserved birthday party. joelcomiskey@msn.com (Joel Comiskey) Fri, 03 Aug 2001 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/422/1/Preparing_For_A_Smooth_Delivery.html Giving birth to a baby sounds so romantic . . . so sweet! Anyone who has given birth to a baby will tell you there are times when it is those things, but it is also not without a certain amount of pain. mingmire@savannahchristian.com (Mark Ingmire) Thu, 02 Aug 2001 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/423/1/quotBirthingquot_Is_It_Over-rated.html There are some people in this world that love the concept of childbirth. I'm not one of them. Don't get me wrong. I love my three kids and can't imagine life without them. It's the birthing process that I have issues with. pniekerk@adabible.org (Phil Niekerk) Wed, 01 Aug 2001 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1418/1/The_Law_of_Multiplication.html Jesus spent most of his time with twelve average men: fishermen, tax collectors, and the like. While he was with them for three years, they were undependable, slow to learn, and, at times, self-absorbed. Yet Jesus' plan was to disciple these twelve men and then to turn them loose to take the most important message of all time to the entire world. micmac@smallgroups.com (Michael C. Mack) Thu, 04 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/693/1/Multiplication.html The small group was meeting together for the last time. Things couldn't have been worse. dsmith2@pullman.com (Dan Smith) Thu, 04 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/694/1/Breaking-Up_is_Hard_to_Do.html Great things happen in small groups! Danger arises when you enjoy what's happening so much that you become a "holy huddle". revkwright@aol.com (Keith Wright) Wed, 03 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/695/1/How_to_Multiply_your_HOME_Group.html This section attempts to provide some guidelines to the HOME Group Leader concerning the multiplication of a HOME Group. office@smallgroups.com (David E. Burgess) Tue, 02 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/696/1/How_You_Can_Multiply_your_Small_Group.html Birthing---that is, multiplying---a new small group can be one of the most exciting events in the Christian life. mbelding@secc.org (Murphy Belding) Mon, 01 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/756/1/Learning_to_Disciple_People.html Jesus called us to do many things, all of them important, but discipleship is one that stands out above the rest. Why? Because without replicating and reproducing what God has done in you, His reach is limited to your time, your network, and your life. headangler@fishingwitha.net (Steven Reames) Tue, 04 Feb 1997 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/801/1/Multiplication.html The small group was meeting together for the last time. Things couldn't have been worse. dsmith2@pullman.com (Dan Smith) Wed, 07 Aug 1996 00:00:00 -0400