http://smallgroups.com en-us http://smallgroups.com N/A bryan@upstateimage.com Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:19:21 -0400 20 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1618/1/Connecting_Small_Groups_to_the_Sermon.html Like most pastors, I learned early on that if my preaching was to be powerful, it had to be memorable. I tried lots of tactics over the years, but nothing increased the memorability and life-changing impact of my messages as much as the simple act of connecting our small group studies with the weekend message. The benefits were so powerful that, over twenty-five years later, we have still not gone back to an elective-based model. Along with making my messages more memorable, it has produced a host of other church-wide benefits. Here are just a few of the most significant ones. chris@northcoastchurch.com (Dr. Larry W. Osborne) Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1622/1/Lift_Off_-_The_Power_of_Alignment.html We recognize the power of alignment whenever a group of people is willing to divest themselves of self-determined outcomes and invest their talents, will, and energy in a common direction to accomplish a common goal.  If your goal is to make disciples that multiply ministry through relationships, then you will want to harness the power of alignment in your church.  This does not necessarily mean that everyone attending your church on Sundays will be forever locked into a sermon-based small group series similar to the 40 Days of Purpose by Rick Warren.  What we have done to bring the power of alignment to our church family is to extract some of the principles and lessons learned from similar sermon-based small group series and combine them with an annual ministry rhythm that is informed by a common church culture. sdisabatino@theportico.ca (Sandro DiSabatino) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1621/1/Pulling_Off_a_Successful_All-Church_Small_Group_Emphasis.html Too many church dwellers figure that an hour a week in a worship service will eventually turn them into a spiritual dynamo, or at least a strong believer. They are often disappointed when they realize the truth that our spiritual life needs to be holistic. Connecting the weekend message to a spiritual community and to our personal devotions has exponential power much like a great workout routine matched with a healthy diet. An all-church (or campaign) emphasis is like that. It combines the intensity of the weekend message with the small group. There are three significant advantages to an all-church emphasis.  BSearch@SECC.ORG (Bill Search) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1620/1/Practical_Steps_to_Create_Synergy_between_Whole-Church_Teaching_and_Small_Group_Focus.html Information overload - that is the world we are living in!  It is happening in the church as well.  Our children have their curriculum; our teens are doing something else; the message is on one topic; our personal devotions often on yet another; and then our small group is doing an entirely different topic or book of the Bible!   There is too much information and no time or opportunity to meditate on it, to discuss with others, or to apply all the topics at hand. These are some of the reasons why, at our church, we decided that we would offer a small group discussion guide based on the weekend message each week. We could see the benefits very quickly. sheila@bethanycc.ca (Sheila Ely) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1619/1/Sermon-Based_Small_Groups_or_Small_Group-Based_Sermons.html Many churches are developing small group curriculum or agendas based around the weekly worship service teaching.  The teaching pastor or other staff take the teaching and develop questions, video, or other tools that can be used in small groups that week. That type of system can be very effective at bringing a sense of unity to the church as a whole, and can also help small groups develop consistent healthy practices. From my own experience, and from feedback from many churches who have done sermon-based small groups, the strategy is very effective, particularly early on, but can lose its effectiveness over time. dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1232/1/Got_Small_Groups.html Interestingly enough, I do not know of one church that does not have small groups in one form or another. Many of them do not have a declared small group ministry, but people will get into small groups regardless of whether or not small groups is an official ministry. People naturally and automatically seek out relationships. dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Sun, 04 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1233/1/Small_Groups_Simply_Dont_Work.html You are absolutely right. They do not work if you are talking about small groups as a program of the church, a way to grow your church, a popular alternative to Sunday school, or one of the many ministry options offered on the local church menu. sdisabatino@theportico.ca (Sandro DiSabatino) Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1193/1/Leadership_Team_co-Members_and_Friends__Can_They_be_the_Same_People.html If you have been a member of a church leadership team, whether a staff team, a governing board, or a ministry leadership team, you know that it is not untypical for these leadership groups to have a different "feel" than your mid-week small group. The type of Biblical relational community that is emphasized in your mid-week small group may or may not be present in your leadership group. dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1186/1/Models__5_Different_Leadership_and_Organizational_Structures_Used_in_Small_Group_Ministries/Introduction.html Churches that are actively pursuing small group ministry, intentionally or unintentionally, choose an organizational structure and system that provides a framework for group purpose, growth, outreach, leader development, ongoing leader support, and group multiplication. This framework or system that a church uses to accomplish these small group functions is sometimes called a small group ministry "model." dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Mon, 02 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1189/1/10_Ways_to_Schedule_Group_Gatherings.html Here are ten ways that groups can plan their meeting schedules for a typical month. dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Sat, 31 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1068/1/Why_Make_Space_for_Small_Groups.html Most people already have most of the relationships they need. They are already closely connected with the people they need in their lives. When they are challenged to join a small group, they might not sense the need because there is no need. Allen.White@brookwoodchurch.org (Allen White) Tue, 04 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1157/1/Undaunted_Courage.html PSC (www.parkstreet.org) is a unique historic (1809) city church with membership around 1700 and a weekly attendance of 2200. There are two morning services, very conservative, with a large population of older people. Evening services over the years previously attracted a couple hundred but has constantly decline resulting in only 30-40 in attendance in 1992. Evening contemporary service started fall of 1993 attracting hundreds of young people. The time was right for a small group ministry which began in the fall of 1994. diana@leadershiptransformations.org (Diana Bennett) Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/1159/1/Getting_from_A_to_C.html We are small group ministry leaders of the Coffee Shop Connection (CSC, formerly the Coffee Shop Church), which is a network of small groups that serve as outreach opportunities for people seeking God who are skeptical about traditional venues like the local Christian church. umpstead@msu.edu (Bruce Umpstead) Sat, 04 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/203/1/Connecting_Through_Campaigns.html Connecting over 900 people through the 40 Days of Purpose campaign was incredible! It was our first taste at what an "in-home small group was all about.  So the 40 days come and go, now what?  shane@freedom-church.org (Shane Frazier) Fri, 02 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/274/1/Connecting_the_Unconnected/Strategies_For_Moving_People_Into_Groups.html It is always exciting to see a church launch their new small group ministry-lots of enthusiasm, groups starting, new leaders coming on board, a kind of "buzz" in the air. But what does it look like three to five years later? Now what? bdonahue@willowcreek.org (Bill Donahue, Ph.D.) Mon, 07 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/277/1/Four_Phases_to_Introduce_Small_Group_Ministry_in_a_Declining_Church.html The servant-witness model for renewal consists of four interactive phases. For a church beginning the process of renewal action, there is a logical sequence to these phases. danbonner@cucr.org (Dan Bonner) Fri, 04 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/310/1/Student-Led_Small_Groups/Relational____Effective____Life-Changing.html There is a dramatic shift going on in youth ministry. We are transitioning from a program based, adult driven, personality-centered model of ministry to a relational model that incorporates student leaders, cell groups and long extended sets of meaningful, effective worship. tmstump@cellgroup.com (Ted M. Stump) Sat, 05 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/325/1/Betting_the_Farm_on_Small_Groups.html As a pastor, I've helped lead a church through transitioning to a cell church, and am now currently Sr. Pastor of a 13 year old church that has been a cell church almost from its inception. jayfirebaugh@sbcglobal.net (Jay Firebaugh) Fri, 03 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/350/1/Creating_Community_in_Our_Communities/Connecting_People_through_Area_Fellowships_and_Neighborhood_Small_Groups_A_Decentralized_Assimilati.html We needed a strategy. Northeast Christian Church had been doing a fairly good job of getting people to our weekend services, and the leadership of the church believed strongly that real life change happens best in small groups. micmac@smallgroups.com (Michael C. Mack) Tue, 06 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/366/1/Navigational_Hazards_to_a_Cell_Group_Transition.html With the explosion of the first modern cell church during the 1970's - the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea - a wave of church leaders traveled to the Far East and returned with a vision to emulate Dr. Cho's pattern. office@smallgroups.com (M. Scott Boren) Mon, 06 May 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/367/1/Small_Group_Growing_Pains.html Occasionally, one of my daughters complains about growing pains in her legs late at night. As I rub her legs and administer ibuprofen, I also try to encourage her that the pains are necessary for her body to grow. susan_skalicky@educ8.org (Sue Skalicky) Sun, 05 May 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/368/1/Changing_Direction_of_Ministry.html Remember the first time you rode your bike "solo," without training wheels or the steadying hand of a parent? What excitement! It's the same feeling when you begin a new ministry. bpierce@cpcfc.org (Brian Pierce) Sat, 04 May 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/369/1/Transitioning_to_a_Small_Group_Ministry_Structure.html Recent feedback from readers of www.SmallGroups.com indicate that leaders of many churches or ministries with one or more functioning small groups would also like to see healthy small groups become more of a core ministry practice in their church. dlentz@smallgroups.com (Dan Lentz) Fri, 03 May 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/370/1/Transitioning_Adult_Sunday_School_Classes_Into_Small_Groups.html During the 1990s I had the opportunity to serve two churches as the Christian Education pastor. One of my primary responsibilities at both of those churches was to lead them in the area of transitioning the medium-sized and large-sized adult Sunday school classes into small groups. mike@connectedlife.us (Mike Shepherd) Thu, 02 May 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/371/1/Back_to_the_Prototype_Transitioning_to_Neighborhood_Small_Groups.html In last month's issue of "Small Group Dynamics," I described what I see as a behemoth problem for small groups and small group ministries, especially in America. I believe this problem is an obstacle to real spiritual growth through groups. micmac@smallgroups.com (Michael C. Mack) Wed, 01 May 2002 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/462/1/Leading_Old_Long-Term_Groups_to_Change.html "Young man, I was here when you came and I will be here when you are gone!" Those were the actual words a long time church member shared with me in the first church I served as a small group pastor. mike@connectedlife.us (Mike Shepherd) Tue, 03 Oct 2000 00:00:00 -0400 http://smallgroups.com/articles/715/1/10_Things_I_Would_do_Differently_if_I_Were_Starting_to_Transition_Today.html 1.   I would answer the "why" questions first. dsmith2@pullman.com (Dan Smith) Mon, 02 Mar 1998 00:00:00 -0500 http://smallgroups.com/articles/767/1/Transitions.html Small Group Dynamics Light (&Late). That's what we could call this month's issue. Feature articles were cut from this issue, but most of the regular columns are included. micmac@smallgroups.com (Michael C. Mack) Wed, 04 Dec 1996 00:00:00 -0500