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Browse the E-zine Archives 
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Benchmarking Small Groups
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Definition: Benchmarking is a tool used to measure or compare your work or process with others doing the same thing. Benchmarking is a powerful tool because it overcomes "paradigm blindness." Paradigm Blindness can be summed up as the mode of thinking that says, "The way we do it is the best because this is the way we've always done it." - wikipedia.org
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Assessment Tools or Shepherd-Leaders?
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Assessment tools have become very popular in today’s church and are often being used both church-wide and in small groups. While these assessments can be useful, I have noticed a disturbing trend: these assessments have become more prevalent while, at the same time, real, biblical small group leadership has been devalued in many of our churches.
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The Essentials for Effective Small Group Bible Studies
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A small group Bible study is effective when it furthers the work of the Holy Spirit in participants’ lives. Evaluation tools can be helpful, but if you do not do anything with the assessment results, then they are really of little help.
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Disciple-Making Small Groups - A Bible Study for Small Group Assessment
Listed below are nine possible elements of a small group, along with a brief suggestion of how each is applied to small groups. As a group:
1. Read each Scripture passage out loud.
2. Discuss this question: "How can the teaching of this passage be lived out in a small group setting?"
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Assessing Effectiveness of Recovery Groups
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The air reverberated with emotion at the conclusion of our loss recovery class. We knew lives had changed and the healing process had begun. However, other factors lay hidden that impacted our assessment. These unseen aspects in loss recovery differ from other small groups in three ways: increased confidentiality, emotional vulnerability, and facilitator transparency. The way these groups assess their effectiveness is also different.
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Worth it’s Weight in Gold
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Few things have greater potential for influencing your small group ministry than objectively reviewing the essential core functions of that ministry. Stated another way, to neglect an annual systematic and thorough review of any ministry is something akin to ministry roulette. Admit it, we’ve all been there. The fact is that things are not what they seem. To complicate matters, people are involved!
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Why Don't More People Attend Small Groups?
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"We are committed to becoming a church of small groups." "Life-change happens best in small groups." "Everyone needs authentic community." These statements, and others like them, are heard often in churches around the country. Small groups have become a big deal. Churches desiring to help members connect relationally and to grow in discipleship have turned to the small group (5 to15 people meeting regularly in a home) paradigm. They have hired small group directors, highlighted groups in sermons, and promoted groups in their ministry strategy.
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Questions to ask When a Small Group is Sick
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IS IT TIME FOR A SHIFT IN LEADERSHIP? Has the leader grown tired of leading? Was the leader ever effective as a small group leader, and should consider another ministry area? Is more training needed for the current leader? Does the leader need to recruit a co-leader, to share the load and to prepare for future leadership of additional groups? Is it time for someone else in the group to “step up to the plate” and lead?
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Misdiagnosis
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For some time my life has been an illustration of the ideas I’m going to share with you. I have struggled with a chronic illness for the past couple of years. Over that time, my symptoms have led to many different diagnoses. Most of which, unfortunately, were misdiagnoses. I even had times when my doctors all agreed there was a problem, but had no idea what the problems really was! It wasn’t until well after a year of this process that an accurate diagnosis and treatment was determined, one that eventually began to help my situation. The same can be said of small groups.Many small group communities can become chronically spiritually ill. But the symptoms don’t always lead to an obvious diagnosis.
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The Power of Small Group Statistics
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The main reason to keep and review weekly small group statistics is quality control—to know the reality of the small group situation.
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