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DepartmentsIce Breakers, Prayer Ideas, Bible Study Tips, Outreach Activities and Much More... |
InteractiveSmall Group Problem-Solving, Fun Top Ten List and other Interactive Feedback from the Small Group Network... |
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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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Six Habits of a Healthy Small Group Leader
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Healthy leaders come in all shapes and sizes and successful small group leadership is not reserved for a mysterious few. Some would have us believe that healthy leaders are specially gifted, more educated and own more vibrant personalities than other leaders. Not so! The educated the uneducated, married and single, shy and outgoing, those gifted as teachers and those gifted as evangelists equally grow and multiply their groups. However, several characteristics do distinguish successful small group leaders. These differentiating factors relate to what a person does as part of his or her typical weekly lifestyle. It has nothing to do with personality, background or how long you have been a Christian. Rather healthy small group leaders have incorporated certain habits into their life.
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Discussion Problems? Try a Snag-free Socratic Small Group Session
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One characteristic of a small group that is struggling is that there is little or no discussion. Sometimes this occurs when a group is very small, or is comprised of people who have varied knowledge levels and/or methods of learning. I have witnessed small group leaders try to remedy this situation by developing questions for the group to answer in order to foster discussion. I have observed this working to only further limit discussions as one of two responses normally occur. First, small group participants begin to feel they are being “quizzed” and don’t respond for fear of answering a question incorrectly. Or second, one person begins to dominate all discussion as they “know the answers” and the remaining participants become completely quiet. The small group I am a part of has experienced these struggles, and has come up with a method that fosters good discussion even with the quietest and newest of small group members.
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Principles of Group Closure: Good Closure Makes For Good Beginnings
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Healthy closure of any group experience is extremely important. Good closure to group life help members process and define their experience. More can be learned from a group experience if that experience is remembered and understood. Good closure of the existing group sets the stage for a good experience in the new group. Successful closure is based around positive reflection of the group experience and casting a vision for new groups.
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