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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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Are You Listening?
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One of the many human weaknesses is the ability to listen to one another. Think about the times when you were aware that the person to whom you were speaking had one ear tuned to the conversation on his or her left. “No, her name was Susan!” they might have contributed to the near-by conversation. Or perhaps you were discussing something important and your listener glanced down at her watch, or shuffled papers, or walked around the room! What kind of message is she sending? The ability to actively listen and care for one another is rare. In a small group setting, the inability to listen to one another inhibits the development of a trusting environment. Who is inclined to share personal concerns and difficulties knowing that the listening ear is unavailable?
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Listening Leaders – An Oxymoron or an Outgrowth Of Love
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I used to think that my lack of listening to people was due to either adult ADD or an extremely overactive leadership gift. I figured that some were gifted at listening, I was not, and therefore I could excuse it away. I really thought that to be a good leader AND a good listener was extremely difficult, if not impossible.
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Preparing to Listen
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Someone said that when you’re fifteen years old, you are concerned about what others think about you. When you’re forty-five you really don’t care what people think about you. When you’re sixty-five, you realize that no one was thinking about you anyway! The truth is that all of us spend most of our time thinking about ourselves. Paul the apostle even said, “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:21).
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10 Ways to Be a Better Listener
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Listening is a crucial skill for small-group leaders to master. Here are ten practical tips for improving our listening habits.
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