Have you ever heard a leader glowingly talk about his or her group, describing all the wonderful relationships built and life change experienced, and wonder why you're not experiencing the same thing? If your group isn't building deeper relationships and experiencing changed lives, we can help—and it may just mean changing your focus a little.
Too often small groups swing to one of two extremes: the social club or the study group. Social clubs focus solely on relationships, yet they can often feel shallow. Study groups focus solely on learning more about God's Word, without actually applying Scripture. To make sure your group isn't either of these extremes, use this Small Group Essentials Training Tool. You'll find assessments, activities, and articles to evaluate where your group is and move your group in the right direction. Train yourself to lead a life-changing group, train another leader or an apprentice one-on-one, or if you're a coach or director, train an entire team of leaders. The Get Started Guide shows you exactly how to maximize the comprehensive training included in this resource.
Do You Lead a Life-Changing Small Group?
Get a clear picture of how your group is helping people live changed lives with our assessments. The first four assessments help leaders gauge the group's progress, while the next four help members measure their own life-change. Plus, learn practical tips for improving.
Meaningful Application in Small Groups
Most small groups operating today are very good at discussing information and ideas. Many are also good at identifying ways that such information and ideas could be applied to living the Christian life. But taking the step from talking about what we know to actually doing something about it is another story. And that's a shame. Because just like faith without works is dead, small groups that talk about the kingdom of God without experiencing genuine transformation are useless. We'll train you to avoid this mistake with assessments, case studies, articles, learning activities, and more.
Improving Small-Group Accountability
Many small-group members are frightened by the concept of accountability. The word itself can bring to mind images of stern men and women trying to catch others in their sin. But that kind of accountability is rarely helpful. And it's not needed in small groups. We'll show you a better way to develop authentic, caring relationships that lead to spiritual maturity and growth.
Overcoming Growth Plateaus
Spiritual and numerical growth are important goals for any small-group ministry. They are good goals for individual groups, as well. However, all ministries (and groups) will experience plateaus. These are times of stagnation and standstill—times when growth is halted and everything comes to a stop. These times are usually a bit scary and almost always frustrating. We'll provide you with practical insights for identifying and breaking through plateaus both on the ministry level and with individual small groups.
You have permission to make up to 1,000 copies of this resource for use within your local church.
