All Small Groups Resources - Christian Reformed Church

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Date	Average Rating
May 24, 2010	0	Where Do We Start? Starting Small Group Ministry evaluate/evaluation, group/groups, leadership team, vision It’s exciting to start something new. Our imaginations start imagining and we are so excited at the potential of this new endeavor. Wise people ask questions of those who are a step ahead of them, collect information from books, search the web and pray a lot. And then they pray some more. Read more »
May 24, 2010	0	Gardener Required: Creating Environments for Growth Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Starting Small Group Ministry coordinator/coordinators, design, leadership team, role/roles A Small Group Leadership Team acts as a “gardener” to the small group ministry. The team is responsible to the leadership of the church and plays an important role in supporting the overall vision of the church. Often a team between two to five people works best. Read more »
May 24, 2010	0	Imagine That! Starting Small Group Ministry attitudes, community transformation, small group/groups, vision Imagine with me for a moment; it’s the year 2015, and your church has the most amazing Small Groups. These Small Groups are the talk of the town. They are involved in transforming lives and neighborhoods. They are places of support and learning, of reaching out and serving, and of loving God and loving others in various ways. These groups are ... Read more »
May 24, 2010	0	An Experiment that Worked! Coordinating Small Group Ministry innovation, relationship/relationships, sermon/sermons After years of struggling to revive small group ministries at our church, Sermon-Based Small Groups have provided a spark of new life! Rather than starting something totally new, this ministry builds on the strength of our weekend ministry to bring people deeper into the Word and relationships. Read more »
May 24, 2010	0	Small Group Artists: Turning a Question into a Discussion Leadership Development discussion, leadership, prayer/prayers, resource/resources Small group study guides make it look so simple. All a small group leader needs to do is read a question and automatically a lively discussion will result. Right?... Read more »
May 24, 2010	0	Small Groups and the Mission of God Discipleship, Why Small Groups? community, covenant, disciple/discipleship, missional But I think the big switch for us will be to stop thinking of small groups as prop-ups to the "real deal," week-end based church. In reality, small groups are major elements of the church. In fact, they are themselves churches. Read more »
May 27, 2010	0	Chatty Cathy & Quiet Quint Leadership Development discussion, group dynamics, guidelines “How do I handle the person who talks too much in a group? What about the person who talks too little?” These are questions that most small group leaders are sure to ask at one time or another. Read more »
May 27, 2010	0	The Worthwhile Risk of Being Missional Why Small Groups? mission-shape/shaped, missional, small group/groups Did you know that outreach has a way of actually turning small groups inside out? Struggling groups and small group ministries have found help not by focusing on their own internal issues, but by looking beyond their problems and giving attention to the needs of those beyond their immediate relational circles. Read more »
May 27, 2010	0	Calendar: A Small Group Gardening Tool Coordinating Small Group Ministry leaders, planning, training Small Group leaders plan their calendars to grow group members. How will you plan to grow love for God in your group? Perhaps you have chosen a Bible or book study that is twelve weeks long. Put those dates on your calendar. What other ways could you encourage love toward God? Read more »
May 27, 2010	0	Lonely Little Petunia Why Small Groups? evaluate/evaluation, mission-shape/shaped, missional, vision Missional small groups want to do life together in a way that makes a difference in the world around them. These groups listen to God to find direction on how God might move through them in a way that puts love where love is not. Missional Small Groups demonstrate a life together that is unmistakably salt and light in the community in which they live. Read more »
May 27, 2010	0	How Am I Doing, Coach? Coordinating Small Group Ministry coaching, guidelines, leaders Why do professional sport figures need a coach? Aren’t they the best of the best? I heard of an interesting scenario on one of our local professional baseball teams. A key player is in a batting slump. When it was suggested he spend time with the hitting coach, his response was, “I’m... Read more »
June 1, 2010	0	What is A Small Group? Why Small Groups? Communion, inclusion/inclusive, inclusive community, mission-shape/shaped, small group/groups Most people who have been around a church for a while have a pretty good idea about what a small group is. Or do they? The following definition may give new understanding to the term “small group.” A Small Group is an intentional gathering, meeting regularly for the purpose of joining God’s mission... Read more »
June 7, 2010	0	Developing a Small Group Plan Starting Small Group Ministry guidelines, leadership training, small group plan What are you planning these days? It might be tomorrow, your education, your career path, a vacation, a wedding or maybe your retirement. Planning is an important part of our lives because it helps us live more efficiently and eliminates chaos. . . Read more »
June 24, 2010	0	Are Your Groups Normal? Or Are They Making a Difference in the World? Small Group Leaders missional, priorities, small group/groups, vision If we want to develop ways of relating in groups that results in mission, then we as pastors must look at what we are emphasizing. I read some old books about churches in the 1950s to the 1970s that were experimenting with small groups. They were definitely doing things way before the majority of the church was ready to hear about them. As I read their stories a few things stood out to me, many of which we need to hear today . . . Read more »
August 5, 2010	0	Recruiting Small Group Leaders: The Who, Where, and How of It Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Small Group Leaders character, guidelines, leaders, recruiting/recruitment It’s been said that every organization eventually becomes a reflection of its leaders. Assuming this is true, churches need to pay special attention to the character traits of its leaders, including those who lead small groups. What makes a good leader? What are the character traits of effective leaders? Read more »
February 10, 2011	0	Five Habits of Effective Small Group Coaches Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Leadership Development coaching, leadership training, small group resources There are five essential habits practiced by effective coaches of group leaders. In order to remember them, I use an acrostic: C.O.A.C.H. and put it around a star in order to make them more easy to remember. Read more »
April 25, 2011	0	Can You Spare a Little Grace? Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Small Group Leaders grace, leadership development, small group resources Every group has them; E.G.R members -- Extra Grace Required. How do you lead a group to more effectively minister to those within your group who may have these tendencies? Read this article by guest contributor Steve Gladen Small Groups pastor at Saddleback church, speaker and editor of Small Group Ministries. Read more »
May 27, 2011	0	I See Dead Groups Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Small Group Leaders group dynamics, leadership development, small group/groups Groups can be dead and just not know it. They can still meet, still choose curriculum, hang out. They can do all of that and be dead…and just not know it. How is this possible? Read more »
July 5, 2011	0	A Better Small Group: The Value of Evaluation Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Small Group Resources leadership development, ministry evaluations, small group plan, small group resources Churches who are serious about their ministry effectiveness value evaluation and honest criticism....t churches who have regular evaluation of staff and ministries are far more effective than those churches that don't evaluate. So if you want your small groups to be more effective as well as their leaders, evaluation is a must. Read more »
August 1, 2011	0	Six Shifts in Small Group Ministry Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Why Small Groups? community, community development, small group/groups When individuals are able to make a meaningful contribution, feel a sense of belonging and connect significantly with others, the result is community. Ideally, small groups should provide a fertile environment for life change, but that’s only going to happen as the church rediscovers the centrality of community. Guest article by Bill Donahue. Read more »

Date	Average Rating
May 25, 2010	0	Things I Learned from my Mother Why Small Groups? belonging, community, mission-shape/shaped Relationships began to be built and conversations were broadened. Because these strangers were included, they began to feel a sense of belonging and experienced a bit of “the communion of the saints.” Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	Reality Check Coordinating Small Group Ministry mission-shape/shaped, safe place, support group Secondly, I need to remember that part of developing a disciple-making, mission-shaped small group ministry means offering safe places for those who find themselves needing extra support as they go rough patches in life. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	First Steps on Bisbee Drive Why Small Groups? community, conversation, mission-shape/shaped, neighbor/neighbors We would love to form a neighborhood small group where everyone on our block knows each other well, joins in spiritual conversations, prays for one another, and finds ways to serve in our community together. It’s a wonderful dream that we talk about often. The problem is, we don’t know our neighbors! Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	Time to Redesign? Coordinating Small Group Ministry assessment, evaluate/evaluation, small group/groups At least twice a year, those who lead small group ministries need to ask, “What are the next steps for this small group ministry? Where is God leading us?” If you don’t, chances are you’ll become stuck and ineffective. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	God's Counter-cultural Call Coordinating Small Group Ministry community, counter-culture/cultural, mission-shape/shaped I’m concerned with developing small groups of people who covenant to a shared life together as they grow in Christlikeness and join God’s mission together. That leaves me with this question. How do we establish counter-cultural groups in a culturally relevant way? Read more »
June 7, 2010	5	Let's Go! Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Small Group Leaders community, congregational life, discussion Here we go! The Network discussion on small groups is making the transition from “discussion network” to “guided network”. Congratulations to us! Read more »
June 17, 2010	0	Great Question! Small Group Leaders covenant, evaluate/evaluation These answers sound so obvious to those of us who have been around small groups for a while, but we should take note of them as we evaluate our groups. Read more »
June 25, 2010	0	Inclusive Community Small Group Leaders, Why Small Groups? diversity, inclusive community, witness The call of community isn’t about finding people just like us, at the exclusion of others. Community, in the biblical sense, is clearly about unlike people finding Christ at the center of their inclusive life together. Thus, issues of community reflect powerful dynamics of how God brings very diverse people together for his glory and his witness in the world. Read more »
July 1, 2010	0	Is There a 50% Barrier? Coordinating Small Group Ministry disciple/discipleship, evaluate/evaluation Rather than evaluate the success of a small group by the percentage of a church’s people involved, I’m much more likely to ask questions about how people are demonstrating discipleship and mission in their lives. How are people growing in spiritual disciplines? How many are inviting friends to try out the group? How deep are the relationships within the group? How does the group care for one another and their neighbors? Read more »
July 20, 2010	0	Living the Gospel Why Small Groups? gospel, missional Imagine this. You’ve been in an ongoing spiritual discussion with someone and are asked, “So what is the Gospel?” How would you answer? I had a pretty pat answer in mind until I spent time reflecting on the first four verses of Isaiah 61. This passage points out a bigger understanding of the Gospel than I’m used to thinking Read more »
July 26, 2010	0	Really? Small Groups at the Fitness Center? Why Small Groups? community, leadership training ... today my small group world and work-out world collided when I saw a sign advertising “Small Group Personal Training.” For a very reasonable price we are offered the opportunity to get the benefits of a personal trainer in a small group setting. The sign promoted other benefits of these small groups: Read more »
August 2, 2010	0	Re-thinking a FAQ Small Group Leaders, Why Small Groups? church planting, community, transformation Given our busy, individualistic Western lifestyle, a once-a-week small group may be too much to ask of a lot of people, but obviously not all. Those who have a vision to experience community that transforms lives and cities are ready. Read more »
August 10, 2010	0	Consider the B's Small Group Leaders, Why Small Groups? belonging, community, disciple/discipleship As I observe community life around me, I see that over time groups can tend to be more “exclusive” rather than “inclusive.” There seems to be a tendency to gradually build up walls around our group when deciding who fits and who doesn’t. Rather than reflecting Jesus’ inclusive love toward those around us, we find reasons to be exclusive. Read more »
August 19, 2010	0	Things I Learned On Vacation Why Small Groups? encouragement, perseverance, risk/risk managment, spiritual formation What did I learn on vacation? If I had quit climbing that mountain, I would have missed an awe-inspiring view of God’s wonderful creation. I don’t want to quit on my spiritual formation, either. There are times when it seems really tough and too difficult to keep-on-keeping-on Read more »
August 25, 2010	0	Kudos, Fulton Second Reformed! Coordinating Small Group Ministry leadership training It’s been said that once we stop learning, we stop leading. On-going leadership training is essential for the health of our groups and the people in them. Read more »
September 2, 2010	0	My Imaginary Friend Small Group Leaders Bible study/studies, guides, transformation As a small group leader, I want to be more like my Garmin GPS than a map. I don’t want to merely be an information source. My role is to guide my group to the desired destination of life application. Read more »
September 16, 2010	0	Prayer Time Phobia Small Group Leaders faith nurture, guidelines, prayer/prayers, safe place I understand their fear. We haven’t had enough time together to know one another all that well. Most are new to this whole small group thing and relatively new in faith. Today I’m asking myself how I can gently lead them to feel comfortable praying out loud as a group. Here’s what I’ve thought of so far: Read more »
September 23, 2010	0	What? God Use Me? Small Group Leaders encouragement, leadership You know the feeling. You’re asked to step into a new role either in ministry or everyday life and you feel totally inadequate for the task. That’s how a potential small group leader felt last night when I suggested he lead a group for the first time. Read more »
September 30, 2010	0	Unity With Purpose Why Small Groups? community, Trinity, unity He’s calling us to the same unity that he experiences with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Now that’s mind-boggling! Can we mere humans here on earth possibly be drawn into that kind of unity? Read more »
October 7, 2010	0	Discipleship: An Active Thing Discipleship, Why Small Groups? disciple/discipleship Small groups are about forming disciples of Jesus. Maybe it’s less about what we are studying and more about following our living example. Read more »

Date	Average Rating
May 24, 2010	0	Small Talk: An Electronic Newsletter for Small Group Ministry Small Group Leaders articles, leadership, newsletter, resource/resources, tips Here's a free, practical e-newsletter for those in small group leadership available in English and Spanish. Small Talk is published six times a year by Christian Reformed Home Missions and is full of helpful information and resources. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	Small Group Resources from Faith Alive Small Group Resources Bible study/studies, small group resources You'll find topical studies and Bible studies, all designed to help people grow as disciples of Jesus. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	Groups that Grow Leadership Development leadership training, small group/groups ...free online training for small group leaders. Learn from the best of the best! Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	Small Group Life Small Group Leaders, Small Group Resources articles, Facebook, networking, small group resources, tips, vision Most small group leaders love to network, so why not join other social networkers on Facebook? Read more »
May 27, 2010	0	Small Group Calendar Coordinating Small Group Ministry, Small Group Resources leaders, planning, small group resources, training A calendar for Small Group leaders and coordinators to help implement the vision of their ministry. Read more »
June 7, 2010	0	Imagine a Small Group Ministry Starting Small Group Ministry leadership training, ministry, small group/groups, vision Imagine a Small Group Ministry Worksheet - help for creating a vibrant small group ministry. Read more »
June 7, 2010	0	Mapping Groups by Type Small Group Resources, Starting Small Group Ministry leadership training, small group plan Recruiting small group leaders is an on-going task of the Small Group Leadership Team. This resource provides suggestions on key traits to consider when recruiting small group leaders and allows you to map groups by type, age and gender. Read more »
June 7, 2010	0	Tell Us about Your Small Group Starting Small Group Ministry leadership training, research, small group/groups This is a form from Small Group Leadership Planning Tools to gather information about the purpose and context of a small group. Read more »
June 7, 2010	0	Ministry Interview Form Starting Small Group Ministry interview/interviews, leaders, leadership training, small group resources, small group/groups Ministry Interview Form to interview leaders of ministries. Read more »
August 5, 2010	0	How Do You Recruit? Coordinating Small Group Ministry guidelines, leaders, recruiting/recruitment Recruiting small group leaders in a way that casts vision and presents leadership as a God-given opportunity will contribute to the health of a church's small group ministry. This tool gives suggestions on where to find potential leaders and how to go about recruiting them. Read more »
August 5, 2010	0	Who Do You Recruit? Coordinating Small Group Ministry guidelines, leaders, recruiting/recruitment Recruiting small group leaders is an on-going task of the Small Group Leadership Team. This resource provides suggestions on key traits to consider when recruiting small group leaders. Read more »

Date	Average Rating
May 24, 2010	0	Small Groups.com Small Group Resources articles, leaders, newsletter, small group resources, training If you're looking for practical resources, training tools, ways to organize your ministry, or vision casting articles, this is the place to go. A free newsletter is available, but full access of the site is well worth the annual fee. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	SmallGroupTrader Small Group Resources articles, case studies, leadership, small group resources, training This website is sure to keep you aware of what's happening on the front lines of small group ministry. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	BibleGateway Small Group Leaders, Small Group Resources Bible, research, Scripture This is an invaluable tool for those who lead small group Bible studies. Read and research scripture online in the language or translation of your choice. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	LifeWay Small Group Resources articles, lesson helps, research, small group resources, trends The research results published by LifeWay will assist and equip leaders with insight and advice that will lead to greater levels of health and effectiveness in churches and small group life. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	BuildingChurchLeaders Small Group Resources articles, disciple/discipleship, leadership, small group resources, training Those involved in church leadership on a variety of fronts will find valuable samples, downloads, training tools and opportunities to connect with other leaders. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	ShapeVine Small Group Resources, Why Small Groups? culture, disciple/discipleship, missional, small group resources Those who have a vision for missional life and discipleship will find many fascinating recources and connections on this site. Read more »
May 25, 2010	0	LifeTogether Small Group Leaders, Small Group Resources campaign/campaigns, coaching, small group resources The resources on this website help small group leaders in their vision to build life-transforming community in their settings. Read more »

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