Even great small groups like yours can easily get into a rut where things are too predictable and routine. If your group is in this situation now and you need to mix things up to create more fun, outreach and relationship, here are three things you can do to get out or stay out of […]
Archive | Small Group Meetings
The Best Small Group Curriculum
By Jim Egli on February 22, 2013 in Discipleship, Pray, Small Group Leader Resources, Small Group Meetings, Small Group Pastor
Over the past 35 years I have used lots of great books and curriculum in leading small groups and discipleship groups—some of them written by me. Thinking of all of the good material I have used, my favorite small group curriculum now is The Good & Beautiful God, by James Bryan Smith. My friend small group […]
A Simple Format for Including Children in Small Groups
Over the past 34 years, my wife Vicki and I have led a lot of different small groups. Most of those groups have been intergenerational groups that included adults and children. How do you include children in small groups? There’s lots of different ways to do this and the best approach varies a lot depending […]
My Favorite Small Group Curriculum
By Jim Egli on September 22, 2012 in Discipleship, Pray, Small Group Leader Resources, Small Group Meetings, Small Groups
My favorite small group curriculum right now, the one I find myself recommending over and over to small group leaders, is Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton. I love it. It’s a six-session DVD curriculum on how to connect with God through simple spiritual disciplines. There are two reasons I love it so much. First, the […]
One Change That Might Revolutionize Your Small Group
Last fall my friend Laura’s small group was dead in the water. There was no momentum, little excitement, and attendance was sporadic. As a result Laura was a frustrated, perplexed, and discouraged small group leader. After Christmas Laura changed one thing, and now everything is different. Attendance has doubled, new people are coming, the group […]
The First Small Group Meeting
My wife Vicki and I had fun launching a new small group last night. The first meeting went great. I wanted to tell you how we did it. Preparation. We did the usual stuff—praying, inviting people, finding a host, choosing the best night and time for this group (Wednesdays at 6:30pm). Then we prayed some […]
Ask and You Will Receive
We’ve seen God do lots of cool stuff in our small group lately. Someone’s severely damaged knee went from extreme pain to pain free, another person’s leg was lengthened 1 1/2 inches when they went forward for prayer on Sunday, a friend on our group’s blessing list has come to Christ and is actively involved […]
How to Do a Ministry Night
Vicki and I like to mix up how we do small group meetings, especially in the summer. Most weeks we follow our standard format, the 5 W’s—Welcome (an Icebreaker or Opening Question), Worship, Witness (briefly praying for friends that need God), Word (Bible study), Wind (prayer & amp; ministry), and of course snacks. (I know […]
Pray Weekly, Eat Monthly
Our small group’s outreach is going exceptionally well right now and I thought I’d share with you what seems to be working. It’s pretty simple, really. We pray weekly for our friends that need God and we do a cookout or potluck each month. Pray weekly: This is really very simple and doesn’t take long […]
Too Many Children?
For the last 15 years my wife Vicki and I have been in or led a kid-friendly small group. I love groups that include children. When a group involves them, the children are blessed and are a blessing. Right now, for example, we have a 9-year old in our group that comes up with a […]