One of the most significant findings from my research involving over 4000 small group leaders is that praying leaders have faster growing groups. I’ve always been intrigued by this. Why does something that no one sees—the leader’s personal time with God and their prayer for their group—impact a small group’s growth so significantly? I think […]
Archive | Small Groups
3 Keys to Being a Great Small Group Pastor
So you’re the small group pastor or groups ministry director of your church? How can you do a fantastic job? How can you establish a thriving group ministry? I got new insight into that last week when I went to the Group 100 conference hosted by LifeWay at their Nashville offices. It featured a super line […]
4 Great Vineyard Small Group Worship DVD’s
By Jim Egli on June 14, 2014 in Small Group Leader Resources, Small Group Meetings, Small Group Worship, Small Groups
You don’t need a guitar player to have great small group worship, all you need is a DVD (or CD) player! I’m writing this post to alert you to a new Vineyard small group worship DVD, which joins several great ones that are already available. The new DVD, the first of its kind from the UK Vineyard […]
3 Keys to Turn Around a Struggling Small Group
A few months ago I was discouraged and struggling as a small group leader. I love leading groups and have led many over the last 36 years. But the one that my wife and I launched last fall has been our most challenging in all those years. Not too long ago the group seemed dead in the […]
The 4 Levels of Relationship in Jesus’ Ministry & Yours
Jesus’ ministered to people at four relational levels. Understanding these levels is pivotal to having the same impact that he had. The four levels can be illustrated by concentric circles. The Four Levels of Relationship In the widest circle, Jesus’ ministered to the crowds—preaching, teaching, healing, casting out demons, contending with opponents, etc. Within that […]
How Long Should Your Small Group Meeting Be? (I think you will be surprised by the research results on this one!)
By Jim Egli on December 7, 2013 in Care, Children in Groups, Eating Together, Small Group Meetings, Small Groups
Over the years I’ve surveyed over 4000 small group leaders to uncover the key elements that produce vital, growing groups. I’ve consistently asked the leaders how long their meetings are. But I’ve been too busy looking at other things and actually never analyzed how the length of small group meetings impacts their growth. I finally […]
Quit Being a Cry-Baby Small Group Pastor and Focus on the 2 Key Things that Produce Results
I’ve talked with small group pastors across the country and one thing many of them say is: “Our church’s small group ministry is not doing well and it’s the senior pastor’s fault. If they would emphasize groups more in their messages, in our membership classes, and in our church communication, our groups would really take […]
The 4 Keys to Growing Your (American) Small Group
What makes an American small group grow? Some of you are familiar with the groundbreaking research that Dwight Marable and I did on small group growth that was published in our 2011 book Small Groups, Big Impact. (If you don’t have time to read that short book, you can find a free summary of our […]
4 Surprising Discoveries about Small Group Growth
Realizing that small groups make the most difference in a church’s quantitative and qualitative growth (Schwarz, Natural Church Development, p. 32), Dwight Marable and I have done extensive research to discover the key ingredients for small group health and growth. Statistical analysis of over 3000 small group leaders in more than 200 churches revealed these […]
3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Doing 1-On-1 Discipleship
I’ve quit doing one-on-one discipleship and so should you. Let me tell you why. First, let me explain that I used to love doing one-on-one discipleship and I did it for years. I’ve taught on how to do it across the United States and in other countries. I even co-authored a great one-on-one discipleship book […]