Small Group Resources
Thirty five years ago we needed money. I (Jim) had just finished seminary and was pastoring a small country church, part-time, and our third child had entered the family. I felt called to stay at the church but the savings I had accumulated before seminary were running out. What should I do? So I started writing small group curriculum to earn extra cash.
It never once entered my mind that I should or could become a small group expert. I just needed to pay the bills. But I was passionate about small groups and had a knack for writing.
Seven years later we left that country church and for 8 years my full-time ministry was serving as small group trainer and writer. During that time, I began asking, “What really makes the difference between stagnant and growing small groups?” And, “Why do small groups thrive in one church when they fail in a seemingly similar church?” So I entered a Ph.D. program and began doing extensive research to find answers.
During my doctoral program and in the years since, I have surveyed over 6,000 small group leaders in more than 20 nations and over 300 churches, probing different aspects of their group life and leadership. Clear answers have emerged—some very predictable and others quite surprising.
I have outlined the keys to small group health and growth in two books that I have co-authored, Small Groups, Big Impact and Groups that Thrive.
Out of that research and my own practical experiences as a group leader and pastor, Vicki and I have developed a lot of tools. Our desire is to make your leadership more effective and easier! So you will find free tools for small group leadership, coaching, and pastoring below.
The last few years the focus of our ministry has been resourcing the worldwide Disciple Making Movement (DMM). DMM takes the principles that make traditional home groups grow and moves them to a new level.
For example, traditional small group/cell group ministry decentralizes ministry by moving it out of church buildings into members’ homes. DMM, however, takes this principle further. It centers on moving the Good News of Jesus into the homes of seekers and new believers.
In other words, if your neighbor is interested in spiritual things or has just received Jesus into their lives, you do not invite them to come to the small group in your home, you offer to look at the Bible with them in their home with their family and friends.
In the past small group ministry led to healthier and faster growing churches because it multiplied ministry far beyond highly trained professionals, mobilizing countless new leaders. DMM takes things further inviting every in Christ’s body, even the newest follower of Jesus, to become a disciple maker in their own sphere of influence.
Most of my previous research and the tools we developed were within the framework of a “traditional” small group mindset. But the proven principles are still true. They just need to be brought into new alignments and applied in new ways to maximize the multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches.
If you are looking for tools for your current group, I think you will find a lot of very useful insights and tools here. But I encourage you to also do some reading and be trained in DMM principles. You can find some resources on the pages of this site and I also encourage you to visit disciplemakingmovements.com.
Resources on Prayer, Communion, and Ministry
- Small Group Communion Suggestions PDF
- Tips for Ministry Time PDF or Word Document
- Five Step Healing Model PDF
- Insights on Prayer from Jim’s blog
Resources on Reaching Out
- Blessing List PDF or Word Document
- Gathering People PDF or Word Document
- Sharing Jesus in Your Everyday Life – 1
- Sharing Jesus in Your Everyday Life – 2
- Insights on Outreach from the Jim’s blog
Resources on Caring Relationships
- Hospital Visitation PDF
- Great Small Group Icebreakers Blog
- Insights on Growing Caring Relationships from Jim’s blog
Resources on Empowering Others
- How to Launch and Grow a Small Group PDF or Word Document
- Small Group Involvement Sign-Up Sheet PDF or Word Document
- Multiplication Readiness Worksheet PDF or Word Document
- Insights on Empowering Others from the Jim’s blog
Resources on Discipleship
- Discipleship Through Mini-Groups
- Disciple Making Movements Conference Report
- Discovery Group Meeting Format
- Simple Reproducible Small Groups Presentation (Given at 10-2016, Vineyard Colorado Springs Mission Leaders Meeting)
Resources on Leading Great Group Meetings
- Help! My Small Group has Problems PDF
- Solving Common Small Group Problems PDF or Word Document
- Responding to God through Bible Discussion PDF
- Responding to God through Small Group Worship PDF or Word Document
- Insights on Leading Great Meetings from Jim’s blog
- Insights on Children in Small Group from Jim’s blog
Resources for Discouraged or Struggling Small Group Leaders
Resources for Pastors, Small Group Point Leaders, and Coaches
- What Makes Small Groups and Small Group Systems Grow? PDF
- What Makes American Small Groups Grow? (Updated Research as Reported in the Spring 2014 issue of the Christian Education Journal) SmallGroupGrowthFactors (PDF)
- Insights on Supporting Thriving Groups from Jim’s blog
- Focus on the 2 Things that Bring Results in Your Group System
- Small_Group_Leadership_Covenant (Here’s the covenant or commitment that group leaders at our church commit to.)
- Coach Visit Report
- Coaches Personal Meeting Report
- Coach Monthly Report
Spanish Resources
Encounter God Retreat
These Encounter God Retreat materials were translated by a group working in Cuba. For a detailed instructors guide and other material in English visit: http://www.touchusa.org/resources/spiritual-freedom-weekend-bundle.asp.
Encounter God Powerpoints
- ENTENDIENDO LA GUERRA ESPIRITUA 1
- DE LAS TINIEBLAS A LA LUZ 2
- DE LA ESCLAVITUD A LA LIBERTAD 3
- DE LO IMPURO A LO PURO 4
- DEL QUEBRANTAMIENTO A LA PLENITUD 5
- DE LA REBELIÓN A LA SUMISIÓN 6
- DE LA MALDICIÓN A LA BENDICIÓN 7
- VIVIENDO EN VICTORIA 8