Skip to main content

Survival Ideas for Small Groups

I'm not sure where I picked up this list, so unfortunately I can't give credit where it's due.  While you may not agree with everything in the list (I don't), it's definitely full of useful ideas for small groups.
  • Include everyone whenever possible
  • At the beginning, get everyone in the group to talk
  • Four in a group is best; six is okay; eight should be the maximum
  • Be aware of new people and include them in the conversation
  • Remember that small groups often raise the tension level (because people can't hide)
  • Move from light to heavy discussion
  • Ask "I feel" rather than "I know" questions
  • The longer the group is together, the better they will feel about the group
  • In a small group it's easier to share, pray, encourage and be personal
  • Prepare your discussion questions and vary how you ask them
  • Avoid any putdowns
  • Discussion questions should be answerable
  • Allow people the right to pass and not share
  • Create a casual and relaxed atmosphere
  • Don't always expound on the answer yourself
  • Call people by name
  • Eye contact and body language are important for the leader
  • When you ask someone to read, make sure he/she is able to read out loud or else don't ask
  • Get your group in a comfortable atmosphere where everyone can see each other's eyes
  • Request confidentiality in the group

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 Summer Activities To Keep Your Small Group Connected

I just sent an email to all our small group leaders (I do this 3-4 times each month). This week's focus was STAYING CONNECTED THROUGH THE SUMMER. Below is a list of 10 summer activities a small group can use to stay connected. These are specifically created for groups at The Gathering, but you can pretty easily modify the list to fit your church or your community. Go to a Dragon's Game together. You can buy tickets as a group from the church for the game on July 11. Design a Progressive Dinner. Have appetizers at one house, salad at another, the main course somewhere else and dessert at a final destination. Have a monthly barbecue party. Serve together. Pick a place (Good Neighbor House, St. Vincents, Victory Project, Pirate Packs, Caring Partners International, One Bistro) and sign up to serve as a group one afternoon or evening. Meet up at the Family Movie Night on June 15. Spend a day at King's Island. Work at the church for an afternoon. We have many proj...
Post a Comment
Read more

20 Questions to Build Group Connections

Here is a great exercise for a new group. The instructions are pretty simple. Go around the group giving each person the opportunity to choose one question and answer it honestly. Anyone can follow-up with an opinion or clarifying question (no critiquing each other's answers, though). Once a question has been answered, no one else may answer that question. If your group is larger, you may want to alter the rule and allow each question to be answered 2 or 3 times. Ideally, each person should end up answering 3-5 questions. As the leader, pay attention to the conversation. Let the discussion run its course as this is how people in the group build their relationships with one another. You can use these questions, modify them or create your own.
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Conversations Every Small Group Should Have

Small group gatherings are not business meetings. They need not have rigid agendas or strict time constraints. Although effective groups often follow set curriculum, there are times when they can take a break from their plans and have conversations about their group’s health. These five questions can be used together or one at a time. They are designed to help groups’ determine their identity, diagnoses their health and develop a plan for the future. How can we meet one another’s needs? Acts is full of stories about Christians finding creative means by which they can meet each other’s needs. Some even sold their properties and possessions. The small group is the ideal lab in which we can work out what it truly means to love one another as Jesus loved us. If the greatest love of all is laying down our lives for each other (and it is), then meeting the needs of others in our group should be one of our first and highest priorities. How can we encourage one another? 1...
Post a Comment
Read more