Chris Surratt

September 8, 2020

A Republican, a Democrat, and a Murder Hornet Walk Into a Group…

Remember when “murder hornets” were the biggest thing we had to worry about in 2020?

With all that’s taken place in the first eight months of this year—COVID-19, lockdowns, racial injustice, protests, political tensions—it feels like we should all just take a beach vacation for the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, that’s not possible for most of us, so we’re now trying to navigate through more tension online and in-person than seemingly ever before.

If you haven’t felt it yet, just pop open Facebook, Twitter, or any app where people gather and voice their opinions.

It’s natural that those conversations and opinions are going to carry over to your small group. And that’s not always a bad thing.

We want people to be themselves while in our group, and part of that is allowing them to share anxieties and worries taking place in their lives.

The problem comes when those times of sharing turn divisive. Masks or no masks. Trump or Biden. Pandemic or hoax. Virtual or in-person church/school.

Passions spill over on each side, and winners and losers are staked out by the group.

However, the message of the gospel—the place where our groups should ultimately stake our flags—isn’t a message of divisiveness.

It’s a message of unity, borne from the fact we’re all unified in our need of a crucified and risen Savior to save us from our sins.

So the question becomes: How do we successfully lead a group of people through a gospel discussion who are deeply divided on the issues of the day? Here are five ideas.

1. SET CLEAR GROUND RULES.

Every group should have some type of covenant or agreement in place for expectations of how the group will function.

As a part of that agreement, ground rules should be set on how political issues will be handled and discussed when they come up.

Above all, every conversation must be filled with faith, hope, and love. If those three things aren’t present, the debate will have to stop.

2. ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS IN THE GROUP.

If there’s more than one person in your group, I can almost guarantee there will be different opinions on hot-button issues. Just acknowledging that fact from the beginning will help alleviate some of the tension.

Determine that you’re not going to have political contests within the group. Contests create winners and losers. We’re all winners when we cling to the message of the gospel.

3. CONTINUE TO PRACTICE THE “ONE ANOTHERS” IN YOUR GROUP.

Pastor Derwin Gray recently wrote, “Jesus says that people will know we are His disciples by the way we love one another. Love doesn’t mean I approve of your sin. Love means I recognize your human dignity and worth.”

As we continue to practice the “one anothers” in our group, the more we will see our fellow brothers and sisters as children of God, not as political foes.

4. BE READY TO CALL A TRUCE.

There will be moments and issues where it’s impossible for everyone to be in agreement. It will be up to you then as the leader to call a truce and ask everyone to agree to disagree on the topic at hand.

Continuing to debate will take time and energy away from the core mission of the group to study God’s Word and make disciples. Know when it’s time to call it and move on.

5. KNOW WHEN TO TAKE A DISCUSSION OFFLINE.

There will be times when a heated discussion should be continued outside of the group meeting. If the debate has turned personal between group members, it’s best to step in and suggest returning to it at a different time.

Don’t let the conflict fester too long without resolution. More time and space can sometimes lead to more built-up pain. Hurt people will hurt people.

With all of these options, use Paul’s advice in Ephesians 4:32 as your guide: “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

Even in this most divisive of times in history, we’re all bonded together by the love God had for us by sending His one and only Son to die for us. We can all unite around that!

A version of this article first appeared at factsandtrends.net.

CHRIS SURRATT (@ChrisSurratt) is the discipleship and small groups specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources, a ministry consultant and coach with more than 20 years of experience, and the author of Leading Small Groups: How to Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group.

Group Answers Podcast

September 2, 2020

Group Answers Episode 168: Leading Better Discussions With Your Online Group

By Chris Surratt

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris, Brian, and Ken discuss how to lead a better discussion with your online group.

Ideas Discussed:

Call on a specific person to answer a specific question.
Send questions to group members in advance of the Bible study.
Do not answer your own questions.
Ask group members to raise their hand, use the chat feature, or use the “raise hand” feature in your online meeting tool.
Send group members to a breakout room.
Use a curriculum series that is discussion-oriented.

Resources Mentioned:

Leading Better Discussions blog post

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Leading Small Groups.

Church Leadership

August 31, 2020

5 Questions to Ask Before Relaunching Groups

By Chris Surratt

The thought of launching anything right now may seem daunting, but we shouldn’t let a pandemic stop discipleship. We may not be able to all gather in person this fall, but we can still meet and study the Bible.

Ken Braddy, LifeWay’s director of Sunday School, and I recently hosted a free webinar on launching and relaunching groups in the fall. Here are the five key questions we discussed.

1. WHY LAUNCH GROUPS IN THE FALL?

We both agreed that the fall is the best time of the year to launch or relaunch groups.

August/September is normally a growth season for churches as church members return from summer vacations and new people move into the community.

Although this year’s rhythms will look different because of the pandemic, there will still be a lot of people ready for new and old connections after several months of isolation.

Most churches will launch a new preaching series in the fall, which makes it an ideal time to consider a campaign where all of your groups are studying the same thing for a few weeks.

That helps create urgency and excitement around joining a group.

2. WHAT ABOUT EXISTING GROUPS THAT HAVEN’T MET THIS SUMMER? CAN THEY BE RELAUNCHED WITH NEW PEOPLE, OR SHOULD THEY JUST RESTART?

The same momentum that helps propel new groups can help relaunch existing groups.

It’s natural for groups to take a breather during the summer months, and especially during this season of not meeting physically together.

A lot of groups started strong with Zoom meetings then quickly developed Zoom fatigue and stopped meeting.

This fall is an excellent opportunity to breathe new life into those groups by starting fresh with a new Bible study or by adding new people to the group.

Also, changing when or where the group meets can bring new excitement. If the group has been meeting exclusively online, try meeting socially distanced at a park or on the church property.

If Sunday morning hasn’t been working, consider changing to Sunday night or a weeknight. Sunday School doesn’t have to be on Sundays.

3. WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO THINK THROUGH FOR GROUPS MEETING THIS FALL?

Childcare issues are already at the top of the list for most groups, but they’re especially important now.

It will be some time before parents will be comfortable with leaving their children in close proximity to other kids, so you may have to stop offering group childcare for a while.

I’m a big proponent of having food options at a small group meeting. It helps people start to feel comfortable quicker, and who doesn’t love food?

However, how you offer the food may have to change. My small group will normally have a buffet style of snack offerings with a line of bowls and community dipping spoons for each. That arrangement will no longer be acceptable.

Some teachers will be slow to return to the classroom. Older teachers who have pre-existing conditions may not be comfortable serving in more crowded pre-COVID conditions.

Some will return slowly, and others won’t return until there is a vaccine. This means we’ll need to recruit and train new leaders.

Do you have time to deep clean your house or classroom before group every week?

Guidelines for restaurants reopening call for thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting everything between every customer. That includes door handles, tables, chairs and menus.

Are you prepared to offer that level of cleaning for your group each week? People will expect it.

4. WHAT ABOUT VIRTUAL/ONLINE/HYBRID GROUPS? IS THAT A LONG-TERM STRATEGY?

Both Ken and I agreed that online—or some type of hybrid group strategy—is here to stay.

Not everyone is going to be comfortable attending physically right away, and some group members may be in the most at-risk demographic and should not attend until there is a vaccine.

Now that people are accustomed to attending online through Zoom or Hangouts, having an option for people to attend virtually is wise.

The virtual option is especially wise for Sunday School. Because of the success most groups have experienced during initial COVID-19 sequestering, the Zoom experience will transfer to on-campus classrooms.

Teachers will use iPads, laptops, or smartphones to broadcast live via Zoom. This will allow absentee members and guests to continue meeting with a group when work, play, or illness takes them away on Sundays.

5. WHAT IS A GOOD TIMELINE FOR A FALL LAUNCH?

First, determine what leaders are coming back for the fall so you know how many new leaders you will need to recruit. Make sure to think about online and in-person groups.

Next, schedule your next training online. Even returning leaders will need training on new methods and curriculum for this season. Facebook Live or Zoom webinars are tools you can use for your training sessions.

Finally, fully plan out your “Plan B.” What happens if you start with groups meeting together physically, but circumstances change and they have to move back online?

We have the luxury of some experience now, so this is the time to get a comprehensive plan in place for leaders.

This article first appeared in FactsandTrends.net.

Church Leadership

August 24, 2020

Congratulations: Your Church is Now a Church OF Small Groups

By Chris Surratt

One of the most common questions I receive from church leaders is: “How do we make our church a church of small groups instead of a church with small groups?”

For clarification: A church of small groups is typically not program driven. They’ll have the basic ministry options of worship, kids, students, missions, and groups.

Groups aren’t competing with a menu list of options for congregant’s time and attention.

Small groups are the best option for community and discipleship opportunities.

A church with small groups will typically offer a long list of ministry and event options for congregants to be involved in.

Groups may be on the list, but they are considered one of multiple ways to find community and be discipled through the church.

In this last scenario, small groups will lose the battle for time and resources almost every time. People are naturally going to choose the path of least resistance when it comes to growth.

Larger group gatherings and events are easier to get in and out of than a small group of people gathering in a home or classroom on a weekly basis.

So, if you’re hoping to move toward less programming and more connecting, then congratulations! Thanks to the current coronavirus pandemic limitations, almost every church is now, or will be soon, a church of small groups.

At the time of this writing, coronavirus cases are soaring around the United States, and many states are now stepping back in their reopening plans to hopefully flatten the curve again.

Several churches had moved to in-person gatherings again, only to have to move back to online only after outbreaks in their communities.

This will further force churches to re-examine discipleship paths and the role of groups in them. Now that we know small groups have to be the priority going forward, what do we do now?

1. DON’T PLAN TO GO BACK TO WHAT WAS.

I don’t think any of us truly knows what life will be like on the other side of this pandemic, but I bet we can agree that it won’t be the same.

People are learning new habits and rhythms that will change how we offer ministry in the future.

For example, online groups are here to stay. There will be in-person groups in the future, but the last few months have proven that digital community can work when it needs to.

We need to approach our online strategy the same way we do our in-person one.

2. HIRE OR DESIGNATE AN ONLINE GROUPS DIRECTOR.

Now that we have established that online community is here to stay, it will need intentional leadership to flourish.

This is a new frontier for most churches. You don’t have to find someone who has a computer science degree or a digital background, just a strategic thinker who’s willing to learn and adapt.

3. REEXAMINE ALL OF YOUR CURRENT RESOURCES FOR GROUPS.

I’m old enough to remember when compact discs were first introduced. Until then, all of my music was either on cassette tapes or records.

I still recall the moment when I first heard the clean, crisp (some would argue—too crisp) sound of digital audio.

I started immediately switching my audio library from analog to digital. We’re at that moment with our libraries of resources for groups.

All of our training, communication, and studies have to be digital friendly. There will still be in-person opportunities for all of these, but online will become the priority.

4. UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE.

Connecting people through your website can no longer be an afterthought or an additional connection point. It’s now the first step for a majority of people inside and outside your congregation.

How easy is it to find a group from the first page? Can people get connected to a group with a minimal number of clicks? Are your groups consistently updated so people aren’t trying to join non-existent groups?

5. RECRUIT DIFFERENT KINDS OF LEADERS.

Offering online groups opens the door to potential group leaders who wouldn’t have stepped up before.

Not having to worry about having a host home, providing childcare, traveling to the group location, etc., takes away a lot of barriers for people.

If you have a role description for your group leaders (and I strongly recommend having one), create two versions now for in-person and online groups.

This will help you think through the type of person to pursue as you recruit your new leaders.

Just because our churches may not be gathering in mass every Sunday doesn’t mean we should stop meeting.

We actually have more environments for intentional discipleship now than ever before—now that we all have churches of small groups.

And what’s more, we can equip our churches of small groups with timely resources. LifeWay has partnered with various Christian leaders to share messages through their Bible studies that can speak to needs now. To tackle doubt, try Help My Unbelief. As we face dissatisfaction and questions on where we can find happiness, explore The Good Life. As we become more engaged with the cause of justice, seek out The Church and The Racial Divide.

A version of this article first appeared at FactsandTrends.net

Group Answers Podcast

August 19, 2020

Group Answers 166: Your Group Should Study the Whole Bible

By Chris Surratt

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian, Chris, and Brandon talk about why your small group should study the whole Bible — not just the part covered during Sunday sermons.

Points Discussed:

The Church needs the whole Bible.
The Church needs diverse perspectives on the Bible.
The Church needs more teachers of the Bible.

Group Answers Podcast

August 12, 2020

Group Leadership

August 11, 2020

Best Practices for Online Groups

By Chris Surratt

As you might imagine, having an online group experience is considerably different than sharing a living room or classroom in person. Here are a few tips for participating in or facilitating an online group experience.

Recommend group members to download meeting software at least 30 minutes prior to meeting, just in case they have technology issues they need to work out.
Make sure your face has sufficient lighting.
- Lighting works best in front of your face, not behind.
Make sure your face is centered in the video camera.
- Members probably don’t want to see only your forehead or neck throughout the meeting, so position your camera accordingly.
Select the quietest room/location you can find.
- Turn off anything making noise in the background (TV, radio, appliances).
- Put pets in a different room or have them in a place where they will be most quiet.
Only use one device per household.
- When two devices are used in the same room, it produces feedback that affects all group participants.
- If two people feel more comfortable participating with their own devices than sharing the same one, each should have his or her own room for doing so.
Mute your computer unless you’re talking.
- If everyone’s microphone is turned on at the same time, the sound quality can be an issue and it can be hard to hear the person who is talking. The best policy is to mute yourself when you are not talking.
- If you are muted, make sure to nod your head and listen well so people can recognize you are following them.
- You will be muting and unmuting a lot, so get used to it.
- Also, you’ll get called out if you don’t unmute, so don’t be offended.
- The host may mute you if you don’t do this yourself, so don’t take that personally.
Be an assertive moderator.
- The moderator/host of the group will need to be welcoming and in charge. Make sure as host you jump on a few minutes early to welcome everyone.
- Redirect the conversation or mute participants as necessary. This may feel rude at times, but it is necessary to manage a good online experience for the group.
- Generally speaking, the moderator should talk 30% of the time and listen 70% of the time.
Create a plan for participants to indicate they’d like to talk.
- Since participants will often be muted, having a plan will help you know when to mute and unmute.
- You may try something like raising a hand, answering in a specific order, or another signal.
- Utilize the “chat” features to post questions for discussion.
Give your full attention to the group experience, resisting the urge to multi-task.
- When participants are not paying full attention it can be a big distraction online just like an in-person group.
- When talking, spend some time looking at the camera, not just the screen. This digital form of “eye-contact” goes a long way toward creating a sense of connection and community.
Stay in touch afterwards.
- Assign prayer partners to call each other after group is over and pray with them.
- Or text each other in gender specific text chats to share requests.
- Leverage GroupMe, Facebook Groups, WhatsApp, etc. as a place to stay connected and keep the conversation going throughout the week.

As we implement best practices for online groups, can we find best resources? Turns out LifeWay and various Christian leaders have partnered for resources that are especially timely in this current season. Check out an online Bible study group for Derwin Gray’s The Good Life, a multitude of teaching video options, and individualized resources such as Pray Like This: A 52-Week Prayer Journal or Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers.

Group Leadership

August 10, 2020

How to Choose a Bible Study for Your Online Group

By Chris Surratt

After several months of social distancing, most of us are now accustomed to gathering with our communities online.

It took us a few attempts to understand how online conferencing platforms work, but we did it, and now it’s time to utilize this new normal for more than just catching up with our groups.

For a lot of small groups, that means figuring out how to successfully choose and work through a Bible study virtually. It’s not always an easy task under normal circumstances, but now it’s especially difficult.

What worked well with a group sitting around a living room or classroom, may not translate as well to a video call. Here are a few things to think about as you decide what study might work best for your online group.

TYPE OF CONTENT

There are natural limitations to how deep a conversation can go in an online format. It’s more difficult to read body language and have the back-and-forth necessary to get too far below the surface of a line of discussion. That limitation will narrow the choices for the type of study content you offer.

Sermon-based. If everyone in the group is a member of the same church, then a sermon-based discussion is an easy option. Most church services are now online only, so it’s easy for a group member to watch the message before the group meeting–even if they didn’t catch it on Sunday.

If your church doesn’t offer discussion questions to go along with the messages, Smallgroup.com is an easy-to-use website to help you write your own. You can get a free 30-day trial with no obligation to continue.

Short-term. If you would rather do a short-term (6-weeks or less), stand-alone type Bible study, this is a great opportunity to poll the group to find out where the felt needs are right now.

They may be battling feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and/or depression during this uncertain and isolated time, so choose a study that brings biblical truth to those very real issues.

Dealing with doubt? Try Help My Unbelief by Barnabas Piper. Struggling with purpose? Consider Pathways by Tony Evans. Wondering how to engage with injustice? Study The Church and The Racial Divide by Trevor Atwood.

Video Study. Video supported studies are always a good choice for groups. It takes the burden of teaching the content off of the group leader, and allows him or her to facilitate a conversation around the teaching.

However, watching a video online with a group is more difficult than in-person. There are sometimes technical and legal issues with sharing a video, and longer videos will take up too much discussion time.

Look for studies with shorter teaching videos (10 minutes or less) or ask the members to watch them ahead of the group meeting. You can even rent or buy videos to send to your group or use individually. Smallgroup.com allows you to easily distribute the video by email or post a link anywhere on the web to share.

You’ll even see teaching from past live events you can incorporate into any small group experience. Or consider an “online Bible study,” hosted by LifeWay Groups, that allows your group members to access the teaching videos for free and to engage in a Facebook Group (as well as your own small group) with comments and discussion.

GROUP ENGAGEMENT

The way the group engages the content will be slightly different in an online environment. This will require the host/facilitator to be more active in bringing people into the discussion.

Where making eye contact with someone in an in-person group is sometimes enough to encourage them to speak, that is not possible online.

Until the group is more comfortable with the format, the facilitator may need to audibly call on someone if no-one jumps in. This will get less awkward the longer the group meets virtually.

The number of questions you get through will probably be fewer than normal, and that’s okay. Don’t feel pressured to finish every question in the study.

Choose two or three in advance that will adequately cover the topic in the allotted time, and give the rest as “homework” for the group to work through during the week between meetings.

Follow-up with group members is more important now than ever before. Because the online group discussions will probably stay more on the surface level, it’s important to connect by phone or text with individuals for those soul check-ins that we all need right now.

Some group members will be more open with their feelings, and others will need some in-between the lines discernment. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom as you make these phone calls.

It’s time for our online groups to continue the mission of creating disciples within the context of community. The study of God’s Word is an important part of that process.

Group Answers Podcast

July 29, 2020

Group Answers Episode 163: Don’t Let a Pandemic Stop Discipleship

By Chris Surratt

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris, Brian, and Ken discuss ways groups can continue discipleship through the pandemic.

Ideas Discussed:

Groups have regathered in larger spaces.

Groups have regathered in open spaces.

Groups have regathered in smaller numbers.

Groups have regathered in virtual places.

Groups have regathered on different days.

Church Leadership

July 27, 2020

Why Your Groups Ministry Is More Important Than Ever

By Chris Surratt

We’re talking a lot about health in our current environment, and rightly so. There have been over four million cases and 146,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States alone. Monitoring and taking care of our personal health is vital right now.

In the same way, church leaders need to monitor and invest in the ongoing health of their small groups. For many churches, small groups are the spiritual and relational lifeblood for the congregation. Groups are the environment where the message of the gospel is lived out through the practice of the “one-anothers.”

Never before has this ministry been more crucial in the modern church. While churches all over the world are restricted to online or socially distanced gatherings, groups of 20 or less in homes are becoming the best option for not only fellowship and Bible study, but also corporate worship. Groups can gather for “watch parties” of the weekend service and follow it immediately with a discussion of the message.

Therefore, if groups are that important to the current and future state of the church, we should do everything we can now to ensure they’re healthy and resourced for success. Here are four ways to help make that happen.

1. BUDGET FOR THIS NEW REALITY.

Small groups and discipleship aren’t normally at the top of the budget needs for churches. Groups are a somewhat low-maintenance and self-sustaining ministry line item.

They meet in homes, purchase their own studies (if a Bible study is involved), and provide their own food or snacks. There might be some money budgeted for leadership training and appreciation, but that’s about it.

In order for groups to function effectively in this pandemic reality, there will have to be more invested financial resources. More in the depth and quality of what’s being studied. More in staffing for discipleship. More in helping group leaders and hosts provide a welcoming environment.

2. MAKE GROUPS A PRIORITY EVERYWHERE.

The option to join a group can no longer be three clicks away on the website, or a once-or-twice a year emphasis from the pulpit. The church website was considered the new lobby for the church, but it’s now the lobby, bulletin, and stage.

Getting people assimilated into groups has to be easy and obvious from the first page of your website. Online Zoom groups have made this easier than ever, but in-person groups will need to be as well.

It’s also imperative that groups are mentioned frequently in weekend messages. It’s not enough to just have fliers at the information center in the lobby anymore.

3. INVEST IN THE LEADERS.

Asking people to shepherd and disciple a portion of the congregation has always been a monumental task, and not one to be taken lightly, but it’s even more critical now. We can no longer rely on warm bodies with time capacity and a decent-sized living room.

Our group leaders need adequate training and ongoing soul care from the leaders of the church. If we decide that small groups in homes are now the church environment, then we must invest in the group leaders just as we would in staff ministers and pastors.

They don’t necessarily need seminary training, but they do need to know how to lead themselves and those around them to become more like Jesus.

4. MODEL FROM THE TOP.

Sheep will follow where the shepherd leads. Research shows that churches with leadership who are highly invested in groups have more people in the congregation actively attending groups.

If the lead communicators are actively involved in groups and frequently share stories from those group experiences, people will understand they’re a priority. If groups are just another option listed on the website, they’ll most likely pass on them.

This next season of ministry will require much from our small groups and leaders. Let’s do everything we can to make sure they’re as healthy as they can be.

As we do so, we can take steps to equip our small group leaders as they equip others through trusted Bible study resources. As they encounter those struggling with anxiety or doubt, try Help My Unbelief. When responding to injustice, see The Church & The Racial Divide. If walking through a loss of purpose, explore Pathways or Something Needs to Change. One step at a time, equipped with unique resources, we can support each other.

A version of this article first appeared in FactsandTrends.net.

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