Dwayne McCrary, Author at Group Ministry

January 18, 2018

Handling Divisive Issues During Group Discussion

Everything seemed to be going fine as Paul shared the gospel with the people of Athens—until he brought up the resurrection of Jesus (see Acts 17:32). The debate was now on. Some ridiculed Paul, others asked for time to think about it, and some accepted the gospel. God’s truth has a way of bringing out the best and worst in people. We cannot teach the Bible avoiding divisive issues. The Bible is brutally honest and touches our deepest emotions, some of which we don’t want exposed. But that is how a two-edged sword works.

When a divisive issue comes to the surface in a Bible study group, how do we deal with it?

Let Scripture speak. God has given us His Word so that we may know the truth. Too many times, we spend more time worrying what this person or that person says than we do about what the Bible says. The God of the Bible is capable of defending Himself and His Word….if we let Him.
Make sure all of Scripture is given the opportunity to speak. Ignoring the whole of Scripture will get us in trouble. Too many causes have been justified by the misquoting of a Bible verse or passage. The Bible is not a collection of individual tidbits of wisdom and stories. Rather, it is a complete unit and must be treated as such.
Set ground rules and use them. Discuss with the group some ground rules for discussion: being respectful of others, disagreeing without being disagreeable, attacking an idea without attacking the person, and other rules may need to be considered. I know some groups that set time limits for discussion. The issue is not so much about having rules as it is enforcing the rules. Displaying the rules of discussion for the group can be helpful.
Plan your discussion. Many times heated discussions happen because we failed to craft meaningful and substantive questions that move the conversation to conclusions. Discussion as a Way of Teaching by Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill and Engaging Ideas by John C. Bean are great resources for learning how to plan a discussion. A key is thinking in question sets, moving from the general to the specific so a final conclusion can be drawn.
Anticipate the hot buttons. If you know your group, you can anticipate some of the potential divisive discussions. When planning the discussion, create contingency questions or responses that will help you keep the group on track. You may only use those contingency questions and remarks occasionally, but when you need them they become invaluable.

We can’t avoid all potentially divisive issues in a Bible study group, but these five practices help me when approaching these types of issues.

What other practices have you found helpful when dealing with potentially divisive issues?

G. Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends.

Group Leadership

January 16, 2018

How Diversity Impacts Our Small Groups

By Dwayne McCrary

Just below the surface of most groups sits a plethora of differences. If you don’t believe me, ask these questions and see what happens:

If you were on a sports team that was invited to the White House, would you go?
What makes our city better than any other city?
Why do you think (name a college) is so much better than (name of different college)?

Most of our groups are diverse; we just don’t always recognize it. Not everyone in the group agrees on every issue. There may be people with different races, political views, hometowns, genders, occupations, levels of income…you get the picture. That diversity impacts our group in both negative and positive ways.

Let’s look at the potential negative impacts, or distractions, of diversity.

Can limit some discussion. I lead a co-ed class of married couples. If a husband states his opinion, his wife will rarely disagree with him unless I force the issue. She will wait for the car ride home to finish the discussion, without the group gaining insights that might have needed to be heard. The relationship outweighs the diversity. Some people will not take the risk of stating their beliefs if they know someone may disagree. Diversity multiplies the possibility of disagreement.

Can give the rabbit chaser a weapon. Almost every group or class has a rabbit chaser. He or she likes taking control of the discussion by focusing on some minor point (the rabbit) that ultimately has no bearing on the study. During a study of Jesus’ birth, a rabbit chaser focused on how much time was required to walk from Jerusalem to Bethlehem with and without a donkey. He fed off the diversity of the group, calling on the runners and a couple who raised horses to help him with his calculations. He pitted the two against each other, using the diversity as a weapon to avoid talking about the deeper truths in the Bible passage.

Focus becomes the differences more so than the points of agreement. So many times we find ourselves looking for the differences to the exclusion of finding some common ground. We would rather focus on our disagreement over the details of the return of Christ than affirm that we both believe that He is coming back and that all believers will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Now for some positive impacts of diversity.

Learning from the experience of others. A diverse group moves us away from group think, allowing for different perspectives to be explored. Group think discourages critical thinking. The diversity gives each individual a point of comparison of his or her unique experience and understanding of those experiences. In effect, the group becomes a living case study for each individual involved.

Way to discern universal truths. As people with diverse backgrounds explore truth together, they will discover universal truths. They will discover some ideas and truths cut through all of life circumstances. They may have seen God’s love and grace demonstrated in different ways, but that is the point….God’s love and grace is always demonstrated regardless of a person’s race, gender, or hometown.

Makes it easier for the group to connect with new people. Diversity broadens the connection points for others. When a new person attends a group, they are looking for someone with whom they can connect. The more diverse the group, the more likely there will be someone with whom a new person can connect.

What would you add to these lists? How can you minimize the negatives and build on the positives?

Group Leadership

January 15, 2018

Creating an Inclusive Mindset in Your Small Group

By Dwayne McCrary

A friend invites us to attend a Bible study group. We hear all about the relationships, spiritual depth gained, and ministry opportunities that await us. We decide to attend and soon discover that becoming a part of the group will be more difficult than we thought. We wear a handwritten name tag (everyone else has a printed tag), get asked to introduce ourselves to start the group time, and then find out we were the only ones that didn’t get the text about bringing your own cup if you wanted coffee.

Most of us who lead a Bible study groups ministry at least advertise that our groups welcome anyone. We would like to think that any person can find acceptance and a place in a Bible study group. Unfortunately, “anyone welcome” is an apparitional goal at best in many groups. What are some things we can do as a leader to move the groups towards being more welcoming of everyone?

To begin with, take an inventory of the stories used to illustrate points during the Bible study. Most of us use stories from our experiences and interests…and we should. Doing so helps the group get to know us and builds trust between the group and us as the leader. But shouldn’t we strike a balance? How many of the stories used relate to people exclusively from our background and interests? Nothing wrong with loving sports for example, but all our illustrations shouldn’t be from the sports world.

Secondly, look at who helps us manage the group. Is there diversity within the team, or are they all like us? Most of us gravitate toward people with the same interests and goals, so it makes sense. However, if we want our Bible study group to be inclusive, the leadership team ought to reflect who we are seeking to reach. Just look at the group Jesus assembled as His disciples and we find all kinds of people—fishermen, a tax collector, a political activist, and a thief. He assembled a diverse group on purpose.

Thirdly, observe who and how we engage people. Most of us tend to find it easier to talk to some people than we do with others, but as the leader we need to try to engage with everyone present. That begins with awareness and prayer. Asking God to help us see all people as people is a dangerous prayer since God tends to put people in our lives to find out if we are serious about that request. How we engage someone may be more important than who we engage. We must learn to treat others as people who have real needs, real reasons for why they believe what they believe, and real stories worth telling.

Fourth, we can become a student of cultures and subcultures. Read blogs and books by people with whom we know we will disagree and who come from a different background. Learn to be comfortable asking about a person’s background, memories, and values. We can all learn a great deal by talking to people if we simply take the time to do so.

Here’s the bottom line, creating an inclusive Bible study group starts with us as the leader. The rest of the group takes their cues from us. They know who we talk to the most and to whom we respond the best. They watch how we handle others who answer questions in a combative or reactionary way. We set the standard even when we don’t want to.

What are some things you have found that help you foster inclusive mindset in your group?

Group Leadership

October 12, 2017

How to Frustrate a Guest

By Dwayne McCrary

In preparation for International Moment of Frustration Scream Day (October 12), we started listing things that might make a person scream, including a list for group leaders (Tuesday’s post), group members (yesterday’s post), and group guests. Not all groups expect guests, but many do. The life of open ongoing Bible study groups depends upon guest attendance. When traveling, I will sometimes attend a Bible study group as a guest. Here is a list of things that can make a guest scream with frustration.

Make them walk across the room to find a chair. You enter the room (usually late because you had to find where the group met) and the only chair available is on the other side of the room. In some cases, the group leader is positioned right by the entrance to the space and there is no way to simply sneak in.
Provide them a name tag that is different from everyone else’s. Everyone wearing a printed name tag lets me know I am not “in the club.” Handing me a red marker when everyone else has nametags in black also raises my suspicions. Let me be a part of your club!
Put them on the spot. One way is asking them to introduce themselves. Did no one in the group catch my name earlier? If I didn’t share during the group time, why would I want to share now? There are so many more ways that guests can be put on the spot: the leader directs a specific question toward the guest, the guest is put in charge of an activity, or the leader asks a guest to read or pray aloud.
Make it hard to participate. Having extra resources on hand makes it easier. Give the guest a Bible if needed. Make it possible for them to participate. If they want to keep the Bible or resource provided, let them.
Tell inside jokes, stories, or terms. Every group has a code—the order of doing things and the way things are referenced make up part of that code. Experiences within the group also make up that code. “You remember how that worked out when we were building that playground for the community” means nothing to the person who didn’t even know the community had a playground. Don’t be so exclusive. Guests need you to clue them in—explain inside jokes or unspoken rules.
Forget their name. Most of us expect people to remember our names. If your group has so many guests that you can’t remember their names ten minutes after you met them, then maybe it’s time to start a new group!
Ignore them. It’s one thing to not put guests on the spot, but it’s another thing to ignore them altogether. If a guest wants to contribute to the discussion, let her do so. If he volunteers to read aloud, encourage him. After the group time is over, make the effort to talk to guests or contact them. We want to know that someone noticed that we were there!

What other things might a Bible study group do that would cause a guest to scream out of frustration?

What actions might you or your group take to minimize the potential for frustration among newcomers, and encourage guests to come back?

Group Leadership

October 11, 2017

How to Frustrate a Group Member

By Dwayne McCrary

In preparation for International Moment of Frustration Scream Day (October 12), we started listing things that might make a person scream, including a list for group leaders (yesterday’s post), group members, and group guests. Group members are a resilient group. Many have endured a carousel of leaders and group names. They have met in rooms too small and too big, and even shared rooms with other groups. Yet, they still faithfully attend a Bible study group. Here is our list of things that make even the most resilient group members scream.

Unprepared group leaders. Group members expect the leader to at least make some effort. At least highlight and make notes in the Leader Guide so the group knows you did something! Even better, teach from a set of notes—even if copied word-for-word from the Leader Guide.
Leader arrives late. Related to point number 1. Nothing frustrates group members more than arriving on time, only to find that they beat the leader. If the group members can get there on time, so can the group leader.
Overprepared group leaders. Some leaders take it to the other extreme and overprepare. They have 124 PowerPoint slides and enough content to fill three hours of time. The group time feels like getting a drink from a fire hydrant just to wash down an aspirin. No one asks questions or discusses the ideas shared, because there isn’t enough time to do so.
Goes over the allotted time. This is a symptom of the overprepared group leader. The ending time is just as important as the starting time.
Teaches the lesson, but not people. The focus of this leader is to finish the lesson. Questions or needs that surface during group time get in the way of finishing. The group members clearly know that their questions and needs play second fiddle to the content to be covered.
Nothing provided to use beyond the group time. Group members will be happy to let the leader do all the studying, but deep down they know they need to study as well. An email to the group with the topic or Scripture passage is a start. What about providing group members with something to read every day? Group members may not read every day, but failing to provide some study help at all assures that they will not do it.
Focus only on the group time. Life happens beyond the group time. Group members want a relationship with each other and the group leader, and that can’t happen in an hour of structured time. We want to minister to others, sharpen each other, and do some things together… so let us.

What other actions might cause a group member to scream?

What actions might a group leader take to minimize potential frustration among group members?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the frustrations of group guests.

Group Leadership

October 10, 2017

How to Frustrate a Group Leader You Recruited

By Dwayne McCrary

In preparation for International Moment of Frustration Scream Day (October 12), we started listing things that might make a person scream. That led to the creation of things that frustrate group leaders, group members, and group guests.

Many of the conferences I facilitate focus on the group leader. They share their joys, their dreams, their needs, and their frustrations. Some frustrations just come with the responsibility: the discussion dominator, the chronic late arriver, the occasional attender, the axe-grinder, the rabbit chaser, and playing the stump-the-teacher game. But there are some frustrations that could be avoided and many of them seem to be related to the one who recruited them in the first place. The person recruiting the group leader doesn’t intend to cause frustration, but it happens. Here is a list of some of the frustrations that make group leaders scream.

A few details not shared during the recruiting process. The list of details varies, but the bottom line is people want to know upfront what is expected. What meetings are they expected to attend? Who will help them if there is a problem? What will they be teaching? Who will they be teaching? With whom will they be teaching? The details make a difference.
No onboarding plan. Most businesses provide an orientation of some sort that helps new employees get started on the right foot. For some group leaders, onboarding means they received a curriculum resource with little to no explanation as to how to use it. The leader is left alone to figure it out. Nothing is done to prepare the group leader for that first day.
Left on the relational island. Regardless of the age grouping, group leaders need someone to check on them as individuals. Even if the person leads a group of peers, the island exists (the group views them differently which impacts relationships). If they work with an age group different from their own age (i.e., adult working with preschoolers), they may feel even more isolated. The one who recruited them must intentionally become their shepherd.
No ongoing training. I have yet to meet a group leader who wants to simply be mediocre. Most want to be better than they were last week. Failing to provide some type of ongoing training communicates that the recruiter either doesn’t know enough about the job to help or doesn’t care…or both.
Ineffective ongoing training. This may actually be more frustrating than not providing any training. Some call teaching the lesson for the coming week or month “training.” One begins to think that the group leaders are not capable of studying on their own or are too lazy to do so. Some share announcements and distribute forms. Others make the meeting about them (what is needed to help the church “grow”—increase the number by which the one who recruits is evaluated—as opposed to how to help the leader succeed). The group leader often wonders, “Instead of distributing your study notes, why not show me how to create my own set of notes using the resources you already provide me?”

What other things would you add to the list? What makes you scream as a group leader?

What actions might be taken to minimize the potential for frustrating those you recruit?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the frustrations of group members.

Group Leadership

July 19, 2017

The Daily Discipleship Guide and Your Role as a Teacher

By Dwayne McCrary

A prevalent debate among educational circles is that of the role of the teacher. Some view the teacher as the expert ready to dispense information, while others see the teacher as a fellow learner, spurring students on to learn alongside him or her. Words like “leader,” “mentor,” “provider,” “coach,” “nurturer,” “motivator,” and “guide” are used by different scholars to describe the teacher’s role, with each term implying various responsibilities.

Historically, the role of the teacher in adult Sunday School groups has been that of the content expert who clarifies, redefines, and shares additional information with the group. In effect, the teacher is the source of authority within the group. This role is assumed when the expectation is that everyone has studied prior to group time. Thus, the purpose of the group gathering is to go deeper into what members have already discovered in their personal time. This methodology requires the teacher to have more information than the most learned group member. The pressure of being the resident expert every week can be daunting, causing many who lead to never consider the possibility. This approach has a proven track record, but it requires teachers who are willing to invest in rigorous study.

There is another way. Let’s imagine that the expectation for group members is that they attend the meeting without first studying the week’s Bible passage. The only person expected to be prepared is the teacher. Here, the teacher is not “the expert,” but instead introduces the group to the passage and sets the pace for members to go through deeper study in the days following group time. The teacher does not need to go into the deeper points, but could if he or she desires to do so.

The teacher is an expert in his or her role as introducer; this role allows the teacher to grow as an expert in the craft of teaching, and not the weekly content. Certainly, the teacher has studied and prepared to lead the group, but his or her biggest responsibility is to challenge individuals to take the next steps of reflection and application. And by being an introducer, the teacher also learns alongside group members.

The Explore the Bible Daily Discipleship Guide is one example of how the second approach of teaching can be resourced. With the Daily Discipleship Guide, teachers are given a reliable, simple resource to introduce the Bible passage to group members, and are given the opportunity to go deeper alongside group members. The Daily Discipleship Guide allows each group member to become a content expert, but to do so in a way that helps him or her incorporate the truths discovered in his or her personal life. In this approach, everyone becomes a resident expert in the days following the group time, removing some of the pressure felt by teachers.

Download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide.

Group Leadership

July 18, 2017

Preparing to Teach Using the Daily Discipleship Guide

By Dwayne McCrary

The adult group I lead will begin using the Explore the Bible Daily Discipleship Guide in the fall. How I prepare will be different, but I think the process will give me more time to focus on other responsibilities I have as the leader of the group. Here is the process I plan on using to prepare to lead my group.

First of all, on Sunday evening I will read the Bible passage listing key words, phrases, places, and people. I will then review the first five pages of the Daily Discipleship Guide for that session and the commentary provided in the Leader Helps in the back of the book. As information is discovered about the words, phrases, places, and people listed, I will record that on my sheet of paper. If needed, I will look at other helps such as the keywords in QuickSource, consult the Explore the Bible Adult Commentary, and read any Biblical Illustrator articles that give biblical backgrounds to the passage. I will pay careful attention to the Apply the Text section for that session, looking for ways I need to apply that passage to my life. The last thing I will do on that Sunday will be to review the teaching plans. Since these are available digitally in the digital bundle and the Leader Pack CD-ROM, I will make adjustments to the plans and then send that file to my smartphone.

On Monday through Friday, I will complete the Daily Exploration activities, one a day. Since I have my group plans on my phone, I can add notes each day as I go deeper into the passage. As the week progresses, I will gather the items I plan to use in the group time including the posters and handouts in the Leader Pack.

On Friday, I will meet with three or four other teachers to share and pray with them. We will also use the Talk It Out feature to spur on our conversation. I am doing what I am asking my group members to do, but I am doing it prior to the group time and will encourage members to meet with a small group after the group study time.

On Saturday, I will pray for group members, send emails reminding them of the passage we will study the next day, and review the plans one more time. A quick double check of posters, handouts, and other items I plan on using will be conducted.

On that Sunday, I will arrive early so I can make sure the area we use is ready and so I can pray. When the first person arrives, the study time will begin. I will follow my plan but will also be ready to adjust as I go.

After the group time is over, I may need to contact the group to encourage them to complete the Daily Exploration section, share gathered prayer requests, and other appropriate information. I will also record insights gained about the act of teaching, group members, and Scripture. Then the process starts all over again.

Using the Daily Exploration features should help me manage my study time better without compromising the quality of my study. Meeting with other teachers will give me a way to bounce around ideas, and hold me accountable for my own spiritual growth. I believe this process will make me a better teacher, for I will have chewed on the truth of a passage throughout the week and will be ready to help my class do the same thing in the week that follows group time.

Download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide.

Group Leadership

July 17, 2017

How Adults Learn: Daily Discipleship Guide

By Dwayne McCrary

For the past four years, I have taught two Bible study groups on Sunday mornings: a group of 50-year-olds at 8 am and a group of 4-year-olds at 11 am, with worship sandwiched in between. One of the common questions asked of me is how teaching these different age groups compare.

When adults enter a classroom, they do so with a filled mental slate. Children, on the other hand, walk in a classroom with a mostly blank slate, looking for something to learn. Adults have slates filled with facts, presuppositions, and experiences. They are not so interested in adding to their slate, as they are interested in making sense of everything they already know.

Some adults are interested in adding to their slate, but not for the reasons we may think. They don’t want to make sense of their experiences. Adding is easier and doesn’t require them to take a critical look at their past experiences—especially the painful ones. But if they only add to their slate, it becomes more cluttered and less clear. Going deeper in Bible study isn’t always about learning new facts; rather, it usually involves connecting the dots between facts that are already known, along with life experiences.

The experiences of adults drive their learning. For example, an adult has a friend with a terminal illness. That friend appears to have done everything right in life and is the most generous person they know. So how do they reconcile terminal illness happening to people who do the right thing? What they believe (good things happen to good people) does not match up with their experience (good people get sick).

For adults, education becomes self-directed as a function of making sense of experiences. Connecting the dots between knowledge and experiences usually takes place as adults reflect on an experience in light of a truth discovered, rediscovered, or recast in a different way.

Our responsibility as teachers of adults is to highlight a truth, provide tools to dig deeper into that truth, and then allow adults to reflect on their experiences in light of that truth. The Daily Discipleship Guide was created around this concept. Group time serves as an orientation time to define a biblical truth, and setting in motion the opportunity for members to dig into that truth after group using the five daily exploration activities. Personal reflection is encouraged through questions at the end of each daily exploration section. Additional reflection is encouraged through the questions found in the Talk It Out section, helping the adult come to some conclusion about their life experiences in light of biblical truth.

How adults learn matters. Adults need tools to go deeper on their own. They need opportunities to reflect. They want to interpret their experiences through the lens of biblical truth. If we want our group members to become spiritual adults, then we should teach them to connect the dots between their experiences and God’s truth.

Download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide

Group Leadership

July 11, 2017

Four Questions Groups Should Ask About Prayer Requests

By Dwayne McCrary

In almost every Bible study group, prayer requests are shared. In fact, we may even feel cheated if prayer requests are eliminated from our group! Unfortunately, gathering prayer requests is as far as it usually goes. But what if we saw a prayer request as an opportunity?

Here’s what I mean: some prayer requests require ministry action. For example, if a couple uses the prayer time to announce that they are expecting a baby, passing that information along to the Preschool Sunday School leaders would be important. Deacons and other ministry leaders could be informed about hospital stays, family crises, and deaths of family members. In this way, the prayer request becomes an opportunity for ministry action, reaching all areas of the church.

Prayer requests also represent opportunities for church leaders. By knowing needs, leaders can make wise choices when they plan events, host fellowships, and train leaders. The pastor could better understand the needs of the church and prepare sermons that meet the needs expressed in the prayer requests. Being aware of specific needs makes him a better pastor.

To do this kind of intentional action, you need to ask four questions:

How can we efficiently gather accurate prayer requests?
How do we communicate the requests?
To whom should we communicate these requests?
How can we encourage those making a specific request?

Let’s take a deeper look at these questions.

How can we efficiently gather accurate prayer requests?

Notice the two words, efficiently and accurate. A Bible study group could spend the majority of their time gathering requests, but that would compromise their time of actually studying the Bible. For me, making a sheet of paper available during the study time for people to record their requests has been the most efficient. The second element is accurate. We want to make sure that the requests shared are up to date. There is nothing worse than telling someone that you are praying for their loved one, only to find out that the loved one passed away a month ago.

How do we communicate the requests?

This question involves both form and medium. How we word something is very important. If someone requests prayer for a nephew who hates his job and is looking for a new one, that request could be worded when shared with others as a request for a nephew who needs wisdom about his future. We don’t know who may read the requests in today’s world, so we need to be careful. Hospital stays and other events requiring time away from home become important information if it falls into the wrong hands, which brings us to the medium: should we post all our requests on social media? What are the risks of making a request public? Do we really want everyone on Facebook to know about Dave having surgery and being in rehab for 6 weeks? How we communicate is important.

To whom should we communicate these requests?

We have already mentioned sharing requests with the pastor and other church leaders. Who else needs to know about the prayer request? We mentioned a couple announcing an addition to their family earlier. Who all needs to know about that particular request, and why?

How can we encourage those making a specific request?

Gathering prayer requests is certainly about being aware and knowing how to pray intelligently, but it is also about encouraging those for whom we are praying. There is nothing like getting a note from someone who is praying specifically for you. Those notes lighten the load and help us face whatever challenge we are facing. Part of this is celebrating God’s answers as well. Both the one being prayed for and the one praying are encouraged by answered prayer, so finding a way to include answers to requests is also important.

Prayer is an important part of the life of a Bible study group. Requests serve as a means of communicating priorities, needs, and victories. They give us clues about each other, helping us build deeper relationships. They also provide opportunities for us to minister to people and involve others in the process. If they are that important, then some strategic thought is in order. The four questions identified above should serve as starting points to help you think strategically about the requests shared in your Bible study group.

G. Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends.

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