Dwayne McCrary

June 14, 2016

Four Steps to Developing a Leader Training Plan (Part 2)

This is part two of a series on developing a leader training plan. Read part one here.

After you have created a list of all the things your volunteers need to be able to do or help others do, and have categorized each action as a handout, video, or face-to-face action, you can then move to steps three and four.

Step 3: Gather your stuff.

Create a folder for each action or group of actions defined in step 1. This can be an actual or a virtual folder, whatever works best for you. Start looking for books, articles, podcasts, and notes that help you provide an answer for your teachers. The internet is a great starting place. So are the annual booklets produced by David Francis.

Don’t forget to consult people in your church. Ask community leaders, teachers, and others about what they are reading. Not everything they’re reading will be helpful, but some of it will be.

Always be on the lookout for information you can add to your folders. Over time, you will create a valuable personal tool. Periodically review the content in your folders to see what you have forgotten and what needs to be refreshed.

After you lead training on that subject, place your notes in the folder as well. You never know when you may need those notes!

Step 4: Plan and conduct the training.

The focus of this article is ongoing training, so we assume that something will be offered with some type of regularity. You have to decide what you mean by regular and ongoing.

Almost all the research points to monthly or quarterly training as being the most effective when it comes to Bible study teachers or leaders. If you’re conducting quarterly training, you will most likely dedicate one of those four events to inspiration as opposed to training. If you conduct monthly training, you’ll most likely meet ten times (skipping December and one of the summer months). Also, probably one of these ten meeting will be inspirational or vision setting, so you will actually only have nine training opportunities.

Once you decide on the regularity of training events (which dicates the number), review your list of prioritized tasks (see step 2). Place the training events on a calendar and assign a topic, beginning with the things you identified as most important. You will want to make sure the most important issues are scheduled when you anticipate the higher attendance. In most settings, for example, scheduling the most important topic in June will be counterproductive.

Start preparing for the meeting. Create a plan or agenda. Make sure everyone knows when it is happening. If childcare is needed, get it arranged. Clear calendars to remove potential conflicts. Practice what you are going to do. Conduct the training and get feedback. Start getting ready for the next event, building off the feedback and experience you gain.

What other steps would you add to this process?

G. Dwayne McCrary is the team leader for Adult and Young Adult group resources at LifeWay, leads two weekly Bible study groups (one for empty-nesters and one for 4-year olds), serves as an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and carries 20-plus years of church staff experience. He is married to Lisa (both native Texans), and they have two children and one grandson. Find him on Twitter: @gdwayne.

Group Leadership

June 13, 2016

Four Steps to Developing a Leader Training Plan (Part 1)

By Dwayne McCrary

One of the worst things a leader can do is recruit others to do a task and then never develop them to do it well. In many cases, it would have been better to let the person who was recruited sit and wonder why you are doing everything than to ask him or her to help without providing support. Failing to provide ongoing support through training leads to frustration for the person doing the task, the person who recruited them, and the person who could receive the benefit if the task were done well.

When leading conferences for Bible study leaders, I regularly find people who have been teaching a class for five or more years but have never received any training. The job is so big that some leaders just don’t know where to start when it comes to providing some type of ongoing training. In most churches, the teachers of the ongoing Bible study groups make up the largest number of volunteers. In most churches, this group also determines the effectiveness of that church. Trained teachers will not guarantee success, but failing to train them will all but guarantee failure. The focus of this post will be creating ongoing training for these volunteers, but the process can be applied to other opportunities for service as well.

So what are the steps for creating an ongoing training plan for volunteers, and can it really be done in four steps? It can, and we will look at the first two steps today.

Step 1: Create a list of tasks you want the teachers to do or be able to help others do.

This sounds simple, but this list will be invaluable. You’ll discover some nuances that make the job larger than you imagined if done well. You may even want to word these actions as a question beginning with “How do I … ?”, “What do I do if … ?”, and “How do I help others [insert a task]?”

You may want to include experienced and inexperienced teachers in the process. List every possible action; include the big stuff and the small stuff. Remember that the small stuff usually makes the biggest impact, most likely because these are the things that get easily ignored.

You may want to group some of the items to make the list more manageable, but don’t eliminate any of the items.

Step 2: Categorize the list.

As you look at the items listed, identify the actions that require only an email or handout. Most teachers are busy. Not everything requires a meeting. If you can effectively provide this information outside the meeting, do so. Some items in this category might include contact numbers for an emergency, list of future key dates, and holiday plans/schedules.

Secondly, identify the items where a video or a podcast could be used. Items that are static will most likely dominate this category. An example of a static action is helping someone know how to make a hospital visit. We generally make a hospital visit today the same way today as it was done 50 years ago: let the patient know who you are, pray for them, and then get out without adjusting any of the knobs or switches on the beeping instruments. You might even create or find a video of how not to do a task. These videos or podcasts could be produced by you, or you may secure them from a trusted source like Ministry Grid. (Consider also the Groups Matter podcast, posted bi-weekly on this blog.)

The third category are the items that must be done face-to-face. The actions that are strategically important to the organization or relate to an emphasis that must be highlighted should be in this category. Some things just need to come from you as their leader, because of their importance to the work.

Now you should have an idea of what you need to prepare to give your volunteers, knowing what handouts need to be created, what videos need to be located or produced, and what training agendas need to be written.

Tomorrow, what to do with this information: steps 3 and 4.

Group Leadership

May 19, 2016

Stupid Things to Ask People With Life-Altering Illnesses

By Dwayne McCrary

Most of us don’t wake up in the morning and make a list of ways we can be insensitive that day. We probably don’t have on our daily to-do list “one stupid thing I will say today.” For most of us, we are capable of doing these things without them being on our to-do list. We don’t mean to be insensitive or stupid, but we just can’t help ourselves. Our curiosity will not let us do otherwise.

Over the past few weeks, several friends of mine have been diagnosed with life-altering illnesses. They each have different issues, but they have all been asked stupid questions that may surprise you.

Here are some of the stupid questions they have been asked:

1. How long did the doctor give you?

2. I would NEVER do that kind of treatment. Is that all they can do for you?

3. Is there anything going on that might have caused God to need to get your attention?

4. Can I be the first person you call when you are told you have been healed?

5. Can I have your blue sweater/bicycle/CorningWare if you don’t make it?

6. Can you tell me about your treatments so I can see if my dad/husband/sister should do the same thing?

7. Have you thought about writing a blog so we’ll know how we can avoid this same illness?

8. What do you need from me?

The last question may seem out of place, but analyze that question for a moment. First of all, by asking this question, you make the person with the illness responsible for deciding how you help. They already have enough on their plate, and this question just adds more to it. The question also gets you off the hook if the person doesn’t give you an answer. On top of that, the person know that about 705 of the things they want to say will be things you can’t do or are unwilling to do.

After listening to these friends, I began putting together a list of better questions to ask.

Here are some better questions to ask a person with a life-altering illness:

1. Can I give you a ride anywhere?

2. What is your favorite thing to do when you are waiting for the doctor?

3. What would you like me to know?

4. I don’t have any questions, but do you remember when [insert some memory that is just worth retelling].

5. I’ve made a meal for you and your family. What time would you like for me to drop it off, and do you want it frozen or ready to eat?

5a. How do you like your steak?

5b. Chocolate or apple pie (or both)?

6. Have you read the latest novel by __________? I have a copy for you, and I don’t need it back.

Sooner or later, someone in your Bible study group will find out they have a life-altering illness. You are probably on the short list of people they will tell. When they do tell you, try to avoid the stupid questions and ask them something that lets them be the star. After all, it is about them.

What other questions would you add to the better questions list?

G. Dwayne McCrary is the team leader for Adult and Young Adult group resources at LifeWay, leads two weekly Bible study groups (one for empty-nesters and one for 4-year olds), serves as an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and carries 20-plus years of church staff experience. He is married to Lisa (both native Texans), and they have two children and one grandson. Find him on Twitter: @gdwayne.

Group Leadership

March 8, 2016

Ten Questions NOT to Ask When Visiting a Group Member in the Hospital

By Dwayne McCrary

Imagine you have just received a text letting you know one of your Bible study group members is hospitalized. Before you get in the car and head to the hospital, there are some simple questions you need to get out of your head so that you don’t ask them once you are in the hospital room. Here’s a list of 10 of those questions:

10. I wonder if the corner of their bed is more comfortable than the padded chair?

9. I wonder if I should tell my husband to come back and get me after he finishes his round of golf?

8. I wonder if they could show me their scar?

7. I wonder if I could show them my scar?

6. I wonder if I should tell them about that distant cousin who knew this guy who had a neighbor that died from the same illness?

5. I wonder what would happen if I adjusted that knob on the box that keeps beeping?

4. I wonder if they would mind me finishing off my chili cheeseburger with extra cheese and onions?

3. I wonder if this will be the perfect time to guilt them into coming back to our Bible study group?

2. I wonder if they mind me changing the channel to watch the wild animals shows?

1. I wonder if they will notice it I don’t come by?

There are just some things you should not do when making a visit to a person in a hospital! The biggest thing we should always avoid is ignoring them (see question 1). They need to know we care, and nothing communicates that like a quick personal visit to simply pray with them and their loved ones. But when you go, it is best to heed the advice given as you leave the station on a roller coaster: “Keep your head and arms inside the vehicle at all times.”

What other questions would you add to this list?

Group Leadership

March 7, 2016

Three Rules for Leading a Men’s Bible Study Group

By Dwayne McCrary

Our church was trying to establish a new Bible study group just for men. During the first meeting (there were four of us), we worked on developing some rules we believed would make for a healthy men’s Bible study group. The group set out three simple rules they felt were the non-negotiables.

1. We do Bible study. We can talk about our kids’ accomplishments and the box scores at a different time. We are a men’s Bible study group, and that is what we intend to be and do.

2. We don’t skip the hard stuff. Life is hard and there is some really hard stuff in the Bible. We need to know how to deal with the hard stuff.

3. No fellowships. If we want to hang out with others in the group, we will invite them to lunch or coffee.

To some, these rules may seem obvious or harsh, but they demonstrate how leading a men’s Bible study group is different from leading a coed group or a ladies’ group.

First of all, they expect the focus of the time to be Bible study. Most men have more on their plate than they can handle. One reason men don’t attend a Bible study group is the perceived false advertising. We don’t spend enough of the time actually looking at the Bible as a group.

Secondly, for men, study is about the facts. How a verse makes them feel or which person they would have been in the story are wasting questions. How what Paul wrote compares to what Peter wrote, how Jesus used the same word and with whom, and how the Bible story fits together are important.

Thirdly, men do want relationships, just in a safe place on their own turf. The third rule is partly a function of schedule (we are busy). It is also a function of risk. Men are less likely to drop their guard in a Bible study group than women are. You see this in how you ask a question in a men’s group. Rule number two about not skipping the hard stuff is really a cry for moving beyond the emotional and getting into the world of critical thinking. If you want to hear the crickets, ask a question about what temptation they personally struggle with the most (you can probably hear the quiet now!) However, if you ask them to list temptations men struggle with, the crickets will quietly watch and let the men share.

Like I said, teaching an all men’s group is different, but that doesn’t mean those differences are bad.

What do you think the rules established by this group reveal about their view of other Bible study groups?

In what other ways is a men’s group different from a coed or ladies’ group?

Group Leadership

January 14, 2016

Three Questions to Help You Play to Your Strengths

By Dwayne McCrary

God works in our weaknesses, but He also made us with strengths on purpose. For some, the idea of God working in their weakness has become an excuse for avoiding the hard work of developing their strengths. The truth is that we can put ourselves in a position for God to work through our strengths as well.

Here are three questions that can be used to help us develop our strengths as group leaders.

What are my strengths?

First of all, every one of us has something we do well. We may wish we were more proficient in some other way than we are. (I’ve always wished I was more musically inclined—just once I would like to sing a solo without people telling me that it was a nice try.) The truth is, God made us the way we are on purpose. We need to embrace how He made us and function within His purposes for us.

You can take aptitude surveys, personality profiles, spiritual gift inventories, discuss with others you trust, and pray for God to show you your strengths. I know my strengths and weaknesses, but I still do these things, giving me a fresh look at what I already know and affirming the things I am doing.

What is my plan for developing my strengths?

Just because I know my strengths doesn’t mean I can let those qualities develop themselves. I need a plan to develop them. Even if we are fairly proficient at something, we need to continue to stretch ourselves. For example, if we are a proficient teacher of adults, maybe we ought to take on a preschool group just to stretch our teaching abilities. Maybe we should volunteer to help with a local event to hone our desire to serve or to lead in a different way.

List your strengths (stuff you do well) and one action you are taking to continue to develop that strength. List one thing next to each strength that you can do in the next 3 months and the next 6 months.

Truths to remember:

An ignored strength will become a weakness. Always do something to develop it.
A misused strength will become a weakness. Always make sure that you are using your strength in a way that honors God.

Who do I know whose strengths are my weaknesses?

Moses is the example here. When God approached Moses about leading the Hebrews out of Egypt, Moses pointed to his speech impediment (see Ex. 4:10). God pointed to Aaron as one who spoke well and who could serve as Moses’ spokesperson. Moses would need to communicate through Aaron. Aaron and Moses had different strengths, and they needed each other to succeed.

One thing that happens is we start to focus on our weakness and ignore the strengths. If we can surround ourselves with others who possess strengths different than our own, then we can give our strengths attention. When a group of people are assembled with strengths that complement each other without competing, you have the making of a winning team.

Group Leadership

January 12, 2016

Four Habits for Strategic Readers

By Dwayne McCrary

In 2013, there were more than 300,000 books published (new and re-releases) in the United States alone. You can’t read them all, but you can read at least some of them. And the ones you do read ought to be strategic choices. We can read on purpose, strengthening our skills and understanding as leaders. But with that many books, how do we decide what to read?

1. Narrow down the categories.

First of all, let me get this on the table. I don’t read fiction. There are too many good true stories to be read. I can only read so much, so why not read on purpose? I’m not anti-fiction. I’m just pro-history.

Most of us are not interested in becoming experts in all fields, but there are some areas that should interest us. For me, I want to be a better leader, educator, and Christ-follower. Therefore, business, history, education, and religion are my starting points. Every once in a while I find a book that fits three of the four categories, making it a must-read for me.

2. Monitor the monitors of the pacemakers.

There are people who set the pace in every field. These tend to be the people invited to speak at conferences and interviewed by national programs. These people change. You will agree with some and disagree with others. Read both. Doing so helps you think through why you believe what you believe and helps you develop an answer to their objections.

Different groups monitor who the pacemakers are in a field. Here are a few places I have found to be the most helpful.

Online booksellers. Most websites give you the option of listing books sold by popularity.
National news outlets. Several larger news outlets publish lists of top-selling books.
Colleges. Many colleges allow non-students to view course syllabi online. If your category is education, then look at the books being used in the education classes, especially the upper-level classes.
Local business leaders. Ask business leaders you know what they are reading.
Airport bookstores. Airport bookstores are designed for two people: the vacationer and the business traveler. What you find here reveals what these two groups are reading.
Airline magazines. Many of these in-flight magazines include book reviews and reading suggestions and can be viewed on the Internet. Once again, these are targeting the person on vacation and the business traveler.

If you see the same book listed in multiple places, add it to the should-read list.

3. Invite others to monitor with you.

Ask two or three coworkers or friends to monitor with you. You may agree to monitor different things and then compare notes. Working with a team does three things. First of all, it spreads the load. You can now manage the search. The team also becomes a vetting committee. You can each be reading different books, being critics for each other. The team also becomes a natural discussion group for what you are reading.

4. Ask the reading question.

When you visit with your boss or some other leader, ask them about what they have read over the past few months. A good way to ask is: What have you read over the past 6 months that you would recommend to others? If you have already read it, then let your boss know and include one thing you learned from the book. If it is on your reading list, move it to the top. If it isn’t on your list, add it.

One more thought: just because you have a reading list doesn’t mean you will read. You must designate some time to reading. Having a tablet may help, but always carry something to read with you. You never know when the opportunity to read may occur through your day. You may also want to schedule time in your day or at the end of your day to read. The issue is not when but that you schedule the time.

What other actions have you taken to decide what to read?

Group Leadership

January 11, 2016

Eight Ways to Disqualify Yourself as a Leader

By Dwayne McCrary

There are so many ways to be disqualified as a leader, but here are the eight that seem to be the most prevalent.

1. Ignore your family.

How many people have sacrificed their family in the name of being the leader? How many of them were proud of it? Not many. Your family comes first. If you have children, no one else can be mom or dad. No one else can be son or daughter to your parents. If you are married, you made a promise in front of God and everybody. Being a leader is about keeping promises, and the first promise to be kept is to your family.

2. Ignore your spiritual life.

Jesus reminded us that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), and that includes leadership. Let me back up here…you can still lead with your spiritual life in shambles, you just can’t do it well. We need God’s wisdom and strength to lead well. We need to know His direction and heart. Those things are only found through a vibrant relationship with our Creator.

3. Ignore your physical health.

Leading takes energy and effort. It is loaded with stress waiting to be unleashed. Leaders need physical activity to keep a high energy level and to burn off stress. You only have one body, so treat it well. An unhealthy body can get in our way as a leader.

4. Ignore your emotional health.

As a leader you will make hard decisions that impact other people. You need to find others who can listen and let you vent. You also need people who can let you laugh. These are more than friends—these are peers who help you keep your emotions balanced and offer perspective.

5. Quit learning.

The day you quit trying to learn or start believing yourself to be THE expert is the day you no longer are the leader. Someone else will become THE expert, leaving you behind with the rest of the followers.

6. Stop thinking on purpose.

We need time to think about what we are thinking. Processing our thoughts and trying to understand what we think we think gives us clarity so we can lead. The best way to do this is by keeping a journal. Journaling is just another way of having a conversation with ourselves so we can figure out what we really think.

7. Stop investing in other leaders.

Real leaders are concerned about the next generation of leaders. They want to make sure the next generation has a better start by passing on what they learned and are learning.

8. Check out in a crisis or stressful moment.

It’s easy to be the leader when things are going well, but leaders are mostly needed when things are going bad. We have all seen people who checked out when things got rough and then tried to reemerge when things leveled out. They were replaced by the real leader, the person who was there for the hard stuff. And for some reasons, the hard stuff usually happens at 2 A.M.

Some of these actions listed above lead to moral failures or power abuses. We may blame the moral failure for the disqualification, but in reality the real issue was likely one of these eight problems.

What would you add to the list? What other ways have you seen leaders disqualify themselves?

Group Leadership

August 17, 2015

Three Ways to Engage Your Group: Choosing a Method

By Dwayne McCrary

This post is the fourth of a four-part series on three different ways to engage with group members. You can also read part one, part two, and part three of this series, each of which explains one of the three ways of engagement.

Over the past three posts, we have examined three ways teachers tend to engage their class or group: the Presenter (tell/listen), the Investigator (ask/respond), and the Experimenter (propose/do). Given the strengths and weaknesses we have reviewed, you might now be wondering which approach is the best. Let’s be honest: every teacher has a preference. That preference may be dictated by how we learn, our comfort level with one approach, and our understanding of education. But the truth is that, as a teacher, we need to engage our class or group in all three ways at some point. We need the challenge, and they need the variety.

A great amount of research has been conducted on what and how we remember things, and the bottom line is that we remember more if we discover a truth or experience the concept for ourselves. So if that is true, then we must find ways of engaging our group members so that they at least are involved in the learning process. The allotted time, amount of content, and size of the group impacts how we engage with a class or group, but these limits shouldn’t keep us from finding a way to engage in multiple ways. Here’s a process to use:

1. Study the content. For us, that means studying the Bible passage using the tools you have at your disposal.

2. Identify the key points and THE key point. Within any Bible passage, there may be multiple points to make. However, there will also be a major point or truth that you must communicate. Another way of saying this is: determine the one thing you hope your class or group understands at the end of this study time.

3. Determine how you can help them discover this key truth. In effect, you are looking for a way to engage them as a learner. What can you lead the group to do to help them discover THE key point for themselves?

4. Identify the information they will need to make this discovery. Then decide how you can share that information with them. You are putting on your Presenter hat at this point.

5. Consider ways of helping the group process their discovery. You are looking for ways to challenge them to act on THE main point (or at least to consider acting on it). Now you have become the Interrogator, looking for ways to ask what are you going to do about it?

6. Determine how to introduce the study. This would be the last step, and it could be done with any one of the three approaches.

Some curriculum resources provide leader helps that include ideas that involve all three types of engagement. We may ignore those suggestions, but in doing so, we may also be ignoring the needs of our class or group. Our goal must always be to help our group members gain a clearer understanding of God’s truth, with a view toward them doing something with that clearer understanding. To accomplish that, we must tell, ask, and propose with the Spirit guiding our growth as teachers.

Group Leadership

August 13, 2015

Three Ways to Engage Your Group: The Experimenter

By Dwayne McCrary

This post is the third of a four-part series on three different ways to engage with group members. You can also read part one and part two of this series.

Some of us may have had a science teacher along the way that gave us the freedom to experiment. Phrases heard in that class might have included: Let’s see what happens if we do this! I wonder if this will work? and They call it trial and error for a reason. The teacher was just as anxious as we were to see what happened when Mentos were dropped into a bottle of carbonated drink. That same teacher purchased different brands of carbonated drinks for the next science class just to find out if one produced more foam than the others.

In this approach, the Experimenter discovers right along with the group. They may have a general framework to follow, but always with an open end. It is about the experience and the discovery. The Experimenter guides the group through a discovery process, while the group creates the final product. The group members prepare before the group time, with the expectation of contributing to the experience by sharing their discoveries, testing their conclusions, and asking their questions. The group is provided content prior to the meeting to examine and process prior to the group time. That way, the group can start when the first person arrives.

The Experimenter must prepare for multiple contingencies, since he or she does not know the exact direction the group time may take. Experimenters may have a general idea based on their own study, but there is always the possibility of a rabbit-chase lurking. This approach could also be described using the terms propose/do.

The strength of this approach is that the thoughts and insights of group members are valued. Not all ideas are equal, but at least each can be explored and compared to the larger whole. It also encourages active participation. In fact, the amount of interaction determines the length and quality of the group time.

But the level of interaction is also a core weakness. Guests will not be able to jump in without some type of help. Not everyone wants to interact with every subject or, in our case, every Bible verse. The lack of structure, or perceived lack of structure, will frustrate some group members. The structure of a class helps people organize and focus their thoughts. They need the clues and the prompts of the Presenter and Investigator. The group time also lends itself to the chasing of rabbits, some of which are not worth chasing. Group members don’t mind rabbits every once in a while as long as they get to the meat of the matter as well.

One of the biggest potential dangers of using this approach exclusively is the teacher losing his or her credibility. The Experimenter is an expert on the process, but the group wants someone who is an expert on the content as well. If the group believes they are just as knowledgable as the leader on a subject, they look elsewhere for answers to the hard questions and when they are in a crisis. When that happens, the Experimenter loses his or her place in the group and is no longer needed.

Over the past three posts, we have examined three different approaches to engaging the group. Since each has its own inherent strengths and weaknesses, which one is best? Does it simply come down to a teacher’s preference? How do you know which one to use and when? That is the question we will examine in our next post.

Four Steps to Developing a Leader Training Plan (Part 2)

Four Steps to Developing a Leader Training Plan (Part 1)

Ten Questions NOT to Ask When Visiting a Group Member in the Hospital

Three Questions to Help You Play to Your Strengths

Four Habits for Strategic Readers

Eight Ways to Disqualify Yourself as a Leader

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