Group Ministry, Author at Group Ministry

December 4, 2019

December 2, 2019

3 Realities of Sin

This article is excerpted from Content from Matt Carter’s Prodigal Son: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of The Father.

We all make mistakes. We might seem to be making right choices, but then things can start to happen. We slip, and we begin to fall. How? How do we go from strongly walking in the Lord to being tempted and pulled into sin? Matt Carter, in his newly released Bible study Prodigal Son: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of The Father describes just this (partially excerpted and adapted below):

The Anatomy of a Fall

So far we’ve talked about how the prodigal son has become convinced there is a better life for him outside of the love of his father. But before we continue on our journey with the prodigal, let’s take a closer look at what causes us to make the decision to turn our backs on our heavenly Father and walk away. Every sin starts with a first step. We’ve already seen how Satan loves to deceive us into believing there is happiness outside of the love of the Father. Now let’s dig a little deeper into the deceptive nature of sin by turning to the letter of James where he urges us to overcome temptation by remembering the goodness of God.

Temptation

Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God[a] has promised to those who love him. No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. – JAMES 1:12-15

According to James, where does temptation come from? Where does it not come from? Why are these important distinctions to make?

James connects temptations to trials. How do our temptations often come out of our trials?

We can’t see inside the mind of the prodigal, so we can’t know for certain what made him decide to walk away from his father’s house. Jesus doesn’t tell us. However, James teaches us that our temptations are often related to our trials. For instance, if you are experiencing financial difficulty, you might be tempted to steal. If you are lonely, you might struggle with seeking company in inappropriate relationships. Yet, James is clear on one point; God never tempts us. God is never at fault when The Step we walk away from Him and choose sin. While it’s true that God does test us, He always does so to strengthen our faith, never to tempt us to sin. Sin is always our choice. We fall into the allure of sin, because sin is enticing.

The Allure of Sin

Why is it helpful for us to realize sin is “alluring”?

What does it mean to be “carried away” or “enticed” by our own lust (v 14)? When have you seen this process play out in your own experience?

“Alluring” isn’t a word you hear very often. It means “powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive.”1 James is creating a picture of a fish who is attracted to a lure in the water, but the fish is unaware that the lure will actually kill it. Temptation becomes a problem when it entices us into sin, because just like the fish, when sin reels us in, death is always waiting at the other end of the line.

What lies must we believe before we give in to temptation?

How has experience taught you that temptation is misleading and never delivers on its promise?

A fish wouldn’t take the bait if it realized the inevitable outcome. When Christians embrace temptation, they have forgotten that sin leads to death. They were enticed by the promise of life where there was only death. God is the only One who can deliver on every promise, and He does every time. We’ve already seen that God doesn’t tempt us, now let’s look at what God does.

Grace in Temptation

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. – JAMES 1:16-18

According to these verses, what can God give us that temptation and sin never can?

Why should this be an encouragement to not succumb to temptation?

James contrasts the emptiness of temptation with the goodness of God. When Satan tempts us, he is hoping that we believe the lie that embracing temptation leads to blessing. But temptation is always a bait and switch. James tells us every good thing comes from God. Paul stated it more directly.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 6:23

Sin always brings death and God always brings life—the kind of full and abundant life that is worth having. With Jesus there is no bait and switch, but only grace, love, and life. Jesus delivers on every promise

How did James refer to the people he was writing to in verse 16? How can we prevent ourselves from being deceived?

n verse 16, James addresses the church. In fact, the entire New Testament was written to the church—a group of people seeking to follow Jesus together. Temptation and sin isolates us from God and from other people. And that is exactly what Satan wants. God intends for His children to live in biblical community. We’re meant to wrestle with our temptations together. Imagine what might have been different for the prodigal if he had a wise friend able to provide good advice.

With which friends can you be honest about your temptations and struggles?

Look up James 5:16. Why should we desire the kind of relationships where we can share our struggles and sins with one another?

End your time today being honest about your temptations. Write them down below. Then make time to talk to someone about your struggles.

_______________________

End today by asking God to deliver you from your temptations, knowing that He will provide a way out.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. – 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

Group Answers Podcast

November 27, 2019

Church Leadership

November 25, 2019

Five Ways to Care for Hurting People During the Holidays

By Group Ministry

by Rick Howerton

While many people enjoy the holiday season more than any other time of the year, there are others who struggle to find any joy in it at all. In fact, for many people, this time of year is devastating and debilitating. A broken relationship, a haunting seasonal memory, the death of a friend or family member, or the inability to bless their family with the kind of gifts others are receiving plants a dark cloud over many, especially when they are seeing the masses celebrating passionately when they are hurting deeply.

So how does a small group leader show the love of Christ to those who are living in the midst of the dark night of the soul?

1. Be an active listener while disciplining yourself not to give advice.

For many in this situation, all they need is a listening ear. They need the opportunity to share with someone what they’re feeling and why they’re hurting so deeply. Allow them to say anything they need to say without telling them what they need to do. You can’t fix what’s broken, but you can help them release of some of their emotional intensity.

2. Exercise the ministry of “presence.”

For many, aloneness is what causes their greatest pain. Invite the person to your home to spend the evening without any agenda in mind. In fact, it may be best just to invite them to come for dinner and spend the evening with you and your family.

3. Worship with the hurting individual.

If the person you’re aiding is single, or they’re single when they attend worship at the church (their spouse doesn’t attend church), simply invite them to sit with you. In the presence of God, emotions often flow freely allowing you to be there to comfort them and, in many instances, allowing you to be there and encourage them to trust God in the midst of their darkness.

4. Text words of encouragement often.

Texting has opened the door to encourage in the moment when we don’t have the time for elongated conversations. Use this approach wisely. Don’t bombard the person with statements telling them that it will all work out (this is a promise you can’t honestly make), or that they just need to claim God’s promises. By the way, once a day would be best, twice a day would be optimal.

5. Invite the individual to celebrate the holiday with you—if it’s appropriate in your situation.

That is, if the person is going to spend the holiday alone. Be certain this is agreed to by your family, as many families prefer to spend the holiday with relatives only.

Rick Howerton is the South Central Regional Consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. He has authored many small group studies, is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker, and is the author of Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual as well as A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic. He is also the co-author of Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making and Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups. But Rick’s deepest passion and his goal in life is to see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.”

Church Leadership

November 21, 2019

Missional Small Groups

By Group Ministry

by Reid Smith

Outreach has a way of turning groups inside-out. Not a bad thing. Struggling groups and small group ministries have found help not by focusing on their own internal issues, but by looking beyond their problems and giving attention to the needs of those beyond their immediate relational circles.

Small groups are essential to empowering God’s people in mission. They are not meant to add new comfort zones for people, but rather create environments where believers can be emboldened to go beyond their comfort zones and to do things they never imagined themselves doing. Every group can find a way to be missional in a manner that is natural for its own unique group dynamic. To not do so is a big miss.

A small group becomes missional as it develops a heart and mindset that is aware and deliberate about sharing the Good News through word and deed with those who have yet to know Christ as their Savior and Lord. As the small group leader, if you don’t take the lead in cultivating this “outward-orientation” to your group life then it is very unlikely somebody else in the group will. So let people know at the beginning of your group that finding ways for everyone to share their faith will be an important part of your life together that will ensure everyone’s experience in the group is healthy and life-changing.

The Lord will show your group how it can make a difference in every sphere of influence (Acts 1:8). You might begin by thinking through what constitutes Jerusalem (local-citywide), Judea (citywide-regional), Samaria (statewide-countrywide), and the ends of the earth (countrywide-worldwide) for your group. What does each sphere look like and what opportunities exist within each? Ask the group to come up with examples for each area of influence.

Take time to answer questions and give each one a part to play in organizing for outreach together. You might even want to go to the effort of linking outreach/evangelism with the vision and values of your small group. Explain how the community of your group can be instrumental in helping each one fulfill their calling to be an evangelist and bring biblical truths to life (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Pet 2:9-10; 2 Tim 4:5).

An easy way you can encourage group members to engage in personal evangelism is to turn your attention to people who are not a part of your group during your prayer time, especially those who are already in their relational circles. Prayer builds care. Don’t just give permission for them to invite friends…tell them you want them to invite their friends!

Learn about the neighborhood where you meet, the needs in your community, and ways your church is already reaching out that your group can join in and support. You might even want to reserve a meeting to talk about your discoveries so that your group can be strategic in its prayer and outreach.

There are a variety of ways your group can reach out together:

Invitational – invite your friends to your group and your church.
Event-based – Link your small group outreach to your church events and serve together during your weekend services or special outreach events.
Community-focused – Check out servantevangelism.com for some practical ideas then identify needs in your community that touch your group’s heart and serve together, e.g. community clean-up day, providing school supplies for underprivileged kids, food delivery, helping the homeless, etc.
Sponsorship – support a child (compassion.com) or adopt a people group (joshuaproject.net or adopt-a-people.org), starting with a little research and concerted prayer.
Mission Trips – Contact a member of your church’s pastoral leadership team and share that your group would like to go on a mission trip together. Learn about what your church is already doing and get a couple of recommendations on organizations that can help with planning it.

Missional small groups are not only about reaching those outside of our groups. It is also about reaching those inside of our groups so they can be built up and reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4:13). Small groups that allow God to turn them inside-out will experience the transformational joy of impacting lives for eternity and they mature spiritually in ways they never would have if members had never ventured beyond their own comfort zones.

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

Group Answers Podcast

November 20, 2019

Group Answers Episode 127: Spiritual Practices in Your Group – Prayer

By Group Ministry

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian and Chris talk to Ken Braddy about best practices for implementing prayer in your group time. Ken serves as the Manager of Adult Ongoing Bible Studies at LifeWay Christian Resources. He manages the work of the editorial teams that create all of the ongoing Bible studies that LifeWay produces for adults: Bible Studies For Life, Explore The Bible, MasterWork, The Gospel Project, YOU, and other curriculum.Ken is also the new Director of Sunday School for LifeWay, and the author of Breathing Life Into Sunday School, released on April 15, 2019.

Questions:

What would you hope to see and hear in a group’s prayer time?
You lead a Bible study group yourself…what have you discovered about ways to help the group pray, and still allow time for Bible study?
What other things have you learned about leading a group to pray?

Quotes:

From David Francis’ book, Connect 3, the evolution of prayer in a group: Class, Community, Commission.

Where you would like to see groups go in prayer is to the commission level. They realize they have the ability to impact people’s lives through sharing the Gospel with others.

Leaders can influence the group by asking for prayer for their gospel conversations with others.

An idea for managing the prayer request time: write requests as they come in on a whiteboard.

Make sure that requests are assigned to group members, or they may not get prayed for.

We will occasionally email out the list on the board and ask members to pray over them this week.

Folks will pray in smaller groups of three and four who would never pray in the bigger group of sixteen.

Episode Sponsor

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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

November 18, 2019

The Cost of Opening Your Home

By Group Ministry

by Jared Musgrove

Place matters. A person and a people’s story is impossible to understand apart from their place of origin and life lived in a place. They learn their way in a place, they show their way in a place, and they make decisions to be in a place. We see this in the Lord Jesus Christ. He himself was like us in every respect (Hebrews 2) including His attachment to and choice of place. So, it is important to consider what places the Lord Himself chose to spend His time. And what He did when he was in those places.

The Gospels record the ministry of Jesus occurring in three places: public spaces, the synagogue, and the home. Each has an obvious 21st Century counterpart. But in Jesus’ time it was the home that was considered the foundation stone upon which the rest of society was built. As went the home so went society. Considered rightly alongside Scripture’s teaching on the importance of family and home, it should stand out to us that Jesus placed a special emphasis on homes as a place of intentional ministry. There are over 50 instances of this across the four gospels. Even later in His ministry, Jesus began to move away from primary ministry in the synagogue and public spaces, moving more to homes.

I am not setting out to prove the home as a primary place of ministry and evangelism. I’m just saying that Jesus already did. His practice of proximity in the most personal of places matters for how we see ourselves and our ministry. If we model Jesus, we see that ministry is often best done in community that allows intimacy. And there are not many places more intimate than someone’s home. Home Groups at The Village Church are our effort to shrink the church from corporation to this kind of closeness of camaraderie centered in Christ. They are our effort to do the mission of God much like Jesus did in many respects.

Jesus used the home to build relationships and heal others, thus allowing Him to demonstrate the very power and truth He came to teach. It was His apologetic in many cases. He used the opportunities that were made available to Him through the relationships and miracles to teach on matters of faith, law, grace, and general truth on various subjects. If we were to say it in a way that includes the modern day believer living as Jesus did, we may see the home as a place set apart to build relationships and provide a healing presence so that others may be open to the truth of the gospel. That they would have a reason to wonder why we believe what we believe because we first lived our belief right before their eyes. And that place of intimacy and safety becomes a place of revelation.

In this, Jesus’ ministry in homes was a ministry of love. Such love in the most private of places was a most potent apologetic to an unbelieving world. It still is.

In Jesus’ day, homes were places of hospitality and intimacy where the host would, in a way, open up their heart like they opened up the physical door of their home to others. They were places for knowing others and being known in the context of family and friendships. They were a context for bearing burdens and in many cases the primary context for ongoing participation in Christian living and witness to neighbors.

The potential and potency of such a live parable still exists in our day. Jesus shared hard truths in homes. Could it be that in this context He might do so in a less confrontational manner where the persons present may have listened closer and accepted more readily the insight of the Son of Man? What does this mean for we who are being conformed to His image who have homes to open? Nothing but possibility, so far as I can see.

First Century Jewish homes were a place of belonging and hospitality known by other peoples/nations (i.e. Not God’s People), so anomalous was the practice of welcoming a stranger in those days. This was the first and final apologetic in ancient Jewish culture. It still could be. Should be. Jesus clearly took advantage of homes to instruct, develop relationships, and perform miracles such that everyone present in the home left saying, “we’ve never seen anything like this!” So too is the possibility when we see our homes as a genesis in ministering Christ to the believer, to the lost, and to spiritual skeptics. That’s the possibility of a gospel-centered community that meets in a home. We won’t innovate a faithful way around this and we are fools to think we ever could surpass the Master’s plan of evangelism and ministry.

God sent His Son to dwell with His people. Jesus came in the midst of a culture that, unlike the peoples/nations around it, welcomed strangers and were hospitable to all. This is as it should be. God expects more of believers than He did or does of nonbelievers. God expected His people to be hospitable. He still does. And Jesus demonstrates it in acts that resonate to set the desire and direction across space and time. The incarnational God is revealed not only by Jesus coming to this earth, but in Jesus going into homes.

Whether or not the home is or should be the primary and most effective place for ministry in these postmodern times may depend upon context. Certain urban areas will have a difficult time with such home ministry because people may not want people in their space. There may be safety concerns. There may not exist a cultural memory of having someone in your home. If you have a home at all this week. In such very real contexts, the church building can be a sanctuary of a place. But this does not tend to be our context at The Village Church. We are sub-urban, we have dwelling places prime with such potential to affect for Christ.

It doesn’t take a program. It doesn’t take a budget meeting. It starts personally and starts in your homes and Home Groups. Begin by opening your home for a community to be affected by Jesus.

The Village Church’s community is costly. If you think what God has done here is easy then you don’t understand. We cannot be explained merely by the clear biblical truth that is preached powerfully and effectively; we cannot be explained by the fact that we have a staff of heavy hitter ministers, capable men and women working at the top of their game unto God; Those two things are important and they are a gift but The Village Church cannot be explained if you remove the third aspect. And that is there has been community here. And it has been costly community.

It is a costly thing to open one’s home. My wife and I have lost wedding gifts and family heirlooms because of it. We’ve personally welcomed people — even pastors — who struggle with their faith in God, who struggle with sexual attraction to their same gender, struggle with being a minority person of color, struggle with deep grief and health defects. We’ve lost sleep and time and money; we know members of this church who’ve lost so much more than that but gained a brother or sister in Christ because of it. It doesn’t take a program to minister the gospel like Jesus did. You don’t have to convince the elder board. All you have to do is open your home. Francis Schaeffer writes, “And there is no place in God’s world where there are no people who will come and share a home as long as it is a real home.” A compassionate, open home is part of Christian responsibility, and each family should practice it up to the level of their capacity. Jesus made no distinction between home or foreign missions — it was all evangelism to Him. Home Groups are our attempt to regularly emulate this practice as a people after Jesus.

Place still matters. It did to Jesus and it should to you. The home as a primary place of ministry mattered to Him. That’s why Home Groups matter to this church body. When evangelism and ministry happen in homes it seems to Scripturally and experientially be more effective than not. That’s the plan. That’s the place. That’s the why, what, and wonder of Home Groups.

Jared Steven Musgrove serves as Groups Pastor and elder at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Oklahoma, a Master of Divinity in preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry in leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the husband of Jenny and the father of two sons, Jordan and Joshua. You can follow him on Twitter @jsmusgrove

Church Leadership

November 14, 2019

When Your Group isn’t Responsive

By Group Ministry

Listen! The sower went out to sow.” —Mark 4:3

The sower’s work is unimpressive. Try to picture the sower scattering the seed by hand. He walks 20 miles in a day, up and down the same field, and when he comes home his legs are tired and his arms are aching.

He looks back over the field, and it strikes him that after all his work the field looks exactly the same as it did that morning. Nothing has changed. He has worked all day, and what does he have to show for it? His effort hasn’t made any observable difference.

This is the hidden pressure of all spiritual work. I sometimes envy the guys who work in construction. At the end of the day you can see what you accomplished. But open the Word with your small group and sometimes you wonder if you’ve done anything at all!

Remember the Beatles’ song “Eleanor Rigby”?

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name.
Nobody came.

Father Mackenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave.
No one was saved.

Anyone who pours their energy into sharing the gospel knows what this is like: you work hard to sow the seed of the Word. But what comes of it?

How does the sower sustain himself in this work? How does he (or she) keep going? By having great confidence in the seed. The sower continues his work, because he is deeply convinced that the seed he is planting will bring a harvest pleasing to God.

I’ve been greatly helped by seeing that the doctrine of Scripture is not just what the Bible is (it is the word of God), but what the Bible does (it does the work of God).

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” —Psalm 19:7-8

This Word is perfect, trustworthy, right, and radiant…that’s what the Scripture is. It revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart, and light to the eyes…that’s what the Scripture does! And it does these things precisely because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword.

How do you sustain a ministry of the Word to your small group? Have confidence in this seed. Believe what Jesus is telling us here—this is how God’s kingdom comes. This is how Christ’s church is established. This is how lives are changed in every culture and generation.

Colin Smith (MPhil, London School of Theology) is Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a multi-campus church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and his ministry extends through his radio program Unlocking the Bible. He is also committed to mentoring next-generation pastors, missionaries, and church-planters through The Orchard Network. Colin and his wife, Karen, have two married sons and four grand-daughters.

Group Answers Podcast

November 13, 2019

Church Leadership

November 7, 2019

10 Ways to Optimize Small Group Bible Study

By Group Ministry

by Reid Smith

As a small group leader, there are things that you can do in your preparation for your gatherings that can optimize the impact of God’s Word on people’s lives (Hebrews 4:12). These practices will actually help your group members get the most out of your Bible study together and become more responsive to the transformational work of the Holy Spirit in their lives:

1. Pray for it – Give each gathering over to Jesus. Pray for each group member by name. Ask for specific break-throughs and invite the Holy Spirit to have His way.

2. Preview it – It is well worth taking 15-minutes before each meeting to…

Read the key passages in at least two different translations (bible.com or biblegateway.com)
Refer to cross-references and commentaries to give yourself a good feel of the context.
Review the questions that are a part of the study you are using and select ones you sense your group will grab onto the best.
Reduce the volume of material given by 50%. This helps the group time feel more relaxed and more focused, which increases overall participation.
Rephrase the questions you decide to use in ways you think will spark further dialogue. Restating the same question in different ways helps some people formulate their thoughts.

3. Facilitate it – Don’t get into ‘teaching mode’ or feel like you have to have all the answers. You want your group’s Bible study to be a peer-to-peer learning experience where every person’s insight and personality influences the discussion. Here are some reusable questions that can enliven the dynamic of any discussion:

- What stands out to you in this passage? What impacted you during the reading?
- Was there something read that is new for you, reaffirming, confusing or challenging?
- How can we apply this to our lives today?
- How could this be shared with people who do not yet know Christ?
- Be patient with moments of silence. If nobody shares after a few seconds, put the question in another way. Here are a few other facilitation tips that will help to accelerate spiritual conversations: 1) Be ready to answer questions briefly and naturally if nobody initiates after giving a prolonged pause 2) People think primarily in pictures so try to portray a topic visually by applying questions to personal stories or hypothetical situations 3) Provide guardrails to keep the discussion on track so you don’t drift too far off topic.

4. Include them – When people feel included, they feel like they belong. When people feel like they belong, they want to engage. When people are engaged, they grow. Time may not allow for every person to participate in the way they would like, but you can help them feel more included by…

- Giving each person a purpose to fulfill in the group that corresponds with their gifting and passion – start them off with small tasks that have a shorter-term commitment.
- Circling back to people who have not shared, but looked like they were on the verge of saying something.
- Make eye-contact with those who share, acknowledging their input with simple affirmations like, “Thanks for sharing” or “Good insight,” and then try to relate it back to the passage being studied or keep the momentum going by inviting others to add their thoughts.
- Expressing your love for them, e.g. “I’m so glad you’re a part of our group!” Simple acknowledgements go a very long way in boosting people’s sense of belonging, which optimizes group Bible study in the future.

5. Open up – Not enough can be said about the importance of authenticity. This is essential to healthy leadership and Bible studies. The more open you are, the more open others will be. You make the group feel safe when you are real and it frees people up to be themselves, which is the kind of community everyone wants.

6. Listen up – One of the best ways you can love on the people in your group is to listen to them. This will probably mean you lay aside your own interests, agenda, or things you would like to say. Give people your full attention and reflect back to them that you understand by nodding or putting what they said into your own words to make sure you heard them correctly. When people see that others are being heard, they will feel more secure about opening up and sharing things on their heart.

7. Lighten up – People tend to be more reserved when there is a serious edge to the study. A light-hearted atmosphere actually encourages more involvement. If you have fun with it all, others will too.

8. Wrap-up – Summarize what happened in your group and give a teaser for what’s next before you end your group on time.

9. Follow-up – If somebody asks a question or shares a personal prayer need during your group study, be sure to follow-up with them. Also, don’t hesitate to contact people who said they were going to be at your Bible study, but were not. Let them know they were missed and see if there is anything they need.

10. Offer up – The way a group stays healthy in the long-run and goes deeper in their Bible study is by letting the grace of God flow outward. He wants to use our Christ-centered community to engage the world, not insulate ourselves from it (Acts 2:47; Rom 1:16, 10:14-15). God always makes room for the lost so expand your group circle as much as possible (Luke 15). He will provide the time and space for additional members if our hearts are seeking to extend His grace to those who have yet to come home. Practically-speaking, you can offer up your group by…

- Turning your group’s attention to lost people during your time of discussion and prayer.
- Telling members that you would LOVE for them to invite people they know to your group.
- Thinking together about how your group can share God’s grace with spiritually empty people.
- Traveling to locations beyond the home where you meet, e.g. hold your study in a public space or go on a mission trip together.
- Transitioning your group into new seasons of study by empowering people to look after different aspects of your group’s life together or handing off more responsibility to a person who could co-lead with you. This will prepare your group to multiply so that more people can be impacted by the love and message of Jesus Christ.

You know you’ve been successful at optimizing your small group’s Bible study if your group members love more: Love God more, love people more, love the lost more, and love Scripture more!

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

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