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Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 126: Group Killers – Relationship Breakups

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Eddie talk about what to do if there is a relationship breakup in your group. Eddie Mosley is the Adult Minister of Groups at Brentwood Baptist Church. Eddie is author of Connecting in Communities, Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups and various other articles on practical approaches to reaching people for Bible study.  He is a sought-after speaker for small group ministry as well as neighborhood impact.  His passion is to help leaders develop a strategy to implement Small Groups that build community and impact their communities. Eddie completed an M.Div degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min degree at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Ideas Discussed:

  • Do not take sides. 
  • Help them find new groups. 
  • Be honest and open with the group. 
  • Allow God to strengthen relationships in the group. 

Episode Sponsor

Blackbaud Church Management connects your staff and congregation, ensuring deeper relationships and effective ministry. To see how to connect your church community with one holistic system, visit hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement.

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

10 Ways to Optimize Small Group Bible Study

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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.

 

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 125: Group Killers – People Not Returning

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Eddie talk about how to make sure people want to come back to your group a second time. Eddie Mosley is the Adult Minister of Groups at Brentwood Baptist Church. Eddie is author of Connecting in Communities, Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups and various other articles on practical approaches to reaching people for Bible study.  He is a sought-after speaker for small group ministry as well as neighborhood impact.  His passion is to help leaders develop a strategy to implement Small Groups that build community and impact their communities. Eddie completed an M.Div degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min degree at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Reasons Discussed:

  • The group has been together for a while and it’s hard to see a place to fit in. 
  • There is no time invested in building community. 
  • There is no intentionality behind the studies chosen. 
  • The leader dominates the discussion. 
  • The leader is unprepared for the group meeting. 

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

Give ‘em Jesus!

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by Tyler Quillet

In my years as a pastor, my co-worker and dear friend, Nate, would always give me one last bit of encouragement before I spoke or taught God’s word. Whether it be a sermon, a funeral, a class, or any other speaking opportunity, he’d end our time by saying, “Give ‘em Jesus!” It was like breaking the huddle in football, in a way, with that final encouragement and reminder to go and do exactly what we’ve been called to do.

Unfortunately, we all need that reminder. It’s unfortunate because we often forget to give ‘em Jesus. As those who teach God’s word, lead small groups, and disciple other believers, we can often get in God’s way, making our talk or discussion more about ourselves, our ideas, or our agenda. It’s oftentimes not on purpose, but it is a regular habit that we fail to simply give them God’s truth because we have so much stuff we want them to hear.

Here are a few ways that we can better “Give ‘em Jesus” when we are leading, teaching, or simply having a Gospel conversation instead of leading with or supporting truth with our opinions or agendas.

  • Lead with scriptural truth.

Be sure that your focus is on God’s word and not just what you think about what God’s word is trying to say. Make God’s word the foundation of everything you teach.

  • Back up scripture with more scripture.

As you unpack God’s word, be sure to do so by supporting the main text with more scripture. It’s easy to allow yourself to trail off with opinions instead of focusing on the word itself.

  • Don’t use personal illustrations that prop you up or make you look good.

When you need to tell a story to help teach the text, use one that props someone else up, but always make sure that it supports the text and brings them back to the truth you just read in scripture. Don’t let any illustrations take away from the scripture.

  • Magnify Jesus at every opportunity.

This is a given, but always keep this at the forefront of your mind as you teach. You are God’s mouthpiece, whatever context it is that you are teaching in. Make much of Jesus and take every opportunity you have to point your audience or group to Him.

As a group leader or discipler, it is easy for those you are leading to rely too heavily on you. Making your time in the word with these people about you will eventually lead them to believe that it’s you that gives them truth, you that brings them comfort, you that has the answers, and you that they go to for help. Your job as a leader, as a teacher, and as a discipler is to point them to Jesus at every opportunity.

Going back to the beginning, it’s easy for us to get in the way. It’s easy to make much of ourselves. It’s easy to push our opinions or agendas, sometimes without even thinking about it. So, we all need the simple reminder each and every time we have an opportunity to share God’s word with others: “Give ‘em Jesus!”

Tyler Quillet is the Discipleship Strategist for the Custom Bible Study team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He lives in the Nashville, TN area with his incredible wife, Cathie, and two boys, Cylas and Bowen. Tyler also speaks, writes, and coaches alongside Cathie as they pour into and love on the infertile community through Cathie’s “The Missing Peace Project”. Tyler previously spent 15 years as a pastor and is passionate about serving churches and pouring into church leaders in a variety of ways. 

 

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 124: Group Killers – Holidays

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian, Chris, and Brandon, discuss how holidays can kill a small group.

Ideas for groups during holidays:

  • Serve a local missions organization.
  • Do an online study together.
  • Plan a pre-Thanksgiving alternative meal.
  • Plan an early December Christmas party and then take a break.
  • Get your first meeting in January on the calendar.

Quotes:

Breaks can kill your group.

Most people don’t look forward to the months with heavy winters.

An exhale can become a permanent hiatus for some members.

Anytime you get out of the rhythm of meeting, it’s hard to get it back together again.

Not ending your group well, and starting back well, can hurt your group.

Think of your group as family and friends. You want to spend time with them during breaks.

Schedule parties and get togethers as early as possible in the month, and then take a break from meeting every week.

Letting people know that it is the end, helped our group. Everyone in our group showed up for the Christmas party.

Don’t try to get back together too early in January.

We roll out the schedule for December in August.

This Episode’s Sponsor: Every church must be equipped to respond well in the initial stages of learning about instances of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. That is why the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay, and ERLC partnered together to create Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused. This training curriculum of a handbook and 13 videos brings together top experts from various fields to help volunteers and leaders understand and implement the best practices for handling the variety of abuse scenarios at church, school, or ministry. You can access this free training at ChurchCares.com.

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

Discover the Secret Ingredient to a Successful Sunday School

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by Bruce Raley

So what makes for a successful Sunday School? For more than 30 years, I have trained, spoken and written on this topic. I have addressed the need for solid Bible study. I have trained leaders on the need for organization within the groups. I have written about the need for groups and leaders to reproduce. I still believe all of these are important … even crucial.

But perhaps there are a few secret ingredients to success. In fact, a group might do all of the actions above and still find that something is missing.

Maybe there is a need to just lighten up. There … I said it. Just smile. And laugh. Express joy.

I have been in Sunday School groups that are just way too uptight. The leader is too serious. The members all have stern looks on their faces from the time they enter until the time they leave. In fact, they carry that seriousness straight into the worship service, and probably on to the restaurant afterwards.

Wonder why guests might not come back a second time? Wonder why some people choose to join another group? Wonder why some just quit attending?

Proverbs 15:13 says “A joyful heart makes a face cheerful.” We should come together with joyful hearts. And if we have joyful hearts, it shows on our faces and in our countenance.

Certainly there are times when the group is solemn, addressing serious needs or topics. But there should also be abundant times when the group is laughing, smiling and enjoying being together as they study God’s Word.

1. It makes for an enjoyable experience.

So much of life today is intense. Many people work in difficult environments. Family and financial stress are found among many. Pressures of life push from every direction at times. So couldn’t your Sunday School group be a time when people enjoy being together and find encouragement and strength in God’s Word? Even in studying difficult passages and discussing serious topics, we find our Lord Jesus and the hope found in the gospel. That should make us joyful!

2. It makes the session memorable.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time to laugh. Let’s be honest. How many of us can remember our study topic from two weeks ago? Even as a teacher, I have a difficult time remembering. But I do remember those present and whether we enjoyed the time together. I remember the session lasted longer than scheduled because we were all engaged. I do remember I enjoyed being there.

3. It brings people together.

We want to be around people who are full of joy. We want to gather with those who encourage us. We want to join together with people who enjoy life.

So loosen up. This Sunday … laugh, smile, and enjoy your time together!

Bruce Raley serves as Executive Pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN. A native of Hot Springs, AR, he previously served as Director of Church Partnerships and Church Education for LifeWay Christian Resources for 10 years. While at LifeWay, he personally trained hundreds of new church leaders. He also served on staff at First Baptist Church of Panama City, FL, and Walnut Street Baptist Church of Jonesboro, AR.

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 123: Group Killers – Gossip

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian, Chris, and Brandon, discuss how gossip can kill a small group if it is not addressed early and quickly.

Ideas to head off gossip:

  • Include a confidentiality clause in the group covenant.
  • Recognize when a prayer need is turning into gossip.
  • Continually remind the members of the group’s mission.
  • Ask a member to leave the group as a last resort.

Quotes:

Gossip can sometimes creep into group and kill it.

Gossip has been around as long as there has been people.

Prayer request time is fertile ground for gossip.

You can sometimes eliminate personal names to help eliminate gossip during prayer.

Personal gossip is where you just want to talk about yourself.

The formal definition of gossip could be categorized as a lie.

When you agree what the group is about, it allows you to shape the group to be Word centered.

Helping someone change community, can get them into a new culture and impact their behavior.

This Episode’s Sponsor: Every church must be equipped to respond well in the initial stages of learning about instances of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. That is why the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay, and ERLC partnered together to create Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused. This training curriculum of a handbook and 13 videos brings together top experts from various fields to help volunteers and leaders understand and implement the best practices for handling the variety of abuse scenarios at church, school, or ministry. You can access this free training at ChurchCares.com.

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

Seven Indicators Your Group Is a Disciple-Making Group

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by Rick Howerton

There is much discussion about disciple-making and small groups. It seems to me that, for a period of time, the small group movement elevated community and diminished disciple-making. While the two go hand-in-hand, there are some elements of disciple-making that must be in play if we’re going to grow mature disciples who then make disciples. Use the list below to indicate whether or not your groups ministry has as its primary agenda focused on making disciples.

1. The goal of the group is to learn and obey God’s expectations (Matt. 28:20), not just to gather for meetings and be there for one another in difficult times.

2. Group members are aware of and encouraging one another to come out of their comfort zones when God’s expectations demand it.

3. The person leading the group has been trained in the disciple-making process and realizes their role is much more than just hosting meetings and fellowship experiences.

4. Group members are fully aware that the group leader is their personal disciple-maker and allow the group leader to encourage them and hold them accountable.

5. The person leading the group knows the stages of spiritual transformation, is aware of the level of spiritual maturity of each group member, and is moving each group member toward the next stage.

6. The person leading the group expects and holds group members accountable to read and study the Bible daily and spend time in prayer, as these two disciplines are the primary disciplines necessary for spiritual growth to occur.

7. The person leading the group takes very seriously modeling the lifestyle of Jesus for the growing disciples they lead.

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.”
Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 122: Ben Mandrell

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian and Chris talk with LifeWay’s newly elected 10th President, Ben Mandrell. Ben had served as lead pastor of Storyline Fellowship in Arvada, CO since its founding in 2014. A native of Tampico, Ill. , Mandrell graduated from Anderson (Ind.) University in 1998. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. , and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Union University. Mandrell and his wife, Lynley, have been married 18 years. The couple has four children: Ava (15), Max (14), Miles (12) and Jack (11).

Quotes:

Our lives are a blank check, and God can rewrite that check at any moment.

It’s when I step off the cliff and trust God that I have grown the most.

Let’s talk about health, because healthy things grow.

Invite people into your life and not into a location.

Evangelism is friendship and caring for people at a deeper level.

We just tried to listen to culture and respond to it.

There are a lot of different ways to do small groups.

In Denver, people loved the authenticity of being in people’s homes.

The practical side of ministry is what younger people are longing to be taught in.

How do we create more life-on-life, with solid content, where people can learn and grow together?

When you set a group free to have conversation around the Bible, it’s going to get messy.

The relationship between our Groups Pastor and group leaders was super important.

Process eliminates the need for heroics.

There are moments in my life where I have allowed fear to overwhelm me.

I am learning more-and-more to embrace fear. Hard is the normal in the Christian life.

Books Mentioned:

Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

Getting Things Done by David Allen

This Episode’s Sponsor: Every church must be equipped to respond well in the initial stages of learning about instances of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. That is why the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay, and ERLC partnered together to create Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused. This training curriculum of a handbook and 13 videos brings together top experts from various fields to help volunteers and leaders understand and implement the best practices for handling the variety of abuse scenarios at church, school, or ministry. You can access this free training at ChurchCares.com.

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

Selecting and Developing Co-leaders

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by Reid Smith 

One of the greatest preventable mistakes made by group leaders is when they try to carry too much – the “I’ll just do it myself” syndrome. If we follow the examples of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, we will purposefully develop others as they serve alongside us (Luke 6:12–13; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Your health and balance as a leader – not to mention the overall health of the group – is dependent on others who will serve alongside you. Having someone to co-lead your group will enhance how you connect with the diversity of people circled up with you. Your co-leader will strengthen how people are cared for in your group and can provide feedback that you would not have otherwise received (Proverbs 27:17). The impact of your leadership will be increased exponentially with the support of one or more co-leaders.

We can find guidance on how to select co-leaders in Luke 6:12-13: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.” In this passage, Jesus gives us a four-step process for choosing a co-leader:

  1. He prayed – Earnestly seek the Lord for clear direction and wait until you get it.
  2. He called – Initiate a time to personally connect with who He places on your heart.
  3. He chose – Tell prospective co-leaders what you see in them and why you’re choosing them to partner with you (cf. Mt 16:16-19).
  4. He designated – Empower them to champion specific aspects of group life in keeping with how God has graced them. For practical ways on how you can go about this, see my post entitled: “Leveraging Spiritual Gifts to Build Community.”

In the process of selecting your co-leader, let them know how you’ll work with them, what it looks like and what they can expect. Start with the end in mind and share a vision for how their leadership will help grow biblical community. Ultimately, experienced co-leaders multiply options for handling numerical growth so new groups can branch out and more people can connect to Christ and the community of His Church.

Groups that have more members taking on more responsibilities are better at making disciples who grow deep and impact wide. Now let’s turn our attention to some tips and tactics for developing your co-leader:

  • Give your co-leader smaller tasks at first and look for opportunities to celebrate their accomplishments. After a period of time, let the group know how this person is helping the group in this role of service (Matthew 23:11-12; Mark 10:42-45). In other words, don’t announce that somebody is your co-leader before they’ve started as if it’s a position, but rather affirm the difference their support is already making for the group.
  • In the beginning, be sure to shower your co-leader with encouragement. As the relationship grows, you can address areas where they need further development. Be sure to end your coaching times on a positive note, and pray together.
  • As co-leaders progress, increase their level of responsibility by preparing for meetings and taking the lead with special events and outreaches. Don’t just delegate tasks to them, but empower them to succeed with greater assignments by applying the following developmental model:
    • I do, you watch
    • I do, you help
    • You do, I help
    • You do, I watch
  • Find ways to share your life with your co-leader outside of regular meeting times. Meet them on their home turf. Discover what’s in their heart and what outcomes they want to achieve in the next season of your group.
  • Know their birthday, anniversary, and what makes them smile, e.g. a specialty coffee, dessert, handwritten note, etc. Then deliver on it!
  • Pray for them by name each day. Keep notes on needs and answers to prayer that you can revisit with them.
  • Take time with your co-leader to informally debrief group meetings while the experience is still fresh. Ask them to share their observations: What did they feel good about? What observations or questions do they have?
  • Make your relationship a priority by listening to their questions, empathizing with their anxiety, and sharing helpful resources that will build their leadership competency.
  • Share the frequency with which you’d like to communicate, but do it using methods they prefer, e.g. text, phone, FaceTime/Zoom, email, social media, etc. (See my post entitled “Leadership Investment Rhythms” for more on how you can organize for this.)
  • Make an encouraging deposit into their leadership at least once a month with Scripture, quotes, an excerpt or executive summary of a book, video or podcast.
  • Loop them into the larger network of leaders you know so they glean from their wisdom and grow in confidence.
  • Don’t limit yourself to just one co-leader: Invite group members to take on more responsibility when you sense they are ready for it! People can serve in a variety of ways that will create full-bodied group life and develop their leadership through outreach, communications, coordinating meals or childcare, social outings, etc.

It is never too early to appoint co-leaders! The Apostle Paul knew this. He usually had dozens of people around him who were friends and “fellow-workers” (Philemon 1:24). Several from his missionary band led house churches that were instrumental with the initial spread of the Gospel! Then and now, the multiplication of healthy leaders and groups depend on the kind of missional partnership that is forged with co-leaders (Philippians 1:3-6).

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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