Group Ministry

July 23, 2020

Politics and Your Small Group

By Jared Steven Musgrove

As group leaders, we take a lead role in maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Tense conversations are often part of growth together. Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent in the 21st century than in our politics.

Even when we aren’t facing a global pandemic, fruitful, meaningful, and productive political conversations can’t be had if we jump to conclusions about each other.

Politics may be defined as “the struggle that determines who gets what, when and how.” This struggle is rife with contention, war, conflict, influence, and power.

Yet, the church does not wrestle against flesh and blood. We are in a spiritual battle of Word, love, and actions and our call is to maintain the unity of the Spirit.

Below are some ground rules for navigating political conversations in your group. You might even consider sharing these points in your group meeting, letting group members know that you are praying about the coming elections and your time together as brothers and sisters. Invite them to join you in this.

Talk face-to-face. If you want to talk politics, it’s best to do so face-to-face.
Respect one another. Does this conversation seek to practice the “one anothers” of Scripture?
Speak with honesty and candor. If you disagree, say so politely. If a statement is hurtful, say that it was, and be quick to forgive. If you make a hurtful statement, be quick to apologize and seek forgiveness.
Give goodwill. Are you seeking to understand over being understood or validated? Are you seeking to be righteous over being right?
Be informed. Be okay with admitting if you are not informed and wish to talk about something else.

Dr. Jared Steven Musgrove is Groups Pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX and co-founder and Executive Director of communityleadership.org. He is married to Jenny and father to Jordan and Joshua.

Group Answers Podcast

July 22, 2020

Group Leadership

July 16, 2020

8 Keys for Building a Community Culture

By Group Ministry

By Reid Smith

Culture is something you feel. Every group of people and organization has a distinct culture. It’s the water in which you swim when you’re hanging out in an environment or with a group of people. It’s what you experience through all your senses when you are gathered with others who are included in it.

You, for example, are experiencing more than just coffee when you sit inside a Starbucks. There is a culture that has been intentionally and artistically created to entice customers to return and build brand loyalty. Although our motivations differ, church leaders want people to return and consistently engage in community life for infinitely more important reasons.

Pastors love it when people say their church feels like family. It’s always a win when folks say they feel like they belong and enjoy connecting with others each week. However, most leaders are not conscious about all the factors that contribute to this. The DNA of culture must be deliberately molded, and just like a potter with clay, it is best to do this at the very beginning of a new work.

Regardless of where you consider yourself in building a community culture in your church, here are eight keys I’ve discovered along the way that will help in this process:

Discern God’s plan for building community in your church and reaching your surrounding community with the power of the good news. It’s safe to assume the Lord is already at work building His church where you minister and your primary job is to figure out how that’s happening. Invariably, it will be a community of two or more people pursuing Christ together. So how is God already moving in your midst to reach the lost?
Decide together with your core leadership team how everyone will prioritize community and relationship-building. How will each one live it and lead it? The involvement of pastoral leadership in a church’s community life is the linchpin to the ongoing growth of biblical community. There is no substitute for what the most influential and visible people in the church model and advocate, particularly on the weekend.
Don’t allow groups to be viewed as another ministry program/department of the church or as something that good Christians do. A programmatic paradigm can be lethal to the life of organic community. It is not groups that we’re after ultimately…it’s what happens in groups. Biblical community empowers believers and churches to function as the body of Christ should (Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 12:21-27).
Dedicate resources towards building community. Invest time, energy, and money into the leaders and resources that serve as the life source of community in your church. By virtue of resourcing this area of your church, you will be enhancing all areas. There is no shortcut to healthy ministry that flows out of healthy relationships.
Discover who is gifted in communications and beat the drum of community every chance you get. You want to show and tell people what you believe about the importance of biblical community in their spiritual growth and well-being. Use all forms of communication: platform, print, digital, visual, and stories to convey what God is doing through the community life of your church.
Design a community life calendar and include no less than three church-wide opportunities per year for people to get plugged in. Present new ways for people to get connected in new types of groups. Feature existing groups and new group startups in your weekend announcements, website, social media platforms, slides, etc.
Determine that every event you host or program you run will be used as an opportunity to help people take their next step toward greater engagement in your church’s community life. Churches tend to pour a lot of time and energy into planning events but the next step for people to take is an afterthought. Flip this. When events are built around a clear next step, more people are inspired to actually do something and you’ll see measurable fruit from your organized activities.
Devote yourself to building a community culture. The journey will be filled with successes and setbacks, but stay with it. Study churches that do it well and read books by leaders who are community building champions themselves. Attend groups conferences and take staff and key volunteers with you. In other words, be a learner and take others along with you. Never settle.

This is all worth doing wholeheartedly because healthy spiritual relationships are essential to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 1:7, 3:14, 4:20). Furthermore, when spiritually lost people come to a loving community, they tend to come to Christ (Acts 2:47; John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:12). Building a community culture is not optional for a church that wants to advance God’s mission in the world and these keys will help you and your team in the process.

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He lives in Wellington, Florida where he serves as a Groups Pastor at Christ Fellowship. You can find more of his helpful resources at www.reidsmith.org.

Group Answers Podcast, Uncategorized

July 15, 2020

Group Answers Episode 161: Relaunching Groups for the Fall

By Group Ministry

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Ken discuss why it’s important to launch and relaunch groups in the Fall.

Questions Discussed:

What is special about launching groups in the Fall?
What about existing groups that haven’t been meeting this summer? Can they be relaunched with new people, or should they just restart?
What are the barriers to think through for groups meeting this Fall?
What about virtual/online/hybrid groups? Is that a long-term strategy?
Timeline for a fall launch?

Resources:

Facebook Live Video

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.

Group Answers Podcast

July 8, 2020

Group Answers Episode 160: Bible Study Outside of the Classroom

By Group Ministry

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk to Dr. Dwayne McCrary about ideas for continuing the Bible study when the group cannot meet at the church building.

Dwayne McCrary leads various teams at LifeWay that create ongoing Bible study resources for adults. He also teaches two weekly ongoing Bible study groups in his church and is an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Questions Discussed:

Why is it important for Bible study to continue – even if groups are not meeting every Sunday at the church building?
How are groups using Explore the Bible material outside of the classroom?
As groups begin to reassemble, regardless of where, what suggestions would you give them?
What advice would you give Education Pastors as they think about the near future for on-campus groups?

Resources:

Explore the Bible

Church Leadership

July 7, 2020

Relaunching Groups in the Fall – A Facebook Live Discussion

By Group Ministry

Even in a pandemic, fall is still the best time to hit the reset button and relaunch your groups. This free interactive Facebook Live event can help. LifeWay’s Chris Surratt and Ken Braddy will share their ideas, discuss best practices, and answer your questions. Whether your groups meet on-campus, off-campus, or online, you’re sure to pick up some tips to help you relaunch your groups in a big and healthy way. There’s no sign-up required. Just go to www.facebook.com/lifewaygroups/live/ Tuesday, July 14 at 1 p.m. CDT to join the event.

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

Other than serving as the manager for LifeWay’s ongoing adult Bible studies and as the director of Sunday School, Ken is an 18-year church education staff leader, and he blogs regularly about Sunday School and groups ministry at kenbraddy.com. https://kenbraddy.com

Church Leadership, Group Leadership

July 2, 2020

Avoiding Spiritual Drift in an Era of COVID-19

By Group Ministry

By Susan Hill

The world-renowned Olympic runner, Louis Zamperini, was serving in World War II when his plane crashed in the South Pacific. Only Zamperini and two others survived the accident. Days later, one of the three survivors died from exposure to the harsh elements while being stranded on the Pacific Ocean. For forty-seven days, Zamperini and his only surviving comrade floated on life rafts hoping to be rescued. By the time they were located, they’d drifted an astonishing 2000 miles into Japanese-controlled territory, and were taken as captives to a POW camp.

Not many of us will experience life-threatening circumstances that cause us to drift two thousand miles off course into enemy territory. But we are all at risk of spiritual drift, especially in an era of COVID-19. Spiritual drift is subtle and seldom intentional. But the reality is if we aren’t careful, we too, can find ourselves off-track.

The shutdowns and school closings caused by COVID-19 have been disruptive to our schedules, and most aspects of our lives have been impacted. The inability to meet in person for worship and Bible study, coupled with the changes in our daily schedules, has, in some cases, compromised spiritual disciplines like worship, Bible study, and prayer. Although some churches are beginning to reopen slowly, we are still a long way from our regular routines. The Bible warns of spiritual drift, and as leaders, it’s our responsibility to shepherd the flock God has entrusted to us. The apostle Peter wrote, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

So, as a leader, how can you navigate your group members away from spiritual drift during an era of COVID-19?

Encourage group members to establish a new normal. All indicators point to the reality that we will be dealing with the repercussions of COVID-19 for some time. As we wait for things to return to normal, encourage your group members to establish new practices that incorporate worship, Bible study, and prayer into their daily routines. This might include an online Bible study, Zoom meetings, or creative ways to remain plugged into the local church. Make sure your group members know the “new normal” will likely look different than what they are used to, and that’s OK. The goal isn’t perfection, but to maintain a healthy spiritual life during a season that has been characterized by disruption.
Stress the importance of staying present in the local church. Even though churches are re-introducing in-person worship services, some group members may not be able to return to traditional services due to risk factors related to COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean they can’t stay plugged in with the local church. Encourage group members to participate in online services as long as they are unable to attend in person. Also, many churches are holding traditional prayer meetings and weeknight Bible studies in an online format. These are excellent options for those who are not yet able to return to in-person worship.
Emphasize the importance of connection. We can all agree; the last several months have been stressful for numerous reasons. Now, more than ever, group members need to be connected with other people in the body of Christ. Spiritual drift is inevitable when we are disconnected from other believers. The Bible makes it clear that God intends for His people to live in biblical community, and we are at risk when we attempt to go it alone. We’ll get through this season of COVID-19, but we need each other, and we need to stay grounded in our faith.

Some of your group members may be drifting and don’t realize it. Simply talking about the risk of spiritual drift will help them evaluate where they are. Author and theologian D.A. Carson wrote, “People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, and delight in the Lord.” As leaders, we have the privilege to help those we serve to grow in their faith and gently redirect when they get off-track.

Susan Hill is a writer, Bible teacher, and full-time editor at LifeWay. She is the author of Dangerous Prayers: 50 Powerful Prayers That Changed the World, as well as numerous devotional books. She and her husband John live near Nashville, TN with two unruly Golden Doodles.

Group Answers Podcast

July 1, 2020

Group Answers Podcast

June 24, 2020

Group Answers Episode 158: Derwin Gray & Alexandra Hoover

By Group Ministry

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk to Dr. Derwin Gray and Alexandra Hoover about the new book and Bible Study, The Good Life.

Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community in Indian Land, South Carolina, just south of Charlotte, North Carolina. Gray met his wife, Vicki, at Brigham Young University (BYU). They have been married since 1992 and have two adult children.

After graduating from BYU, he played professional football in the NFL for five years with the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. In 2008, Gray graduated from Southern Evangelical Seminary magna cum laude with a Master of Divinity, with a concentration in Apologetics. While there, he was mentored by renowned theologian and philosopher Dr. Norman Geisler. In 2018, Gray received his Doctor of Ministry in the New Testament in Context at Northern Seminary under Dr. Scot McKnight. In 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary.

Gray is the author of Hero: Unleashing God’s Power in a Man’s Heart (2009), Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future (2013), Crazy Grace for Crazy Times Bible Study (2015), and The High-Definition Leader (2015).

Alexandra Hoover is a wife, mother, Bible teacher, and writer. She has the privilege of serving on staff at Transformation Church as the Assistant Director of Equipping. She’s passionate about communicating the love of Jesus, whether it be through writing or speaking.

Questions Discussed:

When we were planning and creating this study last October, we had no idea where the world would be in June as the study released. How does the message of the Beatitudes speak uniquely to this time?
How does The Good Life fit into any effective discipleship strategy?
In the book and in the study we use Ken Boa’s Upward, Inward, Outward strategy, how is this a helpful way to understand the Sermon on the Mount (or any Scripture) and apply it to our lives?
You are an intentional multi-ethnic, multi-generational church, how does this conviction shape the way you do groups?
Like practically every church, Transformation Church has had to adapt its ministry to a constantly changing environment. What has worked in terms of virtual and on-line groups and what would you share in terms of successes?

Resources:

The Good Life Bible Study

Group Leadership

June 18, 2020

Glossary of Terms for Small Group Leaders

By Group Ministry

You hear the word “discipleship” and become excited. You see fellow believers and can’t wait to find ways to help them grow closer to Christ.

But what do you need to know?

As a leader entrusted with group discipleship, you need to have an understanding of basic small group language. Whether you’ve been leading for years but have actually never learned the definition of some terms or if you’re simply looking to get a foundational understanding for starting your small group leadership journey—this glossary of terms is for you.

Small Group: Groups of people who meet together outside of the church building for Bible study and community are often referred to as “Small Groups.” These groups will usually meet in someone’s home, a neighborhood or apartment clubhouse, a coffee shop or restaurant, or a breakroom at the office. While most small groups will have some type of Bible study as a part of the meetings, the drive to gather is built primarily on the desire for community. The study portion is facilitated by a host, rather than taught by a teacher. These groups will typically meet weekly or bi-weekly.

Sunday School: Groups who meet on a church campus (normally during the Sunday morning worship hours) are often referred to as “Sunday School groups.” While community can be encouraged in a Sunday morning group, the drive for these groups to meet is primarily Bible study. A Sunday School teacher will prepare a lesson plan based on the agreed upon curriculum, and participants are encouraged to follow-up with personal study during the week. These groups meet weekly.

Discipleship: This comes from the singular command Jesus left us in Matthew 28:19: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” By definition, a disciple is a learner. We are constantly learning what it means to be more Christlike in our everyday lives. The ultimate goal of every group or relationship should be to help someone else become more like Christ—to create disciples who create disciples.

If your group is going through a traditional Bible study, then the differences below should be noted.

Bible Study Book: This is the core resource for your small group members. Bible Study books are just that: a group and personal use resource (essentially a workbook) that guides you through studying the Bible. Typically, Bible study books are formatted in “sessions” that correlate to a one-week period. Often, groups use session 1 for week 1 of their group meeting and continue with 1 session per week through the rest of the study. Each Bible study session typically includes content that sets up the video session, discussion questions for your group, and concludes with “personal study” portions. This personal study is often in the form of follow-up devotions for group members to continue the study’s content between the small group meetings.

Leader Kit: This is the core resource for you as the small group leader. Leader Kits include not only one copy of the Bible study book but also additional materials. These kits contain the DVDs for the study which include the teaching videos as well as various promotional materials to spread the word about the Bible study. The videos correspond to each session of the Bible Study book and typically are 10 – 15 minute sessions directly from the author. The kit also has a download code if your group does not have access to a DVD player and a redeemable code for the WORDsearch Bible—a resource with additional Bible study materials to enhance your knowledge as a group leader.

Group Use Videos: These video options allow you to access the teaching content (included on the DVDs in the leader kit) without purchasing a leader kit. Instead of a physical disc, these are downloadable videos that provide the same instructive content to aid your group’s Bible study journey. They are available for purchase or rental.

Individual Use Videos: If you are not completing a Bible study as a group but are engaging with the resource for your own personal use, you can purchase or rent the individual use videos. These videos are the same teaching sessions available on the leader kit’s DVDs but are downloadable and priced at a lower point since they will not be shared between multiple group members.

No matter your experience leading a group, we can all grow in our knowledge as small group leaders. One term at a time, let’s keep striving to make disciples who make more disciples.

Relaunching Groups in the Fall – A Facebook Live Discussion

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