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Spanish Flu and the Decision Faced when Groups Regathered

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As the spanish flu began to subside, churches began to meet again and a renewed interest in Bible study followed (per BSSB report in 1919 SBC annual). Most of us can understand why that would be the case as we meet on Zoom with others. We understand the need for face-to-face interaction with people. We miss the freedom and trust that only comes with in-person conversation.

In 1919, First Baptist Church of Ft. Worth, TX (FBCFW) hired a “church manager” to oversee their ongoing groups. They hired Arthur Flake who had been a field worker from 1909 to 1919 for the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay). Most point to this as the beginning of the minister of education role in the local church. This appears to have been a response to the renewed interest in Bible study groups. The pastor, J. Frank Norris, and Flake were paid the same salary. The value placed on this position may illustrate the recognized need for leading an effective ongoing Bible study ministry on the regathering side of the Spanish flu pandemic. 

FBCFW reported that they had 3,000 members and 4,000 enrolled in ongoing Bible study groups (Sunday School) in 1919. By 1920, they became the largest Sunday School organization in the US. We should note that not all their groups met on Sunday or on campus. They focused on creating groups that sought people not connected to another church (lost people) and the numbers reported bear this out. This was counter to what was happening elsewhere. The renewed interest in Bible study groups came mostly from people who missed meeting with other believers during the Spanish Flu quarantine. The renewed focus was on community with other believers and the nurturing role Bible study groups played. Flake saw it differently and built groups that focused on reaching people who were not believers. After six months, Flake returned to the Baptist Sunday School Board.. Upon his return, Flake influenced Southern Baptist churches to focus on the reaching function of open Bible study groups, proposing a five step process for creating groups that did just that; the same process he perfected while at FBCFW (per Fuel the Fire by Chuck Kelley and LifeWay Legacy by Jimmy Draper).

Today, we are hearing the same renewed interest in Bible study groups. Some of that interest is being expressed by people who were not involved in a group prior to COVID. However, much of what we hear is the desire for Christian community which tends to focus on believers and the nurture element of Bible study. Many of those who ignored the reaching opportunity in 1919 (those focused primarily on nurturing believers) eventually turned to Flake in an effort to curb their decline (the potential for growth of intentional open groups is larger since the pool is all people and not only those already in the church). 

Herein sits a warning and opportunity. A move toward community was already happening prior to COVID-19 (functionally closed groups that focused on nurturing the existing body), but now we have a renewed opportunity to reclaim the opening of that community to lost people. What we face may very well be the same opportunity faced by church leaders in 1919 with the same forked road sitting in front of us. Which path will we take?

Dwayne McCrary leads some teams that create ongoing Bible study resources at LifeWay including Explore the Bible (goExploreTheBible.com). He teaches two groups in his church (one for empty nesters and one for three year olds) and is an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City.

Group Leadership

Equip Your Group with Resources from Tony Evans

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Whether you’ve been a believer for a few days or for many years, you’ve likely come across a sermon, video, or other resource that originated with the ministry of Tony Evans.

Who is Tony Evans?

Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, former chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and author of over 100 books, booklets, and Bible studies. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard daily on more than 1,400 U.S. outlets and in more than 130 countries.

The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. He launched the Tony Evans Training Center in 2017, an online learning platform providing quality seminary-style courses for a fraction of the cost to any person in any place. The goal of the center is to increase Bible literacy not only for lay people but also for those Christian leaders who cannot afford nor find the time for formal ongoing education.

Dr. Tony Evans was married to his late wife Lois for nearly 50 years. They are the proud parents of four, grandparents of thirteen and great-grandparents of two. 

What has he recently released?

Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American.

The CSB team shares: “The Tony Evans Study Bible includes extensive study notes and other ancillary resources carefully crafted and curated by Dr. Tony Evans as General Editor and adapted from his sermons, teachings, and writings. These features are strategically placed alongside the biblical text to explain God’s Word in a fresh way. Applying these truths will empower readers to have transformed lives that then transfer the values of the kingdom of God to others.”

Two Resources to Equip Your Group During this Season of Isolation

One of LifeWay Men’s bestelling Bible studies, No More Excuses, has now been adapted into a newly released devotional: No More Excuses: A 90-Day Devotional for Men. And right now, you can get both his insightful study Bible and devotional for a 40% discount.

We’re still living in the effects of a COVID-19 ridden-world. Your group might look different right now than at other times. The combination of these two resources can help group members who might be more isolated during this time have the personalized study and devotional encouragement they need.

To find out more, visit: https://www.lifeway.com/en/contributors/t/tony-evans?vid=tonyevans.

 

Group Leadership

Four Thoughts on Racial Reconciliation

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Like many people, the tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have led me to pause, pray, and pursue the Lord. As I process this, I had a thought I could not shake. 

I’m 35 now. My father was 34 when Rodney King was beaten by the L.A.P.D. in 1991. My grandfather was 35 in 1963 when four men placed a bomb on the exterior wall of 16th Street Baptist Church, murdering four little girls and injuring 22 others. Our entire family is from Birmingham, Alabama. We grew up a mere 10 miles from the church. Sure, the world has changed over the last 50 years but not enough. 

What must I do if I want the world to be different when my little girl is 35? What must we as the church do if we want the world to be different? 

I’m new to this work and am certainly not an expert, but here are few thoughts I’ve had that might help other Christians like me respond to the ongoing discussion about injustice and racial inequality both personally, and in the groups we lead in our churches. 

First, we need to pray. As people who believe the world has been corrupted by sin, we should not be surprised that sin has corrupted our hearts as well as the systems designed to protect us. Therefore, we must repent and ask God to reveal our own hidden sin and forgive us. Then we must call on the Lord to fix broken systems, so they are equitable and just for people of every color. 

Second, we need to teach the whole counsel of God. The same message which has redeemed our souls to God also has the power to reconcile us to our neighbor. Racism is a sin that must be condemned. Those of us who teach regularly need to teach against racism exegetically, topically, and systematically in the same way we would teach about abortion or any other issue. If we’re people of the Book, we need to teach the whole Book.

Third, we need to pay attention. We need to read books and follow people on social media who will help us understand experiences we haven’t lived. When brothers and sisters of color share their experiences, we need to listen and believe them. Sharing your struggle and pain with others is always difficult. It is particularly difficult when your experience is continually misunderstood or dismissed. Listening is the minimum that love requires. If Jesus is near to the broken-hearted and uplifts the crushed in spirit, we should be as well. 

Lastly, we need to act. We should not be like the lawyer who sought to justify himself by asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” We know the answer to this question. All people, without qualification, are our neighbors. The Scriptures call us to act out of love and care for our neighbor. Therefore, moved by prayer and the Word of God, we need to build bridges with people who do not look like us. We need to speak up when we see injustice, and advocate to change inequitable policies and systems. There are many steps to take, and the journey may feel overwhelming. But for the world to change, Christians need to get moving. 

If you’re new to this conversation and looking to take a first step, consider working through a group study designed to help you think through these crucial issues from a Christian framework such as The Church and the Racial Divide or Imago Dei. 

Reid Patton is an editor and content creator for Lifeway Christian Resources. For the past ten years, he has developed Bible studies for pastors and churches across the country. Outside of work, Reid enjoys reading books, following the NBA, listening to records, watching movies, and researching his next trip to Walt Disney World. He lives in Spring Hill, TN with his wife, Kristen, and daughter, Ceile. You can find him on Twitter at @jreidpatton.

Church Leadership, Group Leadership

Avoiding Spiritual Drift in an Era of COVID-19

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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 Leadership

Glossary of Terms for Small Group Leaders

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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.

 

Group Leadership

Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness in Unprecedented Times

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You’ve heard it said, many times by now. These are unprecedented times.

Truth is, they are in many ways. But it’s also true that these times are exposing things in our life, work, relationships, and goals that might seem unprecedented. Yet, these times aren’t revealing just inward realities. They’ve once again called to our attention the underlying realities of deep injustice amid a time of global health crisis.

Derwin Gray shares about the desire for a deeper justice in his newly released Bible study “The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness” (partially excerpted below):

America is in the middle of a mass shooting epidemic. The past year has been filled with news of sexual abuse that religious leaders were covering up. These leaders were supposed to represent Christ and protect children. When we think about the many homeless men and women sleeping on the streets, children without parents, the thousands of abortions that will happen in one day, and the many other injustices that occur daily in our broken, grieving world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the magnitude of the needs.

Perhaps prolific injustice has even led some of us to wonder how there can really be a powerful, loving God if there’s so much ugliness in the world. If you find yourself there today, keep reading. Whether or not you realize it now, your anger, disappointment, and desire for the ugly realities of our broken world to be fixed are a longing for the beauty of God. Consider this question:

How do we know something is unjust unless we believe there’s a standard of justice?

If we long for goodness, beauty, and justice, there must be one who created these things. That Creator must exhibit those things because we can’t give away what we don’t possess. As we yell and shake our fists at all the wrongs in the world, we’re longing for God to make the sad things untrue, to make the ugly beautiful, to heal the hurt.

Read Psalm 33:5 and Amos 5:24.

How do we reflect God’s character when we long for justice?

How does knowing God is righteous and just change the way you feel about the injustice you see around you?

The triune God made creation good, and we messed it up. We introduced death and decay, but God didn’t leave us in our mess; He joined us in our brokenness. He even allowed all the sad things that have happened to us to happen to Him on the cross. His resurrection births a new creation in the heart of the old. The righteousness and justice we long for walked out of a tomb in Jerusalem. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He wants us to become actors in the divine drama of redemption. We become His agents of redemption.

We can seek to be agents of redemption in a time of brokenness and darkness, even as we rely on Christ to keep transforming the brokenness sin causes inside of us.

Derwin Gray has much more to share about how we hunger and thirst for righteousness as he unpacks the Beatitudes in his new study, partially excerpted above. Engaging with this content will walk you through lamentation, peacemaking, humility, mercy, and more.

Find a free sample and other resources at lifeway.com/thegoodlife as we all strive to better bring glory to Christ during these particularly difficult times.

Church Leadership, Group Leadership

3 Ways to Virtually Hangout with Your Small Group

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Over the last month, you have seen practical blog posts on how to virtually lead your group during this time whether through FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other means. Hopefully this has positively impacted your group!

But if you have been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you know that group discipleship goes hand in hand with simply hanging out as a group. Outings, fun group meetings, game nights. These “lower pressure” times are just as important to growing in faith in your small group as the more study-focused meetings. But that presents us with a challenge. 

How in the world can we possibly “have fun” in this season? 

Glad you asked. Here are 3 ways that we’ve seen small groups keeping the fun in their group meetings. 

  • Zoom Backgrounds. If you haven’t yet heard of the app Zoom you might want to think about looking into it. Similar to Google Hangouts or Facetime, Zoom allows conference calls between people and can easily be downloaded from the internet. The fun part? You can add in virtual backgrounds to your Zoom meetings. Want to be on a beach? Go for it. The jungle? You got it. Maybe an astronaut in space? We all wish. You can upload any image as your virtual background and simply have fun with it.
  • The House Party App. This app is designed to not only let you see other people but to play games with them as well. Invite your small group to this free app, and you can talk to each while choosing to play a variety of games with one another. Each “room” can have up to 7 people in it, and you can play different games such as trivia, heads up and others! 
  • Host a Cooking Show. Ever watched Chopped? Or Iron Chef? You get the idea… If you have a few people in your group that like to cook, jump on your video platform and cook together! Share recipes, watch the progress, and maybe have a little cooking competition and let your non-cooking friends judge. Obviously, you’re only judging on the presentation, so if you can’t cook, good news…. It just has to look good. 

In these unprecedented times, sometimes it’s just best to embrace the weirdness of the situation where we find ourselves. Acting like everything is normal (when it is clearly not) can sometimes lead to more anxiety. When doing these video calls, there will be technical glitches, people will talk over each other, and sometimes you will have that one person that can’t quite figure out their video camera. As we navigate this season let’s approach these odd moments of disconnection with humor and grace–and maybe just a little more fun.

 

Group Leadership

Four Ways to Deal With Tricky Questions in Your Group

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If you teach a Bible study group long enough, someone is going to ask you a tricky question. It’s just bound to happen. It’s one of the most uncomfortable things that happen to group leaders. I’ve seen two categories of tricky questions in the groups I’ve taught. “Category 1 questions” are what I’m going to call “innocent” tricky questions. They are asked with pure motives, but can be hard for a group leader to answer. The second category of tricky questions is what I’m going to call “malevolent questions.” These tricky questions are not asked with pure motives. In fact, these are asked by group members when they are intentionally trying to stir up something in the group. Here are four ways to deal with each category of questions.

Four ways to deal with tricky, but innocent, questions:

  • ADMIT – Learn to use three powerful little words: “I don’t know.” It’s OK to admit that you don’t have an immediate response for the person. Use this when you really don’t care to address the question. You’ll earn people’s trust and respect by not simply making up an answer—because everyone knows when we do that.
  • AFFIRM – Say something to the person who’s asked the question like, “That’s a good question,” or, “You’ve helped me see this in a different way.” You can affirm their question, but you don’t necessarily have to stop to address it. Move on. Keep the lesson on track. Affirm the person by saying, “You’ve given me something to ponder.”
  • ASK – This is where it gets fun! Turn the tables, as Jesus did (Luke 20) and simply say, “Now that’s an interesting question—how would you answer it?” 9 times out of 10, the person is eager to share their insight. They asked you, but now you’ve asked them.
  • ACKNOWLEDGE – This is a cousin to the first solution above, Admit. The difference here is that you admit your lack of knowledge and you commit to do further study. You simply acknowledge that you don’t have an answer, but you also promise to do some further study and get back to the person and/or the group.

Four ways to deal with malevolent questions:

If you’ve ever been put on the spot intentionally by someone during a Bible study, don’t despair! This happened to Jesus at various times. In Luke 20 a group of men came to Him to trick Him, and He turned the tables on them. He wouldn’t respond to their question before they responded to a question He decided to throw at them. The result? They dared not ask Him any more questions! I think there is some humor in the Bible, and that’s one of the spots—I would have loved to have been there to see Jesus expertly handle a group of people with a malevolent question!

When you sense that a question has been asked to derail the study or to challenge you, take a deep breath, compose yourself, and choose one or more of the following ways to deal with that malevolent question:

  • DEFLECT – Deal with that potential barbed question by deflecting it. Say, “If I have time before the Bible study is over, I’ll get to that question. If not, I’ll visit with you after class. Let’s continue our study…” I never get to the person’s question (imagine that!). If I sense that the question was asked to do me or the group some level of harm, I always want to isolate the person and not give him or her a platform in front of the group. I always meet with the person afterwards.
  • DEFEND – On occasion, when I really do want to bring correction to the person asking the snarky question, I choose to respond. Jesus did this in Matthew 24 when He was asked an intentionally tricky question about which was the greatest command in the law. Sometimes the best course of action is to confront the person and give your response. Defend your position. Use Scripture. Stand your ground—but do it humbly and gently.
  • DIVIDE – This is a great response that normally puts the person in their place, and causes them not to ask challenging questions anymore. When asked one of those malevolent questions, say: “John has posed a hard question. Let’s divide into groups of 3 or 4 and work quickly to respond based on Scripture. Elect a spokesperson for you group. You have 5 minutes. Go!” What always happens is that the groups of people end up “policing” the person with the malevolent question. They put the questioner in their place using Scripture, and you don’t have to say a word. It also give you, the teacher, time to think about a response while the groups are doing their work.
  • DIG – Normally when you are asked a malevolent question, there’s a question behind the question. Do a little digging and find out the real issue. Say, “Wow—I didn’t anticipate that kind of question in our study today. Why do you ask that?” Continue probing with an even more pointed question, “Why is it important to you that we answer that right now?” or, “Help me see how that question connects to our study.” Just keep digging and ultimately the person will either back off, or that person will reveal the true reason he or she is putting you on the spot.

Ken manages the Ongoing Adult Bible Studies and Church Trainers at LifeWay. He has been a group leader for 6 years, and has over 20 years of church education ministry experience. He blogs daily about groups at kenbraddy.com.

Group Leadership

3 Ways to Use Silence in Your Group

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We are afraid of silence, especially as small group leaders. If there is silence in the room, then that means no one is talking. And if no one is talking, then we are surely failing as facilitators. But I believe we are missing out on an effective tool if we completely eliminate silence from a group meeting. There is something powerful about creating intentional space in a group meeting. In fact, there are examples throughout the Bible where silence and solitude are commended:

“After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.” – 1 Kings 19:12
“a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak” – Ecclesiastes 3:7
“My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” – James 1:19
“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.” – Psalms 62:1

So how do we plan for and best utilize the power of silence in our small groups? Here are three ways to take advantage of silence in your group.

1. Use silence to encourage group members to speak.
It seems like an oxymoron to use silence as a tool for participation, but it works. An effective facilitator should only be talking 30 percent of the time. Remember that you have read the questions ahead of time. It will take everyone else a few moments to process the material before they are ready to answer. It’s uncomfortable to let a question sit there for a few beats, but if you can let the awkwardness go, that silence will eventually be broken by someone. You can miss a great conversation by speaking too quickly.

2. Use silence to allow a moment to sink in.
There will be moments during a Bible study where the group needs a few seconds to take in what was just read or said. Effective speakers use pauses in their speeches to make important points resonate. It’s the same thing with a group discussion. Next time a powerful verse is read or someone makes a thought-provoking comment, pause a second or two before moving on. Those two seconds of silence will make the moment stickier.

3. Use silence to meditate on Scripture.
Before launching right into prayer time at the end of the discussion, take a few moments to allow the group to meditate on the Scripture from the Bible study. Ask someone read a key verse or two aloud and then be silent as you allow God’s Word to prepare your hearts for prayer. This time doesn’t have to be long—maybe two to three minutes—but fight the temptation to break in too soon. Meditation can help lead to application.

Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience serving the local church. Chris served on the Executive Teams at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN., and Seacoast Church in Charleston, S.C., prior to becoming the Discipleship and Small Groups Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the author of  Small Groups for the Rest of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes. You can follow his blog at www.chrissurratt.com.

 

Group Leadership

All Means All, Whether Big or Small

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by Michael Kelley

Pretty Seuss-ian title, right? But let’s get down to it:

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” —Romans 8:28

That’s arguably one of the most quoted verses in the Bible—the stuff that sympathy cards are made of. But there are two ways that I think we typically misunderstand this beautiful promise from God’s Word here.

The first way happens by replacing in our thinking the word “good” here for the word “comfort.” God does not work all things for the comfort of His people; He works all things for their good, and those are two very different things. A yearly physical at the doctor’s office might not necessarily be comfortable, but it’s good for us to have. And eating three gallons of ice cream might be a very comfortable thing for us to do on a Saturday but that doesn’t mean it’s good for us. The promise here, then, is not that we would, as the people of God, be supremely comfortable in our big houses with our big incomes and our big lives, but instead that God will engineer and work everything for our good. So what is that good, ultimately, for us?

That we might know Him in a deeper and more full way. That we would be conformed, little by little, into taking on the character of Jesus. And that we might learn the true value of the kingdom and the King and help others see the same. God is actively—all the time—working things for our good.

Couched in that promise is a three-letter word that deserves some extra attention, which is the second misunderstanding we might bring to this promise. The word in question is this:

“All.”

The way we read this word betrays our obsession with the big and important. When we read that God works all things together for our good, we tend to think of the most significant, life-altering situations we’ve ever experienced. We think of the cancer. The job loss. The death. The difficult relationships that go on for years. On the good side, we think about His miraculous provision during times of need. The healing. The wonderful friendship of another. The child. We take stock and look back over the course of our lives and realize that, in both the best and worst of times, God has been working for our good, even (and perhaps most especially) when we could not, for the life of us, perceive how.

But those are all big things. The milestones. The dividing markers. Curious, though, that the verse doesn’t say that God works the big events of life for our good. In fact, we could go so far and say that if we only think of this promise in terms of the “big” then we are failing to grasp the true—and somewhat ironic—immensity of what we find here. “All” is, if I could say it like this, much bigger than just the big things.

“All” means all.

It means the daily commute. The casual conversation over coffee. The date night with your spouse. The almost nightly discipline of your children. The prayer before dinner and the bedtime stories at night. “All” means all. “All” even goes beyond those events of which we are immediately aware. It means those things right now happening halfway across the world we have no idea about. It means political decisions made at the highest levels. It means acts of nature and random news stories we read about. Somehow, even these things are for our good. Such is the amazingly intricate work of God—that God might be working in yet unknown ways and in yet unknown people to provide for His people in yet unknown ways.

The group environment provides a unique opportunity to reflect together on “all”—not just the big, but also the small. It affords us a chance to view the everyday with new lenses, confident together of God’s enduring presence and work.

“All” means all. Breathe it in. Because it’s happening right now.

Michael Kelley lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife, Jana, and three children: Joshua (10), Andi (7), and Christian (5). He serves as Director of Groups Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources. As a communicator, Michael speaks across the country at churches, conferences, and retreats and is the author of Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God; Transformational Discipleship; and Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life. Find him on Twitter: @_MichaelKelley.

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