Group Answers Podcast

February 24, 2016

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 17: Sermon-Based Bible Studies

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Chris Surratt, the brand manager for SmallGroup.com at Lifeway, about sermon-based Bible studies. Chris discusses the challenges for small groups pastors and small groups point people in creating a sermon-based curriculum unique to a specific church. Chris warns that what we put into the hands of our small groups leaders is critical to ensuring that small groups are fulfilling their function as not just a place for community but also as a place for foundational and transformational Bible study. Chris shares the benefits of SmallGroup.com as a tool to help small groups leaders access trustworthy Bible study content in a digital format that is completely customizable for an individual church or small group.

Brian and Rick also discuss a blog post by Ken Braddy entitled Should You Ever Drop Someone from Your Bible Study? Finally, Rick shares his list of the week, How Can I Get My Small Group to Be More Missional, an examination of how groups can look for opportunities to serve people and bring the gospel to them.

The Groups Matter 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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with over twenty-two years of experience serving the local church. Most recently, Chris was the Pastor Of Adult Ministries at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he oversaw and helped guide small groups and global and local good across five campuses. Before coming to Cross Point in 2009, Chris was on staff at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, for fifteen years, serving as a worship arts pastor, campus pastor and on the directional leadership team. Both Cross Point and Seacoast have been recognized as two of the fastest growing churches in the United States. Chris also works with Leadership Network in creating collaborative learning environments for churches across the world. He is passionate about helping people find their next steps toward God within the context of community. Chris’s first book, Small Groups For The Rest Of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes, will be released by Thomas Nelson on September 29, 2015.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by SmallGroup.com. SmallGroup.com is an online subscription service that allows churches and group leaders to create customizable, sermon-based group bible studies. Visit the Groups Ministry blog for a quick how-to tutorial, or visit SmallGroup.com to begin your free 2-week preview.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

February 10, 2016

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 16: How to Keep Group Members Engaged

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Allan Taylor, the Director of Christian Education at Lifeway, about his years of experience as a minister of education. Allan explains how his tenure as a high school football coach impacts his understanding of leadership among Christian educators. In both situations, the first rule is not to play against yourself, and the second rule is to practice the basic fundamentals of the game. Allan also shares his concern about the declining significance of evangelism among group ministries and talks about how his new position at Lifeway enables him to connect with and assist ministers of education from all over the country.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Mark Miller titled Harry Piland’s Impact and examine Harry Piland’s nine tools for growing Sunday school classes. Rick also shares his list of the week: Three Types of New Group Members and How to Keep Them.

Before entering the ministry, he was a high school football coach and Sunday School director at his church. He has been married to Linda for 37 years. They have three married children and three grandchildren. He can be reached at allan.taylor@lifeway.com.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

January 27, 2016

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 15: Small Group Myths and the Gospel

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Michael Kelley, the Director of Groups Ministry at Lifeway, about Transformational Discipleship, a book he co-authored with Eric Geiger and Philip Nation. Michael discusses how the convergence of three key factors in group life—biblical truth, people in a humble posture, and godly leaders—can create the perfect environment that enables the Holy Spirit to work. Michael also shares his definition of the term “gospel-centered” and its implications for group life and daily Christian ministry.

In addition, Brian and Rick review a blog post by Joel Comiskey entitled Prayer Hindrances and Suggestions to Overcome Them, and Rick shares his list of Nine Responsibilities of the Small Group Point Person During a Church-Wide Camp.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by The Disciples Path series, a 6-session Bible study on systematic discipleship created for smaller groups of 2-12 members. The Disciples Path was created by a group of 14 disciple makers from churches of different sizes and different denominations across the country. Find more information at lifeway.com/disciplespath.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

January 13, 2016

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 14: Pastoral Support for Small Groups

By Groups Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Bill Search, a former groups pastor and senior pastor. Bill shares some practical advice for groups ministers about relating to and working with senior pastors. Bill discuss some often overlooked reasons why senior pastors might be hesitant to get involved in a church’s group communities and offers some suggestions for how groups ministers can invite senior pastors to promote and encourage group life with these concerns in mind.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post titled 4 Specific Things You Can Do to Make Your Group More Christ-Centered by Mike Mack, and Rick shares his list of five reasons a church-wide campaign can be helpful for a groups ministry.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

December 30, 2015

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 13: Group Multiplication: Good Idea or Not?

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Jeremy Linneman about the often controversial practice of group multiplication. Jeremy discusses the theological basis of group multiplication and the pattern of calls to mission as detailed in Scripture, and he shares some advice for dealing with group leaders or group members who are resistant to group multiplication. Rick offers some insight about the benefits of group multiplication for smaller churches, and Brian and Rick discuss the stages of group life and the aim of multiplying at the optimum time.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Jim Egli titled Four Reasons Why Praying Leaders Have Faster Growing Groups, and Rick shares his list of the week about the four levels of relationship and why these relationships are important to group life.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This week’s episode is sponsored by The Disciples Path series, a 6-session Bible study on systematic discipleship created for smaller groups of 2-8 members. The Disciples Path was created by a group of 14 disciple-makers from churches of different sizes and different denominations across the country. Find more information at lifeway.com/disciplespath.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

December 9, 2015

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 12: Every Ministry is a Disciple Maker

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Craig Etheredge, the lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Colleyville, Texas. Craig shares seven bold moves for transforming a church into a more purpose-driven, disciple-making church. Craig discusses the effects of his church’s year-long study of the life of Christ and its implications for implementing disciple making into every ministry of the church. He also offers a four-step process for disciple making in the church: seeking people out, connecting them with a community, training them in spiritual maturity, and then deploying them to invest their lives in others.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Brian Proffitt entitled Don’t Answer That! Facilitating vs. Teaching, and Rick shares a post from his own blog about five things he learned from a recent meeting with Canadian small group point people.

The Groups Matter 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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Craig Etheredge is a gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher. Craig and his family moved to Colleyville, Texas, in July 2007 to serve as lead pastor of First Baptist Church, where he currently serves. In addition to leading the local church, Craig is involved in the local community, serving as the President of the Board of Trustees for Baylor Hospital, Grapevine. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Craig met his wife, Liz, in the fifth grade, and they have two daughters, Leah Beth and Abbie. You can follow him on Twitter at @pastor_craig, or visit disciplefirst.com for resources and information on upcoming conferences.

EPISODE SPONSOR: Today’s episode is sponsored by Lifeway Small Groups, which offers three resources for small group curriculum, each of which begins from a distinct starting point: topic, text, or the gospel. Bible Studies for Life is a DVD-driven Bible study that focuses on life issues and examines Scripture from the starting point of a particular topic. It is a perfect resource for new groups and new group leaders. Explore the Bible begins from the starting point of the text and examines the text and context of particular books of the Bible in depth. The Gospel Project is focused on the starting point of the gospel. It encourages group members to see Jesus throughout all of Scripture and drives them toward missional living. Search all three resources on lifeway.com/smallgroups for more information and free previews.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

November 25, 2015

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 11: Mid-Sized Groups

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Daniel Im, the Church Multiplication Specialist for Lifeway and the leader of NewChurches.com, about the model for adopting mid-sized groups of 20-50 people into a church’s group ministry culture. Daniel shares how leadership teams can become cultural architects who create more natural, larger environments for connection, which can help appeal more effectively to both introverts and extroverts who are not already engaged in groups. Formatting these mid-sized group meetings can also lay the groundwork for smaller groups to extend from friendships formed in sub-groups of this community.

In addition, Brian and Rick share a blog post entitled 5 Common Small Group Myths by Steven Lee and discuss how addressing these misconceptions can make small group culture stronger within a church. Rick also shares his list of the week, The Five If’s of Discipleship, a model and a reminder of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

The Groups Matter 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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Daniel Im leads NewChurches.com and is the Church Multiplication Specialist for Lifeway Christian Resources, working closely with Ed Stetzer and Todd Adkins. He is passionate about the local church and loves to be a part of creating the systems, strategies, tools, and resources to help new churches get planted, campuses get started, and multiplication to happen. Before coming to Lifeway, he served and pastored in church plants and multi-site churches ranging from 100 people to 50,000 people in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Korea, and Edmonton. With his experience in both church planting and multi-site churches, he can provide others with insight to help take that next step. Daniel is also a Gallup Strengths Performance Coach and loves to help people discover their strengths to help them move further faster. You can follow Daniel on Twitter (@danielsangi), visit his website (danielim.com), or email him at daniel@newchurches.com.

EPISODE SPONSOR: This episode is sponsored by What Jesus Demands from the World Bible Study, a six-session Bible study based on the book What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper. This is a great title for group study that immerses readers into Christology and the demands that Jesus made for His followers. Both the book and the Bible study are available to order from lifeway.com.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

November 11, 2015

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 10: Discipleship in Community

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Bill Donahue about his new book, The Irresistible Community: An Invitation to Life Together. Bill shares how Jesus’ ministry to the disciples in the upper room using three common tools—a table, a towel, and the truth— is a model for how churches should create a cultural environment for transformational discipleship. Bill argues that Bible study communities should aim to practice the truth in action, not just share knowledge, and that doing so is a way of fulfilling Jesus’ promises of community and fellowship. Bill can be contacted visiting his website at drbilldonahue.com or on Twitter @bdonahue80.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by John Piper entitled A Call to Small Togetherness, which introduces nine standards that should apply to all forms of small groups. Rick shares his List of the Week, entitled “Five Times Pastors Should Ignore Criticism,” and Rick and Brian discuss how and when pastors should take criticism into consideration.

Bill worked with P&G and PNC Financial Corp., and later served churches in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois. Before launching the LeaderSync Group, for 18 years he was Director of Group Life and Leadership at Willow Creek Community Church & Association, speaking and training leaders on 6 continents.

His resources include the best-selling Leading Life-Changing Small Groups as well as co-authoring Coaching Life-Changing Leaders (with Greg Bowman), Making Small Groups Work (with Henry Cloud and John Townsend), and Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry (with Russ Robinson). His newest book, The Irresistible Community, released in August 2015. He resides in Dundee, Illinois, with his wife and family.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

October 28, 2015

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 9: Assimilating Your Group

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Lorie Hartshorn, the Connections Pastor at C4 Church in Ajax, Ontario. Lorie shares her church’s method of assimilating unconnected people into groups by defining a connected person as one who has someone else that notices his or her spiritual growth and cares when something tough happens. Based on this definition, Lorie leads Group Launch, a 5-week series that runs seasonally and directly aims to connect unconnected people with other unconnected people. Lorie shares her innovative use of a “group role sheet” to allow all participants to begin serving in a group setting using the particular gifts that God has given them.

In addition, Brian and Rick discuss a blog post by Andrew Mason entitled 12 Ways to Communicate Your Groups Launch, and Rick shares his thoughts on welcoming those who are different into a small group setting with his list for the week: What If Miley Cyrus Joined Your Small Group?

The Groups Matter 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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Lorie Hartshorn is a national speaker, author, and Bible teacher with a love for God’s Word and the power it has to change lives. She shares candidly with authenticity and conviction how the Lord has met her in seasons of pain and plenty. Lorie has spent more than 25 years in education and training. In those years, she also provided leadership in the area of development. She served as the Director of Advancement for EQUIP Leadership Canada, Dr. John C. Maxwell’s organization, training leaders worldwide. Lorie is presently the Connections Pastor at C4 Church in Ajax, Ontario, where she oversees discipleship. Lorie speaks nationally and internationally the message of spiritual freedom. Her teaching can be seen on 100 Huntley St. TV and The 700 Club TV Canada as well as on C4church.com. Lorie and her husband, Dean, have three adult children. They live in Whitby, Ontario. You can follow Lorie on her blog at loriehartshorn.com or on Twitter at @loriehartshorn.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

Group Answers Podcast

October 14, 2015

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 8: Hybrid Small Groups

By Group Ministry

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SUMMARY: In this episode, Brian and Rick speak with Eddie Mosley, the Pastor of Disciple-Making at LifePoint Church and a frequent contributor to Lifeway resources. Eddie speaks about how a church can incorporate a hybrid group model that includes both Sunday school classes and off-campus small groups. Arguing that where groups meet is not as important as what they do when they meet, Eddie discusses the importance of beginning with a pilot group and allowing the stories of off-campus small groups to permeate the congregation. He also discusses founding every group, whether on-campus or off-campus, in three basic principles: care, community, and foundational Bible study. Finally, Eddie shares his expertise on timing and managing a church’s small group launch season.

Brian and Rick also discuss a blog post by Mac Lake entitled Leveraging Leadership Development Golden Opportunities, and Rick shares his List of the Week, an examination of the consistent qualities of small group life throughout the history of the church.

The Groups Matter 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 expert from the Lifeway Groups Ministry Team, and Rick Howerton, the discipleship and small group specialist at Lifeway and author ofGUEST: Eddie Mosley is the Pastor of Disciple-Making at LifePoint Church, serving the multi-site campus in Smyrna, Tennessee, since 2005. His enthusiasm for seeing life change happen in the lives of individuals in his church, neighborhood, and community is infectious. He is a sought-after speaker for small group ministry and neighborhood impact. He is the author of Connecting in Communities, Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups. He has written numerous articles for SmallGroup.com and Lifeway Church Resources. He has also served as Regional Point Leader for the Saddleback’s The Small Group Network. He blogs often at eddiemosley.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at @eddiemosley. Mosley is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where he received a Bachelor in Business Administration degree. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Seminary. When not immersed in the small group world, Eddie spends his time coaching baseball. Eddie and his wife, Lisa, have two sons and reside in Middle Tennessee.

RESOURCES: If you have a question you’d like discussed on our Groups Matter Podcast, please tweet your question to @BcDaniel or @RickHowerton.

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 17: Sermon-Based Bible Studies

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 15: Small Group Myths and the Gospel

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 12: Every Ministry is a Disciple Maker

The Groups Matter Podcast—Episode 10: Discipleship in Community

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