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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.

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.

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.

 

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.

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 121: Elizabeth Hyndman

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian and Chris welcome Elizabeth Hyndman on to discuss women’s and single’s small groups and Bible study resources. Elizabeth reads, writes, and tweets. Officially, she’s a Content Editor. She managed to find a job where she uses both her English undergraduate and her seminary graduate degrees every day. Elizabeth grew up in Nashville, sips chai lattes every chance she can get, and believes everyone should have a “funny picture” pose at the ready.

Questions:

1. Elizabeth, you’re single and vocationally you develop Bible studies. What have you found to be unique about being single as it relates to group life, group Bible study development, and your own personal experiences in group life?
2. What three — let’s call them values — have you found to be distinct about group life in women’s ministry? These would be the values that you always look for as an editor.
3. How have you seen Bible study development evolve over the course of your tenure?
4. You actually write Bible studies. When you sit down to write, how do you tend to frame the user experience? Maybe better put, how do you create an experience that takes a group member from the beginning to the desired destination?
5. What have you noticed as the most common mistake by a small-group leader?
6. If you could give one piece of advice to the small-group leaders that are listening, what would it be?

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.

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 120: Dave Shroeder on Bible Studies vs Book Clubs

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On this episode of Group Answer, Brian and Chris welcome Dave Shroeder on to discuss Bible studies vs book clubs, and reading books in community. Dave is the marketing leader for B&H Books and cohost of the Table of (Mal)Contents Podcast.

Questions:

  1. What are the differences between a Bible study and a book club?
  2. Should people be in both?
  3. Should a church small group ever do a book study instead of a Bible study?
  4. What level of community can you achieve in a book group?
  5. What makes a successful book group?
  6. What books would you recommend for a small group to consider?
Articles referenced:

This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

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

Group Answers Episode 119: Heather Zempel and Amanda Seidler

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk with Heather Zempel and Amanda Seidler about untraditional groups in Washington, D.C.

Heather Zempel leads the discipleship efforts at National Community Church in Washington, D.C. Heather oversees small groups, directs leadership development training, and serves on the weekend teaching team. Heather can be found on Capitol Hill enjoying the adventures of parenting with her husband Ryan as they raise Sawyer, their fun-loving and energetic daughter. Heather is the author of Sacred Roads, Community is Messy, and Amazed and Confused.

Amanda Seidler loves to help people build meaningful relationships with one another, grow in Christlikeness, and discover how to impact the world around them. As Groups Pastor, she gets to do that through leading the vision, strategy, and implementation of community environments for growth and discipleship at National Community Church.
Questions:
  • D.C. is such a transient, busy city. How difficult is it to convince people to be a part of a small group?
  • Other than the traditional group in someone’s home, what other types of groups do you offer?
  • What does it take to have a successful workplace environment group?
  • What counsel would you give a leader wanting to launch untraditional groups?
  • What are the most significant challenges you’re seeing in group ministry today?
  • What single decision from your time in leadership, if given the chance, would you change?

Quotes:

  • People are most likely to give groups a shot when they’re in a season of life change.
  • If I can pray for someone on the other side of the aisle at 7 AM in a coffee house, that doesn’t have to change when I go into my office two hours later.
  • You never want to take a system that was designed specifically for another demographic, another church, and try to make it work in your unique location.
  • You have to be constantly reevaluating your system because culture is changing.
  • Jesus taught at synagogues, but he also taught at wells.
  • As a leader of leaders, how do I leverage who my people already are?
  • We want people to get a vision from God and run with it.

This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

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

Group Answers Episode 118: Steve Gladen on Group Trends

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk with Steve Gladen about current trends in small groups.

Steve Gladen (M Div., Fuller Theological Seminary) has been Executive Pastor of Small Groups at Saddleback Church since 1998 and serves as an elder of the church. He oversees the strategic launch and spiritual development of more than 7,000 adult small groups on multiple campuses. He is the author of Small Groups with Purpose, which has been translated into eleven languages, and Planning Small Groups with Purpose. He has a driving passion to see each church attendee connected to a qualified shepherd and become an integral part of their church body, living purposefully for Christ. Steve and his wife, Lisa, have been married for nearly 30 years, have two children, Erika and Ethan, and reside in Orange County, California. Learn more at www.stevegladen.com.

Questions:

  • You host a lot of conferences and spend time with a ton of churches, what are some of the group trends that you are seeing out there?
  • What counsel would you give a church planter establishing a groups ministry?
  • What are the most significant challenges you’re seeing in group ministry today?
  • Saddleback has been successful with virtual, online groups, is that a viable strategy for most churches?
  • Who has been the most influential leader — your “go to” — throughout your ministry in the groups space?
  • What single decision from your time in leadership, if given the chance, would you change?

Quotes:

  • The economy of churches is relationship, relationship, relationship.
  • You build a church crowd to core.
  • You need a relationship and you need a responsibility.
  • The greatest value that distinguishes a group is that it fills the void that you feel spiritually.
  • It’s the content that brings people; they stay because of the community.
  • Your driving force has to be “change lives.”
  • You want to meet people where they’re at and take them to where you want them.
  • When God lays something on your heart, the toughest thing to do is be obedient to it.

This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

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

Group Answers Episode 117: Student Groups

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk with Karen Daniel about student groups.

Karen Daniel is a publishing team leader in LifeWay Students.

Suggested resource: Within Reach by Ben Trueblood

Questions:

  • What is unique about student groups?
  • What kind of questions are you asking as you develop a Bible study for teens?
  • Why do you think some churches struggle to have consistent student groups?
  • What are a couple of studies that have worked really well with students, and what made them different?

Quotes:

  • Any student minister has four to six years to reach a group of students.
  • Students are very eager to learn, and they are at a point in their lives where they are asking themselves, “What does God want me to do?”
  • We want to meet students where they are, and we want to resource student ministers so they’ve got everything that they need to develop their strategy.
  • The conversation around identity is going to be different for girls than it is for guys.
  • From Within Reach: Of the students who say no adults from their church invested in their lives while they were in high school, 88% dropped out of church after high school. Of those who say one or two adults invested in them, 72% dropped out after high school. Of those who say three or more adults invested in them, 58% dropped out after high school.

This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

 

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

Group Answers Episode 116: Louie Giglio

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On this episode of Group Answers, Brian and Brandon talk to Pastor Louie Giglio about his new book and Bible study, Not Forsaken.

For more than 20 years, Louie and Shelley Giglio have shepherded the largest group of young people around the world through the Passion movement, a spiritual awakening that is changing the world. The movement grows stronger every year at the Giglio-led Passion Conference, a gathering tens-of-thousands of collegiate young people aged 18 to 25, who come together to learn, worship, and focus on what matters most. The author of multiple bestselling books including “Goliath Must Fall” and the forthcoming “Not Forsaken,” Louie is a pastor and acclaimed public speaker known for tackling life’s biggest questions with precision, warmth, and practicality – an approach that has also shaped his leadership of the Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, sixstepsrecords, the Passion Global Institute, and other branches of the Passion Movement’s inspired outreach. Louie and Shelley make their home in Atlanta, Georgia, where as teachers, mentors, and trusted allies, the Giglios lift the next generation of leaders up through all facets of Passion, equipping them with empathy, truth, and a hunger for justice. For more information, please visit LouieGiglio.com.

Questions:

• In “Not Forsaken,” you invite readers to understand the character of God in a life-changing way: as a perfect Father who wants you to live under the waterfall of His blessing. Can you tell us more about our Heavenly Father versus or earthly fathers?

• You mention that this message isn’t just for those who have “daddy issues” or a “father wound.” How can those who had positive relationships with their earthly dads benefit from this Bible study?

• You wrote “Not Forsaken” based on your own experiences with pain and healing. Can you share more about that and, if applicable, how community played a role?

• You’ve been around students for a sustained period of time and have seen the generations come and go. First, what should the current generation of church leaders know about the incoming generation church leaders? And second, what do you think group leaders should know about Millennials and Gen Z?

• Louie you’ve been in ministry for quite some time, significant time both as a pastor but also with Passion which has become a worldwide movement. What have you learned about community, its impact on us, its redemptive capacity, and how it is best expressed and perpetuated.

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.

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