Spiritual Growth Archives - Group Ministry

July 17, 2019

Group Answers Episode 109: Darrin Patrick

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On this episode of Group Answers, Chris and Brian talk to Darrin Patrick about community and accountability.

Darrin Patrick is a teaching pastor at Seacoast Church. He is the founding pastor of The Journey Church and is the author of multiple books including the Dude’s Guide to Marriage.

Darrin is the former chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals and former vice-president of the Acts 29 church planting network. He has appeared in the New York Times, The Today Show and Fox and Friends for his innovative approach to reaching the un-reached.

Darrin is married to Amie and they have four children. He enjoys reading, writing and coaching his kid’s sports teams.

Questions:

From the outside, you were a very successful pastor, chaplain of the Cardinals, head of a church network. What was happening on the inside during all of this?
What did community and accountability look like for you when career and reputation were at the perceived peak?
What happened when those friendships were suddenly gone?
In the sense of accountability and community, is there a limit to the number of people you really want to be in contact with?
What role did having healthy community around you play in your eventual restoration?
What advice would you give to leaders who may be heading down the same path that you were on?

Quotes:

My ministry was growing, but my soul wasn’t growing.
What really brought me back was community, and I’ll never do ministry without that again.
Ultimately, I wasn’t willing to slow down the pace to develop those relationships.
Always err on the side of reaching out.
It was like God said, “I’m perfecting you through this imperfect process.”
You’re moving into that “sage” stage and having a hard time moving on from “warrior.”
A lot of leaders have failed to develop those soft-side leadership skills, and it’s mainly related to them not engaging their emotional life.
We’re really good at following Jesus as God, but we’re not good at following Jesus as man.

This Episode’s Sponsor: The Overcomer movie has inspired the creation of several resources. For small groups, there is the Overcomer Bible study. For individuals, there is a book called Defined. Both are based upon powerful insights from the Book of Ephesians. Learn more about all the resources 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.

Church Leadership

July 8, 2019

4 Questions to Ask About Prayer Requests in Your Group

By Dwayne McCrary

In almost every Bible study group, prayer requests are shared. In fact, we may even feel cheated if prayer requests are eliminated from our group! Unfortunately, gathering prayer requests is as far as it usually goes. But what if we saw a prayer request as an opportunity?

Here’s what I mean: some prayer requests require ministry action. For example, if a couple uses the prayer time to announce that they are expecting a baby, passing that information along to the Preschool Sunday School leaders would be important. Deacons and other ministry leaders could be informed about hospital stays, family crises, and deaths of family members. In this way, the prayer request becomes an opportunity for ministry action, reaching all areas of the church.

Prayer requests also represent opportunities for church leaders. By knowing needs, leaders can make wise choices when they plan events, host fellowships, and train leaders. The pastor could better understand the needs of the church and prepare sermons that meet the needs expressed in the prayer requests. Being aware of specific needs makes him a better pastor.

To do this kind of intentional action, you need to ask four questions:

How can we efficiently gather accurate prayer requests?
How do we communicate the requests?
To whom should we communicate these requests?
How can we encourage those making a specific request?

Let’s take a deeper look at these questions.

How can we efficiently gather accurate prayer requests?

Notice the two words, efficiently and accurate. A Bible study group could spend the majority of their time gathering requests, but that would compromise their time of actually studying the Bible. For me, making a sheet of paper available during the study time for people to record their requests has been the most efficient. The second element is accurate. We want to make sure that the requests shared are up to date. There is nothing worse than telling someone that you are praying for their loved one, only to find out that the loved one passed away a month ago.

How do we communicate the requests?

This question involves both form and medium. How we word something is very important. If someone requests prayer for a nephew who hates his job and is looking for a new one, that request could be worded when shared with others as a request for a nephew who needs wisdom about his future. We don’t know who may read the requests in today’s world, so we need to be careful. Hospital stays and other events requiring time away from home become important information if it falls into the wrong hands, which brings us to the medium: should we post all our requests on social media? What are the risks of making a request public? Do we really want everyone on Facebook to know about Dave having surgery and being in rehab for 6 weeks? How we communicate is important.

To whom should we communicate these requests?

We have already mentioned sharing requests with the pastor and other church leaders. Who else needs to know about the prayer request? We mentioned a couple announcing an addition to their family earlier. Who all needs to know about that particular request, and why?

How can we encourage those making a specific request?

Gathering prayer requests is certainly about being aware and knowing how to pray intelligently, but it is also about encouraging those for whom we are praying. There is nothing like getting a note from someone who is praying specifically for you. Those notes lighten the load and help us face whatever challenge we are facing. Part of this is celebrating God’s answers as well. Both the one being prayed for and the one praying are encouraged by answered prayer, so finding a way to include answers to requests is also important.

Prayer is an important part of the life of a Bible study group. Requests serve as a means of communicating priorities, needs, and victories. They give us clues about each other, helping us build deeper relationships. They also provide opportunities for us to minister to people and involve others in the process. If they are that important, then some strategic thought is in order. The four questions identified above should serve as starting points to help you think strategically about the requests shared in your Bible study group.

G. Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends.

Church Leadership

June 18, 2019

5 Ways to Choose Vulnerability in Your Group

By Group Ministry

by Reid Smith

Vulnerability is uncomfortable. A turtle that’s belly up is vulnerable. It’s stuck and has no defense. That’s what vulnerability feels like to most people, which is why it’s unnatural to choose to go there. People don’t naturally pursue ways to make themselves feel exposed to some kind of insult or injury. However, it is a path leaders must tread if the relationships within their small groups are to deepen.

God chose to be vulnerable with us. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14a, NIV). Eternal relationship is possible because the Lord became vulnerable with us through His birth and crucifixion. Although vulnerability feels weak, it can be the result of one who exercises the strength of authenticity. A strong leader endures the risk of becoming vulnerable because he or she knows it is the pathway to biblical community.

One of the reasons group members complain of a group not being “deep enough,” is not so much due to shallow curriculum, as it is the lack of relational depth among participants. The vulnerability that flows from authenticity deepens relationships and results in group discussions that have more depth and challenge to them.

There is no greater influence on the dynamic of a group than how real the leader is with the participants. Authenticity is contagious! A leader who is transparent will inspire others to be more real with each other, and consequently, group members will look forward to getting together with more enthusiasm than you might have thought possible!

Like many leadership qualities, authenticity is something that can be developed and it’s worth the investment so that your group members will be free to be themselves and share from the heart. These five practices will enable you to become genuinely more authentic in how you lead so that your group can experience biblical community.

Be prepared to answer first and err on the side of risk. Look ahead at the questions to be asked and envision how you could answer with transparency. This will help you to take risks in the moment for the sake of others.
Be honest about the gap between desire and reality. None of us is where we want to be, and when the leader is transparent about the gap in their personal life, it invites others to deeper levels of participation. For example, “I know how important it is to have a devotional time each day, but there are seasons when I struggle with this…lately, I’ve let other things take priority in my life and I want this to change. Please pray for me.” Though some might view this as vulnerability that shows weakness, it is the exact opposite. People are more likely to be open about their personal needs when they hear others express struggles they identify with and this will generate more ministry moments in your group life.
Show grace and your need for it. Be a good listener, patient, empathetic and non-judgmental in response to others. This graceful disposition will encourage others to open up and share more. Group members will be further inclined to risk vulnerability when the leader expresses gratitude for God’s amazing grace and underscores our common dependency on Christ.
Don’t spin. When you get something wrong, acknowledge it openly and don’t be hard on yourself. Freely admit mistakes and share how you learned from them. Your imperfections make your group a safe space for people to be vulnerable.
Forgive. Grudges and unforgiveness toward others (whether they’re a part of the group or not) create barriers in relationships and make it more difficult to be vulnerable. Conversely, forgiveness cultivates authenticity and allows us to worship God fully (Matthew 5:23-24). It’s imperative for us to be right with people if we want to be real with others.

These practices will help you to be authentic and traverse the uncertain terrain of vulnerability. Know that the Holy Spirit will use your faithfulness in this area to break-through to real community, deepen relationships, fuel disciple-making, and compel your group members to also have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5-8, NIV).

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

Church Leadership

June 13, 2019

#GroupGoals

By Chris Surratt

It is sometimes hard to know what is real in our society. We live in a world where we judge ourselves with comparisons to viral hashtags and perfect Instagram filters. Everyone’s best life is on full display 24/7. We all have our #SquadGoals and #RelationshipGoals.

Ironically, those Instagram and Facebook posts signal the presence of authenticity. “I’m being authentic by letting you in to what’s going on in my real life.” But we all know that’s a fake authenticity. There is a near-paralyzing fear that comes with true authenticity. The thoughts bombard us every time we start to grow in relationship with others. If people only knew . . .

· The things I have done in my past

· My shortcomings as a spouse

· My failures as a parent

· My private thoughts

· Sin based in my insecurities

The beautiful and freeing truth of true authenticity is that being open and vulnerable to a group of people doesn’t require walking in perfection; it requires walking in confession. Scripture lays it out this way in 1 John:

Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:5–9 hcsb)

Our natural reaction to sin is to run and hide in darkness, but the power of the gospel frees us to come out into the light. Because of the blood of Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid of confessing our sin—not because we don’t sin or our sin doesn’t have consequences, but because through the gospel, we know we are forgiven of our sins. That allows us to confess without self-justification. Now we can confess to one another not just so we will receive forgiveness from one another, but so that the forgiveness Jesus has already given to us can be pronounced again and again in our communities.

The picture is found in James 5:16: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect” (hcsb).

This verse is transparency at its best. It’s a picture of someone who, convinced of the limitless grace and promised forgiveness of Jesus, confesses their sin. They lay themselves open and bare before others, not expecting shame or guilt, but instead expecting healing. It’s a crucial step on the road to holiness, but that’s just the thing—it’s one step on the road. It’s not an end in itself.

The gospel both enables us to be truly transparent and compels us toward a greater end that lies beyond transparency. We confess to one another not so we can be real with one another; we confess to one another because we have a desire to be made holy. To be healed. To stop sinning. And we are responsible and even blessed for aiding one another on that journey. James continues on in verses 19 and 20:

My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins. (hcsb)

The work of Jesus makes confession and repentance more beautiful than burdensome. We can share “below the line of shame” because we already know we are so broken that Jesus had to die for us. But we also know we are so loved that He was willing to die for us.

The only way for a small group to embrace this power of healing is for the leader to model and practice it from the beginning. That is how our group can finally achieve #groupgoals.

Chris Surratt (@ChrisSurratt) is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience. He served on church staffs prior to becoming the discipleship and small groups specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the author of Leading Small Groups: How to Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group, from which this is excerpted and adapted with permission from B&H Publishing Group. You can follow his blog at ChrisSurratt.com.

Church Leadership

June 4, 2019

How to Engage with Big Questions on a Personal Level

By Deborah Spooner

As small group leaders, we can become used to leading groups, and we start to approach our topics, Bible studies, and even the Bible from such a perspective.

How can I talk about this topic with my group?

What does my group most need from these Bible study videos?

What discussion question will most resonate with my members?

This way of thinking can be deeply helpful, but sometimes, those who help others can neglect to be helped themselves.

How can we make sure that we are not only aiding others in studying the Bible but engaging with it personally?

LifeWay might just have something to assist.

Meet Personal Bible Study, a new way to study with some of your well-loved Bible study experts. These studies take the traditional group-centered Bible study content and adapt for personal use while maintaining the theological depth and practical application that you rely on.

Try them today in paperback or in digital format. We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below!

Unanswered Personal Bible Study

Includes an individual study opportunities for each day of the week and applicable Scripture.

We live in a radically skeptical age. Tough questions are being asked about Christianity. And most believers are ill-equipped to provide the answers our culture and communities desperately need. Many in today’s church do not know the Bible as well as they should and they struggle with their own “big questions” about the faith.

This study provides precisely what the church needs today: tools and answers! It addresses several challenging topics, including mental health and suicide, paranormal activity, the resurrection, how we got the Bible, suffering, and why God is sometimes silent. The study will show you how to answer, how to explain, and how to respond in a deeply winsome and attractive way, as a thoughtful ambassador of Jesus. You will leave this study enriched, characterized by a thinking faith, capable to communicate confidently, and committed to escape the tendency to offer trite answers to a skeptical world.

Power of God’s Names Personal Bible Study

Bestselling author Dr. Tony Evans shows that it’s through the names of God that the nature of God is revealed to us. Who is God in His fullness? How has He expressed His riches and righteousness? How can you trust His goodness? As you get to know the names of God and understand their meaning, God’s character will become real to you in life-changing ways.

You will explore the depths of God as

Elohim: The All-Powerful Creator
Jehovah: The Self-Revealing One
Adonai: The Owner of All
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Who Provides
El Shaddai: The Almighty Sufficient One
El Elion: The Most High Ruler
Jehovah Nissi: The Lord’s Banner of Victory
Jehovah Shalom: The Lord Our Peace
Jehovah Mekadesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies
Jehovah Rophe: The Lord Who Heals
Jehovah Tsikenu: The Lord My Righteousness
Jehovah Robi: The Lord My Shepherd
Immanuel: God With Us

By studying and understanding the characteristics of God as revealed through His names, you will be better equipped to face hardship and victory, loss and provision, and all of the challenges life throws at you.

Deborah Spooner is a Minnesota-born analytical creative serving as a Marketing Strategist for LifeWay’s Groups Ministry. As a pastor’s daughter with a background in Digital Communications and Media and Biblical & Theological Studies, you can find her at her local church, in deep conversation, or with a book or pen in hand as she seeks to know Christ more and make Him known.

Church Leadership

April 15, 2019

Top Easter Studies

By Group Ministry

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6).

Easter is one of the most celebrated times in our church calendars. Jesus has risen! Remembering His birth, mourning His pain and suffering, and then praising the incredible power of our risen King, we are excited about Jesus.

How can we keep the momentum and focus on Jesus’ life and the gospel implications in our small groups and churches? During the Easter season, you can choose Bible studies that dive right into focusing on our Savior and the saving message.

Foundations: New Testament (Robby Gallaty)

The Bible, in and of itself, is a miracle. Think about it. Over centuries of time, God supernaturally moved in a number of men’s hearts, leading them to record the exact words of God. God then guided His people to recognize these divine writings and to distinguish them from everything else that had ever been written. Later, God’s people brought together these 66 books. The preservation and survival of the Bible were as miraculous as its writing. Finally, God gave men technological knowledge to copy and transmit the Bible so all people could have it. All this took place because God has something to say to you.

In Foundations: New Testament, Robby and Kandi Gallaty lead individuals through the 27 divinely inspired books of the New Testament in one year, while still offering the flexibility of reading only five days each week. The HEAR journaling method will allow individuals to read and respond to God’s Word as they highlight, explain, apply, and respond to passages throughout the yearlong plan.

Disciples Path: The Beginning – First Steps for New Disciples

The Beginning is an intentional Bible study for new disciples of Christ that can be used in one-on-one discipleship or small groups. It introduces the basic practices and elements of the faith, including the centrality of Christ, the crucial practice of prayer and Scripture reading, community, and what it means to be on mission for God. Exercises put weekly topics into practice, and meeting times work as well in one-on-one discipleship relationships as they do with typical small groups. This resource is attached to the broader Disciples Path series, but can also serve as a stand-alone product.

This disciple-making resource includes discussion questions and group exercises every week to reinforce the primary teaching points of each topic. Individual study and out-of-group activities have all been crafted with a new believer’s spiritual maturity and commitment level in mind. These optional activities include but are not limited to reading plans, prayer exercises, personal study, and journaling.

Gospel Above All (J. D. Greear)

Jesus promised to build His Church and said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Along with this promise, Jesus gave clear instructions for how the Church would prevail. He promised to build it on the Rock of the gospel.

This eight-session Bible study will give you a fresh perspective on the supremacy of the gospel over the trappings and temptations of modern society. Lead your group to a greater awareness and practice of gospel culture, gospel mission, gospel renewal, and gospel unity.

In the video sessions, J.D. Greear is joined by David Platt, Jen Wilkin, Vance Pitman, Walter Strickland, Rosaria Butterfield, Greg Laurie, Albert Mohler, and Kevin Smith to examine what it means for believers to elevate the gospel above all other priorities in our lives and in our churches.

Church Leadership

March 28, 2019

4 Expectations to Establish In a New D-Group

By Brandon Hiltibidal

A year ago, a friend of mine asked me to be in a D-Group. He had never started a D-Group before. He didn’t even know it was called a D-Group. But, he did it. He wanted to study the Bible and walk in accountability with two other men and he set the right expectations toward that end. A year later, all three of us have been hugely impacted by our time together and we owe a lot to how the group was launched.

Here are four expectations that were established up front that helped discipleship actually happen in our group.

1. A D-Group should confess consistently.

My friend made it clear he didn’t want to gather and pretend to shepherd one another. He didn’t want to talk around sin in hopes of feeling better for having been together. He asked us to update each other on how we were falling short of holiness and joy in Jesus, respond with grace, and push toward repentance every week.

He was willing to go below the “line of shame” and work to apply scripture to his own struggles. Now, every week, we all know we have the attention of friends who love us and are ready to help us struggle closer to the abundant life Christ wants for us.

He set the expectation of confession up front and we have benefitted from it ever since.

2. A D-Group should study the Bible.

This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how easy it can be to get together for discipleship and never open the Bible. My friend who started our D-Group expressed, before our first meeting, that we would read scripture together. The Bible teaches us who we are in Christ and how we live in Him, so trying to “do life together” without it makes no sense. We’ve tried reading commentary together. Or we’ve selected passages each week. If you want something more consistent, you might consider the Foundations reading plan from Robby Gallaty. However you approach it, establish the expectation that the Bible will speak the loudest in your group.

3. A D-Group should end on time.

The tendency is for small groups of close friends to ignore the clock during meaningful conversations. That will be a temptation in a D-Group. That is especially true as relationships deepen and discipling each other gets easier. However, as a rule, the clock should decide when the meeting is over. That might sound unspiritual, but a meeting without a consistent end time can’t be a consistent part of your life. For the sake of next week’s needs, this week’s conversation has to end on time.

When launching a new D-Group, ensure your partners that you’ll start and end on time. Then prove it.

4. A D-Group shouldn’t cancel.

I imagine many D-Groups die the death of a few missed meetings. With only three of four people in a group, it can be easy to cancel for travel, sickness, oversleeping, and any number of reasons.

Our group committed to getting together every week if at all possible. Sometimes that means only two of us make it, but two is all it takes. We’ve also “met” over the phone when we’re out of town. The point is to fight for consistency together so you can keep fighting for joy together.

Brandon Hiltibidal is a former church planter and multi-site pastor, and he is now part of the Groups Ministry team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He also serves as an elder and a member of the preaching team at The Bridge Church in Middle Tennessee.

Church Leadership

March 26, 2019

Biggest Wins for Your Group

By Group Ministry

by David Apple

Have you ever thought that groups are more successful only when they increase attendance? These four categories will help us celebrate strategic wins for your group.

Celebrate when discipleship becomes strategic. Every believer needs to be on the receiving end and the giving end of disciple making. This must be an intentional part of our strategy. Every believer, whether they are active in the group or not are to be on the receiving end of Christian disciplines (Bible reading, prayer, ministry, worship, giving). These disciplines help a believer grow as a follower of Christ. Likewise, every believer, whether they are active in the group or not are to be on the giving end of Christian disciplines. These disciplines help the believer help other believers grow as followers of Christ. Chances are increased that Christians are growing as followers of Christ when they are engaged through a group that focuses on growing as disciples. Celebrate the win!
Celebrate when God’s Word is vital. Although every group should celebrate ministry, fellowship, and enlargement, don’t apologize for taking priority time to let God speak through His Word. We cannot afford to merely share our own thoughts without being focused on the message and meaning of the Scripture. We win when we stay focused on letting God direct our group through His Word. Celebrate the win!
Celebrate when every person is a possibility. We win when we help every possible person encounter God through His Word and be receivers of and givers of Christian disciplines.

It’s wonderful when “members” attend the group, participate in Bible study, engage in ministry and fellowship through the group. Some members are regular attenders while others are unable or unavailable to routinely attend the group. The group wins when we actively invite and enroll people to be part of the group. Chances increase that individuals will participate when they are invited or enrolled.
Every group needs to develop and nurture a group of people who are not participating in a Bible study group; let’s call them “prospects.” Every group wins when they are nurturing at least as many prospects (including unsaved persons) as they have people enrolled in the group. Chances increase that individuals will connect with Christ and with His people when we nurture individuals.
Also, every group is looking for workers – those who will help the group focus on teaching, reaching, ministry, and/or fellowship. Some people will prefer a title (if they do the work or not) while some people will resist a title (but will help with the work).

Celebrate when people come as well as go. The group wins when we include new people or reclaim people who have not participated in Bible study, ministry or fellowship. One of the greatest wins we can celebrate is when a person follows the direction of the Lord to leave our group and serve elsewhere. Other ministries and age groups in the church need the adults in our group. We can celebrate and nurture them as missionaries. Celebrate the win!

David Apple is a Ministry Specialist at LifeWay since 1985 where he develops and leads training experiences for volunteers and staff who work with Adults. David serves as a Pastor and Bible teacher; he also volunteers weekly with inmates on death row in a maximum security prison. David is married to Karen, Dad to Ben and Christine, and Poppi to Madison, Wilson, and Miles.

Church Leadership

March 21, 2019

Launching Groups After Easter

By Group Ministry

by Jared Musgrove

It can be commonly accepted in our groups world that there are times of year that are just not good time to launch a group. Spring Break is one. After a late Easter going into Summer is another one all together. I understand the tension point. And while it’s true that these may not be optimal times, they’re not impossible times. It might even be part of the plan.

For years we’ve been trying to whiteboard our way out of the alleged conundrum of starting a group during one of these periods. We will probably keep trying. Because if you have one group, you have one group. They are all unique.

So as we head into the months when our people’s vacation, sports, and fireworks schedules reign over weekday evenings, don’t abandon the basics. I propose to you that we stick to what it time-tested in group life season after season, even if that season is after Easter.

Why Does This Group Exist and Meet?

A group that meets after Easter should have the same rhyme and reason (even if the rhythm of meeting is different) as a group that starts any other time of the year. Can this new group answer why the group exists and meets? What is the compelling biblical reason you are giving them all year round? That will be what carries a group through the dog days of Summer.

Who Is the Leader(s)?

An identified leader or leaders is essential to the success of a group, in season or out. Are these leaders committed, calendared, and have conviction about the group’s purpose and time together?

When and Where Do We Meet?

“Even if three people come, we are still having group.” Let this be the resonating resolve regardless of the season. Have that place and time set. Don’t decide to have group or not by consensus. Even if three people come, have group. This builds expectation and solidifies group time as a calendared constant.

What Do We Follow and Submit To?

In season and out, God is still at work in your group. Even if three people come, the Scriptures can be opened, read, considered, prayed through, members prayed over, and spiritual fellowship can be had. Because the group submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ unity may be had, Christian practice and partnership deepened, and the biblical purpose of your groups furthered.

How Do I Participate?

Is the connection to group life in your church as clear after Easter as it is the rest of the year? This also shouldn’t change. If there are system considerations, get creative and still capitalize on the fact that people are coming and want(!) to be in a group. Make sure their pathway is straight as it would be any other time of the year.

Sometimes a smaller group can be a blessing of warmth and intimacy for a season. And even if numbers are down in your group for a month or so, who knows what the LORD has in store to grow you in gospel partnership together. He put these people in your group for this time in this Summer season. He has work to do. This group that begins after Easter was His plan all along for the spiritual growth of those in it. Including you.

Church Leadership

March 14, 2019

Unlocking Balanced Disciple-Making

By Group Ministry

by Reid Smith

Balance has always been elusive for me in ministry. Earlier on, I grew skeptical of it because I pictured it as being something that literally meant I was giving equal time and attention to multiple things but somehow not cheating anything. Life rarely allows this luxury. So when I heard balance applied to small groups, my instinctive reaction was “Nope – that’s just setting leaders up to fail.”

If we’re honest, we’re probably not doing all of the things we’ve learned that we should be doing in our groups. People connect and grow together regularly through some form of fellowship, Bible study and prayer in most groups. Far fewer develop a plan for building in other spiritual practices, different expressions of worship, and outreach to make a group experience well-rounded, or dare I say, “Balanced!”

Over time, however, “balance” for me became less about maintaining perfect equilibrium, and more about planning ahead on how you can incorporate activities that are commonly omitted from group life, but vital to the health of it. You need to have a plan to have balance.

The group leader is the person responsible for driving the process of developing a plan with the group about how they will be intentional about including spiritual practices that do not normally occur in their gatherings. I’ll share a few pointers on how group leaders can lay the groundwork for balance by planning ahead for it followed by practical ways members can pursue balanced group life together.

Laying the Groundwork for Balance

Pray – The most powerful thing you can do to facilitate the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives is to pray specifically for your group members to exercise faith and take steps to grow ever closer to Jesus!
Have a Sidekick – You need a close companion who sees the vision of balanced group life and understands the “why” behind it before you share it with the group. This is important because you need feedback and somebody who is in the room with you affirming the dream as you share it with everyone.
Maximize your Kick-off – Be highly-relational, but very strategic during your first session of a new study or season as a group. Get to know each other better, but be sure to discover how each person would like to grow as a result of being part of your group. Help them unearth their spiritual growth goals before diving into curriculum.
Have a “Locker Room Talk” – Before an important game, a coach will get the players fired up by telling them why he sees them being victorious and what they need to do to get there. Is a group’s life together any less important? Of course not!
- Start by explaining how a well-rounded group will support each member’s personal transformation and help everyone grow stronger spiritually. Then share how the Lord has a purpose in each one playing a part in fulfilling it because of how He has gifted them (more on that in a moment).
- This builds buy-in to the vision, increased participation in living it out together, and consequently, the group will have healthy longevity and greater impact.

Balancing Group Life Together

Serving Together – Engage in a service project or group outreach at least once per season / semester. Present this idea at the outset of your group and schedule it in advance. You might choose to do this in place of your group meeting for a week.
Worship Together – Click HERE to access ideas for “Unleashing Creative Group Worship.”
Remembering Together – Celebrate communion once per season / semester – Talk with your church’s leadership to learn about how you can do this in your group.
Confession – Some spiritual breakthroughs necessitate confession, which opens the way for God’s light to shine on the dark places sin wants to remain hidden. As a group deepens its bonds with one another, subgroup by gender to minister to one another. Refer to Ed Stetzer’s article on “Accountability Questions” for examples that you can select and use in your own group.
Spiritual Gifts – If you believe that every Christ-follower has been graced with spiritual gifts to build up one another as the Church then don’t you think He has a purpose in them for your group (1 Cor 12:7)? Group members provide the necessary feedback and encouragement for one another to identify their God-given spiritual gifts and begin to use them in faith and boldness. Step-by-step guidance for group leaders on how to have conversations to help members find and use their spiritual gifts can be found HERE.

This last point is a master key to balanced discipleship in your group. Maybe the Lord has a unique purpose for every group that is unique to it based on the supernatural composition of spiritual gifts represented in its group members. Maybe every group has its own divine palette of colors that can be mixed together to produce a one-of-a-kind work of art to the glory of God.

If this is so, it stands to reason that a group will experience “balance” as each member of it works in concert with one another to make his or her own special contribution to God’s mission in the world. Group leaders can catch a vision for unlocking balanced disciple-making when they tap into the spiritual growth goals and gifts the Lord has planted in their group members.

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

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G. Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends.

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