December 6, 2021
Dec. 12 | Discovery
If you had been one of Jesus’ three disciples present with him on the mountain, what would have been most surprising to you?
Small Groups
Small Groups helps churches build disciple-making communities where people grow in Scripture, prayer, and relationships. Explore practical, Bible-based articles on launching and leading groups, training leaders, choosing curriculum, facilitating discussion, and creating healthy group culture. You’ll find guidance on group multiplication, care and accountability, welcoming new people, and connecting groups to the church’s mission. Whether you lead a group, oversee a small groups ministry, or want to strengthen community in your congregation, these resources equip you to help people follow Jesus together.
November 29, 2021
Dec. 5 | Discovery
How does the centurion’s intercession for his servant and the Jewish leaders’ intercession for the centurion reflect, in a way, Jesus’ intercession for us?
May 1, 2021
Be Faithful with the ‘Few’
In this issue you will see many examples of God supplying all the needs of his church, fulfilling Jesus’ promise, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).
April 4, 2020
Virtual Meetings . . . Real Relationships
A Step-by-Step Guide for Leading a Discovery Bible Study (or Any Group or Class) While Social Distancing By Rick Lowry In this season of social distancing, getting your small group or class together for an online or “virtual” meeting is a great alternative. If you are a computer novice, this can sound intimidating. But many simple tools are available to assist even those among us with little Internet experience. Since technology is the greatest concern for those who haven’t yet tried virtual meetings, we’ll discuss the technical details first. After that, we’ll look at some ways virtual groups are different
August 2, 2019
Two Interviews, Two Brothers, One Passion for Making Disciples
By Michael C. Mack I had the privilege to interview Robert Coleman in his home in Wilmore, Kentucky, for our August 2019 issue. It took me back to when I interviewed his brother Lyman Coleman—founder of Serendipity House, compiler and editor of the Serendipity Bible for Groups, and widely known for being a pioneer in the small group movement in the United States—for a cover story in The Lookout in 1993. Robert described Lyman as his “best friend for all these years.” The brothers worked together many times, and each of their ministries often benefited the other’s. For instance, Robert
June 22, 2019
Two Interviews, Two Brothers, One Passion for Making Disciples
By Michael C. Mack I had the privilege to interview Robert Coleman in his home in Wilmore, Kentucky, for our August 2019 issue. It took me back to when I interviewed his brother Lyman Coleman—founder of Serendipity House, compiler and editor of the Serendipity Bible for Groups, and widely known for being a pioneer in the small group movement in the United States—for a cover story in The Lookout in 1993. Robert described Lyman as his “best friend for all these years.” The brothers worked together many times, and each of their ministries often benefited the other’s. For instance, Robert
June 7, 2018
Intergenerational Small Groups: Mix It Up a Little!
By Jessie Clemence I invite you to peek inside our kitchen on a small-group night. Four baby boys and a preschooler are strapped into various high chairs around the table. Three young fathers are trying to assemble dinners for their offspring while a mother nurses a newborn in the living room. The room smells heavily of tacos and mushed-up baby food. Four older adults work side by side with the young mothers, feeding babies and sneaking cookies to toddlers when their parents aren’t looking. A pile of Bibles is stacked on the coffee table for the upcoming study, but only
December 29, 2016
2016″s Best Websites for Small Group Leadership
These eight websites are divided into two categories: ministry organizations and individual bloggers. Ministry Organizations SmallGroups.com (www.SmallGroups.com) This ministry was founded by Michael C. Mack in 1995 and is now owned and operated by Christianity Today. The site is the starting place for small group and ministry leaders, and it”s easy to navigate and use. Much of the content is free, and the site also has premium content at low prices. Individual and church subscriptions are also available. Small Group Network (www.smallgroupnetwork.com) This truly is a network of small group point leaders from around the world who provide one another
December 26, 2016
Make 2017 a New Year for Your Group or Class
By Michael C. Mack When we make resolutions, we usually emphasize what we will do under our own power and will. When we run out of willpower, we begin to fail at keeping those resolutions. For Christians, there”s a far better way. Move from New Year”s resolutions to spiritual reconstitutions! Here”s how. At your first group or class meeting of the new year, look at the list of what comprises the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23 and discuss what each one looks like in everyday life. For instance, what would it look like to display love for
October 13, 2016
Seven Tips from Twitter on Facilitating a Group or Class
By Michael C. Mack Michael C. Mack (@michaelcmack) tweets “Small Group Leader TIPS of the Day” every weekday. Here are seven tips on facilitating a great group meeting: “¢Â Don”™t be the small group answer man or woman. Let group members experience aha moments. “¢Â Become comfortable answering questions with, “I don”™t know, but let”™s all find out this week.” “¢Â As you study God”™s Word together, “remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” “¢Â Try different approaches to Bible study (e.g., read various “I will” statements of God and discuss/apply).
September 27, 2016
Back to the Middle
By Mark A. Taylor “We need to rediscover the midsize groups of 20-50 people,” Alex Absalom told our interviewer Kent Fillinger not long ago. When I read that quote, I knew I wanted to know more. For years I”ve grieved the virtual abandonment of adult Bible fellowships””Sunday school classes””by most local churches. Among the many reasons for their demise is the fact that few Christian church/church of Christ leaders were taught how to use adult Sunday school as something more than a place for often-mediocre Bible teaching. Early in my ministry I was trained to use such adult groups as
August 15, 2016
Icebreaker Questions for Your First Small Group Meeting
By Michael C. Mack Many new small groups and classes are beginning this time of year. Jim Egli, author, along with Vicki and Melissa Egli, of 333 Amazing Icebreaker Questions, says when he launches a new group, he likes to ask seven questions that also cast vision and outline expectations for the group: “¢ Where did you go to school for the first grade? “¢ Whom were you closest to when you were 10 years old? “¢ What is something you are very good at? “¢ When did God become more than a word to you? “¢ Besides your coming
July 31, 2016
5 Steps for Getting Your Group or Class to Invite New People
By Michael C. Mack How do you get members to invite people to their groups? Here are five specific principles you can use to help the people in your group or class, even the shyest ones, extend invitations: 1. The leader must go first! Don”™t go to your group with the ideas below until you have personally done these things yourself. As a leader, you are an example, a model, for those entrusted to you (1 Peter 5:3). 2. Don”™t do anything else until you”™ve spent time with God. Every strategy you use, every word you say, everything you do
February 29, 2016
When to Call On Group or Class Members
By Michael C. Mack Normally, it”s best not to call on individual members during a class or group meeting. As a leader, your goal is to promote discussion, not quiz members. Most people don”t like being put on the spot. Your goal is to create an atmosphere of genuineness, openness, vulnerability, and acceptance. To do that, a free-flowing dialogue works best. Calling out specific people to contribute can sabotage that objective. But there are at least four exceptions: 1. The Quiet Person. Don”t automatically call on the quiet person. That”s the last thing they want to happen, and it may
October 30, 2015
The Place of Video-Based Studies in an Inductive Bible-Study Group
By Michael C. Mack Do small groups that use an inductive Bible study model ever use video curriculum? Yes, many do. It”s a both-and, not an either-or decision. A leader and group who have been trained in how to dig into the Scriptures can do video-based studies in order to explore specific topics or interests. A couples group, for example, might carefully choose a marriage study like The Song from City on a Hill (cityonahillstudio.com) to do together. Or a group might choose a study that helps them investigate an important topic, such as spiritual revival, and choose the new
October 4, 2015
How to Train Small Groups to Study God”s Word
By Michael C. Mack Biblical illiteracy in our culture and churches is a commonly accepted reality today. In a world where moral relativism is more popular than ever, how does the church get back to living by God”s standards? Brad Himes, involvement director at Broadway Christian Church in Mattoon, Illinois, has developed a solution in his church”s small groups. He says the “Just Push Play” model of small groups has set the bar way too low for meaningful discipleship to occur. Churches have recruited hosts or facilitators rather than shepherd-leaders (1 Peter 5: 2-4), and provided minimal if any training.
August 1, 2015
4 Simple Reminders for Small Group Leaders This Fall
By Michael C. Mack This is perhaps the busiest time of the year for small group leaders. If you oversee the groups in your church, you”re probably a couple weeks into a fall campaign. If you lead a group, you”re gearing back up for the fall. Either way, where do you go from here? Here are four simple encouragements. 1. Pray! Leaders can get so busy this time of year that their time with God gets crowded out. Don”t let it happen! Right now you should be spending more, not less, time with God. Pray for your group. If you
July 12, 2015
Group for Women Grows Online
By Jennifer Johnson It started as a regular small group. In October 2013, Hasandra Heyward, a member at Burnt Hickory Church of Christ in Marietta, GA, began talking to women experiencing marital issues, job struggles, and parenting problems. “It burdened my heart,” she says. “I prayed and fasted about it and decided I was going to start a group for women in my home. But it was difficult to find a time that worked, and here in Atlanta the traffic is so terrible I knew some women wouldn”t be able to participate. I thought, what about trying this online?” Heyward
May 23, 2015
Get More People Involved in Your Group(s)
By Michael C. Mack A huddle of small group and discipleship ministers in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana region discussed how to get more people involved in disciple-making groups. Here are 12 of their ideas. Many of these work well in combination with others. 1. Build a culture of authentic community in smaller groups in the church. Of course, the preaching minister/lead minister is in the best position to build this culture. Consistently mentioning in his messages how his group has helped him or made an impact on others sends the clear message that groups are important. 2. Redefine “normal.” In everything you
May 1, 2015
A High-Tech Small Group Solution for Busy Lives
You are leading a small group or you want to start one to reach out to people who are struggling””in their marriages, in their jobs, with the lives and choices of their children, and sometimes with life itself. You are passionate about building a community that makes a difference. But what do you do when people tell you, over and over again, that they simply don”t have enough time for another commitment in their already stressed-out lives? This was the question Hasandra Heyward was dealing with. In response, she helped start a Women”s Online Growth Group and set up a
