[su_quote]Followers of Jesus are designed for long-term growth.[/su_quote] A cast of characters The next time you sit in a small group, take a look around. There is likely a variety of people represented… different backgrounds, different lives, different journeys, different seasons. In order to lead a diverse group follow Jesus and grow spiritually, a small group leader needs to have a long-term perspective. If you have led a small group for any length of time, there comes a point when the newness wears off. Often in an effort to prevent stagnation, the small group leader searches for the next best…
“Simple” Is Not a Dirty Word
[su_quote]Making the complex understandable is somewhat uncommon – not necessarily because it is impossible to do, but rather because those who instruct often do not strive hard enough to achieve it.[/su_quote] For just a moment, I was able to understand the differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. A teenager explained it to me. We were riding along the highway on the way to a youth camp in a packed van. He was one of those uncommonly intelligent teens; but what made him unique was his ability to take a somewhat complex concept and explain it in a way that…
The Cynical Leader
“When the leader is bitter and cynical, the followers will either begin to adopt those same those attitudes, or simply move on.” You can’t hide it for long… cynicism will eventually show itself. It’s not very noticeable at first. It begins like little weeds that grow in your mind. The seeds will be constantly throw at you. They might come from the outside… …you’re not given credit …your opinion gets overlooked …you are criticized They might come from inside your head… … “they’re not on board with me” … “that person has it out for me” … “I’m…
The Power of Questions
Consider the differences between… …participating in an archeological dig VS reading a book about archeology. …or watching a TV show about animals VS a guided tour of a zoo. In both of these comparisons you are essentially dealing with the same subject matter; but the experience is almost incomparable. Now consider the difference between listening to a sermon VS being invited into a discussion about the same passage scripture. Often, questions and discussion have more power than a lecture. When a Small Group leader learns to combine the power of questions with the truth found in God’s Word; the results…
A peek in the window at a 1st century small group
A peek in the window at a 1st century small group… Hebrews 10:23–25 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (NLT) By Eddie Zdanio