[su_quote]Spiritual maturity is not an achievement – it is a lifelong pursuit.[/su_quote] Without rattling off a specific purpose statement, what is the function of a small group? (A small group purpose statement can be a valuable asset, but for just a moment, think in the most basic and simplest of terms.) How do you describe why your small group exists? Small groups are one of the greatest environments for helping people grow spiritually. The goal of a small group leader should be to help participants take practical steps forward, no matter where each person is at on their spiritual…
Ugly Spiritual Growth
[su_quote]No one is perfect. We all grow at varying rates. Everyone’s journey looks different. But guard against growing into one of these.[/su_quote] Following Jesus is a journey that will likely take a person through a variety of different stages – but ultimately, there is no arrival along the road of spiritual growth. You may find some checkpoints along the way, but no finish line (at least on this side of eternity.) Spiritual growth is a lifelong process. (Read more about that here.) What happens when one aspect of spiritual growth swells out of proportion from the others? Disproportional spiritual growth…
Practical Ideas for Long-Term Spiritual Growth in a Small Group
[su_quote]How does a leader choose specific topics to study and actions to take in the short-term that will help with long-term growth?[/su_quote] In the previous post, you will see how a small group leader can help the group participants continue to grow spiritually over the long haul. Even with a mix of people from different backgrounds, different stages, and different personalities, the leader can help each participant make progress along their spiritual journey. Rather than jumping to the “next best study” every 6-10 weeks, the leader can keep everyone make progress by thinking in terms of continued lifelong…
The Long-Term Goal of a Small Group Leader
[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…
The Rearview Mirror: Perspective, Not Direction.
[su_quote]Your journey is not finished; so don’t waste it staring in the rearview mirror.[/su_quote] I’ve wished a lot of time away. …some of it was missed preoccupied with the future. …some of it was wasted trapped by the past. The rearview mirror is an important tool. But in order to drive, you need to keep looking forward – only glance at the rearview mirror as needed. Chained and Restrained Rearview gazing can be dangerous. It can stir up all the wrong things, and pull you back like quicksand. Some people waste months, years, or even a lifetime hopelessly staring…
“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 Second Yes
[su_quote]Some answer with excuses and conditions; some answer with a more refined and resolute “Yes” than the first.[/su_quote] They sat across the table together betrayed, wounded, and defeated. They had poured out their broken hearts to my wife and me; and we all just sat for a moment with a dreary silence among us. What Happened? Many years ago, our dear friends had each surrendered their lives to Jesus. They were married and eventually followed a call to full-time ministry. They worked with passion and served faithfully for years on staff at a church. Now, they were being…
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