What Every Small Group Leader Should Know

Larry Kreider

Description

With more than thirty years of experience in leading small groups, pioneer Larry Kreider writes, "I am completely convinced that if God can use me, He can use anyone!" Most people have untapped leadership potential, and unleashing those abilities is often just a matter of equipment and motivation. What Every Small-Group Leader Should Know is the go-to guide for plenty of both. Whether readers have already taken a step of faith into a leadership position or are still praying about the possibility, this will become an indispensable handbook of practical tips, tools, and suggestions. At the heart of this book is a big-picture vision of biblical service. Jesus said that whoever wants to be great in His kingdom must become a servant (see Mark 10:43). That passion for meeting others' needs is the difference between ho-hum and effective, thriving leaders.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 11 août 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441268419
• Langue: English

Extrait

WHAT EVERY SMALL-GROUP LEADER SHOULD KNOW

© 2010 Larry Kreider
Published by Chosen Books 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Chosen edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6841-9
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation , copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Other versions used are:
NIV —Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Note: Some of the names in this book have been changed to honor those whose stories are being told, while other stories are a composite of real-life stories.
This book is dedicated to the thousands of ordinary believers in Christ who are on an extraordinary mission as they obey the call to serve others through small-group ministry .
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. My Story: Learning to Lead a Small Group the Hard Way
God Calls Ordinary People to Lead Small Groups
2. A Biblical Vision for Small Groups
The New Testament Church Experienced Small-Group Dynamics Every Day
3. Am I Qualified to Be a Small-Group Leader?
The Primary Requirement Is to follow Jesus’ Model of Servant Leadership
4. The Responsibilities of a Small-Group Leader
Practical Biblical Keys for Leading a Thriving Small Group
5. Get Maximum Participation
Healthy Dynamics of a Small-Group Meeting
6. Teach with Confidence
How to Teach the Bible to a Small Group of People Without Boring Them
7. Become a Spiritual Mom or Dad
The Role of Spiritual Mentors in a Small-Group Setting
8. Reach Out Beyond Your Group
Bring Those Who Need to Know Jesus into the Group and Start New Groups
9. Dealing with Difficult People
How to Help People Who Do Not Want to Change
10. Practical Tips for Small-Group Leaders
Become a More Effective Leader
11. Mistakes to Avoid as a Small-Group Leader
Twenty Major Mistakes We Have Made in Small-Group Ministry Leadership
12. Step Out in Faith
Trust God for His Help, Refuse to Quit and Prepare for the Future
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A special thanks to Karen Ruiz, my editor and writing assistant, who helped gather and organize the material for this book from what we have learned and experienced during four decades of small-group ministry. Thanks also to Peter Bunton, Joe Nolt, Steve Prokopchak, Brian Sauder and Ron Myer, who read through the manuscript and offered significant feedback. Thanks to Kim Bangs, Gary Greig, Deena Davis and Mark Weising from Regal Books for their valuable insights, editing and encouragement. And thanks to all the small-group leaders and ministry colleagues whose valuable input over the years has contributed to doing what Jesus told us to do—make disciples from house to house as every believer helps others grow spiritually.
INTRODUCTION
Leading a small group gives you the opportunity to invest in someone else’s life! You don’t have to be a great leader or a dynamic teacher to lead a small group; God is more interested in your availability. To borrow the famous first line from Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life , “It’s not about you!” It’s about what God can do through you as you minimize yourself and magnify God.
Whether you currently lead a small group that is a ministry of your congregation, or you want to start a small group and need a field-tested tool to assist you on your journey, this book will help you along the way.
I wish I’d had this book 40 years ago when I first began to lead small groups. I would have saved myself much grief. But I am happy to share with you what I have learned about small-group leadership and small-group dynamics, including the mistakes I have made (so you don’t have to make the same mistakes). I am convinced that healthy small groups are God’s strategy for us to experience true community while practically helping others and learning to be true disciples of Jesus Christ.
The first small group I led was at a youth group retreat in northern Pennsylvania. Although I was a fairly new believer in Christ, the youth leaders had enough confidence in me to trust me to lead my first small group. Looking back now, it has been an amazing privilege to lead more small groups than I can count, and help start many churches and ministries worldwide. Moreover, it has been a great honor to be asked to train Christian leaders throughout the nations, from dozens of denominations, and many churches and ministries, in healthy small-group ministry. I am so glad I took that first step of faith 40 years ago. It prepared me for my journey in learning to lead small groups.
If you are leading a Bible study, a home group, a small group, a Sunday School class at your church, a discipleship group with a college campus ministry or a new house church in your community, this book is for you. It is filled with practical, biblical and field-tested insights on small-group ministry that will assist you in the days ahead. You will understand as you read through the following pages that small-group ministry is much more than having good meetings. The focus must be on helping every person in the small group become conformed to the image of Christ. May God bless you as you read and as you embark on this journey of leading healthy small groups for the glory of God.

C HAPTER 1

MY STORY: LEARNING TO LEAD A SMALL GROUP THE HARD WAY
God Calls Ordinary People to Lead Small Groups
My history with small groups spans more than four decades. After initially leading a few small groups in our church youth group in Pennsylvania, and then as a 21-year-old newlywed, serving as a missionary for one year with my wife, LaVerne, I was ready for the next step in my journey with God. I returned to Pennsylvania to work on my father’s farm and serve as a volunteer in our local Mennonite church. During the summer of 1971, I served along with LaVerne and a team of young leaders, and launched a ministry from our church to reach the unchurched youth in our south-central Pennsylvania community. I was a chicken farmer at the time, with a calling to reach my world for Christ. We played sports and conducted assorted clubs throughout the week for spiritually needy youngsters and teenagers. This kind of friendship evangelism produced results, and during the next few years, dozens of young people came to faith in Christ.
We transported the kids who we were mentoring to many of the churches in our community, because we wanted to help them find a church. But they just didn’t seem to fit in. These youth actually preferred the nonchurchy, spontaneous atmosphere they experienced in our home where we often met in small groups for times of prayer, praise and informal Bible studies and outreach.
We found that new Christians need a new structure (or new wineskin 1 ) that is flexible and pliable. They will thrive when placed in a small group that encourages their spiritual growth.
The Underground Church
One day in 1978, while praying, I was startled when I heard the Lord speak to me through His still, small voice. He said, “Are you willing to be involved in the underground church?” The words were clear, and even though I didn’t quite understand what God was trying to tell me, I told Him that I was willing.
In a short span of time, I began to understand what the Lord was requiring of me. He helped me realize there was a need in the church for small groups that would be flexible enough to relate to believers from all backgrounds and assist them in their spiritual growth. These small groups were to be the “underground” part of the church. God was calling me, along with a team of others, to start a new church based on small groups—an underground church, if you will. It would be like a tree that shows its trunk, branches and leaves. But that is only half of the picture. The unnoticed half, the underground root system, nourishes the whole tree and keeps it healthy. When the part of the church that is underground is strong, then the whole church would be strong and continue to grow.
Just as water and nutrients feed a tree through its root system, so too the church is nourished and strengthened by what happens in the underground, or the unseen realm of church life—believers involved in small groups. This new wineskin, or model of church structure, could be tailor-made to serve the new believers in Jesus Christ.
After months of concentrated prayer and receiving counsel from various church leaders, we were released, with blessing, from our local church so that we could start this new church built on small groups. Our leaders prayed publicly for God’s blessing to be upon us as we took this step of faith. We called the new church DOVE Christian Fellowship. Initially, we met in three small groups during the week and held a larger gathering on Sunday mornings.
There was a sense of excitement among us as we met in three separate home groups during the week, pursuing the vision the Lord had given us. But there were also times of pain. Within the first year, the three original small groups became