Small Group Dynamics

Small groups launched this week and I couldn't be more thrilled!  I have been journeying with a group of 8th-9th grade guys for the past year and it has been phenomenal to see God move in each of their lives.  Paul and Noah Cooke, Jesse Gonder, Levi House, and Marc England Jr (Dos) are some of the most Godly young men I know.  And yesterday we decided to begin a new study on the book of Revelation with an emphasis on current events.  What a great way to encourage these guys that their time on earth is short and to be prepared for the second coming of Christ.  Should be an exciting series!

Wanted to share a few thoughts from a book I've been reading on small group dynamics*:

1.  Small groups should be value-driven not curriculum-driven.
2.  Small group relationships are more important than small group attendance.
3.  Effective leaders make sure the content serves the mission, not the other way around.
4.  The mission of a small group leader is to develop meaningful relationships with students and help shape them into the people God designed them to be.
5.  Small group ministry goes beyond small group meetings (see #6).
6.  Good leaders are always on the lookout for ways to make connections with students outside of the scheduled meeting time.
7.  A small group leader can't control a student's spiritual journey, but they can provide a nurturing context for growth to take place.
8.  Small groups are more than just opportunities to impart information.  They allow students to experience a real, meaningful connection in a relationally starved world.
9.  Small group leaders who take their call seriously will go with their students after the meeting ends.  Not physically - but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

*Small Group Strategies: Ideas and Activities for Developing Spiritual Growth in Your Students
by Laurie Polich and Charley Scandlyn
Youth Specialties  2005