Our hearts were made for community. We hunger for the deep, authentic relationships Jesus had in mind when he prayed that his followers would be one. Yet in many churches, the connection we crave is lacking. How can church become a place where nobody stands alone? Through small groups. Like nothing else, they provide the kind of life-giving community that builds and empowers the body of Christ and impacts the world. At Willow Creek Community Church, small groups are so important that they define the core organizational strategy. Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson write, 'We have gone from a church with small groups . . . to being a church of small groups.' Donahue and Robinson share revealing glimpses of Willow Creek's journey to becoming a church where over 18,000 people connect in 2,700 small groups. And they tell how your church--whatever its size and circumstances--can become a place where men and women, adults and children, can experience powerful, transforming community. Building a Church of Small Groups unpacks the vision, values, and strategies required to integrate small groups into your entire ministry. Part one presents the theological, sociological, and organizational underpinnings of small groups. You'll discover why small groups, as reflections of God's communal nature, are so vital to church health. Part two moves you from vision to practice. Here is how to develop thriving small groups based on authentic relationships, where truth and life intersect, conflict leads to growth, and skilled leaders help group members mature into fully devoted followers of Christ. Part three shows you how to identify, recruit, and train group leaders and provide them with long-term coaching and support. Finally, in part four, you'll learn how to deal with the critical process of change as your church develops its small group ministry. Written by two of today's top authorities on small group ministry, Building a Church of Small Groups is a proven blueprint for health and spiritual vitality in your church. Here is thorough, seasoned guidance for helping people grow together in faith, heart, and lives through closely knit small group communities.

Building a Church of Small Groups

Religion & Spirituality

Donahue, Bill

Robinson, Russ

Christian Books & Bibles

Zondervan

It's one thing to start a small group ministry. It's another to keep the groups in your church healthy and headed in the same direction. Whatever your church's approach may be---whether it is a church with groups or of groups---sooner or later, as a leader, you'll need to do some troubleshooting. That's when the expert, to-the-point guidance in this book will prove its worth. In The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry, what would take you years to learn through trial and error is distilled into some of the most useful information you can find. Drawing on the knowledge they've gleaned from working inside Willow Creek Community Church, from consulting with hundreds of churches, and from conducting conferences and seminars worldwide, small group experts Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson furnish you with proven, real-life solutions to the knottiest problems in your small group ministry. This is no theory---it's hands-on stuff you can read and apply today. The beauty of this book lies in its unique diagnostic process. It allows you to assess, diagnose, and correct seven common 'deadly sins' that can drain the life from your church's small group ministry. Here are the strategies and tools you need to deal with 1. Unclear Ministry Objectives 2. Lack of Point Leadership 3. Poor Coaching Structures 4. Neglect of Ongoing Leadership Development 5. Closed Group Mind-set 6. Narrow Definition of a Small Group 7. Neglect of Assimilation Process The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry is indispensable for every small group director, church staff, ministry leader, and senior pastor. It's strong medicine for the ailments that threaten the small groups in your church.

Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry, The

The best-selling small group guidebook---over 100,000 sold. NOW UPDATED. Like nothing else, small groups have the power to change lives. They're the ideal route to discipleship---a place where the rubber of biblical truth meets the road of human relationships. For six years Bill Donahue provided training and resources for small group leaders so that Willow Creek could build a church of small groups. Now he is committed to creating tools that will help church leaders pursue the same goal---to provide a place in community for everyone in their congregation. In Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, Donahue and his team share in depth the practical insights that have made Willow Creek's small group ministry so effective. The Comprehensive, Ready-Reference Guide for Small Group Leaders The unique, ready-reference format of this book gives small group leaders, pastors, church leaders, educators, and counselors a commanding grasp of: -Group formation and values -Leadership requirements and responsibilities -The philosophy and structure of small groups -Meeting preparation and participation -Discipleship within the group -Leadership training . . . and much more From an individual group to an entire small group ministry, Leading Life-Changing Small Groups gives you the comprehensive guidance you need to cultivate life-changing small groups . . . and growing, fruitful followers of Christ.

Leading Life-Changing Small Groups-paperback

Small groups transform churches---and lives. Small group leaders often feel the weight of shepherding their members. But who shepherds the shepherd? And what are the best ways to provide that support and guidance? These are the questions answered in Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders. When you're called to coach a small group leader in your church, your mind may be filled with questions: Am I godly enough? What do I have to offer? How do I begin? Although the challenge seems immense, this handbook breaks down the work into reassuring and achievable steps. Originally self-published by Willow Creek Community Church, this expanded and improved edition offers field-tested and biblically supported advice on such topics as modeling a surrendered life to those you shepherd gaining the tools and wisdom you need for coaching helping leaders grow spiritually nurturing the spiritual development and support of leaders. For those who want to coach with excellence and truly help small group leaders thrive, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples. You'll find both challenge and promise in these pages as you learn to carry forth your God-given calling with confidence. 'We ask small group leaders to come alongside their group members, but often no one comes alongside them. This is a great tool from two people who have done exactly that for a long time. Small group leaders everywhere will benefit from this kind of coaching.'

Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders: A Practical Guide for Those Who Lead and Shepherd Small Group Leaders

Bowman, Greg

Six Ways to Improve Your Balance as a Group Leader Leading a successful small group is like walking a tightrope. You traverse a taut, exciting line, balancing the dynamic tensions characteristic of every group. Drawing from the concept of “polarity management,” Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson help you understand and deal with six dynamic areas every group leader must manage in order to create genuine, transforming small group community. Your group is in for unprecedented connection and growth when you harness the interplay between • Truth and Life • Care and Discipleship • Friendship and Accountability • Kindness and Confrontation • Task and People • Openness and Intimacy Effective, life-giving small groups learn how to embrace both ends of each continuum. Walking the Small Group Tightrope will strengthen your sense of balance, help you gain confidence as a leader, and show you how to release the untapped creative and relational energy in your group.

Walking the Small Group Tightrope: Meeting the Challenges Every Group Faces

Robinson, Russ G.

Church Should Be the Last Place Where Anyone Stands Alone Our hearts were made for deep, authentic relationships. For community. And like nothing else, small groups provide the kind of life-giving community that builds and empowers the body of Christ and impacts the world. At Willow Creek Community Church, small groups are so important that they define the core organizational strategy. Willow Creek has gone from being a church with small groups to being a church of small groups. Sharing insights from that transition, its two chief architects tell how your church---whatever its size and circumstances---can become a place where people of all ages can experience powerful, transforming community. Part one presents the theological, sociological, and organizational underpinnings of small groups. You'll discover why they are so vital to church health. Part two moves you from vision to practice. Part three shows you how to identify, recruit, train, and support group leaders. And part four helps you deal with the critical process of change as your church develops its small group ministry. 'Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson have not just thought and read and talked about community. They have rolled up their sleeves and devoted their vocational lives to figuring out how to actually help make it happen with real-life people in a real-life church.' ---John Ortberg, author, If You Want to Walk on Water, Get Out of the Boat

Building a Church of Small Groups: A Place Where Nobody Stands Alone

Assessment and solution for seven common obstacles to building small groups. It’s one thing to start a small group ministry. It’s another to keep the groups in your church healthy and headed in the same direction. Whatever your church’s approach may be—whether it is a church with groups or of groups— sooner or later, as a leader, you’ll need to do some troubleshooting. That’s when the expert, to-the-point guidance in this book will prove its worth. The beauty of this book lies in its unique diagnostic process. It allows you to assess, diagnose, and correct seven common “deadly sins” that can drain the life from your church’s small group ministry. In The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry, what would take you years to learn through trial and error is distilled into some of the most useful information you can find. Drawing on the knowledge they’ve gleaned from working inside Willow Creek Community Church, from consulting with hundreds of churches, and from conducting conferences and seminars worldwide, small group experts Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson furnish you with proven, real-life solutions to the toughest problems in your small group ministry. This is not theory—it is hands-on material you can read and apply today.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry: A Troubleshooting Guide for Church Leaders

Whether you're a new or seasoned group leader, or whether your group is well-established or just getting started, the ReGroup small group DVD and participant's guide will lead you and your group together to a remarkable new closeness and effectiveness. Designed to foster healthy group interaction and facilitate maximum growth, this innovative approach equips both group leaders and members with essential skills and values for creating and sustaining truly life-changing small groups. Created by three group life experts, the two DVDs in this kit include: * Four sixty-minute sessions on the foundations of small groups that include teaching by the authors, creative segments, and activities and discussion time. * Thirteen five-minute coaching segments on topics such as active listening, personal sharing, giving and receiving feedback, prayer, calling out the best in others, and more.

ReGroup: Training Groups to Be Groups

Cloud, Henry

Townsend, John

In this revolutionary new curriculum, Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, and John Townsend establish a whole new training paradigm---one that equips leaders and groups simultaneously and gives them everything they need to start and sustain a life-changing group. All it requires is a small group and a DVD player. Four sixty-minute sessions train leaders and group members in the foundational values and practices of becoming a life-changing community. These sixty-minute sessions are the foundations of small groups that include teaching by the authors, creative segments, and activities and discussion time. * The group has the chance to review and learn new group life techniques during the year with Thirteen five-minute coaching segments on topics such as active listening, personal sharing, giving and receiving feedback, prayer, calling out the best in others, and more. Each session includes a mix of three elements: * Teaching by the authors * Creative segments (such as modeling dramas, person-on-the-street interviews, personal stories/testimonies, creative multimedia, etc.) * Small group activities and processing/discussion time The four sessions include: * Session 1 provides a foundational experience that helps group members get excited about the adventure and life-changing power of small group life. Exercises and guided discussions create an initial sense of connection, safety, and most of all, fun! * Session 2 focuses on introducing values, ground rules, and logistical issues. Relationships are deepened through the group's assessment and discussion of the values most important to them, while exercises facilitate group ownership of these issues. * Session 3 unpacks each of the five key values through in-depth teaching and practical examples. Group members learn that all are responsible for implementing the five values in the life of the group, and they practice applying two of the values during the session ('Be real' and 'accept one another'). * Session 4 transitions the group to running on its own. Exercises help the group clarify what their focus will be, and what they want to do in their next meeting (the first meeting without the DVD curriculum). This session also provides an inspiring wrap-up for the course that casts vision for what the group can become if it lives out its values. The Life-Changing Power of Group Life DVD and Participants Guide are available separately.

ReGroup Participant's Guide: Training Groups to Be Groups

HarperChristian Resources

Small groups transform churches—and lives. Small group leaders often feel the weight of shepherding their small group members. But who shepherds the shepherd? Small group coaches fill a unique role by providing support and guidance for group leaders. When you’re called to coach a small group leader in your church, your mind may be filled with questions: Am I godly enough? What do I have to offer? How do I begin? Although the challenge seems immense, Bill Donahue and Greg Bowman break down the work of coaching small group leaders into achievable steps. This expanded and updated edition offers field-tested and biblically supported advice on such topics as modeling a surrendered life to those you coach, gaining the tools and wisdom you need for coaching, and helping leaders grow spiritually. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource to train coaches, or it can be used with the training videos taught by the authors, available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD (sold separately). For those who want to coach with excellence and truly help small group leaders thrive, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples. You’ll find both challenge and promise in these pages as you learn to carry forth your God-given calling with confidence.

Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders: A Comprehensive Guide for Developing Leaders of Groups and Teams (Groups that Grow)

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