Posts tagged ‘small group resources’

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15 May, 2012

Leading Life-Changing Small Groups review by Mark Howell

by Andrew Rogers

Bill Donahue, willow creek churchOver on Pastors.com Mark Howell has posted a helpful of review of new edition of Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue. Here’s an excerpt:

One of the books that shaped my understanding of small group ministry was “Leading Life-Changing Small Groups” by Bill Donahue. When it was originally published in the mid 90s, it quickly became the most important tool in my leader-training efforts. With the third edition (published in May 2012), it’s even better!

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about “Leading Life-Changing Small Groups” is the fact that it begins at the beginning — literally. The introduction develops a very understandable theology of community. As you begin to build a small group ministry, this is an essential ingredient.

Another aspect that makes this book so valuable is that Bill Donahue is truly a practitioner. Don’t miss this key! He wrestled with developing small group leaders for years in one of the most interesting group-life laboratories anywhere, Willow Creek Community Church. The practices and principles included in this book aren’t theoretical but practical and proven.

You can read the whole post here.

But Leading Life-Changing Small Groups isn’t the only new resource from Bill Donahue. Bill, and his co-authors Russ Robinson and Greg Bowman have also significantly revised:

The DVD is a new product that supports all three of the books.

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2 May, 2012

The Relationship between Words and Life

by cubfann

Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness. – Mother Teresa

One of the recent challenges that I have had is the implication of my words.  A couple of weeks ago I read a great blog post from Michael Kelley about using your commute time to focus on a word to “bring home” from work.  I have found this fantastic advice and been working on this, and have seen a difference in attitudes and behaviors in my family.  A month ago, I watched the first session from Craig Groeschel’s new small group study and church campaign, Soul Detox.  This first session deals with “lethal language”.  Craig says that our words have the power to destroy or the power to build up.

“Whether you’re eighteen or eighty, you can probably recall the pain of someone’s harsh words scalding your soul.  ’You’ll never amount to anything’; ‘You’re nothing like you’re brother’; ‘I never loved you’.  As devastating as these words can be, they can be offset by words of truth, hope, and love.  The right words at the right time can be helpful, healing, and life-transforming.  Proverbs 18.21 says, ‘The tongue has the power of life and death.’  What you say can give life to you and to other people, or it can take it away.”

So measure your words going forward.  Read Michael Kelley’s blog post, watch the first sessionfrom Soul Detox below, and speak life-giving words to your spouse, kids, family, friends, and neighbors.

Be sure to visit and subscribe to the Small Group Bible Study playlist on YouTube.  There are 100 full-length sessions available for free to view from authors and pastors like Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Rick Warren.

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4 April, 2012

“Undaunted” by Christine Caine, New Bible Study for Small Groups

by Andrew Rogers

Australian author and speaker Christine Caine is releasing a new DVD-based Bible study this fall called Undaunted: Daring to Do What God Calls You to Do. Here’s a teaser video about what “Undaunted” is all about:

What are the family situations like for the other people in your small group Bible study? If your group is anything like mine, then the situations are quite diverse. Some come from broken homes, some do not. Some have been neglected, others have been loved deeply. Undaunted could be a great way for your group to grow in understand about how God loves and claims all of us.

Here’s some of the marketing copy for further explanation:

Using her own dramatic life story, Caine shows how God rescued her from a life where she was unnamed, unwanted, and unqualified. She tells how she overcame abuse, abandonment, fears, and other challenges to go on a mission of adventure, fueled by faith and filled with love and courage.

As Christine tells of how she realized the significance of her own life and choices, she will inspire you and your small group to grasp lives that bring hope and create change for Christ.

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29 March, 2012

Thursday Giveaway: Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry

by Andrew Rogers

Bill Donahue, Willow Creek, Groups That Grow, Russ RobinsonA complete overhaul of Building a Church of Small Groups, in Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry authors Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson present a broad introduction for pastors and point leaders to use as they navigate through the process of establishing and developing independent groups or a church-wide ministry of small groups.

For today’s giveaway tell us, how many small groups have you led? And, has there ever been a significant paradigm change in how your church does small group ministry? 2 winners will be chosen randomly tomorrow. The more you tweet, the more chances you have to win. Thanks!

 

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14 March, 2012

Giving, Receiving, and Small Groups

by cubfann

Something that has been brewing in my mind recently is the expectations we put into small groups.  Too often I (and I expect I am not the only one) would go to small groups expecting to receive something – to be encouraged by group members, to be challenged by something fresh from Scripture, to learn a new concept.  And when I would walk away after the group and didn’t receive any of those, I would be disappointed.  And if it happened often enough, well it must be time for a new small group – this one just isn’t meeting my needs.

However, it doesn’t seem to me that community is there to benefit my needs.  Sure, we all love to walk away from small groups with heartfelt encouragement, a renewed challenge to live our Biblical mandate, and/or a fresh idea to implement in daily life.  But, I don’t think we are to be in community to get those things, but to give them.

What would our small groups (and marriages, churches, etc) look like if we went into them seeking to give rather than to receive.  Who could we encourage, how can we add to the message a grace-laden challenge to continue our mandate, what new thing has arisen in our personal time with God that we can share?

I suspect that if we all went into our groups with that mindset, as opposed to seeking encouragement and affirmation, that our groups would be a much more blessed place (Acts 20:35b).

What are some ideas and tips that you have for people either to give in a small group setting, or general small group tips? Zondervan is publishing a great small group study this spring called Making Your Small Group Work with Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, and John Townsend.  I would highly recommend that for every small group.

Posted in Curriculum | 2 Comments »

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24 February, 2012

Announcing the Made to Crave Ministry Kit Winners

by cubfann

I have picked the five winners of the ministry kit and will post their names a below.  However, I feel that if each person follows through for the next 40 days with what they wrote, every one will be a winner.  Cheesy, very much so…but true.  The majority of comments fell into 3 categories:

  1. Listening to God via his Word or his Spirit
  2. Talking to God on a daily basis
  3. Carving out time to spend with God as a family

Honestly, what would the next 40 days look like if we each did this?  Many of you commented about being stay-at-home moms, having crazy schedules with kids, and wanting more time with God as a family or couple.  What would you, your marriage, your family, and our churches look like if we all did these three things the next 40 days?  I’ve never done this, but after reading the comments, I really would like to pray for you all:

Jesus, you see the hearts of each of these people, and know their desire for you.  We long for you but like children are easily distracted and lose focus.  Please focus out minds, our hearts, and our time on and for you, not only for the next 40 days, but for all our lives.  Thank you for meeting us and desiring relationship more than we do, and thank you for forgiving us for getting distracted.  We love you Jesus.  Amen.

Thank you all for your comments.  Here are the randomly chosen winners:

  • Erin

I am working to have an extended time of Bible study and prayer time each and every day, and also I just started volunteering at a local women’s shelter every few weeks.

Thanks for the opportunity to win this awesome study! I am the head of a women’s ministry at a large church, and we would LOVE to have this to share with our ladies!

  • Shannon

Our family is stepping out in faith and I am struggling with a bunch of different emotions and fears. I want to be on my knees and in His word to put to death all off the fears and anxiety.

  • Becky

I am seeking guidance. I know that God has a plan for my next step. I am determined to overcome my addiction to food. I take it one day at a time, one bite at a time and turn it over to God. God has given me the courage to share my past with others. I was always afraid to share for fear of being judged, but I know that what God has helped me to overcome can help someone.

  • Andrea

I’m making more time to read my Bible but also keeping track of my prayers…remembering to thank Him for my many blessings.

  • Amanda

I want to make time for scripture reading and prayer, but I want to GET UP and GET OUT. I want to be a DO-ER of the word and NOT a forgetful listener. I want to serve the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger. I want to serve Jesus!!

Many of you are in women’s ministry, so you may be interested in viewing our new women’s ministry catalog online.  Click here to view.  Thanks again!

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24 January, 2012

Keep the Bible in Your Bible Study

by cubfann

I read a great article on reformation21 (HT:Challies) about Effective Group Bible Study.  My main focus at Zondervan is to tell the world about our fabulous small group curriculum, so naturally I was interested in how to help people have an effective small group.  Pastor William Boekestein, who wrote the article, has some great points about effective group study, but one that really rose to the surface for me was to keep the Bible first.  Now this sounds like a given, but  too often in our groups, we rely on the study material and use the Bible as extra credit work.

Scripture studies are almost always aided by a well-written guide. Some of the best guides are commentaries, especially those that began as a sermon series. Homiletical commentaries combine the best of careful exegesis and pastoral application.(1)

One of the dangers, though, of using a study guide is that the Bible can become eclipsed by a lesser book. It is easy to subconsciously begin to treat the Bible as the “raw materials” and the study guide as the “finished product,” favoring the latter.
To avoid misusing supplemental materials, make them the last part of your preparation for the group study. First, work through the scripture passage in focus. Ask questions about the text. Note observations and applications. Use the study questions to stimulate thought before turning to the “answers” in the commentary. In this way the commentary becomes a sounding board for your ideas and conclusions rather than a source book. The Bereans took such an approach. They “…received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
A related principle is that group discussions should be guided by Scripture not by personal opinion. This does not mean that a question or comment is inappropriate just because it is an opinion. It does mean that conclusions that are reached and counsel that is given should be biblically based.

Much of the curriculum we produce has been used as sermon material that was preached in the pastors church:

What I appreciate about our video curriculum is that each teacher grounds what s/he has to say in the Bible.  Our participant’s guides have Scripture discussion, and point people to the Bible.  But in our groups, we cannot view that as bonus or “if we have time”.  No matter how good a communicator the teacher is, or how well written the participant’s guide is, they are all just commentary on the Bible.  The Bible must remain the central focus in all our small groups and Bible studies.
In addition to what Pastor Boekestein mentions in his article, here are some other thoughts:
  • make sure everyone in your group brings a Bible to small group
  • read all the recommended passages in the participant’s guides
  • consider standing as you read Scripture as a reminder of the weight of it’s words
  • before you share an opinion, know how you would back it up with Scripture

*Above I have linked the full first sessions for those curriculum.  To see more full first sessions on YouTube, go to the curriculum playlist here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL592D0CEC3F56A982

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23 March, 2011

New Zondervan Bible Dictionary

by Andrew Rogers

I lead a Bible study of other guys. As the “leader” my primary roles are: to make sure the other guys know when we’re meeting, know what sections of Scripture we’ll be looking at, make sure they have any curriculum material we might be using…and then the fun part – try to keep us prayerfully focused on reading and understanding the Bible. The two main reasons we meet are: 1) to have real friendships with other Christian guys our age, 2) to dig into the Bible.

I’ve found that #1 is easy. All of us are good friends. For us, it’s come naturally and has been a real blessing. #2 however, can be more of a challenge.

Enter the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Resources like this one, I think, are essential for Bible study leaders and small group leaders. It’s one volume (i.e. less expensive and space consuming than a massive reference set), it’s up to date (revised by Moises Silva), easy to use, and in full color. It’s also available as an eBook, which makes using it in Bible study groups even easier. (My group meets at a local diner before work. Lugging a Bible dictionary with me isn’t terribly convenient…)

This book releases next month, but you can pre-order it here. If you check out this book, let me know what you think. I’m looking forward to its release.

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25 August, 2010

5 New Bible Reference tools to Kick Off Fall 2010

by Andrew Rogers

I hate to admit it, but the summer ends soon. *sigh*

So, as churches, youth groups, pastors, and small group leaders finalize their fall schedules I thought it would be helpful to post 5 new Bible reference tools that will help you better teach the Bible. Because that’s what it’s all about, right? In addition to some of the catalog blurbs about each book I’ve posted my own thoughts. I’d love to read your reactions to these titles below. Are you looking forward to any of them more than the others? Which one?

Zondervan Atlas of the Bible revised editionZondervan Atlas of the Bible: Revised Edition by Carl Rasmussen – “This thoroughly revised edition of the Gold Medallion Award-winning Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible uses innovative 3D imaging technology and over one hundred images to bring the biblical world to life with unprecedented clarity.” As I flipped through it I was amazed at the Holy Land imagery and how clearly the information is portrayed. Who says an atlas isn’t cool? read sample

read more »

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