Simple Small Groups : A User-Friendly Guide for Small Group Leaders

by Search, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780801071539
• ISBN10: 0801071534
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Baker Pub Group

Summary

Over the past two decades, small groups have gone from spontaneous gatherings among friends to a major and elaborate phenomenon in the church. Many evangelical churches have some form of small groups ministry in place. But there's just one problem, says Bill Search--what started as a simple get-together has become a complicated process, especially for small group leaders. They are often not sure what is expected of them or what to expect from their groups as a result of their efforts.In Simple Small Groups, Search lays out the three C's of small groups--connecting, changing, and cultivating. This paradigm helps to simplify leading small groups in a way that is helpful, rewarding, and life changing. Unlike many other books geared toward small group leaders, Simple Small Groups does not require a church-wide adoption of an intricately designed system of assimilation, making it useful to any small group leader looking for guidance.

Author Biography

Bill Search is small groups minister at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, which has a regular Sunday morning attendance of 18,000.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 5
Acknowledgments	p. 7
Introduction: Confessions of a Small Groups Minister	p. 9
How We Got Here: Hints from History	p. 19
Connecting: The Relational Pattern
The Pattern of Connecting: Overcoming Obstacles, Imagining Possibilities	p. 35
The Nuts and Bolts of Connecting: Helping People Form Relational Bonds	p. 53
Changing: The Growth Pattern
The Pattern of Changing: Exploring How People Conform to the Image of Christ	p. 69
The Nuts and Bolts of Changing: Helping People Become More Christlike	p. 87
Cultivating: The Missional Pattern
The Pattern of Cultivating: The Way Groups Revolutionize the World	p. 109
The Nuts and Bolts of Cultivating: Helping People Become More Missional	p. 127
Harmony: Pulling It All Together
When Good Groups Go Bad: The Pitfall of Obsession	p. 147
Real Simple: Harmony of the Three C's	p. 155
Afterword	p. 167
Key Scripture for Connecting	p. 171
Key Scripture for Changing	p. 175
Key Scripture for Cultivating	p. 179
Notes	p. 183
Bibliography	p. 187
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