I recently met Deborah Ike, who works with church leaders to help them grow their churches and create a life with healthy margins. She is the author of two books, Volunteer Management Toolkit-Church Edition and Protect the Vision: A Practical Guide to Church Risk Management, both available on her website: Velocity Ministry Management. After reading this interview, go check out …

Here are the Small Group Leader TIPS for the last week as Tweeted, posted on our Small Group Leadership Facebook page, and posted on LinkedIn. Small Group Leader TIP of the Day: Share roles w/ everyone #ownership #involvement #spirtualgifts pic.twitter.com/RFbeXNkzBi — Michael C. Mack (@michaelcmack) August 8, 2016 Small Group Leader TIP of the Day: Share leadership! #spiritual #numerical #growth …

The 12-step strategy can be summarized in 4 words: Focus short-term, plan long-term. Many people are reluctant to join a long-term group, especially with people they don’t already know. Perhaps this is why so many small group events and campaigns fail. But people will try a short-term group (four to six weeks, maximum) that meets a specific felt need. Once …

Here are last week’s Small Group Leader TIPS as Tweeted, posted on the Small Group Leadership Facebook page, and posted on LinkedIn. *     *     *     *     *     *     * Monday, 5/16: “Admonish one another” is a command of Scripture. To grow spiritually, ppl sometimes need it. #toughlove Tuesday, 5/17: Call a group member or 2 today simply to encourage. Be …

As I coach and consult with small group point leaders and churches, I’m finding that coaching leaders is (still) a struggle for many. At the same time, I partner with several organizations that deal with coaching business leaders, and I’m applying what I’m learning in that environment to small group and church ministry. Over the next several posts, I’ll share …

Small Group Leadership TIPS of the past week as Tweeted, posted on the Small Group Leadership Facebook page, and posted on LinkedIn. *     *     *     *     *     *     * Monday, 2/22: Simple yet powerful. DDIY. Don’t Do It Yourself. Lead w/ God and share leadership with others. #DDIY Tuesday, 2/23: What got your small group here won’t get you there. Don’t …

GUEST POST by Joel Comiskey, Ph.D., president of www.joelcomiskeygroup.com. *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *   I really wanted John to replace me as the small group point person. He was knowledgeable, talented, friendly, and likable. He was a good friend and always positive. But he was the wrong guy. Why? He just wasn’t FAT. Or better, he …

What will happen to the church and to small groups if (or when) it becomes illegal for Christian ministers to publicly hold up biblical values? What if your testimony became “hate speech”? These are the questions Francis Chan addresses in this three-and-a-half-minute video. The video, I believe, is actually misnamed. While politics is the backdrop of his comments here, Chan’s …

Through my assessment of small groups as well as my experience leading groups and coaching other leaders, I’ve observed a direct correlation between leaders who hog leadership and groups that do not grow or multiply. Leaders who lead healthy, growing groups share leadership with two to three others … but not just any two or three others. I’ve seen leaders …

Robert Lay, holding up my book, The Pocket Guide to Burnout-Free Small Group Leadership, translated into Portuguese Brazilian leaders deal with burnout. When I was first asked to speak on the topic of leader burnout in Brazil, I was surprised. Because of all the wonderful things I’ve heard about the Brazilian church, cells, and the people, not to mention the …