It was about this time 20 years ago—the fall of 1995—that I started a new ministry from my basement in Cincinnati, Ohio. For a couple of years I had considered developing a national magazine for small group leaders, and I...
Tag: Small Group Movement
Ministry Leaders, Small Group Leaders
The Brazil Cell-Church Conference: What I Learned … #1: Community Is a Way of Life for Brazilians
In March, my son Dru and I traveled to Brazil where I had the privilege of training cell-church pastors, coaches, and leaders at two conferences. The first three days I led five sessions in Manaus, which is in the north...
SG Movement/History
Ralph W. Neighbour: What We Can Learn from this Pioneer in the Groups Movement
+Ralph Neighbour is one of the pioneers of the groups movement in the U.S. I believe we can learn much from men and women like him who paved the way for us. Dr. Neighbour has a heart not only for healthy,...
Ministry Leaders
2013’s Most Influential Small Group Influencers
Well ... maybe these are just my favorite influencers--the ones I like to read (books, articles, blogs) and hear speak. I'm sure I'm leaving several very influential people off this list. I apologize--I mean no disrespect. I'm including places you...
SG Movement/History
Where Is the Small Group Movement Today?
Lately I have been studying the beginnings of the small group movement in order to better understand what we can learn today. Last week I spoke to +Ralph Neighbour, and he gave me some incredible insights. Movements typically develop over...
SG Movement/History
The Beginnings of Small Groups.com
I was sitting in a small groups seminar in 1993, mesmerized by Lyman Coleman as he stood by his overhead projector, training leaders as nobody else could. This is good stuff, I thought, but what will these folks do when...
SG Movement/History
Lyman’s Legacy
I wrote yesterday about Lyman Coleman and his thoughts on small groups as an assimilation strategy for the church. Today, I want to share some more personal thoughts about Lyman. I first met Lyman Coleman in 1992 when I wrote...
External-Focus, SG Movement/History
Lyman Coleman: Small Groups Are Much More Than an Assimilation Strategy
I spent a day with Lyman Colemen recently and talked about small groups ministry over the last 60-some years. Lyman founded Serendipity House and for more than 30 years, he spoke at church conferences across America. At that time, he...
SG Models/Structure, Small Group Leaders
Rethinking Our Small Group Model
What is "authentic biblical community"? It's within the environment of authentic biblical community that disciples are made and we live out our faith. But what does that look like for us today? Recently I've been thinking a lot about what...