The most vital mark of kingdom leadership is a leader's relationship with God. And that's the second sign of a healthy small group: a healthy growing leader.The apostle Paul prayed for his Ephesian friends that "Christ will be more and...
Leader's Heart-Overflow, Ministry Leaders
“For a Cause or for Christ?” (Repost of Heather Zempel Blog)
I've been talking about the first sign of a healthy small group. It must be Christ-centered. Heather Zempel (at right) put it so well in her blog November 23. Check it out:"The disciples didn't lay their lives down for a...
External-Focus
Hungry Small Groups
For those of you outside of Northeast Christian, we are now on Day 2 of a food challenge, eating just a small amount of rice and beans for lunch and dinner (and maybe 1 tortilla) and oatmeal for breakfast. We're...
Small Group Leaders
I’m Not the Leader: 1st Sign of a Healthy Group – Part 2
I am not the leader of our small group. I'm not trying to get out of anything. I'm not passing the buck. It's just that a group can only have one real leader, and I'm not it. In my last...
Small Group Leaders
Tootsie Pop Small Groups: 1st Sign of a Healthy Group
Healthy small groups are like Tootsie Pops. The most important part is what's at it's center. I was thinking about this analogy and the tract that contrasts two ways of living life, represented by two circles: the self-directed and Christ-centered...
Small Group Leaders
Healthy Groups Are Intentional
Today I came across a great blog post by DeAntwan Fitts, pastor of Peace Chapel in Los Angeles, titled "Five Stages of a Healthy Small Group." Great post, and a very necessary part of what I'm discussing here. DeAntwan begins...
Small Group Leaders
Seven Signs of a Healthy Ecosystem in Your Group
Question #1: Is your group healthy? A healthy group is a group that will naturally grow, develop, bear fruit, and reproduce. Question #2: How do you know if your group is healthy or not? Last spring I wanted to answer...
Small Group Leaders
Is Your Small Group Ecosystem Healthy?
The other day I was listening to a sermon by Chip Ingram in which he compared authentic community to an "ecosystem" (a link to the MP3 can be found at the bottom of this blog entry).I like this comparison. For...