What makes church ministry ministry? In fact, what makes the church the church? I ride my bike each year in a couple charity events. In two weeks, on September 9, I’m riding with some of my cycling friends and a couple thousand others in the Bike to Beat Cancer here in Louisville. I’m planning to ride 100 miles to raise …

GUEST POST by C.J. Stephens, Small Groups Minister at Northeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky   I hear the stories over and over again. They vary in subtle ways, yet they’re always about that person in your group—the one who seems to have everything together. Their life is going perfectly. Their family is great. They are making more money than they …

Here are this week’s all new Leadership TIPS … for all kinds of spiritual leaders. Each day this week, we Tweeted them, posted them on our Facebook page, and posted them on LinkedIn. Use these tips in your ministry. Retweet or repost them to your friends and followers! #Leadership #TIPoftheDay: Ask yourself, “Why has God entrusted me w/ leadership? What …

Helping people in our churches, classes, and small groups understand and experience God’s grace is vital. What is the best way to teach and, better yet, experience this fundamental doctrine? Use stories, says Kyle Idleman. In a recent interview for CT Pastors, Kyle Rohane and Andrew Finch talked with Idleman, teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, about …

Today I want to show you a way of small group life that is best of all. A great small group is patient and kind with one another. The members of a great small group are not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. In a great small group, people do not demand their own way.They seek God’s way. They …

Today’s guest blogger is C.J. Stephens, Small Groups Minister at Northeast Christian Church. Because I lead a Northeast small group, I receive C.J.’s monthly newsletter called “Leader Connect.” This past month, C.J. wrote about prayer in groups, an important topic for leaders, and I thought he hit the nail on the head.  GUEST POST by C.J. Stephens, Small Groups Minister …

This week’s social media posts focus on friendships in small groups. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Small Group Leader TIP of the Day: #community is the #environment for #lifechange. Thx @wtmckenzie! pic.twitter.com/yFQvEiml2A — Small Grp Leadership (@michaelcmack) January 23, 2017 Small Group Leader TIP of the Day: #Friends #community #Biblestudy #liveit #transformation pic.twitter.com/HhxOK6j33N — Small Grp Leadership …

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. This week’s TIPS come from my new book, Small Group Leader TOOLBOX. TIP of the Day from #SGLToolbox: Share leadership! https://t.co/DQRBehRLMN#SmallGroup #Leader #SGLeadership pic.twitter.com/QpcI6jlozk — Small Grp Leadership (@michaelcmack) December 12, 2016 TIP of the …

The following post is excerpted from my new eBook, Small Group Leader Toolbox. See more information about this resource at the end of this post. Just as a plant needs a number of specific elements in its environment in order to grow, Christians need at least 7 vital factors or influences to grow spiritually. Each of these plays a significant …

What is your small group’s plan for this Christmas season? Many groups struggle with meeting and studying over the holidays, and this can be detrimental to the health of your group. Not only that, but this is a prime time of the year to help your group members grow in their faith as well as to reach out to and …