8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders

Dave Earley

There are eight habits you can cultivate to become an effective small group leader. They include: dreaming and casting vision; praying for growth; inviting people to come out to Bible studies; following up with people; preparing for your meeting; discipleship; planning fun group activities; and being committed to your own personal growth.

Supporting Those Who Serve Others

Joel Comiskey

Coaching home group leaders is one of the most important factors in establishing successful home groups. Quality coaching involves six principles: 1) helping people receive from God; 2) helping people be willing to make mistakes; 3) listening to people; 4) serving through encouragement; 5) serving by being a good friend; 6) serving by challenging. We're all works in progress and need coached to keep following God. Coaching is essential and makes a difference in the long haul of ministry.\r\n

Spiritual Attitudes that Transform

Jim Leffel
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Paul explains key attitudes that reflect and foster God's sanctifying work in a Christians life. The five attitudes he mentions are: 1) rejoicing; 2) prayerfulness; 3) gratitude; 4) sensitivity to the Spirit; 5) forth telling-giving God's perspective. God is involved in this lie long process of transformation.\r\n

Aspects of Godly Influence

Jim Leffel
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica to teach them aspects of Godly influence. He calls on them to imitate his life as he has imitated Jesus' life. He explains five ways to be influential: 1) lead by example; 2) be persuasive; 3) pray for others; 4) communicate gratitude; and 5) give concrete encouragement.

Christian Community

Jim Leffel
1 Peter 4:7-11

Peter is writing to folks dealing with a lot of suffering encouraging them to find refuge and sustenance in Christian community. This is an important passage on what is the church and a look at its core values. Would you like to have a growing circle of friends united by a clear conviction of purpose, strengthened by other-centered love and service and where honest, truthful, trusted words prevail?

Developing Your Prayer Life

Gary DeLashmutt
1 Peter 4:7-11

Gary DeLashmutt covers practical tips on staying connected to God in day-to-day life as well as making the most of times set apart for prayer. He encourages praying spontaneously and praying with others as two main ways to bolster our prayer lives. His explanations of the benefits of each include specific challenges for his listeners to consider.\r\n

Common Hindrances to Prayer

Gary DeLashmutt
1 Peter 4:7-11

Gary DeLashmutt addresses the most common reasons people find it difficult to pray: 1) feeling like an outsider; 2) feeling aversion or lacking the desire to talk to God right now; 3) feeling unworthy of God's presence due to a guilty conscience; and 4) being unwilling to listen to God. With humility and empathy, Gary explains some spiritual implications behind these common hinderances and offers solutions that are Biblical, yet often counterintuitive in the moment.

Praying As Jesus' Representative

Gary DeLashmutt
Colossians 4:2-6

As Jesus' representatives, believers can pray for God's help in representing Him well. Gary DeLashmutt focuses on three types of requests we can make of God based on the prayer in Colossians: 1) create opportunities for me to share about Jesus' love; 2) show me how to demonstrate Jesus' love through my actions; and 3) enable me to express Jesus' love in this conversation.

Praying When Your World is Rocked

Gary DeLashmutt
Acts 4:24-30

When we pray, God will help us overcome world-rocking crises. Overcoming may not mean deliverance from circumstances, but God can allow us to victoriously do His will in the midst of tribulation. The prayer in Acts includes three key points, that God would: 1) consider the threats against them; 2) enable them to represent Jesus well; and 3) pour out the Holy Spirit in healing so people may experience God. Gary DeLashmutt expounds on how this prayer serves as an example for us today. Includes a testimony by Bev DeLashmutt on a spiritual role model of victorious suffering in her life.