Making Your Small Group Work - 9780310687474

Four 60-minute sessions train leaders and group members in the foundational values and practices of becoming a life-changing community. These sixty-minute sessions are the foundations of small groups that include teaching by the authors, creative segments, and activities and discussion time. * The group has the chance to review and learn new group life techniques during the year with Thirteen five-minute coaching segments on topics such as active listening, personal sharing, giving and receiving feedback, prayer, calling out the best in others, and more. Each session includes a mix of three elements: * Teaching by the authors * Creative segments (such as modeling dramas, person-on-the-street interviews, personal stories/testimonies, creative multimedia, etc.) * Small group activities and processing/discussion time The four sessions include: * Session 1 provides a foundational experience that helps group members get excited about the adventure and life-changing power of small group life. Exercises and guided discussions create an initial sense of connection, safety, and most of all, fun! * Session 2 focuses on introducing values, ground rules, and logistical issues. Relationships are deepened through the group's assessment and discussion of the values most important to them, while exercises facilitate group ownership of these issues. * Session 3 unpacks each of the five key values through in-depth teaching and practical examples. Group members learn that all are responsible for implementing the five values in the life of the group, and they practice applying two of the values during the session ('Be real' and 'accept one another'). * Session 4 transitions the group to running on its own. Exercises help the group clarify what their focus will be, and what they want to do in their next meeting (the first meeting without the DVD curriculum). This session also provides an inspiring wrap-up for the course that casts vision for what the group can become if it lives out its values. The Life-Changing Power of Group Life DVD and Participants Guide are available separately.