Small Groups
 Also see: Discussion Resources |
Small groups can meet for various reasons. Some are prayer groups and some are support groups. These types of groups in the church will often have a brief devotional time. But there are some small groups whose primary purpose is to study the Bible together. Those kind of groups are the ones for whom this page is most intended but training is needed for all group facilitators. |
Clicking on the links below will take you to resources on other sites or to one of our affiliate stores. While seeking to choose sites and resources that are doctrinally sound, the Ministry Tools Resource Center makes no claim to total endorsement of any listing.
Links to other sites will open in a new page to allow you to keep the list available to look at additional teacher training resources.
Articles, Online:
- 10 Ways to Be a Better Listener
- 13 Practical Ways to Make Every Group Meeting Count
- Building (or Rebuilding) a Healthy Small Group Ministry: 7 important questions to consider
- Common Small Group Models - interactive summary chart of 10 different small group models describing them and giving advantages and disadvantages of each
- Help Your Small Group Leaders Stimulate Better Discussions
- How to Create Openness in Your Small Groups
- How To Get Your Small Group Talking
- Leading a Good Discussion using Discussion Guides
- Leading a Great Small Group
- People Art: Small Group Facilitation
- Shepherding thru Small Groups
- Small Groups Build Relationships in Children's Ministry
Audio Recording:
Free:
- Small Group Leading: Maximizing Spiritual Influence Through Relationships - by Sally Michael at the Children Desiring God Conference 2011 (scroll down on that page); The MP3 audio of these seminars may be listened to online or can be downloaded --Free! Handouts can also be printed for the seminars.
Cost:
- Jesus as a Small Group Leader by Floyd Schwanz at the NWCEC, Northwest Christian Education Conference 2009 (#044 in the list, on CD and MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
- Make Your Group Zing! by Kelly Cousineau at the 2009 GCSSA, Greater Chicago Sunday School Association Conference (#051 in the list, on CD or MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
- Small Groups:Side by Side with Your Sunday School by Dr. David A. Slamp at the NWCEC, Northwest Christian Education Conference 2009 (#154 in the list, on CD and MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
- Starting (or Re-Starting) Small Groups: How to Build a Small Group Ministry by Drew Schmitz at the 2009 GCSSA, Greater Chicago Sunday School Association Conference (#172 in the list, on CD or MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
- The Big Deal About Small Groups by Robert Wallace at the GWCEA, Greater Washington Christian Education Association 2008 (#16 in the list, on CD and MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
- Two Non-Negotiables of Small Groups: Part 1 - Accountability by Ty Gooch at the 2009 GCSSA, Greater Chicago Sunday School Association Conference (#011 in the list, on CD or MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
- Two Non-Negotiables of Small Groups: Part 2 - Apprenticeship by Ty Gooch at the 2009 GCSSA, Greater Chicago Sunday School Association Conference (#032 in the list, on CD or MP3; Click here for their PDF Order form.)
Books:
- 101 Great Ideas to Create a Caring Group by Thom Corrigan
- 201 Great Questions by Jerry D. Jones
- Biblical Foundations For Small Group Ministry by Gareth Icenogle
- Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue
- Emergency Response Handbook for Small Group Leaders by Group Publishing - for Adults
- How to Build a Small Groups Ministry by Neal F. McBride
- How to Have Great Small Group Meetings: Dozens of Ideas You Can Use Right Now by Neal McBride
- How to Lead Small Groups by Neal F. McBride
- Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
- Making Small Groups Work by Drs. Henry Cloud & John Townsend
- Small Group Idea Book by Cindy Bunch
- Small Group Ministry in the 21st Century: The Encyclopedia of Practical Ideas by Group Publishing
- Small Groups From Start to Finish by Group Publishing - geared to youth
- The Big Book on Small Groups by Jeffrey Arnold
- The Power of Small Groups in Christian Education by Harley Atkinson
- The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry: A Troubleshooting Guide for Church Leaders by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
- Walking the Small Group Tightrope: Managing the Tensions Every Small Group Faces by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Resources:
- Bible Study Index at Christianbook.com
- Discussion Guides at Ministry Tools Resource Center
- ReGroup: Training Groups to Be Groups - DVD Curriculum by Dr. Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, Dr. John Townsend
- Small Group Ministry at Christianbook.com - includes Bible Study Guides, DVD Curriculum, and more
Worksheets:
- In facilitating a discussion, everyone's contribution is valuable! by Ministry Tools Resource Center
This worksheet gives pointers for how to help those group members who are passive, belittlers, monopolizers, or distracters. If a teacher needs help with only one of these types of group members, you may print off only the pages the teacher needs. Each type of group member begins on a new page. - (Also posted under Discussions.)
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