Intro to PursueGOD Small Groups
To create a culture of discipleship, a church needs great small groups that do the right things, led by committed leaders who do the right things.
Talking Points:
- Small groups allow everyone in a church to receive care-not from one overworked pastor, but from people who know them best. Exodus 18:14,18
- PursueGOD small groups use conversation starters to speak truth in love through the course of a small group season. Ephesians 4:15
- PursueGOD group leaders are not primarily Bible teachers, but disciples who make disciples. Matthew 28:19-20
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Think of the best small group you have been a part of. What made it a great group?
- Read Exodus 18:14,18. Identify what Jethro observed from watching Moses. Why isn’t it sustainable for one pastor to do all the work?
- Have you ever experienced pastoral care in a small group setting? Explain. How did it impact your life?
- Read Ephesians 4:15. What does it mean to speak the truth in love? What does it look like to speak truth in an unloving way? Why can a small group be a better environment for harder conversations?
- What are the relative strengths of a sermon versus a small group discussion? How do the two work together to make disciples?
- What do you think will eventually happen in a small group that is not intentional about making disciples who make disciples?
- What are some topics or series that you think will be good for the group you are starting?
- As you prepare to lead a group, how does it help you to keep in mind your part versus God’s part?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Small Group Leader Essentials
Want to lead a small group that makes a difference? Pay attention to these five leader essentials.
Leader Essentials:
- Invite personally. Don’t rely on announcements at church to build your group. The best way to grow your group is through personal invitations.
- Involve everyone. Encourage others to participate by facilitating the conversation, hosting a night, leading prayer, bringing snacks, or planning serving opportunities.
- Influence spiritual growth. Challenge others to create and keep personal spiritual disciplines such as time in God’s word, prayer, serving and disciple making.
- Invest outside of group time. Pray for them, connect with them socially, check in when they’re unable to attend, and serve them when the need arises.
- Inspire multiplication. All groups have a life cycle, and leaders must develop expectations of what healthy growth looks like for the group. Ultimately, it means you will reproduce.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Who are the people God has put in your path (spheres of influence) and on your heart through prayer to invite into your small group? How will you invite them?
- What are some “jobs” you can create and give to others to make your small group great?
- Rate yourself. On a scale from 1-10, how much do you tend to dominate the conversation in a group setting? How will you make sure to involve others in the conversation?
- What are some ways you can encourage your group members to create and keep personal spiritual disciplines?
- How will you encourage connection outside of the group? What are some things you can do as a group to serve each other and in the community?
- How will you communicate to your group that the goal isn’t to stay together for years but rather to grow and multiply? What tends to happen to groups that become “holy huddles”?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Driving Toward Disciple-making in Your Small Group
Without mentoring, groups can be a small version of the big problem: ministry that doesn't personally help the ones in need.
Talking Points:
- The small group is the simplest place to model disciple-making. Every time you cover a topic, you’re training group members on the pursueGOD method.
- Identify a few people who are ready to become disciple-makers. You’re already engaging them during small group; now establish them by taking them through The Pursuit outside of group time. Matthew 9:36-37
- The small group is an ideal environment for handoffs. Start connecting the few with others in the group, empowering one-on-one discipling relationships outside of the group. Ephesians 4:11-12
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Read Matthew 9:36-37. What’s the “big problem” that Jesus exposes? Have you seen a smaller version of that problem in your small group? Explain.
- Make a list of life and faith topics that people need to talk about. Which topics are appropriate for small group? Which ones would be better tackled in a mentoring relationship?
- Make a list of 2-3 people in your small group who are available and teachable. Do you think that they would be willing to mentor someone from your group if the need arose?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
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