Jesus Christ launched his divine plan to redeem mankind by making disciples out of a small group. He used that small group to create momentum and keep it going. The question, of course, is why would He do that? Why a small group?
Most meaningful change takes place in the context of relationships—men sharpening men with truth, encouragement, and commitment. THANK YOU for your willingness to be a part of this transformative time in the lives of your group members.
1. Choose the series that best fits the needs of your group. Consider the subject, length, and spiritual needs of your men. Here are a few suggestions:
Gather online when you can’t meet face-to-face.
Our go-to tool for video meetings is Zoom. The free version allows large groups to meet for 40 minutes, set recurring meeting times, send calendar invites, use breakout rooms for smaller groups to talk or pray together, and more. It has an easy-to-use interface and features.
Here is a video tutorial we recommend, especially if you are new to Zoom: Getting Started with Zoom
NOTE: If sound quality on your video call is an issue, ask men to mute their microphones when they aren’t answering a question or discussing something.
Have each man introduce himself. You may want to have a light-hearted icebreaker prepared to help guys open up, such as the question “What is an item on your bucket list?” or the game “Two Truths and a Lie” to help guys get to know each other.
Consider asking each man to take just a couple of minutes to share briefly where he is on his spiritual journey, and what he hopes to give and get out of the group study. Don’t try to go too far too fast; be sensitive to men who may take longer to decide to share.
Before you end the call, make sure each man has a link to the video series you’ll be studying together and knows when the next meeting is. Ask them to watch the Week 1 video PRIOR to your next meeting.
Consider creating a private Facebook Group where guys can interact, discuss the devotions, and share prayer requests during the week.
Pros: It’s free, and many men already have a Facebook account, so that’s one less thing for your guys to figure out, as most of them will already know how to use the features.
Use the group to post one of the discussion questions from the week’s video or an insight from the message that resonated with you. You might also share The Big Idea, a key verse or quote, ask an icebreaker question, share a humorous meme, or share and request prayer requests.
This will enrich your small-group experience by helping guys get to know each other better and stay connected.
In the case of these groups, your primary role is to help facilitate the groups—not teach. Your leadership will be geared toward steering discussion and making men feel cared for and supported.
Call or text your group members each week. This can be a short call or text that simply expresses, “I’m glad you’re in the group and I’ll see you Thursday,” for example. It’s also a good idea to send them the link to the week’s video. Contacting each man helps him feel like a valued member of the group and encourages him to prioritize the meeting.
It is up to you to set the tone for the group; be authentic, enthusiastic, and affirming. Remember—a small group is many things, including a hospital for men with broken wings; make yours a safe place for men. Don’t put pressure on them to conform to certain behavior. Instead, simply show men Christ and welcome them.
Make sure group members know that anything mentioned during meetings is confidential and is not to leave the group.
It’s also important that you honor the time during your group meetings. Aim to start and end on time every week. Always thank group members for participating before they leave.
Airtime for every man every week. Draw out the quiet man without making him feel uncomfortable. Sense his pace. If you have a man who talks too much, ask him privately to help you draw out the more reserved men.
Don’t talk more than 25% of the time. If there is silence when you ask a question, don’t try to fill the space. The chapters each have discussion questions in them. Use these to steer the direction of the group meeting.
Encourage more than one person to answer a question with a statement such as, “Does anyone else have a thought about that?”