Does your venue look good - conducive to interaction?
Model what you want the group to be
Be open and personal.
Make time for / communicate with each other outside the group.
Pursue opportunities to serve each other.
Leading Discussions
Empower others by asking great questions.
Don't lecture.
Trust the Holy Spirit to speak through the DBS interactive process. Avoid debates and tangents.
Let the text be the main focus.
Value the questions in the "Looking Up" section:
What caught your attention and why?
What can we learn about God or people?
How can we live differently in light of this passage? (You could also use: Is there a command to obey, example to follow, promise to claim, or sin to confess? Or Why is this story important?)
In the "Looking Forward" section we always ask: How do I need to specifically apply this to my life? (I Will By When.) Practice some of the missional living applications together. Encourage gracious accountability.
Create a safe environment. Affirm people when they share.
To encourage non-talkers to participate in your discussion, call on them by name. For example say: “I’d like to hear what (insert name) thinks about this question.” At the same time, never force participation. This also works when there are overly-talkative group members by making it clear who should be speaking.
Stimulate further discussion by acknowledging responses.
When someone answers incorrectly, respond carefully. You could ask, "What do others think?" Be gentle in your response. It may be better to confront the issue one-on-one outside of the meeting.
When your discussion goes off on a tangent, acknowledge the new topic's importance, and suggest that you table the topic until later.
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. As your group grows closer together, some will become more open in sharing personal struggles and challenges. At times, it will be appropriate to stop and pray immediately.
Remember at all times to be CONFIDENTIAL regarding the personal things shared.
Apply the 30 Second Rule. Too often, leaders ask a question, wait three to five seconds, and then jump in to answer it themselves. Group members will learn that you'll always give the answers, which will discourage future participation. It takes at least 20 seconds for many people to process questions, especially reflection and application questions.
Other Important Thoughts
Keep the group open, if people want to join you after you’ve begun, let them in. You can catch them up with the group content via personal meetings at a later time.
Don’t worry if people depart the group—as family situations change, people move, jobs change, there is sickness, etc..
The essence of making disciples is influence. Keep these Five Fundamentals:
love and influence
teach-model-coach
call to faith, action, challenge and entrust
move to those far from God
church, kingdom and community.
Many topics and issues may arise in your small groups. We encourage you to look for credible resources and spiritual leaders to serve your small group members for good answers.
Some are called and responsible to expand the ministry to where Jesus is not known. That means some may move on to start new groups or plant churches.
