How to use this book with a small group.

In the preface I said this was to be more of a Why book than a How-to or an All About book. However, when people come to understand the Why of discipleship to Jesus they will want to learn how to grow and learn to experience life with Jesus like the first disciples did. There is much that needs to happen personally for you to progress as Jesus’ disciple, but don’t think of this as a solo exercise. Jesus called His first disciples into a relationship with Himself and into a community with one another.

With the principle I just articulated in the previous paragraph in mind, I wrote this book to be used in a small group as well as by individual readers. This page will summarize some relevant ideas and concepts to help you lead a small group using this book. However, this will not be a comprehensive small-group dynamics manual. You can find many excellent How-to and All About resources online and in print that will cover things like the different types of small groups, the normal lifecycles of a group, ways to build community, ways to facilitate discussion, how to manage difficult people in your group, and how to help everyone participate and contribute. 

Small Group Leader Introduction

My purpose is to share how we have approached leading small groups utilizing the content in this book.

Defining the Purpose of the Group

I believe that one of the most important leadership tasks for starting and nurturing a healthy small group is to define the purpose of the group clearly and repeatedly. We try to find ways to say and reinforce in our groups that the explicit purpose of the group is to help each other learn to live as disciples of Jesus with intentionality. We believe we are just like the first men and women whom Jesus' called to follow him. The only difference between ourselves and the first disciples is the physical body of Jesus with them, but in every other way, we are the same. Therefore, our lives and our weekly meetings will focus on learning to do four things the first disciples did with Jesus:

1. WORSHIP - They worshiped Him (giving honor and affection to Jesus, who is with us. Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:52, John 9:38 and 20:28)

2. LISTEN - They heard Him speak (listening for his voice in the Word and our hearts by Jesus’ spirit. Luke 24: 32)

3. LEARN - They learned from Him (observing His model and example and learning from His teaching and explanations. Matthew 11:27-30)

4. MINISTER - They ministered with him (he included them in doing what he saw the father doing and saying to others what he heard the father saying. Matthew 10:5-8; John 14:12)
   
   [For more details of the biblical rationale for this model, see Chapter 2, “What is Intentional Discipleship.”]

How group members use the book between meetings

The book and the small group meetings together will constitute a blended learning type of experience. During the week before meeting together, everyone will use the book to help them engage with Jesus with more intentionality in the ways we observe in the pattern of the first disciples.

1. They will read the assigned chapter asking Jesus to open their minds to learn from Him about God, themselves, and the life they were created to live in God’s creation.

2. They will process the ideas and implications of the assigned chapter using the questions for discussion and reflection included at the end of each chapter.

3. They will use the daily scripture readings for each chapter to prayerfully listen for Jesus’ voice and then respond to Him. Space is provided in the book or they may want to use a journal or notebook.

4. We also encourage each group member to worship Jesus during their week and to listen for anything He may want to tell them or show them regarding the next meeting of the small group.

How we structure our small group meeting

The small group meeting is the second part of a blended learning experience. We recognize that every group will have its unique flavor and set of circumstances that will determine aspects of how the group will function. Still, the key is to use the group meeting time to focus on the four things the first disciples did with Jesus. In other words, the flow of the small group meeting should include the four ways Jesus’ first disciples interacted with Him:

1. Provide time for worship of Jesus.

2. Allow people to share with the group what they heard Jesus say to them from the daily scripture readings.

3. Discuss the ideas and insights from the chapter. I would suggest that someone provide a high-level summary or review of the main points addressed in the chapter and then lead a discussion using the questions provided at the end of the chapter.

4. Finally, I would recommend that you provide time and opportunity for the group to listen to the Holy Spirit and then pray for one another.

Flexibility, adaptability, leadership development, and small group multiplication

It is important to remain flexible and adaptable. The objective is to reorient our lives around the person of Jesus, not to create another checklist of things to do. I think of worship, listening, learning, and ministry with Jesus as the natural activities of my normal engagement with Him as a disciple. Therefore, each time the small group meets these are the things the group will naturally do if you as a leader make room for them. But these four ways of engaging with Jesus can be done in any order. Also, the emphasis on one or another of these four things can vary from week to week.

The last observation I will make is that this strategy of the four ways of engaging with Jesus offers you an opportunity for leadership development and multiplication of small groups. One of the problems with small groups is leader fatigue. The group leader tends to be the lone voice and bears all the weight of facilitating the small group. We have found it very effective and fruitful for the group leader to share the leadership of the group by empowering different people lead the different ways of engaging with Jesus from week to week. By sharing the leadership of the meetings, you can make room for others to emerge as leaders who can then lead their own small groups of intentional disciples of Jesus.

Minister with Jesus without hype

One goal for the members of the small group is to learn to participate with Jesus in the works of God’s kingdom, while making room for the power of God. We want to see a growing confidence and faith in God while avoiding the types of hype that have been known to infiltrate and corrupt the usually sweet and powerful ministry experiences we look for with Jesus. I will name four common types of hype that I have observed. None of these were in the life and ministry of Jesus and we want none to find place in the ministry that takes place in our small groups.

1. Apocalypticism: This type of hype comes from holding a certain narrative or story in our mind. In this story, we are working with God in the final hours of history. The great things God is about to do are imminent and we are called to pray and work with urgency to help make it happen. The nature of this type of hype puts more focus and energy on the exciting next thing that God is about to do rather than on the normal, day-to-day experience of worship, listening, learning and ministry with Jesus. Jesus taught us to always live ready for His return while staying focused on our present life and ministry with Him.

2. Kingdom Warrior-ism: This type of hype resembles the plot of many movies common today. In this story line we are focused on the enemy and the threat he poses. Our mission is to “kick the enemy's butt.” This type of hype leads one to be aggressive, angry with the devil, and to try to dominate and overwhelm anything we believe opposes what God is doing or is about to do (see Apocalypticism above).

3. Emotionalism: This type of hype seems to equate volume and intensity with the manifest presence and power of God. Likewise, strong emotional experiences are equated with evidence for God's spirit at work. I’m not saying that emotions are bad nor that sometimes the power of the Holy Spirit is a very strong experience. The point is that emotions and experiences are not to be confused with the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. The latter is the reality, and the former are merely effects.

4. Elitism: this last type of hype is full of pride. We see ourselves as the "insiders," the "special ones," and is in contrast with Jesus' own model of servant-leadership which honored and preferred others above self.