LEADING A SMALL GROUP

Ground Rules

Be honest or be silent - silence becomes a form of honesty that says “I’m not willing to be honest about that yet.”

Be absolutely confidential (but be aware of the law-you must report life-threatening situations such as neglect, eating disorders, sexual abuse)

Be all there.  “Wherever you are, be all there.”  Encourage focus among your students.

Tips for Being a Good Small Group Leader

Enthusiasm.  Verbalize your excitement about the material and the group members.

Vulnerability.  Realize that your failures do not hurt the gospel.  In fact, failures – or sin- make the gospel necessary.

Learning.  Come to each group session as a learner rather than a ‘Miss Answers’ or ‘Mr. Here’s What it Means”.

Praying.  Pray for your students before group sessions and at the beginning and end of each time together.

Confident.  Trust God to work through the group dynamics and the Christians in the group.

Flexible.  Tweak the curriculum to the needs of the group – and always look for teachable moments from life.

Honesty.  Share both your personal successes and failures.  If you want your students to be authentic, you must be authentic first.  

What makes a Good Small Group Leader

You’ll be a good leader when you care deeply about the individual group members.  Young people are keenly able to sense the motivation of their leader, yet caring deeply is not as easy as it sounds. It takes time, personal sacrifices, and has substantial emotional costs, but caring deeply and communicating that care will make a difference to your students.  It is important to listen closely without making moral judgments about individuals.  If you make a judgment on every issue that kids raise, you’ll stifle the honesty and spontaneity of your group.

You will find the correct balance between being relaxed and spontaneous on the one hand, and being structured and formal on the others.  In fact, the best leaders tend to be relaxed and casual in their approach, yet intense in their beliefs, faith and values.  They seem able to communicate their leadership intensity in an informal and casual way without demanding structure and formal presentation.

You will want to set the tone for each small group session with enthusiasm and openness.  You will want to lead with honesty, vulnerability and confidentiality.  You will want to always come to your session as a co-learner, always ready to learn from God’s Word and from what your students have to say.