Category: Authentic Community

6 causes of small group dysfunction

  1. loss of evangelistic focus – a group that has no heart or intentionality to share the good they have received from God (that is, Jesus) is by definition dysfunctional.
  2. loss of vision by pastors  – when a pastor or the pastoral leadership fails to leverage their battalions of small groups to do the work of the ministry, the groups will atrophy to dysfunctionality.
  3. lack of clear purpose – when a group doesn’t understand why it exists, it eventually either lists according to emerging whims or languishes in the unimportant.
  4. fear of innovation – unwillingness to improve or resisting creative efforts to move experience something unprecedented are twin ruts that lead a group to mire in the muck of complacency.
  5. poor leadership training – more than just apathy, a lack of quality equipping is just mean. It leaves volunteers (the very people being relied upon to accomplish the purpose of the ministry) ill-suited to complete the task and uninspired to pursue the vision.
  6. poor planning and teamwork – to be functional, small group leadership must be shared, with multiple members investing as stakeholders in the group’s success. These teams should plan ahead and meet regularly (beyond the regular group gatherings) to refine the plan, pray together, and enjoy one another’s company so that God may knit their hearts in unity toward the common goal of Kingdom advance.

10-day Small Group Prep Plan

The quality of your teaching and your learning is not dependent upon the curriculum.

Have your group members rank, at least in their minds, the importance of these components of their group experience:  the student, the teacher, the outcome, the material.

10-Day preparation plan for your group gathering:

  1. Days 1-3:  Discover the material, pray about the message, meditate on central truth.
  2. Days 4-5:  Read the whole lesson thoroughly, pray about the message, meditate on the teaching aim
  3. Days 6-7:  Prepare your lesson plan. (Day 6 in preparation is also Day 1 for next week’s lesson)
  4. Days 8:9: Review, Rehearse
  5. Day 10: Set-up & Execution
  • Use your own life’s examples – be real and be honest
  • Create value in the lesson – provide practical applications.