About the Plans
Sometimes you’ll be following a theme or a plan with your small group, and you’ll have planned ahead already.
These plans are for those times when this is not the case.
They are last minute plans, and require little more than paper and pens, or at most, access to YouTube via your phone or a computer or tablet. All you need to check is that you have the right size and amount of paper, or a device you can reliably access YouTube on. Even if you can’t access YouTube, that’s fine – there’s methods to suit every level of technophobia!
Once you’ve got whatever equipment is required, you’re ready to go. Give the plan a quick read-through, and then read it through at a slower pace to suit your group when you’re altogether.
Four simple tips to transform your small group evening
I’ve led a wide variety of groups over the years, different sizes, life stages, personalities, health issues and church backgrounds, and the most useful techniques I’ve picked up for group facilitation are all things I’ve learned through making mistakes and getting it wrong.
Here are my four essential tips. Whatever you do, however your evening pans out, these simple rules of thumb will make all the difference.
1) Always pray before your group arrive
This prayer can be as simple as a quick scream or whisper of “Help, Lord! I can’t do this tonight! I need you!”
2) Don’t be afraid of silence
How can we ever hear God speak if we never shut up? Sitting in silence can be really difficult for some people, but persevere. Use instrumental music if silence is too uncomfortable. Do what you have to, but strive for times of less talking and more listening. Imagine if every small group in the land spent two minutes a week in silence, listening for God’s voice: wouldn’t that be transformative?
3) Always pray with the group to open the evening
If you’re in a pub, do it with your eyes open. Set the tone and let people know, this is a space and time where God meets with us, and we actively look and listen for him.
4) Always end on a positive
I learnt this a really tough way, where I ran a writing group and the last thing shared was a tragic story that got worse and worse as it went on. Everyone left the group at the end looking really sad, and I got into my car and cried all the way home. Then I got cross with myself and realised what I should have done. I’ve done it ever since, and it works every time.
A simple way to do this is, at the end of every session, ask people to say out loud one thing they are thankful to God for. Just one thing. They might write it and share it, or just speak it out.
Thankfulness is the key to restoring happiness levels. You may have touched on some painful issues in your evening together. People may be feeling all sorts of mixed emotions as they’ve engaged honestly with what’s going on in their lives. Set it all straight again with a re-focusing of attention back to God’s blessings upon us, and all that he has done for us.