At New Life Christian Center in Turlock, Calif., our desire was to connect 100% of our regular attenders in small groups. Many obvious reasons compelled us to do this: assimilation, discipleship, span of care, and so on. What pastor wouldn't want that?

6 steps to mentor your leaders and their groups.
By Brett Eastman, CEO and Founder of Lifetogether, Inc.

A friend who was in charge of our men's ministry once said, "Some of these guys really don't want me coaching them; they don't want my help!"

6 steps for you to help your leaders grow spiritually.
By Brett Eastman, Founder and CEO, Lifetogether

When my daughter Michelle was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy, we thought she'd never walk. But one day she started getting up on her haunches and crawling. The next minute, she was pulling herself up on furniture and trying to walk, but she didn't look like she would ever stand sturdy on her legs. After we put her in a little walker that allowed her to cruise around the house, she went from slow to fast, fast to faster, and faster to really fast. Finally, after four and half years of age, she took her first step and jumped into my arms.

 Five ways to make the most of 40 Days of Purpose

The New Year is a prime time for churches to launch 40 Days of Purpose campaigns. And, of course, small groups play a key role in this. Much could be said from the trenches of these campaigns, but after listening to some of the most successful small group champions, we've boiled down their wisdom to five thoughts on what really works.

 Three steps to making your small group dream come true for your church
by Brett Eastman, Lifetogether

So many of us have been there—you wake up in the middle of the night feeling pulled toward starting a small group ministry at your church. But by morning you still have no clue how to go about it.

How publicly affirming your group leaders sets blessings in motion.

As a leadership coach, you have a crucial role in sustaining the small group structure of your church. Without this layer of your leadership, small groups stand on shaky ground for the simple reason that their leaders feel unsupported and therefore unwilling to take ownership of the group and its mission.

Allen White, Executive Director, Lifetogether

"You can connect 100 percent of your congregation into small groups."

Now that's a sales pitch.

If a member came to you and asked, “I want to develop a great group—what should I focus on?” Or, “We have a monthly gathering in our home with folks in our neighborhood—what should we do to make it function well?” In essence, people are saying, “Net it out for me—what does it all boil down to?”