When you think of "mission," do you envision taking God's Word to people in remote places, like Africa or Asia? Do you imagine living a Spartan lifestyle, stripped of all the comforts of home? Do you think of abandoning friends, family, a successful career—giving up everything? . .

Our small group, like most small groups, is comprised of people with varying degrees of Christian maturity. One lady arrived as a spiritual seeker. Within time, she committed her life to Christ and was baptized. . .

Starting something new is often easier than keeping it going—especially going well. Many small group pastors and champions especially feel this way after the completion of 40 Days of Purpose. People are connected like never before and rising to new spiritual heights, but you question how you are going to sustain this mountaintop experience. .

Your church has been on a spiritual roll with the 40 Days of Purpose campaign. Everyone's excited, but you're actually worried: What will happen to these wonderful small groups once 40 Days is over? . .

Trevor grew up in a Christian home, attending church every Sunday. He knew the gospel, and he believed it. But when it came to sharing his faith with others, he never really gave it much thought. In his mind, explaining the gospel to someone who wasn't a believer was something only "super spiritual" people did. . .

I grew up with a single mom, two sisters, a girl cousin, and an aunt. One Christmas morning, we were sitting around the tree rifling through presents. We tore a package open and showed it to the entire family. One time I opened my gift, and I pulled out … a skirt! The family exploded in laughter. Late on Christmas Eve, my mom had gotten the gifts all goofed up. . .

Since its beginning, our small group ministry has prayed for our local community—that lives would be changed through Jesus Christ.  . .

Some of you have been leading groups for six years—hosting is old hat for you. Some of you have been doing it for six months and may be looking to become a better host. And some of you just completed your first six-week study and, frankly, are still recovering from the experience. . .

Many groups are resistant to the idea of multiplication. It's difficult to break up an existing group for the sake of reaching out to new people. Having babies—creating new communities—is painful, but the trade-off is better than remaining evangelistically barren. . .

Is there enough time?

I'm not sure what your lives are like, but mine is progressively getting faster and more complex. . .

Setting up task groups is a great way to develop a growing number of faithful volunteers in almost any area of ministry. A task group is distinct in that it isn't just a traditional fellowship-building group or a team of people simply fulfilling a task. . .

When it comes to small group ministry, the need for leaders is always great, yet people are often hesitant to take on this role. Being asked may open the gate to a herd of excuses . . .

Small group leaders are the most strategic people in the life changing process. Really the goal in small group ministry should be to have small group leaders as "pastors" of the church. . .

The best thing you can do to encourage honesty in your group is to be honest yourself. This doesn't mean spilling your guts about your darkest secrets. . .

When it comes to getting everyone to participate in your small group, it's important that you—their leader—know your level of openness is the primary factor in setting the tone for the group's involvement and openness. . .

Many people that visit but never return to a small group do so because it feels cliquish. When visitors walk in to your meeting, your top priority is to make them feel welcome. Greet them at the door; give them a hug or a handshake and look them in the eye when they talk. . .

There are few other tasks in the family of God that surpass shepherding Jesus' flock—which is what you as a leader are doing. As you prepare to lead—whether it is one session or an entire series—keep in mind that you are not alone. God knows everything about you, and he knew that you would be asked to lead your group. . .

Does the very thought of sharing your faith with an unbeliever make you sweat? If so, as a leader you understand exactly what the rest of your group feels regarding evangelism. There's nothing more important for a leader than empathy. . .

Being an effective leader demands a planning and a prayerful heart. . .

One concern of nearly every small group leader is how to get everyone to open up. This is especially problematic in larger groups. If your group has more than seven people, here's a great technique for encouraging sharing. . .

Few traits describe a good group leader as effectively as "authentic" and "patient." . .

As a leader, you are actually in the people development business. Your role as leader is to motivate your group members to discover and start using their gifts and abilities to develop their own unique ministry design. There are three key ways you can help develop your group members. . .

Once your group members have discovered their ministry "SHAPE," why not set a goal one week that no one leaves your meeting without a plan to serve over the next three months. . .

Although I've championed small groups in several big churches over the past decade, and even though it's been almost twenty years since I led my first small group, I still remember the day I led my first group like it was yesterday. . .

First Corinthians 12:7 says that God gives every believer spiritual gifts for the common good of the body. . .

Okay, so that may seem obvious, but one of the critical roles of a small group leader is to shepherd the people in your group. Does the word "shepherd" scare you? . .

One skill every small group leader should have is the ability to talk with unbelievers about your experience of God in ordinary language that an unbeliever will understand. In the church we use some specialized words like "repentance" and "being saved." . .

One of the most powerful aspects of small groups is the opportunity to offer prayer requests, to pray together, and then to see how God follows through on those prayers. . .