When I first joined the staff at Saddleback Church. Rick told me he reserved seats for over 800 men on 7 different 747s headed to Washington, DC for Promise Keepers. . . .

Most leaders who dream of "finding a shepherd for every sheep" find themselves a bit lost when it comes to starting small groups. You're not alone. . . .

Without a guy named John I wouldn't be where I am today.

He was the coach of the first small group I led. When my confidence was waning or I was tired of leading, he came alongside me and said, "I believe you can do it." . .

Lifestyles today make integrated and interdependent relationships hard to create and maintain. The absence of this interdependence makes us hunger for community. Most of us manage "linear relationships." . .

Nobody likes pain, and nobody likes to experience pain alone. Even Christ, while hanging on the cross, asked God, "Why have you forsaken me?" Yet God often uses it to trigger some of the greatest life-giving moments. . .

This Easter may be the biggest opportunity for small group ministry, yet.

Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ grossed $23.6 million opening day. . .

If you want to have a healthy small group, it goes without saying that its members need to be healthy. So a good way to move yourself and your group toward well-being is by assessing each individual's level of health. . .

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. . .

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:  . .

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

Often small groups become a place in the church, where "every person (or small group) does what is right in his own eyes." . .

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. . .

Setting up task groups is a great way to develop a growing number of faithful volunteers in almost any area of ministry. . .

Two years ago when I met with my new small group for the first time, I was so reluctant. I didn't know if I could ever find the sense of belonging and spiritual family I had enjoyed with my previous group. . .

It seems like small groups are popping up everywhere. And churches that have a recognized small group ministry are becoming more the standard than the exception. Why is that? What's going on? . . .

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. . .

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

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. . .

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." . .