Transformational Groups and 3 Ways to Make the Most of Sermons and Small Groups

This week’s freebie is the book Transformational Groups by Eric Geiger and Ed Stetzer. You’ve likely seen a lot from us at LifeWay about groups this year. So before I get to the giveaway, I want to take a brief moment to explain why.

A common mistake many churches make in their disciple-making work is to view the sermon and the small group experience as separate, stand-alone components. In reality, we should view the sermon and a church’s Bible study groups as complementary, enhancing the effectiveness of each other, and develop a solid strategy to make the most of both. To do so, you can:

1. Align your sermons and group study for greater depth

Plan your sermons around your small group study plan (or vice versa) so that your people can dig deeper into a particular text, topic, or theme in Scripture. This approach allows your members to have up to three distinct experiences with a specific Scripture passage:

First, through personal study as they learn to study for themselves;
Second, in their group setting as they are challenged—and challenge others—through the experience and discussion of the group;
And third, as they receive clear, solid teaching from your sermon.

2. Diversify your sermons and group study approach to enhance critical thinking

If you have a consistent preaching style and approach to Scripture, consider offering a different approach in your group study. For example, if you preach through the Bible book by book, consider a topic-driven or life application-driven approach for your group study. Or, if you are preaching a topical series, have your groups dig deeper into a particular book of the Bible.

This approach trains people to think about and process Scripture in multiple ways. As members develop critical thinking skills, they will more readily approach Scripture with a desire to know what it has to say—what it has to say about God and what it has to say about their everyday lives.

3. Equip your leaders to make wise decisions for their groups

Most pastors have little emphasis, or sometimes, even knowledge about the content that is taught in groups in their churches. I know a pastor would not think of coming to the pulpit unprepared. But while pastors are largely very careful about what is preached, they do not usually give the same diligence to the content of small groups. Discipleship can take place in many places, but it should be taking place in those small groups. And the unintended consequences of not having a wise plan for discipleship is that you will fail to make disciples, or you may even have heretical teaching in some groups.

Leaders must be intentional in providing a clear plan of discipleship for small groups, and that plan must include clear guidance about content. Such a posture does not mean that leaders are autocratic or non-collaborative. Leaders, pastors particularly, must be involved. The need is too great to let discipleship become haphazard and unintentional. You wouldn’t approach preaching without a clear idea of what you are preaching and why you are preaching. Please do no less for your small groups.

If you are currently planning your sermons and groups for the year, I invite you to compare our study options for 2014 and 2015 and determine which approach will be most helpful in accomplishing your goals. Or, if you are considering aligning the study topics in your groups with your own sermon series and want a custom curriculum, our team of specialists at Discipleship in Context will be glad to help.

Now, back to the giveaway:

In Transformational Groups, Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger provide a map to transformational success for your church’s groups ministry. Using data from the largest survey of pastors and laypersons ever done on the condition of groups in the church, they define a simple process to lead your groups from where they are to where God wants them to be.

Also included is an HCSB Study Bible, a comprehensive, easy to read, and easy to use Bible, with features and formats specifically designed to enhance your Bible study experience. You can also go to MyStudyBible.com and dive right in for a complete digital experience.

This Bible has a retail price of $79.99 and features 15,000 study notes, 290 Hebrew and Greek word studies, 66 highly detailed book introductions, 62 maps, 27 topical articles, 20 charts, and 18 illustrations, all focusing on the most important topics and questions in Bible study.

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