Small Group Idea Book

by Cindy Bunch (Editor)

Are you looking for fresh ideas to energize your small group? Here are hundreds of activities contributed by small group experts from across the United States. Tested in the field and drawn from the front lines of small group ministry, these creative ideas will help you evaluate the state of your group and enhance the five components of healthy group life. Community activities for the four stages of a group's life help you to get acquainted, go deeper with one another, process conflict, make memories and prepare for your group's ending. Whether charismatic, liturgical or somewhere in between, you'll find ideas for worship and prayer that stretch group members in these vital areas of spiritual growth. Your group will grow closer to one another as you draw near to God together. Ideas for study offer you some creative methods for Bible study and life application as well as ideas for learning through books, videos and other resources. A section on outreach helps your group to look beyond its borders and serve the needs of others. You'll find ideas for inviting others into your group and for working together in evangelism, social action and world mission. Edited by Cindy Bunch, this edition features new ideas gathered from The Small Group Network (www.SmallGroups.com) founded by Michael Mack and now directed by Dan Lentz. Whether you are a small group leader, a group coordinator or a pastor, you will return to this valuable resource again and again.

Genres: Christianity, Christian

Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

About the author

Cindy Bunch is associate publisher and director of editorial at InterVarsity Press, where she has worked for more than thirty years. She acquires and develops for the Formatio line of spiritual formation books. She is the author of Be Kind to Yourself.

Cindy holds an MA in theological studies from Northern Seminary and completed her spiritual direction training at North Park Seminary. She and her husband live in the Chicago suburbs.

Reviews

[Shaun Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I gave the earlier 1996 edition 3 stars, I'm mightily impressed with the improvements made in this revised 2004 edition! Kudos to the authors for the additional material and the editors for a job well done!

My main complaint (that the Chapter 1 "Community Resources" had only 15 good ice breakers and activities); the new edition's collection is vastly expanded. The references to the IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) were also vastly reduced and so the general audience would not feel as annoyed. I also appreciated while it still exists, many duplicated activities (with only very slight variations) were removed.

This book is targeted at novice and first-time small group leaders. The minefield of ideas and activities would provide a few months' worth. It is also great for planning activities for youth or church camps; some of the ice breakers and activities could be used for secular settings as well, maybe with a bit of tweaking. Maybe because this is an entry level book, the bible study segments are very simple and experienced small group leaders will likely find that it wanting in terms of depth. But using it for its intended purpose, the cell leader would do well to remember to include the occasional relationship-building or relationship-deepening activity when the small group meets. I nevertheless recommend this book!

[Shaun Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially appreciate the inspiration and reminded that the first chapter provided me! It alone was well worth the money I paid for the book! I realised that I had focused too much on faithful bible studying in the small group setting, that I had forgotten to include the occasional relationship-building activity.

I would have appreciated if Chapter One (titled Community Resources) of ice breakers and activities were twice as long, because the better quality suggestions that I had marked out for usewere only about 15. As a former applied drama student in polytechnic, I am inspired to revisit that world and adapt the ice breaker activities for gospel and small group settings.

This book is targeted at novice and first-time small group leaders. More experienced leaders would possibly find that chapters two to four do not offer much new information. The countless references to the IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) were a distraction, hopefully these would be reduced in the revised edition.

[Michael Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. I had the privilege of writing several of these ideas.