Seeker Small Groups: Engaging Spiritual Seekers in Life-Changing Discussions

by Garry Poole, Bill Hybels (Foreword by), John Ortberg Jr. (Foreword by)

Principles and methods for effectively launching a seeker small group. Best-selling author and evangelism expert Lee Strobel describes seeker small groups as 'One of the most powerful and effective tools in evangelism.' A seeker small group is facilitated by a Christian leader, but group members are seekers---non-Christians investigating Christianity. The group provides a safe context for seekers and believers to ask questions and dialogue about faith. This highly transferable model can be implemented by all kinds of ministries with a wide range of evangelistic styles and strategies. As believers complete evangelism courses such as Becoming a Contagious Christian, they are motivated to reach out to others but often feel they lack opportunities to interact with non-Christians. Seeker Small Groups is the missing evangelism tool churches need to fill the gap between evangelism training and real-life opportunities for engaging seekers in life-changing spiritual discussions. The book presents a detailed, step-by-step process for launching seeker small groups strategy in a wide variety of settings. The groups are for seekers whether or not they are attending church. Numerous stories and illustrations provide inspiration and encouragement so readers are not only equipped but also motivated to launch their own seeker groups.

Genres: Evangelism

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2003

About the author

Garry Poole is an evangelism strategist and award-winning author with more than 35 years of in-the-trenches experience equipping Christians to share their faith effectively.

Reviews

[Evghenii · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of small groups is developed in this book as a way of engaging people who are seeking God and are interested in spiritual things. Author does present a synthesis of suggestion on how to lead a small group and how to keep people's interest. He attempts to point out the importance of non-confrontational evangelism. The method proposed seems to work in multiple examples at the end of every chapter. Though the method advocated is presented to work in various cultural settings it fails to make a strong case for it. The big issue not addressed is leadership training in time-starved schedules of people in the modern society. Though the book presents many good ideas for communication and organization the method should be considered with very careful thought and applied in part to appropriate setting.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/25 Edit
A very valuable evangelism/witnessing tool. Also combines much DEPTH with seeker small group - this is not the only seeker model that exists, but there are many that never get to real depth.

Here's the thing about seeker small groups: they're a really great idea IF that's the direction you want to go. It's basically an evangelism tool: you work your whole ministry on spiritual seekers to make them feel like they belong which helps your church to grow numerically (often very quickly). But the thing about them is, you really have to commit all in for it to work right. I personally believe that personal evangelism (being available, friendly, and witnessing) to people works better than a seeker small group. Seeker groups are a great strategy, I just don't personally like them. How our church does is, we emphasize inviting a lot to our Sunday worship services, and then we use our small groups as the "next step"/spiritual growth. We offer the same community, but we offer more depth. With seeker small groups it doesn't work the same. You can still give depth, but you to approach the whole method differently. So you really have to decide: do we exist for the churched or the unchurched? what does that look like? What do we want? How can we reach that goal? If for the churched, how will we reach the unchurched? If for the unchurched, what will we do once someone is churched to get them to continue to grow, push deeper and serve? If you want to go the seeker small group route, read this book. If you are unsure what route you want to take, read this book.

[Travis Wentworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great textbook for how to lead and encourage others to lead seeker small groups-- groups dedicated to helping other discover answers to the spiritual questions.

[Dan Appel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for people who are serious about impacting the world outside of the church with the gospel. Every time I read a few more pages and am telling someone about it, they ask to borrow it and I finally lost track of who had it and had to order another.

If you don't have a desire to interact in non-critical, non-judgmental ways with the un-churched I wouldn't bother reading it. Trying to live what it says will stretch you in ways you have never experienced before - all good!!!

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Put it down and can't seem to will myself to pick it back up. Blah