That’s the question I’ve been mulling over for several months and I’d like to get your thoughts.  I’m wondering if there is a picture we can paint of what a fired up, sold-out, thriving disciple looks like that would move people to say, “I want to be like that, what do I need to do to get there?” 

Look for Minimum Qualities
What minimum qualities does a new small group leader really need to have to get started?  Basically, they need to:

• Have a commitment to Jesus Christ and a commitment to growing in their faith as evidenced by a good character. 
• Be committed to the ministry of the church. 
• Have experience participating in a small group (but not years, one year could be enough). 
• Have basic biblical knowledge (the key word is “basic.” They don’t need a thorough knowledge of the Bible if they have small group Bible studies to use and if they know where to go to find answers.  You can help equip them with both those things.  Leading a small group is one of the most effective ways to get motivated to learn more Bible.). 
• Be friendly, but they don’t have to be extraverts.  (I’ve seen introverts make great small group leaders.  They attract all the other shy people who are intimidated by the extraverts.) 
• Be able to read a question from a study guide and encourage people to give an answer. 

     That’s about as high as the bar needs to be set to let someone get started as a small group leader.  Once started, they’ll be able to grow into the polished leader you’ll love having in your church.  So, as you look for new leaders, identify the basic qualities that are needed, rather than the ideal qualities; that way you’ll be less likely to stifle leadership development in your church.

Recruiting New Leaders
How do you recruit potential leaders?  I suggest you do the following:

• Create a picture of the difference they can make and why the area of ministry you are recruiting them for is so vital to the bigger mission of the church.  People will commit themselves to what they see as valuable.
• Address their fears.  Let them know the bar isn’t set too high for them.  They don’t need to be a scholar.  They just need to know the basics and have a hunger to learn.  They don’t need to be everyone’s best friend, just friendly.
• Let them know they have support.  Think through what you will be able to provide in terms of training, resources, and oversight to help them succeed.  This is a critical area.  The more support you can provide, the more willing they’ll be to risk being a leader and the more likely they’ll succeed.  For small group leaders this means, offering basic training, pointing them to (or providing) good, easy-to-use studies, and checking in with them periodically.
• Give them, and yourself, permission to fail.  This one hurts.  You’d rather not see failure anywhere in your ministry, but the reality is that not everyone will succeed.  You’ll stifle the emergence of leaders at the beginning leadership level by trying to pick only those people you are confident can’t fail.  That will scare some people away from getting started and it will prevent others from becoming the “diamond in the rough” who blossom against all odds. 
• This means you need to take some risks on people that may not seem like ideal candidates.  God constantly surprises me.  Time and again I have seen people, who I thought were less than ideal candidates, become really effective small group leaders. 
• This also means you need provide an environment of grace that will allow potential leaders to risk leadership.  In recruiting small group leaders I tell them up front that there is no guarantee that people will flock to their group.  All I ask is that they take a step of faith, take a risk, and then trust the results to God.  If a group doesn’t come together, it doesn’t mean they failed, it suggests that God has a different plan for them.

 I hope you have found this article helpful as you seek to raise up new leaders in your church this year.  At www.faithalive365.com we offer a number of articles that can help you train and develop your small group leaders as well as excellent, easy-to-use small group Bible studies that will create stimulating and transforming small group experiences.  If you know someone who will be helped by this article please share it with them.  And add to the conversation, your comments are welcomed.

As a small group leader, hopefully your desire is to see your group enjoying and engaged with God’s life-transforming word.  When that happens, you will have a group experience that no one will want to leave.  So, how do you get your group to engage God’s word and enjoy it?  Honestly, from my experience, at least half of your success comes from choosing a good small group study.  Well designed studies will make you look like the world’s greatest small group leader.  My last post covered what to look for in a good small group study.  Once you have a good study, all you need to do is be a good facilitator.  Here are a few tips that will help be an excellent facilitator.

Let the questions do the work. 
If you have a well designed study, the questions will naturally engage people and stimulate good discussion.  So, the skill you need is to simply ask the question and then shut your mouth and wait.

Let other’s answer first
Don’t be in a hurry to show how brilliant you are.  By staying quiet and waiting for others to answer you create an unspoken group expectation that everyone’s participation is wanted.  In response, group members feel valued and become more willing to participate.  The exception to this rule is when a personal example is asked for.  In that case it may be appropriate to share first to set an example of openness and trust that breaks the ice for others.

Follow-up questions make all the difference
Keep the discussion alive by asking follow-up questions that encourage more specific or personal answers and that dig for additional insight and response by encouraging others to add their thoughts.  Examples are: Can you be more specific?  Can you give an example?  What do the rest of you think about that?  Can anyone add to that?  Follow-up questions affirm that everyone’s contributions are valued and important.  This simple skill often leads to the greatest learning and can be the difference between and exciting Bible study or a boring one.

Affirm, Affirm, Affirm
Let people know you appreciate their sharing.  If someone’s answer really speaks to you, let them know that God used them to speak to you.

Don’t let anyone feel stupid.
People are there to learn.  If they have a question, it’s something they need to know.  So, don’t react with surprise that they don’t know something, but with a desire to help them learn. 

Handling an “Off-the-wall” answer.
When a person gives an unbiblical answer, avoid making that person feel stupid or judged but provide an alternative for them to think about.  Say something like:  “That’s really interesting, I’m not sure I’ve heard that before. Does anyone else have a different take on that?” Then after others have answered, summarize by saying, “Well we heard Dan say…and Sue say… This is my own take on what the Bible is saying.”  This way, the person who has given a wrong answer is shown respect but has also heard a biblical viewpoint that they now need to wrestle with.

DON’T SKIP THE APPLICATION!
Biblical learning without personal application is sinful (Not that I have a strong opinion on the subject).  This is so important I will go into more detail in my next post.  For now I just want to emphasize that without application there is no life-changing growth in experiencing God’s life and you’ve missed the whole point for having a small group Bible study.

If you’re looking for great Bible study materials, please check out our Faith Alive 365 small group studies.  All of our studies are carefully designed and tested to facilitate stimulating discussion that help people understand, connect with, and practice God’s Word.  Leaders Guides with tips and suggested answers to every study question are also included with our studies so that you will be equipped to succeed. 

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.

Unlike any other book or writing, God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12).  When we study and apply God’s Word, His life-transforming power is unleashed inside of us.   But to experience the power of God’s Word, we must open up our life to its work.  I believe the small group is an ideal setting for this to happen and I want to help you lead engaging, stimulating and life-changing small group Bible studies.

What makes a small group an ideal setting for great Bible study experiences is that in a healthy group, people will feel safe enough to open up and share what’s going on in their lives.  If at the same time as they open up their lives they open up their Bible, the living and active power of God’s word will enter their lives and transform them.

This means that your small group Bible study can be powerful if you can help your group understand, connect with, and practice the Bible.  Here’s how you can achieve those goals.

UNDERSTAND
A small group Bible study is not a class and you, as the leader, are not a lecturer.  For many of you it will be a relief to know that you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to lead a great Bible study.  Small group Bible study is about discovering things on your own.  When you discover a truth for yourself, the lesson has more impact and staying power than if you were told the same truth in a lecture.  So, the power of a good small group Bible study is in the questions.  Good questions will get people to think, share and learn together.

Good studies will not ask people to simply repeat what they’ve just read.  Those kinds of questions are so obvious that the group will feel insulted and quickly become bored.  Instead, good Bible study questions will ask people to consider the implications of what the scripture passage means.  This allows people to share a variety of thoughts and it’s in the variety that learning and growth happen.  Everyone has different backgrounds and experiences that give them different perspectives when considering the meaning of a passage.  As people share from their different perspectives everyone is able to gain a fuller and richer understanding.  Oftentimes you’ll get a reaction like, “I’ve never thought about it that way before.  That’s really helpful.”  Of course, there will at times be answers given that are unbiblical.  I’ll talk about how to handle that in my next post.

CONNECT
A great small group Bible study will also ask questions that will help your group make a connection between their lives and the passage they are studying.  If people don’t connect the passage with their lives, then they are not connecting to the transforming power of God’s Word.  Examples of connection questions would be: “What would this look like in your own life,” or “What would you do if you were in that situation,” or “In what ways do you relate to what’s going on in this passage?”  When people can make a personal connection between the Bible and their life, the Bible will come alive and your study will get exciting.

PRACTICE
James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  If you don’t practice what God’s Word teaches, you won’t activate its living power in your life.  Therefore, a great small group study will have a solid Application section and if you are a good small group leader you will not neglect that section. 

A good small group study will have a central point that it’s trying to make.  The questions will have a flow that will lead people towards discovering the central point and how it connects to their lives.  The climax is the application section that asks people to take action on what they have discovered by making a commitment to putting it into practice in their daily lives. 

When people take action on God’s word, God’s transforming power is experienced.  A leader who runs out of time or skips over the application will take all the power out of the study and out of their group.

LEADING A GREAT STUDY
To lead a great Bible study, you’ll want to use great Bible study materials.  To find great materials or create them yourself, here’s what to look for: 

• Each session will lead people towards a focused point of understanding. 
• Questions that are open-ended and allow people to share their different perspectives. 
• Questions that will encourage people to share about their own lives and make the connection between their lives and the Bible. 
• Solid application questions that ask people to commit to taking action on what they have learned. 

When you find studies like that (and there are many) you’re on your way to having an exciting and life-transforming small group experience.

In my next post, I’ll share tips on how to get the most out of your Bible study materials so that you can lead life-changing discussions that have everyone engaged, learning and growing.

If you’re looking for great Bible study materials, please check out our Faith Alive 365 small group studies.  All of our studies are carefully designed and tested to facilitate stimulating discussion that help people understand, connect with, and practice God’s Word.  Leaders Guides with tips and suggested answers to every study question are also included with our studies so that you will be equipped to succeed. 

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.

The success of your small group will rise and fall on relationships.  Here’s why:

• If people feel welcome and wanted they’re more likely to stay
• If people have friends in the group, they’re more likely to stay
• If people feel appreciated, they’re more likely to participate in discussion
• If people trust the others in the group, they’re more likely to open up and be honest.
• If people are able to open up and share their lives, they’re more likely to experience the power of God’s transformation.

Friendships are the glue that holds a group together.  They are also the conduits through which God works in our lives.  God will speak to you through me and speak to me through you.  This is God’s design for growth.  We grow to experience all God has created us to be as each of us contributes the gifts, skills and insights God has blessed us with (see Ephesians 4:7-16).

I tell new group leaders that the most important thing they can do when launching their group is to create opportunities to build relationships.  Once the relationships are built, everything else in the life of your group will be enhanced.  The discussions will be better.  The personal applications will be more meaningful.  The ministry to each other will be richer.  The service will be more effective.  And the experience of God’s presence will be more powerful.

So what can you do to build friendships in your group?  Some of you are naturals at this and can’t figure out why anyone would need help with this, but for the rest of us here’s a grab bag of ideas:

Throw a Party!  As I write, the Christmas season is almost here.  Instead of a Bible Study, have a party during your normal small group time.  You could do a Christmas cookie exchange, a White Elephant, an ornament exchange (for extra fun have everyone purchase an ornament that they think somehow represents them.  Wrap them anonymously and when you select and unwrap the ornament, try to decide who it represents.  At the end, everyone reveals what ornament they brought and why).  You can have parties throughout the year to celebrate birthdays, or the end of a series, or just to have fun.  You’re not a party planner?  Someone in your group probably loves to throw parties.  Put them in charge.

Greet people enthusiastically.  When new people come, make them feel at home.  Learn their names and use them frequently to make sure you don’t forget.  Introduce them to others in the group.  Ask questions and find out more about them.  When you identify things they have in common with other group members, make sure you connect them.  Your job is to make sure people, especially new people, are never ignored.

Share testimonies.  Each week have a different person share a little about their spiritual journey.  How did they become a Christian?  How have they grown?  What were their ups and downs?  What or who helped them the most?  Tell people to keep it to 10 minutes or less and preassign what week people will share so that they have time to prepare.  This is powerful.

Take advantage of the Small Group Study questions.  A good small group study will ask questions that will not only help people understand the Bible but also get them to open up and share something about their own life and experiences as it applies to the lesson being learned.  I like to say a good small group study will get people to open up the Bible and their lives at the same time.  So, look for studies that will do both.  Then, don’t skip the personal questions as needless fluff.  They play an important role.  By the way, all Faith Alive 365 studies seek to balance biblical discovery with personal sharing.

Other ideas:

• Have potlucks before the small group study
• Go bowling, miniature golfing, or if you’re wild and crazy, go-cart racing
• Go camping or on a weekend retreat
• Have a family game night
• Create a roster so everyone has everyone else’s addresses, email and phone numbers
• Make a phone call to check-in and say hi
• Send a note of appreciation, or affirmation, or to say you missed them

If a small group is like a chocolate chip cookie (see my previous post) then friendship is the flour that holds it all together and makes it work. 

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.

If you are unfamiliar with the terms, an open group is simply a group that is open to having new members join them, and a closed group is one that is closed to new members.  Should a group always stay open?  No!  Now let me explain why.

There is such a thing as too big
There’s a tipping point for groups where size starts to work against it.  There’s no magic number for the ideal group size.  For some it’s three people, for others it’s 20.  But there are factors for determining when a group is too big. 
     1. The size of the room where it meets – when it’s too full, people are uncomfortable.
     2. The comfort level of the group leader – at what point does the leader no longer feel comfortable?  That’s the point their leadership will go down.
     3. The ability for everyone in the group to have the opportunity to share and contribute in the time allotted – when there’s not enough time to allow for everyone to share, the group’s too big.  It’s no longer a group, it’s a class.
When a group discovers its ideal size, let them close. You’ll be glad you did.  Here’s why:

Trust and vulnerability are necessary for growth
The goal of a small group is to provide a place where their lives can be transformed by God.  Transformation requires more than just studying Scripture.  People must engage with Scripture.  This means they need to feel comfortable enough to open up their lives and be real, admit flaws, and ask for help.  When people open up, God can work in their lives.  When people stay closed up, they keep God locked out from doing anything significant in them.  Small groups are a perfect environment for people to open up, but not if new people are constantly coming in.  When that happens, the group will stay in the safe, polite and shallow stage and really never grow deep.  It is far better to let the group close so they can start forming deeper friendships that will allow God to do great things.

You’ll start losing groups
Keeping groups open is often seen as a way of growing the ministry.  Seldom does this really work.  After awhile, people will get disillusioned with the surface level of the group and quit, and the group will fizzle out.  Or, the group will continue, but they won’t let you know about it.  They will go into “stealth mode” so that they can close their group.

Splitting groups doesn’t work either
This looks good on paper.  In this model, when the group grows to a certain size they split and then there are two groups, each with room for new people.  It would be a perfect growth model except that people don’t work that way.  There is a reason why the group is doing so well.  The people like being with each other and are attached to the leader.  They don’t want to split up.  Why in the world would you take a group that is everything you would want a group to be and shoot it in the foot by forcing it to split?  You won’t get two healthy groups; you’ll get two struggling, disillusioned groups.

Then how do I make room for more people to join groups?
You start new groups.  You’ll get far more people into groups if you have new groups for them to join than if you try to get them to join existing groups where they’re the only “newbies.”  Some people will be comfortable joining existing groups, but far more will be willing to try a group where everyone is new.

Who decides whether a group should be open or closed?
My motto is: “Let the small group leader lead.”  Small group leaders are the ones to know what works best for their groups.  Some will never want to close.  Great, let them stay open.  Some will want to close at 4, 10 or 20.  Fine, let them decide what works best for their group.  They’ll appreciate the respect and authority you give them, and you’ll benefit from having healthy, life-transforming groups.

Bottom line
Let groups have the freedom to close if they want.  Yes, occasionally a closed group will get stagnant or cliquish because they are closed.  But in the end you will have far more groups that experience greater spiritual growth because they were able to close and build deeper relationships.  It is definitely worth it.

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.

by Phil Sommerville

I have a weakness for chocolate chip cookies.  But honestly, who doesn’t?  I especially love freshly baked, made from scratch, chocolate chip cookies.  Making cookies is a lot like making a great small group.  You mix in the right ingredients and you get something that’s irresistible.  Of course when you first start mixing, it’s a mess.  It doesn’t look so good and it doesn’t taste good either.  Small groups can be messy too, especially at the beginning when you are mixing together different personalities, backgrounds, expectations, experiences…you get the idea.  The point?  Don’t be afraid if your group is a little messy.  It’s to be expected.  It’s normal.  You’re not failing.  Just keep mixing in the right ingredients. 

What are the right ingredients for having an irresistible small group?  There are five absolutely essential ingredients to a great group.  Just like making cookies, if you are missing any of these ingredients, your group won’t turn out right.  The five ingredients of a great group are:  Friendship; Bible study and Prayer; Caring for those in the group; Serving as a group; and the secret ingredient that makes all the difference – Fun.  If you have these five ingredients mixed together in your small group, it will be irresistible.

Here’s the good news.  In cookie making you have to be somewhat precise in the quantities of your ingredients.  For instance, if you use tablespoons instead of teaspoons of Baking Powder, it will be a disaster.  I speak from sad experience.  However, in a small group you don’t need to be precise about quantities – you just need to have all five.  Some groups will emphasize friendship, others Bible study, others serving.  As long as you also include the other ingredients, it will be a great group experience.  But if any of the ingredients are missing, the group will struggle and die out.  In the weeks to come, I will cover each of these ingredients, helping you to understand their necessity and how to mix them into your group life.  But for now, take a look at your group and see if any of the ingredients are missing.

Here’s more good news.  To have a great group you don’t have to be great at any of these things.  Yes, you heard right.  You don’t have to be great at ANY of these five things to have a great group.  All you have to be is reasonably good at all five.  If you’re reasonably good at all five things, the mix of the five together is what will make your group great.  So, take the pressure off yourself.  You don’t need to hit homeruns in all these areas.  Now, chances are, as your group develops, it will become great in one or more of these areas.  Consider that a bonus, sort of like doubling up the chocolate chips.

Finally, one more bit of good news.  You don’t personally have to be good at all five areas.  If you are fun-challenged, find the party person in your group and tell them to plan something.  If you are compassion-challenged, find the compassionate people in your group and put them in charge of organizing everyone to care for those who are hurting in your group.  If you are people-challenged, well you’re probably not even leading a group, and that’s probably a good thing.  You get the idea.  Don’t do it all.  You’re not that good and it’s not good for the group.

Here are the five ingredients: Friendship; Bible study and Prayer; Caring; Serving; and Fun.  Are any missing in your group?  Next post I’ll share some ideas on building the necessary ingredient of friendship.  Until then, bake your group some cookies.

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.

Fall is a great time to launch your small groups and it’s easier than you think.  Here are some suggestions:

• Choose a Sunday for launching your groups. Collect information about your groups. 
• You’ll want to know: Who are the leaders? Where does the group meet?  When does the group meet?  What will the group study?  Who is the group for (couples, singles, men, women, specific life stage or age group, open to all, etc.)?  Contact information.
• Create an insert for your church bulletin using the above information.  Organize it by day of the week, by type of group, by location, or some combination of the three.  I have found that for most folks the day of the week is the most important factor in choosing a group.  Put the insert in the bulletin for 3 weeks in a row starting the week before your Small Group Sunday.
• Plan a Small Group Fair on your Small Group Sunday.  A fair will provide and easy and non-threatening pathway for new people to find and join groups.  It will also raise the congregation’s awareness of small groups which will have a cumulative effect.  Every time people hear about small groups in your church and how great they are, they will get nudged closer to trying one out.

At a Small Group Fair you’ll have all your leaders at tables in a visible location at the church, ready to talk to people as they leave the service.   To organize a Small Group Fair:

• Put out tables for your leaders to be at in the church lobby or outside in a main courtyard.  I usually organize them by day of the week with separate tables for Men’s & women’s groups. 
• Put 3 to 4 groups per table with a sign card for each group that gives the day of the week, leader’s name and location. 
• Have the leaders standing by their card ready to talk to people after each service.  Make sure they have a sign-up form people can fill out to indicate their interest in trying out a group.
• Make it festive.  Use pop-up tents, balloons, whatever you can to draw attention and make it fun.
• Have leaders take their sign-up sheets home and contact their interested people to remind them of the upcoming small group meeting.
• Make sure your pastor is on board ready to promote the fair from the front.  He or she will be your best means of driving people to your fair.  The more enthused the pastor is, and the more he promotes the fair from the front, the more successful it will be. 
• The ideal would be for the pastor to “preach the announcement” by talking about the benefits of small groups in the sermon and then pointing people to the small group fair as an immediate application of the message.
• If that doesn’t work, take full advantage of announcements.  Announce the fair is coming up to two weeks in advance, draw people’s attention to the insert in the bulletin,
• The day of the fair explain how it works and that they can find groups they’re interested in and then go talk to the leader to check it out.
• Emphasize the “try out.”   The fear of a long commitment, or not being able to back out, prevents people from joining groups.  Take the fear away by telling them that it’s okay to try out a group or two and settle on the one they like.  Make sure your leaders understand this concept as well.
• If you’re looking for a great video to use in the service to promote groups my favorite is called “Boys and Groups” and can be found at ignitermedia.com.
• Let people know that they can also use the bulletin insert and just contact a group leader on their own.

These are tried and tested methods that have brought growth of 10% or more (much more in the case of a heavily promoted 40-day all-church campaign).  Try them yourself and see what happens.  I’d also love to hear from you and pass on your proven ideas for creating small group buzz and encouraging people to join groups.

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.

I received a phone call this week from a friend who had just been asked by his Pastor if he would volunteer to lead the small group ministry at his church.  “I’ve been a small group leader,” he told me, “but this is different.  What should I do?”  I’m glad you asked.  Here are some tips to get you started.

1.  Find out who your current small group leaders are.  Hopefully there’s an up-to-date list in the church office, but I know from experience this is often wishful thinking. 

2.  If there is a list, ask your pastor to send out a note by mail to all the leaders, introducing you as the new Director of Small Groups.  If there isn’t a list, ask the pastor to send out an all-church email, and/or make an announcement asking people who plan to lead small groups to contact the church.

3.  It’s important that you understand that the #1 reason why leaders don’t tell the church they’re leading a group is that they fear too much interference and extra demands – like wanting weekly reports.  You need to relieve that fear in order to be successful.  Let your leaders know you’re there to support them and help them thrive, not to be controlling and making things more difficult.  Don’t ask for numerous reports – you really only need three.  One report now, in the late summer, to find out who will be leading groups in the fall.  One in mid-October, after the fall launch, to find out how many people are in each group and possibly get a group roster.  Then one in mid-spring, again to find out how many people are in groups.  A count of participants in the fall and another in the spring will be enough information to track your progress.

4.  Contact your current leaders by email and/or phone to introduce yourself. Let them know you want to support them in their success.  You will need to ask them the following information: 

• Will they be continuing their group in the fall?  If yes:
• What day and time will the group meet
• What will they study (if they know)?
• Are they open for new participants?  (There is some debate over whether or not groups should always remain open.  I’ll share my views on this topic in my next post.)

5.  Don’t expect everyone to eagerly respond with their information.  In my experience about 50% will get back to you after the first contact.  If you have a better success rate, you are blessed with a very cooperative group of leaders.  Don’t get upset at those who don’t respond right away, it won’t help your leadership.  Be politely and pleasantly persistent, and gather as much information as you can.

6.  Prepare for a September small groups launch.  In my next post I’ll give more detailed tips about how to do this.  If your church is planning to do a 40-day campaign of some kind (an excellent way to create momentum in your church), the campaign kit usually provides helpful instructions on how to develop small groups for the campaign.  Follow their instructions and you probably won’t go wrong.

7.  Help encourage your small group leaders by pointing them to the studies and training tips they can find at www.faithalive365.com.  To really show your leaders how much they’re appreciated, consider having the church purchase our affordable church-wide subscription so that all of your leaders can have free access to our studies.

NEXT POST: Preparing a September Launch and “Should groups always stay open?”

Phil Sommerville is co-founder of Faith Alive 365 and a former Small Groups Pastor who has trained hundreds of small group leaders from churches of all sizes.