A massive percentage of groups are plagued with an overly talkative group member. Don’t get me wrong. This person deserves to be in the group. In fact, God wants everyone to be engaged with other believers in a healthy group situation. But if the group leader doesn’t handle the situation with the overly talkative group member, the group may become unhealthy.
Below you’ll find what I call the 10 commandments of dealing with overly talkative group members.
Thou shalt not …
1. View the overly talkative group member as a problem to be dealt with or a broken person to be fixed.
2. Ignore the situation.
3. Compare the overly talkative group member with the other group members
Thou shalt …
4. Be honest and gracious.
5. Take into consideration the overly talkative group member’s life away from the group gatherings.
6. Have a conversation with the overly talkative group member.
7. Work with the overly talkative group member to create action plans that will aid him or her.
8. Hold the overly talkative group member accountable.
9. Verbally affirm the overly talkative group member when he or she does well.
10. Celebrate with the overly talkative group member when he or she is no longer overly talkative.
Rick Howerton has one passion — to see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.” He is pursuing this passion as the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway Church Resources.
