Fun

February 7, 2020

Group Answers Oscars Bonus Episode

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On this bonus episode of Group Answers, Brian, Chris, and Jenaye look at how pop culture events, like The Oscars, can be fun gatherings for your community. They also break down this year’s Best Picture nominees.

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in Lifeway’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at Lifeway and author of Leading Small Groups.

Group Leadership

March 29, 2018

Baseball and Small Groups: It’s Opening Day

By Rob Tims

March 29th is a huge day in my family. On this day, the first of 162 baseball games will be played.

Opening day for Major League Baseball is arguably one of its best days. What’s not to love about baseball, the true American sport? There’s the smell of fresh-cut grass, the pleasure of watching the water dampen the infield, the eating of junk food while you start your summer tan, and of course there’s the hopes and aspirations you have for your team. You want them to win, of course, but even if they lose, you still have hope and leave the game with joy.

I have always found it fascinating that other “opening days” in my life do not correspond with springtime like baseball. The start of school, for example, takes place in the fall. Just as everything around us is starting to die, families are trying to come back to life. The same is true for small group ministry in many churches. When everything around us is coming to life in the spring, groups are thinking more about winding down and ending in time for summer.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Consider a few ideas for putting a little “opening day” spirit into your small group, even if you are on the home stretch for the year.

First, take it outside. For months now, your group has been grateful for smaller quarters, heat pumps, fireplaces, and hot beverages. But now that spring is in the air, the inviting living room cannot compare to the park or playground in your community. Breathe some fresh life into your group experience, taking advantage of the play space and the extra daylight at the end of the day to soak in the bigness of God in creation.
Second, emphasize the fact that faith is a team sport. We like to think that we are truly part of a faith community, but often we live under the illusion of that community. We are with others in coffee shops, but usually with headphones on. Our homes are close together, but still with privacy fences. Says Jared Wilson in his book The Imperfect Disciple, “All of this environmental insulation, in the midst of close proximity to others we basically ignore while we rub shoulders with them, creates a dysfunction in us about the idea of community and the gospel.” Don’t live in this dysfunction. Look at your small group the same way a baseball team begins the season, with the rookies and veterans learning to trust one another. There may be hesitancy to trust, but we all know deep down that only trust will lead to victory in your group.
Third, find some fun activities for your small group members to enjoy together. Take your small group out to do something fun, like watch a baseball game.

Oh, and go Red Sox.

Rob Tims has been married to Holly for 17 years. They have four children: Trey, Jonathan, Abby, and Luke. He has served in the local church for 20 years as a children’s pastor, student pastor, and senior pastor. He currently serves on a team at Lifeway Christian Resources that develops customized Bible studies for groups and teaches two classes for Liberty University School of Divinity Online. He is the author of the book Southern Fried Faith: Confusing Christ and Culture in the Bible Belt.

Group Leadership

February 8, 2018

Why Your Small Group Should Be Fun

By Chris Surratt

The process of leading a small group can sometimes take all of the fun out of it. After all, think about all of the administration details you have to deal with.

Where will the group meet?
What day of the week will it meet?
Who will be invited?
Who will bring the food?
How many members are gluten-free?
What will the study be?

I happen to enjoy putting those details together, but most people don’t. If you’re not careful, your group can quickly become a list of tasks to complete, not a community to be enjoyed. I believe that your group can and should be fun, and here are three reasons why.

1. Everyone likes fun!

Quickly think through your top five memories in life. I bet they all involved something fun. We were designed by God to enjoy life and the people around us. Why would we not include it in a weekly gathering of friends at our home?

2. Fun will make them come back.

Most people will not return to a boring group–no matter how great the study is. I always judge how healthy a small group is by how much laughter there is during a group meeting. If you want people to go from visitors to members, make sure there’s something to enjoy at the meeting.

3. Biblical community is supposed to be fun.

You can see fun and laughter throughout the Bible. They were constantly throwing feasts to celebrate something God had done for them! That’s another reason to always have good food at your group. Nothing brings people together faster than a great meal. 🙂

So, now that we know there should be fun in our groups, how do we go about making that happen. Here are a three tips to get the fun back in.

1. Set the expectation for fun.

You can kick off the group by planning something fun at the beginning. Meet at a restaurant or a TopGolf for your first meeting. That will let the group know that this group is not just about the study. You can also spell it out in your group covenant at one of your first meetings. A line item can be something like, “This group will value having fun together.”

2. Plan for fun.

Go ahead and set aside at least one meeting a quarter for just having fun. This could be going to a ballgame, having a picnic, going river rafting, or having a game night. A healthy amount of competition can bond a group for a long time! You will also want to build time into the weekly meeting for fun. The first and last 20 minutes of the group time should be for just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company.

3. Be a fun person to be around.

The tone of fun starts with the leader. If you are too tied up in the details of pulling a group off every week, the group members will follow your lead. The fun starts with the hospitality displayed. Are you a smiling face at the door, or a stressed out group host? That attitude will set the atmosphere for the entire night.

Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with over 23 years of experience serving the local church. Chris served on the Executive Team at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, and was on staff at Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC, for 15 years. He is also the Small Group Specialist for Lifeway Christian Resources. Chris’s first book, Small Groups For The Rest Of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes, was recently released by Thomas Nelson. You can follow his blog at chrissurratt.com or follow him on Twitter @chrissurratt.

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