The big idea and the small group

The Big Idea Increases the Likelihood of Application and Transformation

We believe that life change is most likely to occur within the context of community. Giving people a chance to sit in a circle with others on a similar spiritual journey and discuss the content of the previous weekend celebration service significantly increases the likelihood that they will actually apply the topic to their lives. Even the most dynamic and interactive celebration services tend to be primarily didactic: we talk, we sing, we dance, they listen, they watch. Small groups by nature are experiential and discussion oriented and, as a result, more likely to foster life change. In addition, because the topic of the discussion guide is tied directly to the topic of the weekend celebration service, every weekend our campus pastors and teaching team have a great opportunity to invite people to explore the topic further in a small group.

Small groups by nature are experiential and discussion oriented and, as a result, more likely to foster life change.

The Big Idea Diminishes People’s Fears of Leading a Small Group

One of the greatest challenges in launching new groups and keeping existing groups healthy and growing is identifying and recruiting potential small group leaders. We have found that the most common fears among potential small group leaders are the following:

“I don’t know enough about the Bible.”

“I don’t have enough time to be a good leader.”

“I’ve never thought of myself as a leader.”

The weekend prior to the launch of every Big Idea series, we publish a small group discussion guide with a small group lesson that parallels each week’s topic in that Big Idea series. Developing these discussion guides and making them available to our leaders significantly reduces their insecurities regarding leading. The Bible verses for discussion are included in the discussion guide, and the lessons require minimal preparation with helpful insights and directions for the leaders. (See the appendix for a link to a sample Big Idea small group discussion guide.)

The Big Idea Eliminates the Question, “What Do We Study Next?”

Small groups tend to become overly focused on the topic of their discussion, often at the expense of developing relationships and experiencing genuine biblical community. The relational small group experience can easily slip into more of a classroom teacher/student context. Anyone who has ever been part of a small group has spent more than a few sessions trying to answer the question, “What do we study next?” Recently I was told of a small group leader who spent hours researching possible topics for future study. On the evening he presented his ideas, someone in the group brought a new book he had been reading and in a matter of minutes hijacked the conversation. The leader’s research was forgotten, and the group was swayed by this persuasive member to “vote” for his suggestion. The group membermeant no harm, but who do you think knew more about what the group needed? And what are the chances that the leader will put so much time and effort into researching future topics? Sticking to the Big Idea minimizes this challenge and offers small groups an easy plan to follow when it comes to subject matter.

Small groups tend to become overly focused on the topic of their discussion, often at the expense of developing relationships and experiencing genuine biblical community.

The Big Idea Provides Another Avenue to Communicate Vision

Our small group directors collaborate with the leader of our teaching team to write the small group discussion guides. Since these directors are responsible for the overall health and direction of the small group ministry, they have a great opportunity to provide vision and direction for the small groups through the content of these guides. While we consistently communicate vision through our monthly Leadership Community gathering, weekend celebration services, e-communications, and so on, the content of these guides gives us one more vehicle through which to communicate to our leaders and small group members.

The Big Idea Increases the Quality of Small Group Experiences

Small groups are a risk! They are a low-control venture and by nature are a decentralized way to pastor and care for people. We want to do whatever we can to make our leaders as successful as possible. With the proliferation of small group discussion guides (both good and bad) and an array of other uncontrollable variables, the quality of any given small group experience will be uncertain. Even with a well-trained leader, a small group can easily be derailed by choosing content that is less than stimulating or by selecting a discussion guide that does not foster life-changing conversations. While many factors contribute to a great small group experience, writing our own curriculum or discussion guides increases the likelihood that each group will have an outstanding small group experience.

We have found the Big Idea to be very effective in helping our small groups to become places of real life change and transformation, not simply places where people can gather more and more information.

It’s too late for Adolf Stec of Chicago, but our hope is that his tragic life and death will serve as a constant reminder that people all aroundus are suffering from Information Isolation. They have access to loads of data with the touch of a finger, yet at the end of the day (or at the end of their lives), all of that data might ultimately do them no good at all. However, as a community of faith, we can help people combine that information with life-changing relationships in small groups, and they can experience true transformation.

Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, and Eric Bramlett, The Big Idea: Focus the Message—Multiply the Impact (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009).

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