Help! I'm a Small-Group Leader!: 50 Ways to Lead Teenagers Into Animated and Purposeful Discussions

This is a great resource for those new to small groups. I'm a youth pastor in California and this is required reading the first month for all new small group leaders. I buy it for them and they use it as a manual. It answers all the typical questions about how to facilitate a group and deal with issues that come up during a small group. It's a quick read, maybe 45 min, but it really helps.

Our ministry has used this book to train all of our small group leaders. It is an easy read and has plenty of practical advice. Even the leaders who don't like to read will read it because of its format. Get one for each of your leaders today!

Every summer I head out to counsel at camps, and without argument, the hardest times during camp are always during small groups. Leading a group of seven guys in meaningful discussion just never seems to happen. Some of the students will be goofing off in the corner, another one asleep on the grass, and the other couple looking lazily through their Bibles. That's why I bought HELP! I'M A SMALL GROUP LEADER! Laurie Polich dives right in with this quick book (135 pages) and gets into the meat of leading a small group. She gives tremendous advice and covers key issues small groups face, such as dealing with the students who just don't want to be there - getting them interested in the topic, not bored. She goes through prayer times, 6 general types of students you may come across, what kinds of questions to ask, and outside the small group ideas for building a community with your students. This summer as I head back to camp, I know which book I'll have in the car if I need to run and get some advice. (This book would also make a great companion guide to KEEP 'EM TALKING by Mike Yaconelli, which includes about sixty REALLY GOOD discussion starters for groups that get bored with answering easy questions.) Definitely pick this one up as it is your survival guide to small groups!

This small book will garner large results in your group! This book gives practical guidance for starting a small group ministry in your church. It provides Bible studies that help get your group going as well as those that will get them growing. It helps the small group leader decide what type of group they have and what type of leader they are. Every church small group leader should own a very well worn copy of this book!

I love this little book. It shares ideas on how to build "relationships" with teens...not the same old outlines of Bible verses to teach them. Kids this age need to connect with their teachers and peers. At one point, Ms. Polich says about prayer in the classroom, "Though praying together may seem awkward or scary at first, praying out loud with other Christians will bind them together in a unique way." She is stressing the building of relationships among the students for a more meaningful class time. The author also states, "Demonstrate the value of prayer by keeping a journal of your small group's prayer requests. Your group will be encouraged to see God's faithfulness." I have successfully used many of the ideas in this book, and I'm glad I bought it!