NavTools
A Small Group Plan
Looking for a simple outline for organizing your small group meeting? Incorporating these five elements will help ensure a well-rounded, purposeful discussion time.
OBJECTIVE:
What is your GRAND purpose?
What is the most important thing you want to accomplish?
ILLUSTRATIONS:
How will you GRAB their interest?
Is there a compelling story that supports your meeting’s purpose? Is there a game or activity that will illustrate your objective?
UNDERSTANDING:
What will they GRAPPLE with?
How are you going to explain your primary purpose? What key questions do they need to answer?
APPLICATION:
What must they GRASP?
What should they “take home” with them and use in their daily lives?
EVALUATION:
Were they GRATEFUL?
Consider the “results” listed in Colossians 2:6, 7: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” At the close of your meeting, was your group built up, strengthened, and thankful?
The role of prayer in planning is extremely critical. Your planning process must begin with, continue in, and conclude with prayer. In fact, when it comes to planning and conducting small group meetings, and every other aspect associated with small groups, Paul’s admonition is right on: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NASB).
Prayer in an indispensable planning tool because it connects you with God’s power available only through the Holy Spirit. Without it, planning becomes little more than an administrative task accomplished with your human abilities. But saturated in prayer, planning is transformed into a supernatural endeavor. Wow! That’s an exciting but sobering thought.
From How to Have Great Small-Group Meetings by Neal F. McBride, published by NavPress, 1997. Available online at www.navpress.org.
