Table Topics - A great resource & ice-breaker

What do you get your mother for a present when she's as passionate about small group ministry as you are? Well, this year I gave my mother a Table Topics set. It is a set of AMAZING QUESTIONS, each printed on an indiviudal card. The cards come in a slick clear cube.

The report back is that this is a great ice-breaker for gatherings at home, for small group sessions AND a great inspiration for session ideas. There is also a Family Edition and Teen Edition.

Though I wouldn't recommend scrapping prepared sessions for a cube of cards, it sure is nice having a stockpile of questions on hand!

Preaching on Small Groups/Covenant Groups AGAIN?!

Dear Peter

What do I preach on now that we're into our 5th year of covenant
groups? Half our members are in groups, the other half are
not. How do you make it relevant for those who are in, might join and those
who couldn't care less?

Thanks for any advice you have.

Thanks for your question.

First I would suggestion weaving the promotion of small groups into what you do on regular sunday. Don't try and promote it on one Sunday a year. Make your small groups a regular and visible part of congregational life. After doing this your special group sunday can be a celebration of this ministry's accomplishments and an examination of one particular aspect of how groups accomplish the work of the church.

We don't preach on all the principles once per year. They are referenced all the time. We need to treat group ministries the same way.

I have enjoyed seeing celebratory services highlighting a particular aspect of small group ministry, say service or caring for each other or leadership development, using our gifts, wrestling with big questions... There are certain things we are called on to do as a community, as people of faith, many of which are easier in groups.

Instead of tackling ALL of what CGroups are/do narrow your focus. Just remember to explain what covenant groups are (briefly) and to invite people to join a group.

As for weaving it in the rest of the year, consider the following:

-- Add "and we have a fabulous small group ministry program" or something along those lines to your Sunday morning announcements.

- Any sermon that touches on community building, caring for each other, service, spiritual growth and on and on is just ripe for a small group plug. Just do a quick aside "and that's why we have our small group ministry program..." I'd challenge every minister to reference their groups at least once per month in this way.

BONUS.
Since you reached me while I'm working on another SGM sermon I'll share with you what I'm doing differently this time. Given the amount I guest preach on SGM I do like to keep things fresh, try new approaches.

This time, instead of focusing on our need for community and referencing research stating that American's are some of the loneliest people on earth, I'm exploring how important it is (spiritually) to be known. Kind of coming at it from the other side. However, what makes it really different is that I'm starting from the horror many people experience in coffee hour not knowing peoples names.

A discussion of needing to know each other, to be truly known, is relevant for ALL PEOPLE. And it is a perfect segway into small group ministry. I have a number of props I use when I do my services. People respond to visuals.

In the exloration of names I talk about name tags and using them as a spiritual discipline. I mention that every person w/out a name tag is essentially walking around with a big BLANK on their chests to accompany their blank/fearful expressions. I have a big name tag I print onto cardstock which I use to accentuate this. Good for a laugh and it drives the point home.

You can print this off of my website. Just go to the resource page on UU PLANET and go to the RESOURCE PAGE. There is a PROPS section where I've posted this for you and everyone else in the world to use. You're very welcome world!

I hope that helps. If you have success with this I'd love to hear about it.

Moving Our Movement,
Peter Freedman Bowden

Editor, Covenant Group News
Co-coordinator, UU SGM Network
Director, UU PLANET MINISTRIES

Sharing Our Faith VS. Serving Existing Members

I just looked at the UUA's updated Congregational Handbook online. Small Group Ministry is nicely featured in the SHARING OUR FAITH section.

Here's my question. How well is your small group ministry sharing our faith. Here I don't mean each of us sharing our faith with eachother. I'm talking sharing it with people who have not yet discovered it?

I've spoken with many congregations who have NOT been successful in cultivating this focus. I would love to hear your success story.