2 Cents

I've been a part of small groups from the time I was a teenager. I've participated in them, led them, facilitated them, and benefited from them greatly. I've been a part of some joyful successes and also some monumental failures. In light of this I thought it would be helpful to post some of the characteristics that I've found to make a small group the most effective it can be.

The reason for a Godly, mature leader in a small group is paramount (see Joshua/Judges). First of all the leader should be someone that the group members all respect and agree is mature enough for the task. If someone simply assumes this role without the entire group agreeing upon the choice it will create division. Second, it is the leader's responsibility to ensure the group is God-centered and does not simply skip Bible study or prayer for fellowship.

Again this responsibility falls on the leader. Many small groups are great at fellowship but not so great on staying faithful to study the Scriptures and pray with each other. Other small groups are great at study and prayer but don't take time to get to know one another. Both are extremely important. I've seen Satan use fellowship (a good thing in and of itself) to distract a group from talking about God and the Bible thus keeping them from spiritual growth. I've also seen stale small groups that don't take time for fun and fellowship. Both are needed regularly.

Once again this is primarily the responsibility of the leader. If he/she is vulnerable and honest first, others will open up more easily. Not surprisingly this will be much harder with all-male small groups. But don't underestimate the importance of this step. Vulnerability ties you together spiritually. The people in your group are most likely aching to tell someone about the deep issues in their lives. Church small groups should be the first and easiest place for that to happen.

One of the easiest way to make a small group ineffective is for its members to only show up every other week or every now and then. Small groups should be comprised of those who are closest to you spiritually. Because of this, you are their accountability partners for the road to holiness and sanctification... and they are yours. Commit to one another as strong as your are committed to showing up for work every day (hopefully you are!). When I was in college I was in a small group bible study with 3 other young men and we memorized 2 Scripture verses each week. Rarely did it ever happen that one of us did not memorize our verses for the week but when it did the others were clearly disappointed. Don't be that guy.

This is the most important one. If you think your group will succeed because you have a lot of people who "succeed" at life you are wrong. Only Christ can give life and vibrance to a small group like it is intended to have. Pray for your small groups individually and also within the group. Ask Jesus to fill your group with honesty, accountability, a desire for Scripture, commitment, and love. Ask yourselves, "What is our purpose when we come together?" Is it simply to hang out and see each other? That's good but not necessarily Christ-centered. The purpose of your group should be to help each member know Christ more and grow in their walk with him.