Training 101 for
Small GroupsJoining the small group ministry team at church? Complete this series with a group or mentor for a hands-on training experience.

T1: The Role of Groups
Key Points:
- Sermons are important, but people need a shepherd to really apply truth to their lives. Matthew 9:36
- Small groups strategically allow every church member to receive pastoral care. Exodus 18:13-22
- Small groups are one of the primary environments where people can go “full circle” in their faith.
- To make disciples, a group’s leaders must create a healthy group environment and develop the people in the group. That’s what we’ll talk about next.
- Initial reactions?
- Think of the best small group you have been a part of. What made it a great group?
- What are the relative strengths of a sermon versus a small group discussion? How do the two work together to make disciples?
- Have you ever experienced pastoral care in a small group setting? How did it impact your life?
- What do you think will eventually happen in a small group that is not intentional about making disciples who make disciples?
- What are the most important personal traits that will help a small group leader succeed? Explain your answer.
- As you prepare to lead a group, how does it help you to keep in mind your part versus God’s part?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
T2: Running a Group
Key Points:
- Use the FLEX method to run your group, and you’ll be modeling how to disciple in other environments.
- Find topics from pursueGOD.org, FLEXTALK.org, pursueGODkids.org, and pursueGODnetwork.org.
- Try to make it look so easy that others will begin making disciples in their life.
- The goal is to discover truth together, one conversation at a time.
- Initial reactions?
- What traits have you seen that make a group weird or unwelcoming for newcomers?
- Why is it important for a group leader to NOT adopt the role of Bible teacher or expert?
- Have you been in a group that felt like a safe place for you to share openly about your life? What made it that way?
- What are some topics or series that would be interesting for your group?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
T3: Developing People
Key Steps:
- Develop people who care about people. Colossians 3:12-15
- Develop disciples who make disciples. 2 Timothy 2:2
- Develop team members who lead.
- What’s your initial reaction to this topic?
- Describe a time when you were part of a successful team (sports, work, arts, etc.). What did the leader do to make the team effective?
- Think of a good group you have attended. Read Colossians 3:12-16. What did the leader do to create that kind of care? What did the members do?
- As you start mentoring people in your group, who would you begin with, and why?
- How will it benefit your group as the members learn to start mentoring others?
- Identify some challenges that make it hard for leaders to share ministry responsibility with others.
- What steps did someone once take to help you develop as a leader?
- What situations would require extra conversations or meetings with your co-leaders? With your coach or pastor?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
More Small Group Training
- Try Assigning a Prime Mover in Your Group
- Is Your Small Group Really Winning?
- When Someone Drops a Bombshell in Your Group
- Small Group Ground Rules
- Things to Remember as Your Small Group Moves Forward
- 3 Important Points for All Christian Small Groups
- Involving Others in Follow-Up Conversations
- How to Prep for a Group or Mentor Meeting
- Helping Groups Move Forward
- How to Develop New Small Group Leaders
- Start Up Disciple-making for Small Churches
- Dealing with the Small Group Dominator
- Small Group Host Training
- Developing People in Small Groups
- How to Run a PG Small Group
- Welcome to Small Group Training
- How to Use the Small Group Reproduction Plan
- How to Avoid Small Group Leader Burnout
- Getting a Group Ready to Reproduce
- How to Make Your Group Welcoming to Guests
- Small Group Tools
- Small Group Coach Training
- Great Groups Must Be Intentional
- Leading Beyond the Weekly Meeting
- Creating an Outwardly Focused Small Group
- What Is a Group and Why Should I Start One?
- What Makes a Small Group Great?
- Going “Full Circle” as a Group
- How to Avoid Being a Weird Small Group
- The Greatest Thing a Small Group Leader Can Do
- How to Identify Future Leaders
- Launching Small Groups Through a Church-Wide Campaign
- Three Types of Meetings for Every Leader
- How to Guide a Simple Discussion | Small Group Host Training #3
- How to Help People Feel Welcome | Small Group Host Training #2
- How the Campaign Works | Small Group Host Training #1
- Mission Over Preference
- How to Make Everyone a Leader in Your Small Group
- 7 Things You Must Know to Lead a Small Group
- Leading a Group Discussion
- Growing Your Small Group
- Reproducing a Small Group
- Preparing Future Group Leaders
- Mentoring in Your Small Group
- Building a Team of Co-Leaders
- Developing People in Your Group
- Evaluating and Planning Your Group
- Building Trust and Care in Groups
- Starting a New Group
- Being a Better Leader
- The Value of Leadership
- Leading with the Heart
- The Strategic Role of Small Groups
- Christian Leaders and Pride
- How to Mentor Co-Leaders
- How to Lead a Small Group Discussion
- Learn the Difference between Helping and Doing
- Group Leaders Have Limits
- How to Have a Follow-up Conversation
- 3 Ways to Connect to a TV for your Group
- 3 Simple Tech Tips for Every Group
- 8 Tips for Keeping your Group Engaged on a Topic
- The Most Important Team at Church
- The Three Seasons of a Small Group
- Bad Answers to Good Questions
- Encouraging Quiet People to Share in Groups
- Help Your Group Get Comfortable with Prayer
- Create a Good Relational Environment in Your Group
- Create a Caring Small Group
- Strategic Times to Invite People to Small Group
- Train Your Group to Be Invitational
- The Secret to Being an Effective Group Leader
- How to Find New Group Members
- How to Use the Small Group Feedback Form
- Set the Right Tone for a New Group
- Small Group Coach Job Description
- Get Your Group Off to a Good Start
- How Big Should a Group Be to Launch a New Group?
- Finding the Right Time to Reproduce a Group
- Celebrate a New Group Launch
- Transitioning from 1 Small Group to 2
- The Importance of Small Groups
- How to Prep for Small Group as a Team
- Sharing Ministry in a Small Group
- When Your Small Group Gets Off Track
- How to Use Your Team Meeting Planner
- How to Use Your Group Schedule Planner
- How to Use the Small Group Launch Plan
- How to Do a Simple Assessment
- Help People Where They’re At
- How to Assess Your Small Group
- Small Group Training in a Nutshell
- 3 Tips for Finding Conversations for Groups or Mentoring
- Small Groups 101

T4: What Jesus Envisioned
Key Points:
- Jesus envisioned a church full of disciple-makers. Matthew 28:19-20
- Disciple-makers have a heart for people outside the church.
- In a disciple-making church, the leaders are strategic about equipping people to minister. Ephesians 4:11-12
- What’s your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Read Matthew 28:19-20. How do you think Jesus would respond to how most churches define “discipleship” today?
- How many people in your church are actively investing in people inside your church? How many are actively investing in people outside of your church?
- What is your strategy for making disciples right now? Have you personally used the strategy recently? How many others have used it?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
T5: Defining Discipleship
Key Points:
- In a culture of discipleship it’s the norm – not the exception – for people to be making disciples. Ephesians 4:12-13
- A “disciple” is someone who goes “full circle” to trust Jesus, honor God, and make disciples.
- “Disciple-making” happens through a series of conversations, and that’s what our tools empower you to do. Ephesians 4:15
- What’s your initial reaction to this topic?
- What kind of culture does your church have right now? What about your specific ministry at church? Make a list of descriptive words or phrases.
- Have you ever seen a discipleship culture at work in a church or ministry? If so, describe it.
- “A small group is just one important part of the broader discipleship structure in your church.” Explain this statement. Do you agree?
- Do you think it’s worth the effort to create a discipleship culture in your church? Explain.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
T6: The Environments
Key Points:
- Disciple-making happens in four main environments at church: the family, the small group, the ministry team, and one-on-one.
- Equip your parents to disciple their kids at home. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
- Leverage your small groups for disciple-making.
- Leverage your ministry teams for disciple-making.
- Every believer in your church can go make disciples. Matthew 28:19-20
More Big Picture
- Launching a Mentor-Based Youth Ministry
- Envisioning a New Kind of Church
- Making the Handoff
- Establish Biblical Foundations
- Why We Should Track Discipleship Milestones
- Strategic Priority for Pastors
- The Difference between Outward-facing and Inward-facing Frameworks
- How to Create a Warm Church That Makes Disciples
- Youth Leaders: Make Disciples Who Make Disciples
- What You Need to Stop Doing to Make More Disciples
- The Flywheel for a Discipleship Culture
- Setting Up Your Church Org Chart
- When the Institution Competes with the Mission
- How to Kick Off Mentoring at Your Church
- Is Your Small Group Really Winning?
- Eliminating Sideways Energy
- Small Group Ground Rules
- Things to Remember as Your Small Group Moves Forward
- 3 Important Points for All Christian Small Groups
- Buying In to the System
- Start Up Disciple-making for Small Churches
- Using the 101 Report to Track Disciple-Making
- Developing People in Small Groups
- How to Run a PG Small Group
- How to Avoid Small Group Leader Burnout
- The Environments for Disciple-making
- Leveraging Ministry Teams for Disciple-making
- Equip Believers to Minister
- Empower Disciples to Make Disciples
- What is Discipleship?
- Five Point Clarity for a PursueGOD Church
- The Church Jesus Envisioned
- People Want a Pastor
- Training Leaders Like Jesus Did
- What Is a Discipleship Culture?
- Other Believers Help Us Honor God
- What Is Team Mentoring?
- From Doer to Equipper
- 4-Corner Leadership at Church
- How to Win “Full Circle” at Church
More Series for Group Leaders
Training FAQ
Q. How does ministry training work?
Training tracks are designed to help you go “full circle” with a group or mentor over the course of 6 or more weeks. Just cover a topic every week with a group or mentor, watching the video ahead of time to prepare for the conversation. Connect in person or on the phone and use the discussion questions provided to learn together. The goal is to help you pursue God “full circle”, which is our picture of discipleship:
Q. What is the structure of a training track?
Training tracks are divided into two sections. First you’ll cover training topics specific to your area of ministry. Feel free to cover additional topics as needed. Then you’ll cover “big picture” topics to learn about how your specific ministry fits in to the overall picture of discipleship at your church.
Q. What if we need more than 6 weeks?
Then take more time! We recommend covering additional topics at the end of any section as needed for your own pursuit of God.