Leader Tips for Group Facilitators

An effective small group leader is one who wishes nothing more than to draw the students and fellow small group participants closer to God.  

Here are a few tips we've come up with to help you apply this top-level principle while using the weekly content from The Wired Word.

Leader Tips for The Wired Word Group Facilitators

1.  Pray over the Scripture passages as you prepare. One subscriber shares that this helps her put aside her fears as a facilitator regarding subjects that make her uncomfortable or about which she has little or no experience. “I simply ask for the Holy Spirit to be present with and for the group, and to open our hearts and ears and eyes to what God wants us to learn,” she says.
 
2.  Announce at the beginning of each session that your meeting place is sacred space, safe for everyone to express their experiences, ideas and opinions. You might say something such as, “We welcome diverse viewpoints and shouldn’t expect to agree with everything or everyone. But it’s important to be honest and respectful of all.”
 
3.  Remind group members they’ll probably have more questions than answers by the end of each class. The Bible passages and news stories are catalysts to help each participant dig deeper into his or her unique relationship with God.
 
4.  Remind the group you’re a facilitator, not an expert. Your job is to keep the group focused on the subject and to keep the discussion moving. Offer alternative ways for obtaining expert advice, if needed.

5.  Steer the conversation toward the nuances of God instead of simple commentary and opinion on the news. Help the class understand that the news story is the tipping point where the ever-present living God meets our current world. The topic is meant to generate discussion about God’s Word and presence in each person’s experience. Help the group avoid getting so buried in the news topic that it spends little or no time on the teaching point.