Colin Marshall has been training people in small groups ministry for over 25 years, and he’s given the rest of us a superb manual in his Growth Groups: A Training Course in How to Lead Small Groups. Over the last year, I worked through this material with the co-leader of my small group. Few books have influenced me as deeply as this book has.
Marshall covers everything from small group strategy to Bible study preparation to leadership development. He explains how to ask good questions. He demonstrates how to respond to difficult people. His manual is short and to the point. His writing is clear. His use of Scripture is remarkably careful and inspiring.
Here are some of my favorite nuggets:
Christian groups are not primarily about helping people with their problems…The focus of Christian groups is growth, not problems.
As well as communicating the meaning of the Bible, the studies we prepare should teach good habits for interpreting the Bible.
We tend to give commentaries more authority than they deserve.
To apply the Bible to our group we need to be studying and understanding our group members and the context in which they are living as Christians.
These are sure-fire conversation stoppers: saying an answer is wrong, refusing to discuss an issue, or saying ‘It’s different in the Hebrew text.’
Even though he is teaching through discussion, the leader must be able to guide the group to right conclusions.
We don’t want to become spiritual guides for people and make them dependent on us rather than God.
If you’d like a decent resource to help you learn to lead a small group (or train others to lead them), I couldn’t recommend this book any more highly.
A few warnings:
- Forget about buying this one from Amazon. I’m not sure why Amazon has weird editions (perhaps it has something to do with the book’s being published in Australia). Just go with Westminster Bookstore.
- Be careful not to end up with the Trainers Notes (basically, the leader’s manual) unless you get it in addition to the regular/student manual.
- Watch out! Marshall will challenge your assumptions about the purpose of small groups, how to handle needy people, and what to do if your group loses steam.
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Thanks for sharing, Peter. I read Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall (and Tony Payne) last summer and loved it. I’ve had Growth Groups for a while and have been meaning to get into it. Have you read One to One Bible Reading (also a Matthias Media title), and if so, what are your thoughts?
You’re welcome, Kevin. I’m glad you enjoyed The Trellis and the Vine; that has become one of my favorites. Yes, I’ve read One-to-One as well, and I highly recommend it. It’s short, clear, and inspiring. Helm makes a strong case for studying the Bible in one-on-one settings, and he shows how to do it. I also wrote a brief post last summer with more extensive thoughts on the book.
Great thoughts, thanks for sharing. A number of Matthias Media titles have blown my mind by being so simple and biblical. Love it!
Thanks for summarising some of the quotes from this book. It’s been a while since I’ve read this but it is great to be reminded of some of the gold inside.
You also can buy the book directly from the publisher’s website: http://www.matthiasmedia.com/growth-groups-manual
Well, 9 years later, this book is now available on Amazon! Out of stock on the Westminster site, plus now appears to be a 2nd addition from 2021. Many thanks to Peter Krol. Sowable Word has been a wonderful help in my Bible study and in our Small Group. Thank you for this incredible site where you share your knowledge!!
Thanks for the kind words, Don.