Equipping Small-Group Leaders Week-to-Week

A few weeks ago the XP3 OS team started discussing the different ways that student pastors have available to equip their small group leaders for each week’s small group discussion with students.  We think it’s important for small group leaders to have a heads up on the weekly discussion topic and bottom line before each session so they can better engage their students.

It’s only natural for small group discussion to progress, diverge, or morph from the original topic into something else entirely – and that often includes what will be covered in the subsequent weeks of a teaching series.  It is, of course, always good when the small group leader customizes  small group questions and discussion to accommodate the uniqueness of each group session – it is often necessary.  We think advanced knowledge and preparedness facilitates at least three things:

1) It increases the likelihood of great dialog

2) It ensures that students have the opportunity to explore each angle of a series topic

3) Provides the chance for a small group leader to think ahead about how the topic and teaching might apply to the specific context of their students

The more prepared a small group leader is before a session/discussion – the more they’re equipped to win.  So what’s the most effective way for you to prepare/equip your leaders week to week?  Is it a physical meeting before or after each weekly gathering?  Or an email, audio cd, podcast, Facebook message or tweet?  Ideally, if you could do whatever you want to facilitate preparedness and have everything you need at your disposal, what would it be?

Don’t be shy with your thoughts and ideas!