Leading Small Groups in the Way of Jesus

Within the world of church, we have the following groups of people:

1. Those who gather in the institutional form of church.

2. Those who gather outside the institutional form of church.

3. Those who belong to no local gathering at all.

4. Those who gather in the institutional form of church but who also gather in small groups.

Scott Boren’s new book Leading Small Groups in the Way of Jesus is a book for small group leaders and those interested in the benefit of small groups.

I caught up with Scott to ask him some questions about his book. Enjoy!

Instead of asking, “what is your book about,” I’m going to ask the question that’s behind that question. And that unspoken question is, “how are readers going to benefit from reading your book?”

Scott: Every group leader I’ve talked to wants to do a great job. They want their groups to flourish. They want their members to grow in their relationship with Christ. They want their groups to grow. However, many turn this desire and hope for their group into pressure to “make their group work.” They feel like it’s their job to do the “right” things to make it happen.

Readers of this book—whether novices or experienced leaders—will find a way make room for the Spirit of God to make that vision happen. Instead of taking on the pressure as a leader, they will learn how to participate in the leading of God in their group. After all, God wants to see these things happen more than we do. And God has much more ability lead people there than we do. This is leadership in the way of Jesus.

Tell us a bit about the experiences that shaped the insights in the book.

Scott: In 1993, I began working for a consulting and training ministry whose sole purpose was to help churches develop small groups that experience community and mission. Since then I’ve been involved in various aspects of this ministry, an editor of magazine for small group leaders, a writer on this subject, a researcher in this field, a pastor and a small group leader.

Through the years, I’ve been asking questions about how effective small group leaders are developed. Experience is hard teacher, but one that has shaped this book. For instance, my own group leadership taught me that I am a better leader when I was free to be myself, whether I am in a good place or struggling. Being real is crucial to group leadership. Being free to be myself is crucial, and this idea shapes an entire chapter on how leaders can enter into this freedom.

How is your book different from the many other books on the subject of small group expressions of the church?

Scott: Over the years, I’ve observed many different strategies that use some form of small groups, including house churches, organic churches, cell groups, home small groups, Bible studies, and missional communities. About four years ago, I realized that most of the leadership training focused techniques. In other words, group leaders would hear a vision for what should happen in the group and then they would receive concrete advice and direction on how to make that happen.

I had even written and given this kind of technique-shaped leader training. But this too often resulted in leaders feeling the pressure to make groups work. And when I was honest about what made groups great, the leadership techniques were not on the top of the list. Instead, in almost every case the leader simply loved the people in his or her group. The specific techniques varied from group to group. And many times, the techniques were done poorly. But if the leader loved the group, the group flourished.

My question then was this: What are some practical ways that leaders can focus on growing in love? This led to the 8 practices that I wrote about here. They are leadership practices that train us to lead out of love.

What do you say to the Christian who enjoys going to Sunday morning worship services and feels that they have no time for a small group gathering during the week?

Scott: My response is that they are probably right. They don’t have enough time because if they are like most people today, their lives overflow with far too many activities. And they don’t know what to do about it. Going to another meeting only seems like an additional task to put on their weekly calendar. A small group on the way of Jesus is that the group will be more than a group meeting. This is why I devoted an entire chapter on the importance of leading through “wasting time.”

Groups don’t flourish because they accomplish the right tasks. They flourish because the groups have learned to live in love. Love happens in the “nothing” times of life, the being with one another times. This requires group members to rethink how they live. It’s not an easy thing in the midst of an over-scheduled culture, but this is a reality that we must face. And it’s a reality that is often ignored when it comes to group leadership. Living in community is not just about going to a small group or a house church meeting or a missional community meeting. It’s about a different way of life. But that gets us into the realm of talking about the kingdom of God, and all the stuff that Jesus was about.

Suppose that we were all watching a small group meeting that you feel is successful and a model of your thesis — we came to the meeting to observe it from beginning to end — what would we see? Give us a blow-by-blow.

Your name: This question is hard for me to answer in a specific way because I’ve observed groups on the way of Jesus meet in so many different ways. In fact, this book is not meant to offer a prescription of a specific way to meet. The focus of this book lies on how leaders can be formed to lead in a way that follows the Spirit of God.

It is meant to be a complimentary guide to various resources that offer a specific model or approach to small groups. For instance, then, this book can work with the cell church strategy, house churches, missional communities, and other creative types of small groups.

What do you hope readers will walk away with after they finish your book?

Scott: My hope is that leaders and potential leaders will view group leadership in a different way. Instead of seeing leadership through the lens of a list of leadership tasks that need to be done to be successful, they will discover some basic spiritual practices that will shape their souls to be leaders of grace and love.