Book Recommendation: Simple Small Groups

Bill Search writes a simple (not simplistic) book on the fundamental principles that cut across models, methods, and demographics to make small groups successful.

Title: Simple Small Groups: A User-Friendly Guide for Small Group Leaders
Author: Bill Search, Team Leader for Community Groups at Southeast Christian Church
Reader Target: Small Group Leaders, Point Leaders searching for simple but solid training materials
Page Count: 169
Exploring Further: Check out Bill's Simple Small Groups Blog

Heather's Reflections
This book is not about a small group model or philosophy; it's about the fundamental practices and principles that make any small group successful. It's painfully practical (that's positive in my book) and stems from the experience of a practitioner in the trenches. It's raw, honest, and direct. Bill does not try to sell us a fail-safe system with over-promised and under-delivered results. Instead, he encourages us to foster 3 patterns- Connecting (the relational pattern), Changing (the growth pattern), and Cultivating (the missional pattern). Each pattern is granted two chapters- an introduction and exploration of the pattern and a practical guide on implementing it. One of my favorite parts of the book is the synthesis- Harmony. Not balance amongst the three. But harmony.

The next time I look for a book to give all of my leaders, this will probably be it. And I'm stealing some of Bill's stuff for my next Leadership Summit.