Book Review: the Pocket Guide to Leading a Small Group
Liberty Theological Seminary
4-MAT Book Review One
The Pocket Guide To Leading A Small Group by Dave Earley and Rod Dempesey
A Paper
Submitted to Dr. Quigly Nudge
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
Small Group Ministries
DSMN 630
By
Jo Apple
Submitted on
April 8, 2011
Abstract
Moving from the theoretical to the practical can sometimes be the most daunting challenge facing a leader and facilitator of a small group. It is true enough that within the church context that Small Groups are not necessarily a new idea, that once was on the cutting edge of Christian discipleship, but it still remains a paradigm that the traditional church sometimes struggle to venture into, which is exactly the reason that Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey have offered this practical “How to” guide to envisioning, facilitating, and sustaining a successful small group.
Earley and Dempsey posit 52 key concepts in achieving a successful small group; though there are many chapters the concepts are very manageable to read, review, and discern (most chapters are only a few pages in length). Many of the core ideas run along the theme of maturity and multiplication, which include analogies that run along that same line of thinking (e.g., Chapter 35 ‘You Can’t Have Babies If You Don’t Get Pregnant’). Most of what is written is from the standpoint of encouragement and edification—there is an optimistic tone from start to finish.
One of the most important aspects that the authors focus upon is the explicit biblical citing of small group ministry within the life of Jesus, specifically found in chapter 2, the writers point out that, “Those who would be a disciple of Jesus must practice the disciplines of Jesus.” It is here that the authors express clear vivid examples from the Gospels whereby Jesus takes a small band of disciples to mentor, instruct, serve as example, and to the unleash them to ministry (cf., Matthew
4-MAT Book Review One
The Pocket Guide To Leading A Small Group by Dave Earley and Rod Dempesey
A Paper
Submitted to Dr. Quigly Nudge
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
Small Group Ministries
DSMN 630
By
Jo Apple
Submitted on
April 8, 2011
Abstract
Moving from the theoretical to the practical can sometimes be the most daunting challenge facing a leader and facilitator of a small group. It is true enough that within the church context that Small Groups are not necessarily a new idea, that once was on the cutting edge of Christian discipleship, but it still remains a paradigm that the traditional church sometimes struggle to venture into, which is exactly the reason that Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey have offered this practical “How to” guide to envisioning, facilitating, and sustaining a successful small group.
Earley and Dempsey posit 52 key concepts in achieving a successful small group; though there are many chapters the concepts are very manageable to read, review, and discern (most chapters are only a few pages in length). Many of the core ideas run along the theme of maturity and multiplication, which include analogies that run along that same line of thinking (e.g., Chapter 35 ‘You Can’t Have Babies If You Don’t Get Pregnant’). Most of what is written is from the standpoint of encouragement and edification—there is an optimistic tone from start to finish.
One of the most important aspects that the authors focus upon is the explicit biblical citing of small group ministry within the life of Jesus, specifically found in chapter 2, the writers point out that, “Those who would be a disciple of Jesus must practice the disciplines of Jesus.” It is here that the authors express clear vivid examples from the Gospels whereby Jesus takes a small band of disciples to mentor, instruct, serve as example, and to the unleash them to ministry (cf., Matthew
Cited: Books Early, Dave and Rod Dempsey. The Pocket Guide To Leading A Small Group: 52 Ways To Help You And Your Small Group Grow. Houston, TX: Touch, 2007. Gilbert, Greg. What Is The Gospel? Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010. Stetzer, Ed and Mike Dodson. Come Back Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around And How Yours Can Too. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2007. Internet Barna Group 2010. Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research 2010. Accessed January 27, 2012 from: http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010?q=2010