August 20th, 2012 
alandanielson I sometimes talk to pastors who are frustrated because small group ministry just isn’t working at their church. They tell me about all the great models and strategies that they’ve adapted from other churches, but feel like nothing seems to work. The mistake that most pastors make is assuming that their problem is rooted in [...]
April 11th, 2012 alandanielson This post, co-written by my wife, started yesterday when we discussed the issue of childcare. Today we’re talking about… CLIQUES Cliques are not just a middle school phenomenon. They can be a big problem in women’s small groups. Let’s start by saying right off that cliques are not intrinsically bad. God created people to gather and [...]
April 10th, 2012 alandanielson In 2006 I was asked to do something that I just knew would end my career as a small group pastor at LifeChurch.tv. My senior pastor’s wife started a women’s ministry that had been meeting on campus for 8 years and I was asked to kill it and move all the women involved into off-campus [...]
April 4th, 2012 alandanielson Recently I started a series of posts about the three principles that will help your new group start off right. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here. Today is about the third principle and wraps up this series of posts. KEEP Keeping people in your group is about creating “sticky” relationships. If [...]
April 3rd, 2012 alandanielson Yesterday I started this series of posts and spoke about the first principle for successfully launching a new small group. Today I’m tackling the second. FILL Sadly, some small group leaders think, “If I build it they will come.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Filling out a form at church, meeting with a [...]
April 2nd, 2012 alandanielson Being a small group leader can sometimes be overwhelming. Deciding when and where to meet…choosing, acquiring, and understanding curriculum…finding people for your group…connecting with new group members…communicating with the group… Is your head spinning yet? Don’t panic, launching your new small group well can be boiled down into three simple principles: Start, Fill, Keep. If [...]
December 7th, 2011 alandanielson I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Right Now Conference in Dallas. This is one of my favorite conferences every year because the thrust of the conference is all about mission and small groups. In one session I got to participate in a panel with Steve Gladen (Saddleback Church), Steve Yarrow (Northridge Church, [...]
November 2nd, 2011 alandanielson Originally Posted 10-19-2010. Reposted 11-02-2011. —————————————————– Yes, I’m a ridiculously fanatical Star Wars lover. I’ve collected Star Wars memorabilia since 1977 and I still enjoy collecting today. Two friends suggested that I write some kind of post about Star Wars and small groups, so here goes. All small groups have a few stereotypical people in them. Today we’ll [...]
November 1st, 2011 alandanielson Originally posted 09-15-2010. Reposted 11-15-2011. —————————————————————– I’m going to say something that might make some of you angry today, but I just have to say it: Some pastors drive me nuts! In my line of work as a pastor and consultant I meet tons of pastors. All are wonderful people, some just don’t quite get [...]
October 12th, 2011 alandanielson Originally Posted 09-01-2010. Reposted 10-12-2011. ——————————————————————- It’s important for people in a small group to “click” but it’s destructive if they “clique”. Here’s what I mean: one of Satan’s sneakiest strategies is to take God’s beautiful creations and pervert them. Relationships are no exception. Satan wishes to distort them, make them ugly and divisive. Relationships [...]
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