Jared Musgrove

We are made for community. Deep within the heart of people is a longing to both know others and be known by them, and groups ministry has the opportunity to meet these needs in every church. Groups are an art, not a science. There's no one-size-fits-all formula for designing transformational groups that God uses to mold people into the image of Christ together. There are dozens of variables and unknowns in the work of groups, but we believe the following is true: There is no lasting transformation in a person without another person or persons. The less relational your church is, the less transformational your church will be. The people in your group are a partial inheritance from the Lord right now. Groups exist for community with God and one another. So goes groups, so goes the church. So goes the church, so goes groups. Groups, at their core, embody the call to love one another found sixty times throughout the New Testament. This book is for people who love the possibilities of groups. And for those who want to.

Nearly every church is trying to help their congregants build relationships with others, grow as disciples, and/or engage in meaningful service through small groups. Many have argued that these small groups are the preferred vehicle for relationship building, disciple making, and membership assimilation in the local church, especially in large, multisite churches.Leading Small Groups That Thrive shows small group leaders, step by step, how to plan for, launch, build, sustain, and multiply highly effective, transformational, healthy small group experiences where people grow spiritually together. Based on a large-scale research study of small group pastors, leaders, and members, Leading Small Groups That Thrive gives church leaders both what they want--practical, straightforward, actual small group member voices and experiences, and compelling guidance on how to build transformational groups complemented with real-life examples and data of successful small groups--and what they need--substantial, challenging insights and a data-driven model grounded in the latest research on church small groups.