A small group setting is where 5 to 15 people commit to meet with each other for an agreed number of weeks or times. It serves the purpose of allowing participants to share their ideas and life experiences in a safe environment with a commitment to confidentiality. Many people express that they make more productive spiritual progress in a group setting than they do handling everything on their own. It is experienced as an opportunity to become accountable to group members for the changes they wish to make in their own lives.
Forming a Small Group
You'll probably have your own ideas on how to gather people nearby to join you for a small discussion group. There are many ways to approach this. Some groups develop around a topic of mutual interest. Some form around an activity or service opportunity. Some have a common characteristic, such as a gathering of women, men, singles, parents, or married couples. Groups can form to study and discuss a spiritual book.
Content for a Small Group
The content of your small group discussion can be quite varied. We offer many resources and outlines or examples to use for content of small group discussions. The best known content is provided by our New Church "Journey" Spiritual Growth Programs.
Yet another source of content for small groups comes from past issues of our New Church Connection Magazine. These issues offered outlines for small group content, each lasting 6-8 weeks.