Bill Donahue

Small groups have the power to change lives. They're the ideal route to discipleship—a place where the rubber of biblical truth meets the road of human relationships. How to Lead a Life-Changing Small Group—a revised and updated edition of the bestselling Leading Life-Changing Small Groups—will help you learn (or relearn) the basics of leading a successful small group. Regardless of whether you are leading for the first time or have been doing so for years, this resource will help you to more effectively facilitate group discussion and encourage your group members in a way that leads to lasting life change. In addition to highlighting the responsibilities of a small group leader, this guide will give you helpful insights into the process of group formation and answer practical questions about meeting preparation and how to encourage group participation. It includes a model for discipleship within a small group and suggestions for dealing with some of the common roadblocks and struggles that most groups encounter. So, if you want to lead your small group with excellence and witness life change in your group members' lives, this go-to guide will offer you the practical answers and inspiring examples you need. This practical guide includes: Videos featuring the author (available via QR codes printed in the resource) that will help you navigate some of the complexities of leading a small group. An introduction outlining changes to the previous edition and addressing changes in recent years (including the COVID-19 pandemic) that has shifted the landscape of small groups. Updated content (between 5% to 20%) to the previous edition that (1) brings all data and research into modern times; (2) expands thinking on spiritual growth based on latest trends; (3) updates material on leadership and meetings to reflect changes in churches; and (4) reduces and significantly revises content on small group impact to reflect current status in churches.

A riveting collection of stories from the world of endurance sports Endurance athletes know the feeling—that oscillation between pain and delight, the pursuit not so much of beating others but of testing your own limits, the finish that often comes with the recognition of how sweet and big life is. It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid trying to break a pogo stick world record or a professional athlete attempting to topple the reigning marathon champion—these endeavors in endurance have a way of fascinating us all. In Unbound: Unforgettable True Stories from the World of Endurance Sports, award-winning journalist Bill Donahue brings together an incredible collection of stories from his years of reporting on everything from cycling the wilds of Dominica to ultramarathons. They feature the fearless Swiss explorer Sarah Marquis breaking up the “boys club” of exploration, the author cross-country skiing in Alaska with the U. S. military, Karl Bushy’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe on foot, a visit to Tour de France contender Nairo Quintanta’s Colombian village in the High Andes, and more. The stories in Unbound span across seven countries on five continents, from the slums of Bhubaneswar, India, to the windswept tundra of the Alaskan Arctic. Take a journey with the author along the roads and trails of the world, and discover obscure stories, diverse cultures, and unforgettable characters that will leave you awed.

Join me on a journey from the dark side of addiction where all the pain and agony that exist there penetrated me to the bone. A place where the lost of this world reside not knowing how simple it is to leave the misery behind and enter the place of love and of light and of joy. A place free of worry and fear embraced by the serenity of knowing Gods grace through Jesus Christ. The words in this book will set you free as you enter a new way of life. You will be surprised what you will find there if you join me and learn to Pay Attention. I was an average American living an average life mixed in with an above average appetite for alcohol. Addiction had taken my wife of 24 years and ruined all my hopes and dreams leaving me at the bottom, the very bottom. Then these events cracked the door open to a better way, not knowing what it all meant I took the leap of faith and now I want to share this testimony with you in hopes you will also take the leap and join me.

Small groups transform churches—and lives. Small group leaders often feel the weight of shepherding their small group members. But who shepherds the shepherd? Small group coaches fill a unique role by providing support and guidance for group leaders. When you’re called to coach a small group leader in your church, your mind may be filled with questions: Am I godly enough? What do I have to offer? How do I begin? Although the challenge seems immense, Bill Donahue and Greg Bowman break down the work of coaching small group leaders into achievable steps. This expanded and updated edition offers field-tested and biblically supported advice on such topics as modeling a surrendered life to those you coach, gaining the tools and wisdom you need for coaching, and helping leaders grow spiritually. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource to train coaches, or it can be used with the training videos taught by the authors, available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD (sold separately). For those who want to coach with excellence and truly help small group leaders thrive, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples. You’ll find both challenge and promise in these pages as you learn to carry forth your God-given calling with confidence.

Whether you’re a new or seasoned group leader, or whether your group is well-established or just getting started, this four-session video-based Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately) will lead you and your group together to a remarkable new closeness and effectiveness. Designed to foster healthy group interaction and facilitate maximum growth, this innovative approach equips both group leaders and members with essential skills and values for creating and sustaining truly life-changing small groups. Designed for use with the Making Your Small Group Work Video Study (sold separately).

Like nothing else, small groups have the power to change lives. They’re the ideal route to discipleship—a place where the rubber of biblical truth meets the road of human relationships. This updated and revised third edition of the bestselling Leading Life-Changing Small Groups handbook helps small group leaders learn the basics of leading a successful small group. Regardless of whether a person is leading for the first time or has been for years, this resource will help a small group leader more effectively facilitate group discussion and encourage and support group members in a way that leads to authentic and lasting life change. The unique, ready-reference format highlights the requirements and responsibilities of a small group leader, gives helpful insight into the process of group formation and answers practical questions about meeting preparation and how to encourage group participation. It includes a model for discipleship within a small group and suggestions for dealing with some of the common roadblocks and struggles that most groups encounter. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource to train coaches or partnered with the eight-session training videos taught by the author, available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD (sold separately). For those who want to lead small groups with excellence and truly witness life change in their small groups, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples.

Our hearts were made for deep, authentic relationships—for community with others. And like nothing else, small groups provide the kind of life-giving community that builds and empowers the body of Christ and impacts the world. In this book, part of the Groups That Grow series of small group resources, authors Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson provide guidance for the strategic decisions that must be made to establish, develop and grow a thriving small group ministry in the local church. In Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry, they answer questions like: • Which approach or model for small group ministry is best for my church? • Who has responsibility for the ministry and how are they supported? • How do I organize the groups and coach the leaders? • Where do I find leaders and what kind of training do they need? • How do I guide people toward community life? What are the pathways and events that move people to become part of a small group? • What kinds of groups should we offer? • How do you multiply groups and launch new groups? • How do we define success in this ministry? As you work through the questions in each chapter you’ll develop a coherent, strategic plan for building and leading the small group ministry at your church. And whether you are establishing a new ministry or transitioning from older models of small group ministry that are no longer effective today, you’ll benefit from the time-tested wisdom of the authors. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource or it can be used with the five-session training videos taught by the authors available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD (sold separately).

The best-selling small group guidebook---over 100,000 sold. NOW UPDATED. Small groups have the power to change lives like nothing else. They're the ideal route to discipleship---a place where the rubber of Biblical truth meets the road of human relationships. For six years, Bill Donahue provided training and resources for small group leaders so that Willow Creek could build a church of small groups. Now he is committed to creating tools that will help other church leaders pursue the same goal---to provide a place in community for everyone in their congregation. In Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, Donahue and his team share in depth the practical insights that have made Willow Creek's small group ministry so effective. It is the Comprehensive, Ready-Reference Guide for Small Group Leaders and gives small group leaders, pastors, church leaders, educators, and counselors a commanding grasp of: *Group formation and values *Leadership requirements and responsibilities *The philosophy and structure of small groups *Meeting preparation and participation *Discipleship within the group *Leadership training... and much more. From an individual group to an entire small group ministry, Leading Life-Changing Small Groups gives you the comprehensive guidance you need to cultivate life-changing small groups . . . and growing, fruitful followers of Christ.

Over the past two decades, small groups have gone from spontaneous gatherings among friends to a major and elaborate phenomenon in the church. Many evangelical churches have some form of small groups ministry in place. But there's just one problem, says Bill Search--what started as a simple get-together has become a complicated process, especially for small group leaders. They are often not sure what is expected of them or what to expect from their groups as a result of their efforts. In Simple Small Groups, Search lays out the three C's of small groups--connecting, changing, and cultivating. This paradigm helps to simplify leading small groups in a way that is helpful, rewarding, and life changing. Unlike many other books geared toward small group leaders, Simple Small Groups does not require a church-wide adoption of an intricately designed system of assimilation, making it useful to any small group leader looking for guidance.

Community is a fundamental life search and one of the key aspects people look for in a congregation. But community can't be forced, controlled, or easily created. The problem, says Joseph R. Myers, is that churches are too focused on developing programs instead of concentrating on environments where community will spontaneously emerge. Organic Community challenges key leaders to become environmentalists--people who create or shape environments. Outlining nine organizational tools for creating a healthy environment, Myers shows readers how to diagnose their current situation and implement patterns that will develop possibilities for healthy communities.

Vägar till fövandlande gemenskap Vad varje smågrupp bör veta Att dela livet tillsammans i en liten grupp är stort. Varje grupp har sina särdrag, personligheter och livserfarenheter. Att mötas är som att balansera på en uppspänd lina. Spänt läge hjälper varje grupp att bättre förstå dynamiken i gemenskapen och att skapa en ärlig atmosfär med rum för livsförvandling. För att tillsammans röra sig framåt behöver gruppen förstå och hantera balansen mellan: Sanning och Liv Omsorg och Lärljungaskap Vänskap och Ansvarighet Vänlighet och Konfrontation Uppgift och Människor Öppenhet och Intimitet En god gemenskap tar sig an båda ändarna av skalan. Spänt läge ger förståelse för hur människor fungerar i grupp. Boken är ett utmärkt verktyg för ledare, präster och pastorer och för dem som vill få en nystart i sin smågrupp eller smågruppsverksamhet. Bill Donahue och Russ Robinson leder och utvecklar smågruppsverksamheten inom Willow Creek Association och Willow Creek Community Church. Verksamheten omfattar omkring 18 000 människor i 2 000 smågrupper. "Gemenskap måste vårdas... Till det arbetet bidrar Spänt läge med konkret stöd och faktiska lösningar." - Hans Lundaahl "Boken blev en verklig ögonöppnare för mig. Ett paradigmskifte i mitt ledarskap." - Erik Holke

Our closest friends are the ones who will tell us the truth about ourselves. Jesus is that kind of friend. He reveals our identity, makes sense of our history, exposes our needs and points us toward our destiny. When we meet Jesus the revealer, we discover ourselves.

Jesus' strategy was countercultural. The Bible describes him as a conquering hero - but a hero who had to die first. In our world, conquering heroes achieve victory by force, not submission; with power, not weakness; with superior weapons and troops, not alone and empty handed. But Jesus conquered through weakness, submission and death. Jesus is the Supreme Conquerer, and in these pages you can explore the results of his victory for yourself.

Jesus is a relentless lover without limits. Even when we cannot, or will not, return his love, Jesus continues to love us despite our actions and our words, our ignorance and rebellion. Yet we cannot seem to fully believe it. We wonder if he will one day leave us, disgusted with our sin and many failures. Yet he remains at our side, loving his way into our lives. In this study, we will discover how Jesus expresses his love for us, and we will learn how amazing that love truly is.

A teacher with unconventional wisdom. This look at Jesus will shatter your illusions about religious leaders. And as you clear your mind, you will find unexpected hope that can replace illusion. Come and meet Jesus the teacher.

Jesus is the one who can make us right with God. He is the gentle pastor who hears our confession and then invites our repentance. On the cross he took our punishment. By his blood we are redeemed. Come and meet Jesus the forgiver.