Real spiritual growth and relationship building happens best in a small group.

Five Ways to Attract People to Small Groups

1. Be Target Minded.  Try your best to keep your leaders, believers, and seekers in different groups so no one feels stupid or bored. Organize your content around the specific needs in the group. 
2. Be Relationship Oriented.  Split your time 50/50 with time to share personal stories and feelings and a Bible study that keeps a relationship with Christ central.
3. Be Equally Shared.  If you’re doing all the talking, take a break! Your job is to facilitate discussions and empower thinking, not to answer all your own questions (even though you know everything!). Eventually, young people should know enough from your example to start their own groups. Don’t be afraid to ask your group for suggestions and criticism.
4. Be Christ Centered.  If it isn’t apologize and start over.
5. Be in the Now.  Make it relevant by applying Bible truths to today and offering practical challenges that can be lived out throughout the week.

Three Ways to Assure Small Groups

1. Keep it short and small.  Our group should be able to finish in under 45 minutes to an hour. No points for overtime. If you need more time your group is too big.
2. Prepare to spawn.  Get a co-leader who can start a new group. When you’re over a comfortable number of people (8-10), meet in the same place with separate groups.
3. Balance is the Key.  Use the first ½ hour to go around the circle with simple relational question like “What does Christ mean to you.” Then use the second half hour to study what the Bible says about what Christ wants to mean to you.

Read These Verses on Small Groups

1. Mark 3:14
2. Acts 2:36-47

From: ABZ’s of Adventist Youth Ministry
Permission to copy for use in the local congregation or group.