Book Review: 99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders

“Is this the room for First Baptist Jackson?” I timidly asked from the doorway.

I had no idea who I was looking for. All I knew was that I was the girl’s summer intern and I had never met a single one of the students. My first day on the job was at a city wide mission trip with a dozen other churches. I was so fresh to the scene I didn’t even know which room our church was sleeping in.

So much has changed since that fear-filled introduction in 2009. I’ve progressed past learning names to being able to anticipate how each girl will react during Sunday School.

This gem of a book was originally handed to my mother, who teaches youth at my home church. She passed it along to me, knowing that I would appreciate it.

I’ll have to admit, I scoffed at first. Clearly I could never improve my small group leader skills. Obviously, I always have it together. Why should I waste my time reading this book? One quick flip through the pages showed me there were actually 162 thoughts for small group leaders – not 99. Come on, guys, edit.

I left the book on my night stand a few weeks before moving it into my car. Maybe I’ll read it on my lunch breaks. It sat for another week.

I decided that if we aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, I shouldn’t judge this book by its editors inability to count to 99. Wielding my peanut butter sandwich, I began reading.

The book is concise and to the point. The sections end with testimonials from teachers just like me telling a short anecdote about what they’ve learned. I found myself refreshed. I’m not convinced that 4 years makes me a “veteran,” but it was good to be reminded of the basics of good small group leadership. And, they are correct, serving as a small group leader is a thankless job. I was, however, encouraged to be able to say that I am following most all of their major pieces of advice.

Since the new school year is upon us, this is the ideal time to read this book. Get a few copies and circulate them through your youth ministry.  Sit down with your leaders and discuss what they think their strengths and weaknesses are. My coteacher and I are terrific friends. We teach with unity that only Christ brings between people. But if you’re new to this youth ministry gig, this book is a great way to get you on the same page as everyone else.

As a way of further promotion, I’ll include my top favorite pieces of advice (you will, however, have to read the book for the authors’ commentary on each point):

3 Messages of Relational Ministry

#24 “I care”
#25 “You matter to me.”
#26 “I’m proud of you.”

What to do if the line between leader and friend is blurred

#120 Analyze the situation.
#121 Talk to a trusted friend.
#122 Be the leader.

The Appreciation Vacuum

#150 You won’t get thanked very often.
#151 You will hear more about problems than praise.
#152 Your strength must come from your walk with God.

 

You can buy the book online here or even watch a brief word from the author Joshua Griffin here.