Lead Small

by Reggie Joiner, Tom Shefchunas

Five big ideas every small group leader needs to know.

Genres: Christian, Leadership, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology, Discipleship, Faith

167 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Reggie Joiner is the founder and CEO of Orange, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to influence those who influence the next generation. Author of more than 30 books, including Think Orange, Seven Practices of Effective Ministry, and Lead Small. Reggie has changed the way churches and organizations create environments for and equip leaders, parents, and the next generation. Orange partners with over 8,000 churches internationally and is the architect of the Orange Conference and the Orange Tour, which provide national training opportunities for senior pastors, church leaders, and ministry volunteers.

Prior to Orange and along with Andy Stanley, Reggie co-founded North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. During his 11 years as the executive director of Family Ministry, Reggie developed the new concepts of ministry for preschoolers, children, students, and married adults. He has found a way to wear orange for 4,353 days and counting.

Reggie is a graduate of Georgia Southwestern College. He and his wife Debbie have four grown children and live near Atlanta.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great refresher read. As a small group leader, sometimes it's easy to get lost in the week-to-week shuffle. This was a great reminder of what it really means to be a small group leader. There were great ideas, great reminders, and great lessons all packed in an easy, short read.

[Jenna Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for church small group leaders - no matter the age of the group they're leading. The concepts presented are simple, but the authors go into detail, give personal anecdotes, and give you space in the book to journal your thoughts as you read. It's a quick and easy read, but more than useful and will help create stronger small groups and stronger small group leaders.

[Heather Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of our training for Student Ministry small group leadership. If someone has never led a small group of students, this book gives helpful vision for the role. However, if you have been leading for awhile, this is a check in to remember the actual functions of the role. I have a few good takeaways from this short read, but it is certainly not an exhaustive resource…it’s a beginning point which puts the entire team on the same page at the beginning of the ministry season.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the book is great for Small Group Leaders to understand the purpose of SGs and their role.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read. Simple structure. Good emphases for Youth Small Group leaders.

[Connor Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal plug-and-play book for any small group leader looking to make a Gospel impact & lead others on their discipleship journey to Jesus.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooooo good! This has really sharpened my mind when stepping up into leadership & the way it is written with journal prompts makes it so applicable to leadership abilities in all ages. It’s also so easy to comprehend when reading.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! A quick, humorous read that gets straight to the point of what it truly means to lead well. Though the principles are for small group leaders working with children and youth, many of these ideas can transfer over to adults as well.

[Shanna Klutts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the tongue in cheek humor of the book, but really wish that they opted for larger print for their book. Maybe a design choice because of “small” being their overall goal, but I am wearing bifocals for a reason! But the book is strong and meaningful. It will definitely impact me as I move forward in kids’ ministry.

Some things that rocked my world that I want to remember and hold on to:

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry He chose twelve guys. He didn’t invite the masses. His goal was not to fill the biggest amphitheater in Corinth. He led thousands but chose to invest in, to do life with, a few.

The more Christian adult influences a child has, the more likely it sill be for that child to stay connected to church after graduation.

A child will never feel significant until you give them something significant to do.

If they aren’t being the church when they are with us, they won’t know how to be a part of the church when they leave us

Your few are not problems to be solved. They are people to be loved.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kids Ministry staff at our church gave a copy of this book to all volunteers that serve with kids ages 0 - 5th grade. Once a month, a different Kids Min staff member would lead a discussion about one chapter of this book during a Cinnamon Roll Call before each service on a Sunday morning. I am appreciative that they took the initiative to ask us to read this book and meet to hear about it. I read the whole book, took notes and underlined important parts. I think it was valuable to remind us of big picture thoughts and views about why we are serving and how we are to impact the kids and lead them to their own faith in God and Jesus Christ. It was a good book that helped us see what our role is and isn't - as small group leaders. Good things to revisit, remember and review from time to time. Sometimes we all get lost in the busy-ness of life and the rush to get to serve on time. So it's great to re-focus on attention on our goals and hopes for the kids as we lead them and serve in Kids Ministry.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My notes are way to long to put here. But so many great tidbits that I look forward to sharing with our Knox Kid leaders as they choose to invest and influence the next generation.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

“A child will never feel significant until you give them something significant to do.”

”…if they aren’t being the church when they are with us, they won’t know how to be a part of the church when they leave us.”


“Your few are not problems to be solved. They are people to be loved.”

“• When you love them, you will connect by showing up predictably, mentally, and randomly.
• When you love them, you will naturally create a safe place for them to clarify their faith.
• When you love them, you will partner with others who love them in order to nurture an everyday faith.
• When you love them, you will want to inspire them through your example.
• When you love them, you will engage their faith with things outside of your circle.”

[jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

what an amazing book! I read it in one sitting, and I just couldn’t put it down. it was so refreshing, and had so many wonderful reminders. I feel as though it can be so easy sometimes to get lost in the week-to-week obligations of just showing up on a Wednesday or a Friday night for these students. In doing so, we sometimes forget the depth of what we have signed up for as SGLs. I just loved how this book went into detail about the complexities of what it means to be an SGL, and practical ways to show up for these students and lead them in a way that build authentic faith in their everyday lives!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of useful information that I would never have thought of. Highly recommended (required, actually) for all student-age (grades 6-12) small group leaders at my church as part of leader training. For example, I doubt I would have considered reaching out to my students' parents so that know who I am, even though after reading that chapter it is obvious. I plan to take a look at some of their other book offerings.

[Leandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this before starting a new school year with our youth group. Amazing and simple. I love the quick tangible ideas and the versus. My favorite chaper was partnering with their parents. Yes we play small important role in our youth's lives but cheering and partnering with parents is the utmost. It gave great examples of how to be the bridge for parent and their youth. I highly recommend for small group leaders for children and youth.

[Rae V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and easy read!
I liked the way it was written, and the large print to emphasize certain points. I feel like at times it talks down/simplifies students, but from the pov of the leader this is just fine in how it presented its material.

I grabbed this to prep for leading a small group (shocking, I know!) and even though none of it was new information, always good to be reminded of certain points.

[Kyle Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book is a simple read, and allows for you to take notes, ask questions, and process that book, inside the book. The idea of leading small is laid out in 5 steps that make it easy for anyone to do. the concepts laid out are big idea concepts, but they also provide practical steps that small group leaders have done based on those big ideas.

[LiteraryMary95 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really good read for someone who is new and been a small group leader (SGL) for a youth group or the like. However, I feel that this was too beginner for me because most, if not everything, has been covered in my Leadership Training at the camp I worked at as well as other things I've done before.

[John H. Warren III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Cannot say enough good things about this book/journal. Mind you, I only read it and haven't journaled it yet. However, the truths therein are applicable to small groups, families, work teams, etc.
I highly recommend this book!!

[Brooke Pritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, to the point book on leading well! I enjoyed the honesty and guidance it gave us on how to lead small! I feel like this advice can be used towards not only church groups, but also in your job, family, and life over all!

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advice for how to lead a small group well! Practical steps and examples. Even space to journal ideas and take aways. Breaks down leading with regard to if your few are preschoolers, children, or students.

[Casey Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great small guide on leading small groups. Full of great takeaways and quotes you can refer back to when needed. This is a short book you can finish in one sitting, but I think its an important resource for small group leaders and how to lead your students to authentic faith.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid content in a very thoughtful format. I've read many books that could and should have made this kind of simplicity a priority.

You can read the whole book in an hour, even though there's lots of rich content to reflect on.

[Stacey Batel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reggie Joiner and Tom Shefchunas take you through 5 key points that will encourage and inspire any leader in the church. This book can be a great tool for training your small group people, or growing into yourself as a leader. A small read, but every word is well though through and impactful.

[Emily Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the normalcy of this book. It spoke to a wide variety of leaders, and jumped right into the mundane tasks of a SGL, and unpacked situations I was experiencing and didn’t know it. Would recommend!

[sch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aug 2023. Summer PD book, a tad late. Low expectations. Finished, better than anticipated. Given the choice between a TED-talky seminar and this book, I'd pick the book. Main criticism is an absence: contemplation, sacramentalism, even (in a sense) prayer.

[Ryan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical book on the importance of and how to implement small groups in ministry.

[Kevin Slous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical, making the role of a small group leader extremely clear and intentional. I want to get this into as many of our leaders' hands as possible.

[Rand Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick primer to give to your KidMin volunteers.

[Scott K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Thanks for the wisdom imparted in this book. The principles herein apply not only to children’s or student ministry, but to adult ministry as well.

[Rama Adithya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prinsip penting sebagai seorang small group leader : hadir senantiasa, ciptakan tempat yang aman, bekerja sama dengan ortu, jadi teladan, ajak mereka keluar.

Such a great book!