I have an old friend, who will remain nameless, that I grew up with that stunk all the time. He used deodorant, he brushed his teeth, he took showers; however, he did not take care of everything that could cause this stink problem. The reason he stunk all the time was due to his smelly shoes. He was an athlete, and his stinky shoes that he wore all the time brought us to the point where a group had to have an intervention. High school can be brutal, but imagine what he felt like when we said, "Dude, you stink, and you are causing us to stink because you are not using proper shoe hygiene. If you want to hang with us, fix the problem." The problem was he didn't even know he stunk, that was the sad part. Small group leaders can start to stink and not even know it. Here are some observations on how to avoid the STINK:
· Lead the dialogue, don't dominate with a monologue.
· Every so often it is good to get back to the basics. Rinse, wash, rinse, dry.
· Be the Leader, not an observer of the group.
· Change the schedule and routine of small group.
· Engage the small group in FRESH ways.
· Be Creative- art projects and songs help kids remember what they heard and learned about. The same is true for adults.
· If you need a break, there are others in your group who can lead a discussion for a night.
· DON'T WING IT. Know what the verses say, what the questions are, and be prepared.
· Lead the charge on setting understandings and ground rules for group success.
There you have it ladies & gents. Something to think about.
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