God uses His Word to reveal Himself to us, equip us to live the good life He’s designed for us, show us our sin, and strengthen us as we follow Him. We preach the Word on Sundays and apply it as a LifeGroup during Sermon Discussion. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Colossians 1:9-12 and James 1:22-25)
To grow in Sermon Discussion, here are a few tips:
1. Narrate early and often
As a leader, you know why it’s important to talk about Scripture but does your LifeGroup know? Before getting into Sermon Discussion, consider telling upfront what it is, why we do it, and why it’s good for us. (To narrate it, simply read the paragraph in italics underneath the Sermon Discussion heading.) Don’t be afraid to say this every week until people begin speaking up more. After a while, you may even quiz people before getting into the questions and ask, “Why do we do Sermon Discussion every week?”
2. Give the gift of going second
Your answering first helps set the tone for how you want others to answer. Encourage your Core Group prior to LifeGroup night to speak up too - they can help shoulder the weight of the LifeGroup by giving new/quiet people the gift of going second, too.
3. Don’t steal all the time and talking points
While you want to give others the gift of going second, be brief and concise enough to give others time to share. Again, this sets the tone for how you want others to answer. We want to be careful not to share for too long or share everything that can be said about a given question or topic. If this happens, simply narrate to the group next time to be mindful of everyone’s time.
4. Watch out for rabbit trails
This requires a lot of discernment but sometimes people will bring up a topic that doesn’t relate to the LifeGroup Guide specifically. If you think this rabbit trail is beneficial for the group, feel free to explore it. If not, gently steer them back on track by saying, “Ok, let’s get back to this question.”
5. Call on people
If you feel comfortable with the people in your LifeGroup and can do it in a light-hearted way, call on people who aren’t speaking up or who look zoned out. Perhaps they have something to share and feel intimidated to speak up. Maybe there’s something on their mind and they just need you to snap them out of it so they can pay attention. Some of those questions you can ask as you call on people include:
“Hey, ____ what do you think?”
“_____, any thoughts?”
“_______, how would you answer that?”
“____, in light of what they shared, what does the Gospel have to say to that?”
6. Show warmth while others speak, thank them for sharing afterward
Can you imagine how intimidating it would be to bare your soul while people make no eye contact, and then get met with the sound of crickets when you’re done? To save someone from this, when someone speaks make eye contact, nod, smile if appropriate. As soon as someone finishes sharing, at the very least say, “Thanks for sharing.” At most, you may even say a follow-up statement or question to further the conversation.
7. WATCH OUT FOR phones
Before LifeGroup ask people to bring their Bibles and if possible, get someone to print copies the LifeGroup Guides so everyone can be phone-free. Some LifeGroups even put their phones in a pile in the middle of the room to avoid distraction. Maybe bring an extra Bible or two for that person who forgets to bring one. If people need to use their phone to follow along in the LifeGroup Guide or to read from a Bible app that’s fine, just make sure it doesn’t become a disruption.
If after all of this, Sermon Discussion is still an issue, share this resource with your LifeGroup and challenge them to speak up at the next LifeGroup meeting.
Out of all these, what’s one thing you can do next time your LifeGroup meets to improve Sermon Discussion?