I recently picked up a copy of Chris Surratt’s Leading Small Groups. The author currently serves as discipleship and small groups specialist at LifeWay. As a small group leader and a leader of small groups this newly released book looked like it was worth a look. For the person who is a leader of small groups, the content of this book contains most everything you should already know (I.e., it’s not rocket science). Where this book excels is in its value to the small group leader, especially one who may be about to lead a group for the first time.
Breaking down the chapters, Surratt organizes his book around four sections: gathering a small group, launching a small group, leading a small group, and multiplying a small group. He covers all the questions you need to answer in getting a small group started, keeping it balanced and on mission, and then how to multiply it (or when to know when it’s done). The chapters are filled with personal stories and examples which help reinforce and illustration what he has learned along the way (the good, the bad, and the ugly). Surratt also gives clear application points and provides relevant discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
This book is an excellent read for for anyone who leads a small group or to use as a small group training guide or resource. My plan is to provide a copy for all of our Life Group leaders at Restoration Church ahead of this upcoming fall semester and using it as a coaching guide. It’s available in both print and kindle formats.