Tips For Leading A Girls DNow Small Group
Small group time is the heart of any DNow or Retreat Weekend. Here are a few tips on how to maximize the time spent with girls in small group.
Be Prepared!
Girls are so relational. And when it comes to Disciple Now Weekends, the better you know your small group lessons, the more you’re able to engage with them. If you’ve got your nose down reading a lesson, word for word, it’s a little more difficult for organic conversation to happen. If you know where you’re going in a lesson, you can “freelance” a little more. You can make eye contact more easily.
Girls seem to respond a lot better when they know you’re keying-in to what they’re saying, not fumbling through a lesson you’re looking at for the first or second time.
Listen!
The more students (girls especially, it seems) get comfortable in their small groups, the more likely they are to chase rabbits, go off on tangents, or become distracted by shiny objects . . . But, here’s the deal: if you’re listening, these side conversations can actually tell you a lot about what your students are dealing with, or thinking about. The comments they make, the stories they tell, the songs they sing, may very well hint at things that are going on just below the surface.
A lot of times, the best discussions can grow from a remark made on the side. But you have to be listening to pick up on it.
Be OK With Not Having All The Answers
It’s happened to all of us. You’re reading a passage that brings up a really tricky question you’ve never thought of. Don’t be paralyzed by this! It’s totally OK to say, “I don’t know.” Here’s the deal: if you don’t know, you have an awesome opportunity to go and find out the answer with the student when the time is right. Maybe after the lesson, you could grab a few moments with the student and dig through the Bible to find the answer. This way, you not only answer the question, but you show her how to go about finding answers to questions about the Bible.
Heather Johnson is the Middle School Associate at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. She is passionate about Girls’ Ministry and loves a good cup of coffee.