Small Group Dynamics

 

After writing out my thoughts on Small Group Dynamics, I thought it was more than enough for one post. I’ll save Dilemmas for the next post.

 

What are Dynamics?

Dynamics are the way people in the group interact. I’ll be using the “Group Dynamics” chapter from Leading Life Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue to get a lot of this information – I would encourage you to read it for what I leave out.

 

Group Roles

At different stages in your small group’s life, people will play different roles (whether they mean to or not). Some are helpful roles, such as:

• the Initiator who sparks discussion
• the Elaborator who looks for more than just the facts
• the Reviewer who clarifies by summarizing
• the Encourager who builds-up members of the group

Some can be destructive, such as:

• the Aggressor who criticizes others
• the Rabbit-chaser who gets lost on tangents
• the Quibbler who argues over every detail
• the Dominator who tries to control the group interactions 

I would recommend reading “Group Dynamics” (mentioned above) for detailed descriptions of these and other roles. As a leader, what’s important is to recognize and be sensitive to the roles your group members play, and not to label group members. Remember, these roles are likely to change over time. 

 

Learning Styles

We don’t all learn the same way – in other words, there are different techniques that help us grasp an idea or concept better than others. The techniques that work for one person may not do much for another. A good leader should be aware of these techniques and try to use varying methods in order to be more effective. These are three common learning styles that cover a wide range of people: 

1. Visual Learners: People who tend to learn best by seeing. Handouts, story boards, and props are good tools for this type of learner.
2. Auditory Learners: People who learn by hearing. Discussions are helpful. Encourage verbal response and input. Non-distracting background music can be helpful as well.
3. Kinesthetic Learners: People who learn by doing. Your group’s commitment to service projects and ministries helps these people learn by seeing truth in action more so than seeing or hearing. 

Personalities

People come with personalities. In other words, God wired them in such a way that they tend to respond and react to situations differently from others. The point of understanding the personalities is not to label group members, but to be aware and understanding of those tendencies. These questions can help with that – ask yourself each one  while thinking about the members in your group.

1. Do they tend to be  more introverted or extroverted? Does extensive interaction with people tend to energize them (extrovert) or drain them (introvert)?
2. Do they experience life with their senses or more intuitively? Do they make insightful judgments about the way life is and how it functions, or do they tend to seek experiences where they can taste, touch, feel, smell, and hear what is happening around them?
3. Do they initially process information and decisions with their head or with their heart? Some people are more logical and cognitive (head), while others are feelers who tend to respond more emotionally (heart).
4. Do they approach life in a structured or unstructured fashion? Are they more likely to plan out each day of a family vacation before they leave the house, or are they more likely to rent a car and decide along the way?

The author also suggests asking these questions to your group as a great exercise to have some fun and grow respect for the way God wired each member of the group.

 

Spiritual Gifts

Each member of the group has a special, God-given gift. Your small group can help them grow and cultivate that gift as they mature in Christ by casting a vision for mutual ministry, helping members identify their gifts, discussing giftedness with each other, and serving in areas of giftedness. Discuss and consider and discuss ministry opportunities within the group that will utilize people’s gifts.

 

The Holy Spirit

Just as the Holy Spirit gifts the members of your group so that it functions as a body, he also guides and teaches them through the Word and through experiences and through serving one another. A leader needs to be sensitive to how the Spirit is moving in the members of the group.  

• Be in prayer that the Spirit would open hearts and minds and convict people of their sins in group meetings. 
• Be sensitive to a group consensus – the Spirit could be leading the group in a new direction 
• Be sensitive to the Spirit leading you to discuss a particular issue. Tell the group about it – not to force them to play along, but  to let them know God is leading you that way. Then decide as a group in prayer and through the Word.
• Allow time for the Spirit to work. If the group can’t come to an agreement, sometimes the best answer is to give the Sprit time to move in people’s hearts. Encourage members to pray through it, and allow God to work within them over time.
• Always obey the Bible on its commands. But where the Scripture is silent, seek the direction of God through his Spirit in prayer.

History

In addition to Bill Donahue’s material, Spence Shelton (our SummitLife pastor) says that it’s important to recognize your group members’ individual histories. People come with not only a personality, but a past. People’s past experiences will influence the way they interact with your group. The group leader needs to be sensitive to this as the member integrates into the group. 

 

Be sure to add any questions or comments you might have by clicking Comments below.