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The best small-group leaders I've known . . .

. . . Loved God's Word. It showed in the depth of their Bible study preparation and in their enthusiasm for talking about what they'd discovered. It also showed in their wise counsel.

. . . Weren't afraid to flex. If we all came to our small group dragging like people who'd barely survived a horrendous week, these leaders would recognize that more than just cranking through one more chapter of Bible study, we needed to spend the evening focusing on God in prayer and drawing strength from him. If on occasion one person would need special love and encouragement, these leaders would value that person more highly than some prearranged schedule. They didn't allow chaos to reign—far from it—but rather people always took precedence over plans.

. . . Were real people. They didn't try to prove they were spiritual giants. They were honest about their flaws and struggles. In fact, they convinced me that even I could lead a small group!

. . . Modeled faithfulness. They showed up week after week. Now that I lead small groups, I wonder how many times they wanted to do what I sometimes feel like doing—spending the evening on the couch with a mindless video instead of guiding people through a convicting study of God's Word. Faithfulness counts.

. . . Depended on God. This was most evident in their prayer lives. During our group prayer times, they would talk with God as if they knew him intimately. And later I would learn that before the rest of us even arrived, they had bathed the time in prayer. They knew who was really in charge of our growth.

. . . Were creative. The best leaders I've known made every week different in some small way. Maybe it was an icebreaker, maybe the way they led into the study, maybe the surprising use of music or communion, or maybe just the challenging application questions they would ask.

. . . Brought truth to life. At the end of the evening, we had a clear sense of what that week's scripture had to do with how we lived our lives. And there wasn't a pat answer to be found anywhere.