The Maturity Podcast: Recent Episodes
Richard Sweatman
Back around 2012 to 2016, Dave Moore and Richard Sweatman spoke together about how we can better lead our Growth Groups. We're Bible loving theological types but this podcasts covers lots of pragmatics. Hopefully easy to listen to!
Following on from last week, Dave and Richard talk about leading people in your Growth Group who are older than you. How can you do this well?
In Australian culture we're often to lead our group members. Why is that? Why should we change? Dave and Richard talk it through.
What are the pros and cons of Bible Studies being connected to the Sunday sermon? Dave and Richard talk it through.
Are Growth Group leaders supposed to do anything different on Sunday Church? Dave and Richard chat it through.
How do you put people at ease during the night. Hear Dave's ideas especially on music, mood, lighting etc. A few simple things that can really help.
How do you finish Growth Group well for the year? Dave and Richard aren't heaps strong in this area but still share what tips they know.
How closely should you stick to your Bible study questions? What's the benefit in going 'off script'?
The last in our 'pastoral conversation' series. Who should you (or they) talk to after a pastoral conversation. What and why? Dave and Richard talk it through.
You've made a plan. Don't leave it there though. What are the different ways you can follow up a conversation? Dave and Richard talk it through.
You've listened and looked at the Bible. What next? It's time to make a plan and actually do something
Once you've listened to what's going on it's so important to get to the Bible. But how? Dave and Richard share some ideas.
So sometimes you need to have a pastoral conversation with a group member about something. First up - 7 wrong approaches. Don't worry you can't do them all at the same time!
So we've got different personalities. How does that translate into leadership styles? What can we learn from this? Dave and Richard chat this through.
This may be a surprise to you but we all have personalities that impact your leading style. Dave and Richard chat few some basics on this.
Dave and Richard talk about whether it's important to stay on time during group and how you do this! Unfortunately, the podcast went over time.
Sam Hilton (Mission Pastor) at Hunter Bible Church joins us to talk about how to get mission and evangelism happening with Growth Group.
Getting a culture of commitment going in a group is hard work. Here's some ideas from Dave and Richard
How do you help make the Bible central to your group culture? Dave and Richard talk this through.
Starting the year, it's a good idea to get a few things sorted about group culture. Here's the first idea.
Should you split sometimes for guys and girls to study the Bible? Dave and Richard chat about why and how to do it.
Dave and Richard open that can of worms that is gender issues in Growth Groups. Why do we have guys taking the main responsibility in leading mixed groups?
So, you've organised a weekend away. What should you actually do while you're away together? Dave and Richard chat this one through.
First podcast for 2015. Richard and Dave talk about getting started and enthusing your group.
The last in our series, this podcast Dave and Richard look at why it's important to be a 'team leader'.
Encouragement. Really? Yes, Growth Group leaders need to be competent in this - listen to hear why.
The third area of competency is teaching - pretty obvious right? Here Dave and Richard knock this one over and give a few tips.
Knowledge of God as a core competency of Growth Group Leading? Sounds big! Listen to Dave and Richard to find out more.
Growth Group leaders and others in ministry supervising roles have to think about what makes a competent GG leader. Richard and Dave raise the idea of the 5 areas of competency plus the framework of grace.
Last time we talked about the importance of friends and some of the limitations of Growth Groups. This week we give some tips on how to help your GG members make friends.
As we pastor people in groups it's worth talking with them about friends and friendships. How might we go about this?
Sometimes as GG leaders we find ourselves in disagreement with church leaders and pastors. What are the dangers in this situation? What should you do?
So after your trainee has had a go at leading, what are some good ways to give feedback?
So you've chosen a trainee or two to have a go at leading. Dave and Richard talk about how best to prepare them.
You've gotten to know your group, now it's time to find people to train. Dave and Richard help get you started.
What should you talk about with your co-leader as you meet up? Dave and Richard chat this through (then take a two week holiday :) )
At HBC Group Leaders choose their own thing in term 3. Dave and Richard talk about how to go about choosing what to do.
This week Dave and Richard talk about anxiety and how we can help people in our groups.
This week Dave and Richard talk about Depression and ways to pastor people with Depression in your group
Dave and Richard chat about helpful questions you can use when pastoring people in your group with mental illness.
It's really common to have people in your group who suffer with mental illness. In this podcast (the first of several), Dave and Richard talk about 1 key idea to understand.
People bring different English versions to Growth Group. Dave and Richard discuss how you handle this well.
How you set up the room actually matters! Chairs / table / bean bags? Listen to Dave and Richard hammer this one out.
So you've got the Swedish Method figured out. How about encouraging your group members to try it out at other times? Dave and Richard chat about the why and how of all this.
What's the Swedish method I hear you say? Listen to Dave and Richard to find out.
(This is take 2 on the question. We lost the first file unfortunately!)
Leading a very small group has its challenges. Dave and Richard discuss these and suggest a load of positives about the very small group
How big is a large group? What are some of the challenges? What strategies can you use? Here what Dave and Richard think.
Dave and Richard chat through how you might choose core members. And what is a core member anyway?
What are your responsibilities over the break as your Growth Group wraps up and new ones form? Dave and Richard chat through the principles and pragmatics of this period
What do you do at the end of the night when the 'formal' Bible study and prayer is over?
So you've realised you need to talk with someone and you've organised it. Now what do you do?
So you've prepared the way - what do you talk about next to encourage people into serving?
We chat about why it's worth trying to catch up with members of your Growth Group and how you might go about arranging it.
This week you get to the heart of what the passage is about i.e. what does God want us to learn from this.
Why is it helpful to figure out the structure of the passage? See why, and also see why it gets fun :)
You've read the passage as a group once. What are you aiming to do when you go back for another look?