Experience a successful men’s small group meeting. A simple easy-to-use outline for killer success.

I sometimes believe when gathering men for the first time we overthink it. It is not as hard as we make it in our mind. Whether we are gathering a few men, or many, here would be things I would make sure and do after 25-years working in ministry and leading groups of men. And if you keep the first gathering to just these steps, you will stress much less, and realize that community and chemistry are major components to getting a men's small group off the ground. The other stuff we will get to later.

First | Pick up food or snacks and arrive 10 minutes early

Again don’t over think this. We are probably not going to set out silver, porcelain, and matching linen. We are men. Just go to a local donut or grocery store and get a carafe of coffee to go and some hand food. But if you have a snack it gives men something to do as those first moments can be awkward.

Second | Introduce men as they arrive (10 min)

Introduce yourself and other men to each other. Not rocket science, but you should invite the men to talk to one another. And game up for this. You should introduce other men, and then step out and introduce yourself to the next man. You are the host so get in there and host.

Third | Purpose and prayer (5-10 min)

A good friend of mine taught me years ago the PPP model. Purpose, Process, and Payoff. This is a simple model for laying out the purpose of the time. I would define it as much as possible, and give a little room for the other guys to speak into this, but not too much. If you are too loose with your purpose, then guys will quit coming. And then pray.

Fourth | Group Introductions (30-40 min)

Now, this is the meat of the first meeting. Round table introductions and then let each man talk - and I would not do much teaching. Just let the guys each talk and get to know each other. I would suggest a simple format where each man shares 4-5 things and answers a question. For example:

• Name
• Family
• Work

And then one question that they can talk about at just the right depth for a first meeting. A good leading question might be one of the following:

• "How did you come to know Christ?"
• "Tell us about your spiritual background?"
• "What do you hope to get out of this time?"

I might also add you could throw in a fun fact question at the end, "What is one thing no one here knows about you?"

Fifth | Hand out materials or expectations for the meeting (2-5 min)

Finally, I would give whatever the men need for the next session. If this is a book or content, make sure and have it ready and put it in their hands right away so that there are no excuses for not jumping in at the very next time. I would also recommend a list of expectations for the group itself. If you want to check out mine, you can see them here. Group Expectations.

If you are looking for material for your men’s group or are looking for help with your small group leadership, reach out to us a www.beresolute.org or send us an email at [email protected]

Vince Miller is an authentic and transparent leader who loves to speak to men’s audiences and has a deep passion for mentorship and God’s Word. He has authored ten books and small group content for men. He is the primary content creator of all Resolute materials. Reach out to him today if you need a men’s speaker or content for your men’s small groups.

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