#47 The Weirdest Small Group I ever Attended

And a new Video Series for your Church

Let me tell you a true story about the weirdest church small group I ever attended.

It all began innocently enough. We arrived at the hosts house, and all seemed fine until we were told the small group would shortly begin upstairs. Slightly odd, but we obediently shuffled up the steep steps of the old house, only to find ourselves crammed into a tiny, cluttered bedroom. Finding a spot on the floor required a level of spiritual determination usually reserved for fasting and prayer. It looked like a place where tidiness had gone to die.

This awkward start took a sharp turn for the worse when it was time for worship. Our enthusiastic leader handed a guitar to my friend and asked him to lead us in a song. There was just one small issue—my buddy didn't know how to play the guitar! Not even a little bit. After a mild attempt to point this out, the leader just looked annoyed as if faith levels in the group were not strong enough. What followed was a brave but doomed attempt to summon the musical skills of King David. Spoiler: God did not grant him the gift of spontaneous worship leading.

What we got instead was a painfully off-key strumming session that I’m fairly certain made heaven press the mute button.

Next up: communion and what I think was meant to be ‘breaking bread’. Instead of bread and wine, we were treated to biscuits and cordial. It was more like a sad school snack time than a sacred moment of remembrance. I was grateful it wasn’t my last supper.

And finally, we reached the teaching part of the evening. The leader was tasked with going over the Sunday sermon with us all. He’d read a passage from the preach, turn to us with a hopeful glint in his eye and say, “What do you think this means?” Someone would answer, often with something insightful and thoughtful. And then came the inevitable reply: “Well, that’s not what I’ve got written down.” 

Every. Single. Time. 

Apparently, there was only one right answer, and it just so happened to be whatever was written in the leaders notes. You’d think we were preparing for some kind of spiritual exam.

By the end of the night, when we were finally able to leave with our Christianity almost intact, my wife turned to me, her face a picture of calm resolve, and simply said, “Never take me there again.” 

It was a promise I was more than happy to keep!

A slightly better approach…?

Leading a small group isn’t easy—this story reminds us just how quickly things can go off the rails. It's more than just gathering people; you need a plan, good content, and a space where people actually want to be.

That’s why I’m excited to be launching my new free 5 part video series based on my book Parallel Faith called “The Heart of Evangelism”. It’s a fantastic way to focus your church small group around everyday mission and will give you some great content to engage with. Each 3-5 minute video has a few starter questions to spark discussion and then your church group can take it in the direction it needs to go for your context.

The only thing not included is coffee and cake.

Watching videos in small groups has several cracking benefits: 

1. Consistency: No surprise worship from non-musicians or leaders pulling out unexpected interpretations. You know what you're getting across your church community. 

2. Better Discussion: With the teaching sorted, the group can focus on honest, pressure-free conversations, rather than trying to guess the "right" answer. Because the videos are so short they act as a primer for you to go deeper and add any other content you want for your group context. 

3. Less Stress: No need for leaders to wing it or manage every part of the session themselves. Anyone can get involved in leading the group! 

The Heart of Evangelism is designed to give group leaders ready-to-go content, so they can focus on leading a group that actually connects. 

THE HEART OF EVANGELISM - AVAILABLE NOW

A five-part video series with Dave Boden, exploring the heart of evangelism; through personal relationships, genuine love, and everyday interactions. Inspired by Dave's book "Parallel Faith", this series explores practical steps for walking with Jesus. It brings attention to the power of proximity, the importance of love, the stages of spiritual growth, the readiness for spiritual conversations, and the unique ways every believer can contribute to the mission, ultimately supported by God's presence.

This series has been created with our friends over at Christian Vision.

All you have to do to access is create a free account with CV Resources. Then search ‘Heart of Evangelism’ and you can stream the 3-5 minute videos from your laptop or cast to a Smart TV (hopefully not in a cramped bedroom).

CV exist to introduce people to Jesus and encourage them to become his true followers.

Create an account and get access to their extensive library of free downloadable content for you and your church.

Sign up now, and let’s make your next small group a little less memorable—in the best way possible!