Small Group Toolbox: Confidence to Share
Summary: Role-playing gives just enough stress (and a lot of laughter) for us to experience stress-inoculation.
In the “Toolbox” series of blogs we’ll answer some of the most common questions about leading small groups. If you have questions you’d like answered, just drop us a message!
How do I help my small group become confident to share the gospel?
One of the best ways to help your small group become confident gospel sharers is to practice. This can take place during your regular small group time! Towards the end of your time together, group into pairs and role play a scenario of sharing the gospel. For instance, with a family member, with a co-worker or friend, or with someone they are meeting for the first time. It is important to have the “lost” person act open to the message. That way the person sharing has a chance to practice putting the gospel into words. Putting the gospel into our own words is the first hurdle in getting confident to share.
Another helpful hurdle to overcome is the stress of hearing our own voice with our own ears as we share the gospel. Role-playing gives just enough stress (and a lot of laughter) for us to experience stress-inoculation. Later, when we find ourselves in a conversation similar to what we practiced, we will be calmer and our mind more prayerfully present to how the Holy Spirit is leading us, word by word.
Another hurdle to confidence is the kind of gospel we share. What if our small group doesn’t have their theology “right?” Or what if some of the gospel message is missing in their sharing? These are the things we discover when we practice sharing the gospel in our small groups. None of us has perfect theology. We are all growing. In a healthy small group, there is safety to say things imperfectly and to humbly listen to others say things different than us. We need one another! Practicing gives an opportunity to hear one another’s theology.
