Comments on: Tips for Small Group Leaders: Tough Questions, Part II http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/tips-for-small-group-leaders-tough-questions-part-ii/ I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and darn it, people like me. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:49:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: jeffsdeepthoughts http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/tips-for-small-group-leaders-tough-questions-part-ii/#comment-1014 jeffsdeepthoughts Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:01:54 +0000 http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/?p=296#comment-1014 My thanks to both of you for your ongoing encouragement. It was so funny, Steve (or maybe it was just God.) I posted the first part of this, and I was asking myself "Is there any point to writing this much? Is anybody going to read it?" and then, before I even got around to putting the finishing touches on Part II, your comments were there. "Outnumbered by 5" (Do you use your real name on the web? I always wonder what you'd like to be called in cyberspace.) I think you're exactly right to notice that we can never memorize everything... Of course, nobody is going to sit around and say "Well, it's time to employ strategy #3 of Jeffs, now." The truth is that most of us practice most of the stuff with some consistency. In the course of my teacher training I came across the process-to-content shift stuff. I'd seen people do it, had done it with myself, but I'd never really identified what it was that was going on. Having a name for stuff, listing it out like this, can be helpful only in that it's a way to draw attention to these practices, to perhaps be a bit more intentional, specific, and consistent on them. As the writer, it's also a way to set the bar high for myself a bit. By challenging all the other small group leaders to do these things I'm really forcing myself to practice them as much as I should, too. One part of my motivation in listing them out this way is simply to prevent me from resting on my own laurels. When I'm tempted to take the easy (though not necessarily better) way out of a dilemna, the fact that I've written about them kind-of robs me of that cheap, easy fix. I think to myself "Man, if I'm expecting everybody else to do this, how can I not do it?" My thanks to both of you for your ongoing encouragement. It was so funny, Steve (or maybe it was just God.) I posted the first part of this, and I was asking myself “Is there any point to writing this much? Is anybody going to read it?” and then, before I even got around to putting the finishing touches on Part II, your comments were there.
“Outnumbered by 5″ (Do you use your real name on the web? I always wonder what you’d like to be called in cyberspace.) I think you’re exactly right to notice that we can never memorize everything… Of course, nobody is going to sit around and say “Well, it’s time to employ strategy #3 of Jeffs, now.”
The truth is that most of us practice most of the stuff with some consistency. In the course of my teacher training I came across the process-to-content shift stuff. I’d seen people do it, had done it with myself, but I’d never really identified what it was that was going on.
Having a name for stuff, listing it out like this, can be helpful only in that it’s a way to draw attention to these practices, to perhaps be a bit more intentional, specific, and consistent on them.
As the writer, it’s also a way to set the bar high for myself a bit. By challenging all the other small group leaders to do these things I’m really forcing myself to practice them as much as I should, too. One part of my motivation in listing them out this way is simply to prevent me from resting on my own laurels. When I’m tempted to take the easy (though not necessarily better) way out of a dilemna, the fact that I’ve written about them kind-of robs me of that cheap, easy fix. I think to myself “Man, if I’m expecting everybody else to do this, how can I not do it?”

]]> By: Steve Blumer http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/tips-for-small-group-leaders-tough-questions-part-ii/#comment-1013 Steve Blumer Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:32:07 +0000 http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/?p=296#comment-1013 1 and 5 are HUGE!!!!! All this came to a head last night. It was awesome, authentic, and shock the spiritual cliches out of us! Some serious pray had to take place, answers (and everyone has some great ones) were just not the only thing that could break our struggles. Keep the wisdom flowing my brother! 1 and 5 are HUGE!!!!! All this came to a head last night. It was awesome, authentic, and shock the spiritual cliches out of us! Some serious pray had to take place, answers (and everyone has some great ones) were just not the only thing that could break our struggles. Keep the wisdom flowing my brother!

]]> By: Pat http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/tips-for-small-group-leaders-tough-questions-part-ii/#comment-989 Pat Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:46:12 +0000 http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/?p=296#comment-989 Jeff, these are good thoughts. I'm going to link to you from my blog at www.whydidntyouwarnme.com. I hope you'll visit and check out thoughts on small group challenges. Jeff, these are good thoughts. I’m going to link to you from my blog at http://www.whydidntyouwarnme.com. I hope you’ll visit and check out thoughts on small group challenges.

]]> By: outnumberedby5 http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/tips-for-small-group-leaders-tough-questions-part-ii/#comment-978 outnumberedby5 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:50:20 +0000 http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/?p=296#comment-978 #7: Study the crap out of the first 6 things on this list and have them readily available in your considerable memory. What the heck, Jeff? How am i supposed to remember all that? Do you have any idea what sort of minds the rest of us have? i'll be fortunate to recognize that it's a question at all; never mind the psychological scrutiny. Seriously, i appreciate your insights. Good stuff, cheap #7: Study the crap out of the first 6 things on this list and have them readily available in your considerable memory.

What the heck, Jeff? How am i supposed to remember all that? Do you have any idea what sort of minds the rest of us have? i’ll be fortunate to recognize that it’s a question at all; never mind the psychological scrutiny.

Seriously, i appreciate your insights. Good stuff, cheap

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