FAQ - Small Group Concerns

What do you do when people in your group don't say anything?

Some people are just naturally quieter (The Bible calls that wisdom!). It is important that they feel safe in the group and not pressured to act a certain way. Others are used to school experiences where questions were often deliberately difficult. They don't want to be embarrassed by having a wrong answer. The questions in our manuals are written so they don't require expert Bible knowledge, yet many people still have a school hangover. Here are some suggestions:

• Handle it openly.
  "Okay, let's hear from some others now."
• Handle it by asking someone.
  "Bob, I've not heard from you tonight. What are some of your thoughts on this question?"
  Be careful about putting people on the spot. You can do it, though, if you know them and sense they wouldn't mind.
• Handle it by dividing into sub-groups of three. Give each group the same question to work on and let them chew on it for a few minutes. Then have one person in the group report back. This works like a charm. It always injects energy into the group and gets people interacting. Everyone in a group of three is forced to talk.