Bill P. Donahue

Bill Donahue begins this book with the story of the disciples and Jesus gathering at the table in the upper room for the last supper together. They are gathering for the last time they will eat together on earth. It is a very intimate picture of fellowship between a teacher and his disciples before they even realize that He is their Savior.

He proceeds from there with an account from each disciple's perspective to open each chapter. He lays out three main sections of this story into three sections that address the true beauty of community that we should be celebrating and embracing in our churches and Christian groups today.

He speaks about coming to the table to fellowship and meet a variety of needs. He talks about the scene with Jesus washing the disciples feet to encourage us to pick up our towel in service to one another. Lastly, he speaks of embracing truth together for real fellowship and authentic community.

He uses lots of scripture, some vignettes, personal stories, and a true desire for community among believers to show us how to live our lives with this mentality.

What was my personal impression?

I absolutely loved this book!

I would recommend this to every Christian I meet but especially to pastors and ministry leaders. As a matter of fact, it is now going to my husband (a pastor) to read next.

It is biblical and truthful and seeks to build up the kingdom of God.

It is one of those books that I could read and reread and then reread again because it is so full of great teaching on this aspect of church life.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5!



I was sent this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review of the text. If you would like to be a part of this program to review great books you can head over to Baker Publishing Group to find out how.… (més)

Over the last 40 years the use of small groups for building community and fostering spiritual growth has gained wide acceptance across North American churches of all sizes and theological persuasions. Indeed, the rapid growth of group life in churches has led observers to refer to the phenomenon as the "small group movement" in church ministry. As the movement grew, a logical question arose: are groups effective in making disciples and, if so, to what extent? Beginning with Robert Wuthnow's work in the 1990s, this article will discuss findings from key research efforts conducted with participants of church-based groups, assess the current state of the small group movement, and offer observations concerning the direction and focus of the movement for the years ahead.… (més)

As one of the books in our local churches’ small groups ministry I used Bill Donahue‘s Willow Creek Guide to Leading Life-Changing Small Groups (1996). The updated and revised third edition of the bestselling (over 225,000 copies sold) Leading Life-Changing Small Groups handbook (2012) helps small group leaders learn the basics of leading a successful small group. Donahue writes for both new and wannabe leaders as well as seasoned leaders willing to learn and refresh their groups.
Since 1997 a lot of material and practices have been added to the book and brought into a Groups that Grow series (Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry, Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders and the Equipping Life-Changing Leaders DVD).
The book’s content is revised entirely since the first edition, though the philosophy, leadership principles and embedded management structures are still present. Donahue borrows lots of insights from management literature on vision casting, expliciting mission statement, active listening and getting & providing feedback.
The author practices many biblical principles on servant leadership, surrender to God’s will, the “each other” commandments in the New Testament, providing sounding biblical teachings and spiritual growth. Shared leadership is the biblical norm; leadership is not simply the responsibility of a few paid staff members. Every group leader gets to identify, challenge, motivate, and equip people who will become future leaders of life-changing groups. Other parts may sound theoretical or less close to home, such as a meeting planner, clarifying group values and development of apprentices. It all comes together when impacting your world, caring for each others and fostering group members’ spiritual growth are at stake.You will learn to encourage members and create a nurturing environment where members find rest for their souls, prayer for their needs, and healing for their wounds. You will learn how to lead when a group member is in crisis or needs extreme care. Growth means departing too, establishing a new group. That’s why leadership development and apprenticeship are so important.
Donahue distinguishes several kinds of small groups in Appendix 1, provides many exercises for relationship-building in Appendix 2. Elsewhere in the book you’ll find tens of ideas for ice-breakers and conversation-builders. Finally an analytic method of bible study is given.
This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource to train coaches or partnered with the eight-session training videos taught by the author, available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD. For those who want to lead small groups with excellence and truly witness life change in their small groups, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples.… (més)