What an experience! Isn’t that what we want people to say when they walk away from our small group?

A couple weeks ago there were numerous emergency vehicle sirens, helicopters circling, and street closures near my house. I had to investigate. I saw what appeared to be tragedy and even death. I asked by-standers what happened and they told me it wasn’t as bad as it looks, well it looked pretty bad to me, so I got closer to the scene. Well, they were right, it wasn’t bad at all.

The high school near my house staged an accident to show students the impact drinking has on driving. Every student from the school came out to this “on the street” assembly to watch as police and firemen simulated a head on collision involving a couple cars, several people, and a drunk driver. They didn’t miss a detail! There were passengers, wrecked cars, several emergency vehicles, fake blood and a lot of noise and chaos. It was amazing to watch and it all seemed so real. You could tell kids were impacted as you saw them wipe tears in their silence. It was quite the scene and extremely powerful!

This incredible, well-planned and surreal experience made me think of the 90 minutes (if we are lucky) people give our small group each and every week. The visual of what was staged at the local high school and the preparation that went into it caused me to think about the many times we miss an opportunity to change and save lives because we lack preparation, creativity and the ability to give people an experience that does something in them.

How often do we settle for the same meeting place, same curriculum, same prayers and same conversation because we have settled and given up our effort to create an experience that matters to people. I believe the most dangerous two words to a small group are comfort and routine, the very things that are bred from a lack of creativity and hard work.

Where have we gone wrong? What happened to the creativity and initiative to create an experience to help people see their life differently? Ninety minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time but for people living in a world with little to no margin, it’s about all they give us. It’s our opportunity to create an experience and to do something that makes a difference.

As I look back at what hundreds of kids experienced at the local high school, I just have to believe this well planned and incredible experience left an impression and possibly changed lives. In a way, this is a lesson for us since our job is to do the same thing, save lives!

Here are five simple things the small groups at your church can do to experience something memorable and different. Experiences that will lead people to greater conversation and life change.

#1 “Use the television” and watch a movie that has a great redemptive story (for example; Shawshank Redemption, UP, Good Will Hunting, etc.), after watching it be intentional about discussing the story and what it all means. If you do this, you may want to watch it first and write down 4-5 questions that will help steer the conversation. Movies tell great stories and create emotion. They are also a great way for people to connect and build deeper relationship.

#2 “Mix it up” and change your meeting location and meet somewhere that will change the conversation. For example you can try meeting at a cemetery and/or hospital and discuss life. This always moves the heart and reminds us of what is most important in life. While there, ask the people in your group to write down what they want their epitaph to say when it’s all said and done on this side of eternity.

#3 “Try something different” and use a new curriculum that will give your group a new experience and that is different than what they are used to. Of course I love Liquid because it uses film to tell a story, create emotion and bring the passage you’re looking at to life. Story, emotion and relevance are all critical pieces to helping move information from one’s head to his or her heart. There are several curriculums that lead people to a different place and I encourage you to find one that creates a new and different experience for your group.

#4 “Do Something” Take care of the yard of someone in your community who is elderly or disabled and then discuss the parable of the Good Samaritan. Simply ask: What can we learn about being a good neighbor and how can we find ways to act like this daily? Host a garage sale together and donate your sales to a cause that is close to your group’s heart.

#5 “Take your group on the road” and head to your church and pray in different places for different things. Pray in places like the worship center, youth and children’s rooms, staff offices, etc. God will lead you in how and what to pray for. At the end of this experience, ask your group to share how it impacted their heart and love for the church.