Eric Whitman

I am the Lead Pastor for The Exchange Church, a church launching in Minneapolis this fall. I grew up in Sheboygan Falls, WI and therefore am a devoted Green Bay Packers fan. After graduating with a B.A. in Anthropology and Philosophy from St. Cloud State University, I attended Dallas Theological Seminary where I graduated with a Th.M in Pastoral Ministries and Systematic Theology. While in Dallas I worked at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX and their satellite campus in Downtown Dallas. I have a beautiful wife named Angie. I love Dr. Pepper and Starbucks. In the past I have gone bungee jumping, skydiving, an archaeological dig in the Great Basin, and led a group of students into the mountains of the Panama jungle for missions.

Interview with Editor of SGX:

When did you decide to serve in Small Group Ministry? I’ve served in a range of small groups ministries for a number of years. Currently, we are planting a church where we lead a launch team of people. Many of the same aspects I’ve learned through leading small groups come into play in launch team meetings.

What encouragement would you offer to small group leaders out there? Have fun. You have the great opportunity to help people talk about and plan how to live every day for Christ. Every time you meet people’s lives can be changed, and therefore they are changing the world around them. Enjoy leading the group and have fun with the group members.

In what ways have you and your spouse/family grown spiritually since you have been involved in this ministry? We have grown a number of ways. From learning how to lead empowering meetings, to strategizing, to learning other’s stories and how we can learn from each other, and bringing to light the context the Scriptures were written in. The possibilities for growth in small groups are huge.

Why does small group ministry play such a critical role in the church today? People are about community. They want to be a part of something that is changing the world, that is bigger than themselves, but they also want to be part of a close group of people who they can be real with. The church is what is bigger than people and can radically change the world. The small group is where community and growth can really happen.