Rebroadcast: Small Group Leaders Don't Need All the Answers with Ali Kennedy

Episode Overview

Small group leaders often feel pressure to know the Bible thoroughly, supply the right answers, and keep every discussion moving. Brian Miller welcomes Ali Kennedy, founder of Fuel for the Journey and an ACC coach, to explore how a coach approach can help leaders facilitate deeper learning and participation. Drawing on training she developed for her church, Ali shares five considerations for equipping small group leaders with a coaching mindset and practical skills. Together, they discuss how listening, thoughtful questions, and space for the Holy Spirit can help people take ownership of their growth as disciples.

Key Ideas & Takeaways

• Start by understanding your church's leadership culture. Before designing training, consider how small group leaders see their role and what members expect of them. In Ali's church, a strong expectation that leaders should teach and provide answers made the shift toward facilitation especially important.

• Explain coaching clearly without overwhelming people. Small group leaders need enough understanding to apply a coach approach; they are not necessarily preparing to become professional coaches. Keep the explanation practical, and move into application before too much detail obscures its usefulness.

• Offer a brief biblical foundation. Address questions about how coaching aligns with Scripture early in the training. Brian and Ali point to equipping the body for ministry, Jesus' use of questions, and the Holy Spirit's teaching role as connections that support this approach.

• Change the mindset before adding techniques. Leaders can move from trying to make everyone think as they do toward helping members clarify their own understanding and responses. Recognizing that others bring valuable insight also relieves the pressure to have every answer.

• Focus on a few useful skills. Ali chose listening and asking powerful questions as the core skills for her training. Brian emphasizes listening beyond the words and avoiding questions designed to steer people toward the leader's preferred answer.

• Let leaders practice putting it together. Ali invited participants to select a Scripture passage and plan how they would facilitate a discussion using a coach approach. Prompts included what questions they would ask, how they would invite quieter members to participate, and how they would listen more deeply.

• Keep discipleship as the purpose. A successful discussion should help people do more than remember information or admire the teacher. Coaching can create opportunities to listen to God, explore personal insights, and consider how to respond.

Memorable Quotes & Ideas

• "We're really training the leaders here because this is how you're facilitating the whole dynamic of the group." — Ali Kennedy

• "It's about hearing and doing. It's about listening and obeying." — Brian Miller

• "The number one thing I've learned from coaching is how to partner with people." — Brian Miller

• "You don't have to be a very seasoned, experienced coach to bring this training to your church." — Ali Kennedy