Great Groups

A Podcast Designed for Small Group Leaders. Great Groups are small groups that focus on making disciples, building community, serving, and living on mission. You may call your groups Sunday School Life Groups, Community Groups, or a host of other names, but whatever you call it, we want to help your group be a great group. We built the podcast to encourage and equip adult small group leaders at Brook Hills and beyond.

Great Groups is a religion podcast hosted by Jay Gordon & Chris Amaro, with 157 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jay Gordon & Chris Amaro hosts Great Groups, a religion show with 157 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #157

  Merging People, Meeting Prep, and Much More with Alex & Chandra Ryals (Episode 157)

  Aug 18, 202633 minS6

  More topics were discussed on this podcast episode than any other. Jay had heard Alex tell church guests about groups, and was eager to host him and Chandra on the podcast along with Chris Amaro, of course. Here's what all we discussed: merging people with differing life stages or circumstances into a group, how Alex uses the Group Guide to prepare to lead a session, Shawn Ryan's journey and long podcasts, why people need community, dealing with levels of participation in groups, volunteers enlisting volunteers, special-needs families, welcoming, a posture of serving and how it changes everything, and probably a few more things! Listen in for some ideas about making your group great! Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Great Groups Podcast. Please visit GreatGroups.org for a list of all our episodes. We'd love to hear from you! Click here for our contact form . Jay Gordon is the Small Groups Minister at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Chris Amaro is an IT professional and serves as a Small Group Leader and Elder at Brook Hills. Lifetime Show Notes Brook Hills Pages: The Church at Brook Hills , Birmingham, Alabama, USA Small Group Leader Resources Page Small Group Discipleship Resources Small Groups @ Brook Hills

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  Episode #156

  Launching & Welcoming Well (Episode 156)

  Aug 3, 202633 minS6

  In this episode, Jay and Chris discuss both launching (or relaunching after the summer break) and welcoming guests well. Don't miss Jay's stark discovery about guests and groups. As they talk about launching, they cover the importance of expecting guests, arriving early, and creating a welcoming environment that helps people feel at home. They also share practical suggestions for a successful launch, including praying, reaching out to everyone, and providing a few snacks. Listen in for helpful reminders and practical tips for starting the season strong and making guests feel welcome. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Great Groups Podcast. Please visit GreatGroups.org for a list of all our episodes. We'd love to hear from you! Click here for our contact form . Jay Gordon is the Small Groups Minister at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Chris Amaro is an IT professional and serves as a Small Group Leader and Elder at Brook Hills. Lifetime Show Notes Brook Hills Pages: The Church at Brook Hills , Birmingham, Alabama, USA Small Group Leader Resources Page Small Group Discipleship Resources Small Groups @ Brook Hills

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  Episode #155

  Evaluating Your Group Leadership (Episode 155)

  Jul 17, 202633 minS6

  In this episode, Jay and Chris evaluate their own groups using a list of ten categories (see the list below). We discuss such things as disciple-making focus, the leader's personal example, welcoming guests and more. Listen in and find a couple of areas of improvement for your group in the upcoming year. Evaluate Your Group and Your Leadership Here are ten best practices for healthy groups. Consider the last year and give yourself one point for each item. What do you need to work on for the upcoming year? Disciple-making Focus: I'm often thinking about how to help the people in my group take next steps toward maturity in Christ. My Example: I have a growing relationship with Christ, and I allow what I'm learning from Scripture to spill over into my teaching. Discussion: Our group meetings include meaningful discussion, and I intentionally work on crafting good questions. Inviting and Welcoming: We talk about inviting people to our group, have a plan for when guests visit, and discuss how to help them feel welcome. Consistency: We meet every week, even when we know there are only a few of us. We leverage the smaller meetings for more conversations and prayer. Through-the-Week Engagement: Our group doesn't just exist on Sundays. We are interacting with one another throughout the week. Effective Use of Time: We start on time, end on time, include at least 30 minutes of Bible study, and make time for prayer and relationship-building. Shared Leadership: As a leader, I don't do everything. We leverage people's gifts to help with leading, teaching, prayer, fellowship, missions, hosting, hospitality, and communication. Serving Together: We find ways to serve together as a group and also celebrate when group members serve individually. Prayer: We engage in prayer together as a group, allowing people to hear other group members pray for their requests. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Great Groups Podcast. Please visit GreatGroups.org for a list of all our episodes. We'd love to hear from you! Click here for our contact form . Jay Gordon is the Small Groups Minister at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Chris Amaro is an IT professional and serves as a Small Group Leader and Elder at Brook Hills. Lifetime Show Notes Brook Hills Pages: The Church at Brook Hills , Birmingham, Alabama, USA Small Group Leader Resources Page Small Group Discipleship Resources Small Groups @ Brook Hills

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  Episode #154

  Robert Coleman Interview: Disciple-making Legend (Episode 154)

  Jun 8, 202633 minS6

  In this unique episode, Jay and Andy Noel sit down with Dr. Robert Coleman—author of The Master Plan of Evangelism —at his home in Wilmore, Kentucky. Their visit took place during the 2023 Asbury Revival; they missed the outpouring by just one day, but gained something just as meaningful: an intimate conversation with one of the most influential voices in disciple‑making. Dr. Coleman reflects on the heart behind The Master Plan of Evangelism , a book that may be even more about disciple‑making than evangelism itself. His insights are warm, wise, and deeply rooted in decades of walking with Jesus and training others to do the same. Listen in as this renowned leader shares what truly matters in making disciples who make disciples. Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Great Groups Podcast. Please visit GreatGroups.org for a list of all our episodes. We'd love to hear from you! Click here for our contact form . Jay Gordon is the Small Groups Minister at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Chris Amaro is an IT professional and serves as a Small Group Leader and Elder at Brook Hills. Lifetime Show Notes Brook Hills Pages: The Church at Brook Hills , Birmingham, Alabama, USA Small Group Leader Resources Page Small Group Discipleship Resources Small Groups @ Brook Hills

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  Episode #153

  Using Two Types of Questions: Relational & Bible Study (Episode 153)

  May 12, 202631 minS6

  In this episode, Jay and Chris discuss two types of questions from two recently published articles, one from the Navigators and one from Church Leaders. The first part of the podcast deals with what the Navigators article describes as "Storytelling Questions", defined as questions that allow people to reveal who they are. These questions help build community in groups which also aids in disciple-making. The second part of the podcast deals with good Bible study questions that help dig into both understanding and applying a Biblical passage. All group leaders should understand and use questions frequently because they help engage people in one another's lives and in their walk with Christ. Don't forget, at Brook Hills we produce a weekly Small Group Guide that focuses on Bible study questions. You can find that each week below the sermon at brookhills.org/sermons . Building Relationships in Small Groups, The Navigators Twenty Bible Dialogue Questions, Church Leaders Small Group Edition See all our Great Groups podcasts . Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to the Great Groups Podcast. Please visit GreatGroups.org for a list of all our episodes. We'd love to hear from you! Click here for our contact form . Jay Gordon is the Small Groups Minister at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Chris Amaro is an IT professional and serves as a Small Group Leader and Elder at Brook Hills. Lifetime Show Notes Brook Hills Pages: The Church at Brook Hills , Birmingham, Alabama, USA Small Group Leader Resources Page Small Group Discipleship Resources Small Groups @ Brook Hills

  ListenShow Notes

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