Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center
(In Pinnacle Forum, groups are referred to as ‘Forums.’ These 10 Keys will be helpful to any small group leader.)
Key 1: Three Kinds of Questions:
- Factual Questions make sure people understand the material. Plus, it’s always helpful to ask a question that people answer correctly right away.
- Opinion Questions. “What do you think of . . .” Participants need to know that you are asking for their opinion. There is no “right” answer, just an opinion.
- Insight questions. “How does this speak to you personally?” “How can this be applied?” Now you are asking for the Participant to risk authenticity and say something personal. Insight questions are open ended. You are not directing to any particular answer.
Key 2: Encourage Direct Communication
Participants need to talk to each other, not to you. Your goal is not to be the hub of a communication wheel. Your goal is to facilitate Participants to talk to each other. Throughout the course of your forum, try to speak less and less. The best forums are
when you ask only three or four questions during the entire discussion part of your forum. One useful technique is to shift your eye contact away from the responder and
look at the other participants. This, in turn, usually shifts their eye contact and in so doing promotes interaction between the participants and lessens the likelihood of participants responding only to the facilitator.
Key 3: Equal Participation
Make sure participants are given an equal amount of time to share. Keep track if necessary. Invite a shy or non-speaking participant into the discussion with a question or eye contact in order to include them in the forum.
Key 4: Stay On Topic
Stay away from third-party issues or outside matters. Forum discussion can easily drift into those directions because they are safe topics. When the forum moves in that direction, one or more participants may be avoiding personal issues. Let everyone know that you will work to hold them accountable to staying on topic and personal. Encourage Participants to talk about themselves. When they start to tell a story about themselves, sit up in your chair. Let your body language say, “I’m all ears.” This will encourage others to engage in personal story telling.
Key 5: Focus on the Person not the Problem
Not only can a forum drift off into third-party topics, it can also get stuck trying to “fix” problems. Men especially tend to be fixers. When this happens, gently shift the discussion to the person and away from the solution. Chances are, the Participant already knows the solution and doesn’t need to hear it from the group. The participant needs to talk about his/her feelings, emotions, and fears.
Key 6: Do Not Argue Theology.
The Church of Jesus Christ has been doing that for two thousand years. Leave the arguments to the theologians and focus on forum participants.
Key 7: Go With The Flow
Don’t be so concerned with the material or lesson that you cut off a good discussion. The agenda of the forum is neither to work through all of the material nor complete the lesson. The goal is relationships. Our primary agenda is to pay attention to what God is doing in each other’s lives.
Key 8: Stay With an Expressed Emotion
Whether positive or negative, don’t move away from what the participant is experiencing. It may be anger, sadness, broken heartedness, fear, joy, laughter, etc. The most important moments of your forum are when these kinds of emotions are on the table and supported by others in the room.
Key 9: Be Alert for Key Life Issues
Pay very close attention to what people bring to the table. At each forum, expect that at least one of your Participants will have a particularly challenging life issue or
matter of concern. It may be business related. More than likely, however, it will be personal. Listen for it. Talk about it when it comes up. Let the participants set the agenda.
Key 10: Invite the Holy Spirit to Lead
This is not your forum. It’s not the participant’s forum. It is the Lord’s forum! He wants to move forum Participants to a deeper level of faith and greater passion for service. Make it a habit to invite the Holy Spirit to lead you, as you lead. Make it a habit to invite the Holy Spirit to facilitate you, as you facilitate. Listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and act upon them.
(For more information, visit www.pinnacleforum.com)