Recent Reads: Creating a Lead Small Culture by Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, & Elle Campbell

What the book's about: Creating a Lead Small Culture is about creating and maintaining healthy small groups that will help kids and teens find a place within the church to belong. 

Why I read this book: As a youth pastor, I want teens to belong. I wholeheartedly believe small groups are a great way to do that. As such, I constantly want to learn how to make small groups even more effective. 

My favorite quotes from the book: 

- "You care called to do more than simply make a presentation of the gospel. You are called to engage in the messiness of humanity because of the gospel." 

- "When you lead small, you make a choice to invest strategically in the lives of a few over time so you can help them build authentic faith. When you lead small, you realize that what you do for a few will always have more potential than what you do for many." 

- "You can become a barrier to discipleship if you decide you should be the one who disciples everyone." 

- "Sometimes you have to stop doing something that works if you want something more important to work better." 

- "If you really want to influence the next generation, you actually have to spend most of your time with adults who will spend time with kids."

- "If you want your small group leaders to give kids a place to belong, then maybe you should go first by giving small group leaders a place to belong."  

- "What you celebrate reveals what you value." 

- "Having influence in a kid's life is actually less about being cool than it is about being present." 

- "If you don't let go of the wrong leaders, you might not attract the right leaders." 

- "If every question has a right answer, kids will determine for themselves whether they are smart enough or not smart enough to belong to church." 

- "Although the average church can never compete with what culture can produce, culture can never compete with what the average church can do in the life of a kid." 

Thumbs up or thumbs down? Thumbs up

Who I'd recommend this book for: Youth pastors and other church leaders interested in learning more about small groups. In particular, this would be a fantastic read for those whose congregations hope to transition to a more small group based culture.