Issue 2 : February 2009

Are we on a tangent?

4/8/09 8:49 PM

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Hints & Tips

Q Place e-Help for Small Groups (Formerly Neighborhood Bible Studies e-Helps)

In This Issue Questions about Tangents Taming Tangents How to Start a Q Place It All Starts with a Question

Quick Links Why NBS Changed Q Place Past Hints & Tips Bible Study Guides More About Us Book Store

To order any of the

February 2009

Dear Fran, The articles below will help you know how to help your group avoid tangents, and to understand the value of asking questions.

Let me know what you think!

Fran Goodrich e-Help Editor P.S. If you are struggling with why Neighborhood Bible Studies has made so many changes, please click here to read more about it. And then, if you still have questions or comments, please email me!

Taming Tangents!

The dictionary defines a "tangent" as "a sudden digression or change of course". Recently some small group facilitators were asked how they would define a tangent.

They said: Getting off the focus of the discussion Irrelevant comments Comments that don't move the discussion forward

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Are we on a tangent?

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Tough Questions Series by Garry Poole, call 1-800369-0307

Comments that don't move the discussion forward The problem with tangents in a small group setting like our tough questions or Bible study groups is: They take time away from the focus of discussion They can be irritating and frustrating to the group You don't have enough information in your study to deal with the topic of the tangent They keep you from accomplishing your goal They make people feel uncomfortable and judgmental They are not respectful of what the group has agreed to do How can you graciously deal with tangents?

Questions about Tangents

How would you define a "tangent" in a small group discussion?

What do you think is wrong with tangents?

Why do our Q Place Guidelines make such a big deal about avoiding tangents?

Thinking through these questions can help your group become healthier and help you become a better facilitator. Marilyn Kunz, one of the founders of Neighborhood Bible Studies, labeled tangents as "the destruction of any group".

1. If a subject is not dealt with in any detail in the chapter you are discussing, don't let it occupy too much time. Move on to the next question.

2. Write the question down in the back of your guide and see if it is answered later in the study.

3. Suggest that those who are interested in this topic stay after to discuss it.

4. Ask the person who brought up the question to do some research and then to briefly report back next week.

5. Whenever possible, incorporate respectful humor with the above strategies.

So next time you find your group deep in tangent territory, step up to guide the discussion back to the topic. Your group will be grateful!

How to Start a Q Place In a post-modern culture, how can Christ-followers be effective witnesses for Jesus? What approach will appeal to people who aren't interested in church or the Bible?

Discover how to have natural, ongoing spiritual conversations with people in a Q Place. Learn how discussions based on tough questions about God can raise interest in studying the Bible and heighten curiosity about Jesus.

How to Start a Q Place explains the Q Place method and ministry and will give you the practical tools and

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Are we on a tangent?

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Do you agree?

Next time you are in a group discussion, whether it's at work or church or with your family, try to notice what happens when the group goes on a tangent and see how it impacts the outcome of the meeting.

Fran

confidence to launch your own Q Place. It is also designed as a discussion guide for small groups of potential initiators who can support one another and become equipped together as they apply its content.

Introductory Price: $8 To order call 1-800-369-0307 or click here

It All Starts with a Question

by Mark Ashton, Pastor & Author

When Jesus went about inviting people into the Kingdom of God, what tools did he use? Did he hand out cartoonladen papyrus tracts? Did he draw a diagram of a bridge in the sand? Did he hold an altar call and ask people to recite a prayer of salvation? Did he share a pre-packaged two-minute testimony?

Jesus used none of these techniques. Instead, Jesus hung out at parties, went to the marketplace, walked from town to town, and as he did so, he asked a ton of questions.

More than sermons, more than miracles, more than clever tricks, Jesus used questions to reach out to people around him. When he wanted to start spiritual conversations, he asked a question. When he wanted to make a major point, he punctuated it with a question. When he knew he was the target of a trap, he turned the conversation on its head with a question.

Who do you say that I am?

Whose picture is on that coin?

Which of these was a neighbor?

Does no one condemn you?

The question is one of the most powerful tools we have when it comes to sharing our faith with others. here's why: Questions help to steer and control the conversation.

Questions make people think - to reevaluate their positions, beliefs and values.

Questions show interest and make people feel known and valued.

Questions are a tactful way to confront a person's poor thinking.

Questions allow people to share information about themselves, and then open their hearts to learn more about someone or something else.

Questions invite decision.

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When you ask great questions, God opens the doors to people's hearts!

Excerpted from Evangelism, Willow Creek Association

Save Now!

Buy How to Start a Q Place now at the special introductory price of $8!

Call 1-800-369-0307 or click here to order.

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