20 Resources Every Small Group Leader Needs to Win in Their Role
Small groups are where your church develops and deepens relationships with each other and with God. But the quality of that experience depends almost entirely on the person leading it. And your small group leaders can only give what they’ve been given.
You don’t have to build your small group curriculum from scratch. Open Network has a library of free, ready-to-use resources covering everything from men’s discipleship to women’s ministry, couples, new believers, mentoring, and more.
We’ve compiled 20 of the best resources right here, organized by category so you can find exactly what your leaders need.
Jump to a category:
Being a man doesn’t come with a field guide — but God promises something better. Join best-selling author of Wild at Heart, John Eldredge, and four guys who road-tripped to meet him. Eldredge addresses every man’s questions, wounds, relationships, and adventure through this interactive, video-based study.
Throughout life, men navigate relationships of all kinds — with their fathers, with women, with children, with friends, and with God. This four-part small group series will evoke meaningful discussion and self-reflection for men who want to take all of their relationships to a deeper level.
In this six-part small group study, Dr. Kim Kimberling and Pastor Craig Groeschel talk about taking steps to become the man of God you were created to be. Each part has a short video, a short reading, and application questions — great for a men’s small group, class, or retreat.
The Radical Mentoring process helps your church create intentional discipleship environments where men can be real, encourage each other, and drive relationships deep — journeying together under the guidance of an older, wiser mentor. This 12-month track contains everything you need to lead a mentoring group effectively.
The ultimate goal of a Sisters event is to help women gather in community, grow deeper in their faith, and go into the world more boldly and confidently as His Church. Sisters exists to support women who are already in community and to help those who are seeking community find relationships with like-minded individuals. Use these free resources to host a Sisters event at your church, or in a small group setting!
A small group study for women that builds on a Sisters message from Amy Groeschel. This four-week study dives deep into knowing who God is and what He has called us to do — covering our calls to Bear Fruit, Wash Feet, Break Bread, and Go Fish. Use it as a Sisters follow-up or standalone women’s curriculum.
A four-week small group study for women that builds community while strengthening faith in Christ. The Hope talks about our hope in Christ and the identity, future, and peace we can find only through Him. Use it after Sisters or as a standalone study for your women’s ministry.
This 12-month track helps your church create safe and welcoming discipleship environments where women can build authentic relationships with each other and Jesus — leaving comparisons at the door and discussing life’s deepest questions under the guidance of an older, wiser mentor.
Tired of watching marriages crumble? This five-week series is a supplemental resource for Craig Groeschel’s series From This Day Forward. Make five commitments to failproof your marriage and join the fight against giving up.
Based on Dr. Kim Kimberling’s book, this small group study walks couples through six essential keys to have the marriage they’ve always wanted. Not a checklist — an opportunity to look deep into marriage and take steps to build something both spouses cherish. Includes downloadable video teachings, Bible verses, and discussion questions.
Blending a family is difficult — but with time, the right people, and a fresh perspective, God can do more than you could ever imagine. This four-week small group study encourages blended families with life-tested ideas, surprising moments, and tangible hope.
In this 6-week series, Mike and Lisa Urrutia share openly about their experiences during Mike’s three deployments. A powerful resource for military couples navigating the challenges that come with deployment and separation. Includes interviews, Bible verses, and discussion questions.
Everyone’s faith journey looks different, but the building blocks of following Jesus are always the same. Season 1 covers six essential topics: what following Jesus means, how to pray, what worship is, how the Bible applies to daily life, how to find community, and how slowing down can bring you closer to God. Use in new believer small groups, classes, or email sequences.
Season 2 continues the journey with episodes covering baptism, communion, serving, generosity, fasting, and sharing your faith with others. Each video can be used in new believer small groups, classes, and email sequences.
A four-week guided journey to help people rethink their relationship with technology and live out their God-given purpose with peace, strength, and real connection. Best done in community — with a small group, family, or group of friends. The transformation happens when people are honest about their struggles and support one another in making healthy changes.
A resource that helps people read their Bible differently by seeing Jesus in all of it. Spoken Gospel comes alongside your small group to explain what you’re reading and how every part of Scripture points to Jesus. A great tool for Bible-curious groups who want to go deeper.
In Matthew, Jesus brings God’s heavenly kingdom to Earth and invites His disciples into a new way of life through His death and resurrection. This small group plan brings the gospel to life through a series of engaging and inspiring videos.
The Bible Project explores Bible themes and helps viewers understand how they’re woven throughout Scripture. Great for personal study, small groups, or as sermon illustration components. A versatile resource any group can use.
#Adulting is hard — but life is better when we figure it out together. The 5-part Collective small group series is designed for young adults to grow together in community. Use it to engage the young adults in your church with promotional items, small group videos, and leader guides all included.
This training video for small group leaders helps them develop a vision and plan for their group — answering with confidence what their group is about, what their time together looks like, and how they’ll grow together. One of the most practical onboarding tools you can give a new leader.
Find All of These Resources — Free
Every resource on this list is available completely free at open.life.church. Browse the full small group library and find the right fit for every group in your church.
Explore Small Group Resources →Even More Small Group Resources
In addition to great small group studies, you can also find videos and guides for finding and training small group leaders — completely free on Open Network. Whether you’re building your small group ministry from scratch or strengthening a system that’s already running, there’s something here for every stage of the journey.
And if you’re looking for a fresh way to onboard new leaders, check out the LifeGroup Leader Box, a comprehensive resource that gives leaders everything they need to feel confident to lead without feeling overwhelmed. It includes a new leader onboarding booklet, invite cards, content cards, FAQs, links to resources, and more.
What’s one thing you can do this week?
- Pick one resource from this list that fits a specific group in your church and share it with that group’s leader today.
- Head to open.life.church and explore the full small group library for even more free curriculum.
- Send the Small Group Leader Best Practices training video to every small group leader on your team.
- Think about one group in your church that doesn’t have a curriculum yet — and pick one from this list to get them started.
Your small group leaders are doing some of the most important discipleship work in your church. Give them the tools to do it well.
When you win, the Church wins. Let’s build the Church together.
Explore all free small group resources at open.life.church →
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