Dave Thornton, who's a small-group leader as well as director of Church Volunteer Central, lets us know about a great small-group resource for couples.

• Improving Communication in Your Marriage. 144p. HomeBuildersCouples Series®. Group Publishing, $10.99 each.

I highly suggest any of the studies in the HomeBuilders Couples Series®, but having looked through all of them, I'd recommend Improving Communication in Your Marriage as the best study to start with. This resource, which comes from Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg, is a rock-solid small-group study that has all of the following features to recommend it:

• Expert authors -- Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg lead a national marriage ministry called America's Family Coaches, and have written dozens of books to help couples grow in their marriage. In addition, they speak at marriage conferences including Family Life's Weekend to Remember and host a syndicated daily radio program.

• Great topic -- Every couple that I've ever been in a small group with would say they want to improve the communication they have with their spouse. I love the fact that this topic addresses a felt need of every couple, and offers the hope of a better relationship.

• Practical help -- Each question, experience, and homework assignment helps couples better understand themselves and their marriage-communication styles. Each time it raises a question or an issue, the study offers practical ways for couples to address it and to grow together. Just the expectation that every couple will have a weekly date night to work on a HomeBuilders project helps develop greater communication and accountability in groups.

• Biblical basis -- Any time I see a topical study, it makes me wonder how much Scripture will be used in it. I was pleased to see that each of the six sessions included at least four Scripture passages for study and discussion.

• Leader helps -- I was surprised to find 25 pages of dedicated leader notes and help in the back of the book. There's good basic overview for novice leaders, as well as detailed notes and suggested answers for each question in every session. I particularly appreciated the For Extra Impact recommendations, which leaders can add to sessions as they need to.

• Fun -- I like to have a good time with the groups I lead. Therefore, I was pleased to find questions and experiences that will increase the "laugh factor" in my group.

If your groups enjoy the format of this study, there's even more good news: They have their choice of seven other HomeBuilders Couples titles to choose from, for their follow-up study!

Dave Thornton is the Director of Church Volunteer Central at Group Publishing. He has served as a small-group leader and coach at both micro and mega churches.