All too often, small-group leaders aren't equipped to teach effectively. In the 15 years since I started in ministry, I've come across various models of teaching. I've discovered how to use active learning. I've learned about cooperative learning. Still, what I struggled with was my role as teacher. What did I need to do to ensure that I'm teaching effectively?

Here are eight functions of effective small group leaders that I've found to consistently work:

Let them know what's coming. Letting your group members know the objectives allows them to understand where you're going, so they're free to join you in the learning process and some clue how to do it. When I led one of my small groups through a study on Hosea I began by telling them, "Through this study we're going to discover why Hosea married a prostitute to demonstrate God's unfailing love." Letting group members know what's coming gets them engaged, and hopefully excited, about the lesson.

Capture their attention early. I like to use videos, short stories, and group activities to draw participants into the lesson. Whatever you use, make sure it supports the actual lesson. After your attention-grabber, form groups of two or three, then have group members discuss reflective and interpretive questions to process the video, story, or experience.

Keep them involved. Incorporate activities throughout the lesson to keep group members involved. Discussion questions, games, and other activities that include everyone keep the participants involved in the lesson. Again, make sure you debrief each experience, so group members can internalize how the material relates to them.

Connect the lessons. This is one of the least utilized ideas in a lot of small groups. We tend to approach our weekly lessons individually rather than as a collective learning process. Learning of any kind is a long-term process, and learning about Jesus is a lifelong process. By helping group members recall what's been previously learned we help them in a lifelong journey of spiritual formation. The next four functions will also help with this.

Create an environment that helps people learn. Consider the arrangement of the room, the lighting, the temperature, the sound. They're all part of the small-group environment. Another good question to ask is, "What are the distractions in our small-group environment?" A great little resource that will help walk you through all of these "environmental issues" is Group's booklet R.E.A.L.: Surprisingly Simple Ways to Engage Adults.

Know your group. When planning for your group, think about their learning styles, developmental levels, and length of participation. You can find a free learning-style assessment at http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory. Some other things to think about: What's the age range of your group members? Do any have learning disabilities? How long is the "official" commitment to the group? All of these things will affect how your group learns.

Help group members relate what's been learned to other situations. Our role as small-group leaders is to move our group members into obedience to Christ. We need to help them know what the Bible says, so they can live it out. And we need help them see how what the Bible says relates to what they're facing right now. Help your small-group members live obediently.

Evaluate your effectiveness. Pay attention to feedback from group members. Most of the time they'll let you know if they're lost, or if they understand the point. You can also use short surveys before or after lessons to discover how to tweak your approach. Or, just ask.

Try as many of these ideas as you can, and watch what happens.

Tony Clyde is a veteran youth minister, instructional designer, and ministry consultant with more than 15 years experience in ministry. He's a REAL Ambassador and LifeTree Ambassador for Group. Tony and his wife Danta have been married for 15 years, and are surviving two teenage daughters.