What's With All the Questions...

ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS is one of the hardest things for many leaders to do is also one of the essentials for a healthy group. Asking questions has incredible benefits to you and your Life Group including but not limited to:

• Giving people ownership in the discussion (and as a result, ownership in the group which helps them stick around).
• Allowing others to share their thoughts in a safe environment.
• Giving external processors the time to process. Many people learn best when they are talking their thoughts out loud.
• Asking questions relieves you from having the burden of always talking.

WHAT IS A GOOD QUESTION? Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing down and asking questions:

• What is the heart of this week's study, and does my question get people closer to the heart of the topic?
• Does my question elicit a conversational response or a yes no answer? 
• Tip: Try to stay away from questions that lend themselves to a one word response or you will feel like you're pulling teeth to get people to talk.
•  A good question should spark a dialogue in your group. If you are asking the right questions, you may only need 3-5 questions for your entire discussion.
• Tip: It can be helpful to let the question spin into other questions that the groups has, but beware that this can easily get the group off track of the heart of the study. If this happens, gently guide the conversation back by saying something like "That's a great thought that I'd love to explore more later, but for now is it alright if I move us in a different direction?"
• A good question brings multiple answers. 
• Tip: Stay away from responding to each person's response. Instead say, "That's a great thought, does anyone else have something to add to that?"

HOW IS MY QUESTION TO COMMENT RATIO?
If you're anything like me then it might be easier to monologue than it is to ask questions (makes for a good preacher, but poses an obstacle in Life Group leading). In your group this week I want to encourage you to notice your question to comment ratio. Here's how:

• Somewhere on your notes try keeping track of the number of questions that you ask, and the number of comments (or statements) that you make. I believe your question to comment ration should be at least 2 to 1 (two questions for every comment). See if you can do the 2 to 1 ratio in your group this week.