As a small group leader this book is going to be my go to guide especially as I train new leaders. It breaks up both establishing small groups and leading them into easy to follow steps. A must have for anyone in ministry.

I got a digital galley copy of this book via NetGalley for review.

What I liked about this book:

- While this book is primarily meant for pastors and churches to use the concept of small groups to grow and have an impact, the concepts in the book can be used by any community builder to build their communities by adapting some of the church of faith related activities to their own purposes
- The two authors sharing their personal experience after every chapter grounded the concept and made them relatable.

What could have made it better:

- I can't think of anything that could have made this a better book for churches as I am not familiar with the other concepts to grow and build a church :(

A year ago, I took part in a church retreat that puts a lot of weight on small groups as a way to maintain growth in one’s faith. While I fully see the value of this practice, it is an unknown concept for my home parish, so finding this resource was a blessing.

The layout of the book flows well and is full of practical and thought-provoking ideas. Each section has two or three points of reflection and conversation. It makes the concept of forming and sustaining small groups approachable. The only area I felt was a little lacking in information was the guided approach into how to help form groups (or assign/help parishioners find the right group for them). Maybe this could be addressed in a future edition of this book?

This is a perfect resource for any individual or church group who is even contemplating implementing small groups to become a core part of your church community.

“Do not despise small beginnings for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”- Zechariah 4:10

I recall being invited once to a Christian "home gathering." The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and I longed to have a similar experience in my own parish.

Small groups can be a game-changer for a faith community, helping to create an environment where people can discuss the message of the week's homily against a background of trust and confidentiality.

This quiet revolution is on full display in the new book The Transformative Power of Small Groups: a 7-Step Guide for Building Vibrant Catholic Communities.

Authors Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran have created a field manual for launching, maintaining, and growing small groups within a parish. This is a nuts-and-bolts book filled with highly useful information and insights.

The writers make a compelling argument for small groups to revitalize the faith among church-goers. I found myself cheering them on throughout this book, which would be a wonderful gift for the priest or parish manager in your life.