It doesn’t matter if you have a small or large group, whenever people are put in a room together, you never know where the conversation will end up! This is where the leader comes in.
Maybe you are thinking, “why does it matter if we stay on topic?” or “let’s just see where the Spirit leads.” The Bible says a lot about the importance of seeking wisdom and coming together to talk about Him and praise Him. If we go off topic it distracts from all that God wants us to learn from the lesson.
It says in Proverbs 2:2-5: Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. It comes with focus and intentionality.
So how can you lead your group to stay on topic?
Here’s three things you can do when someone goes off topic:
- You can ask them a question to re-direct back to the original topic.
- You can repeat the question and ask the next person if they want to share their personal thoughts.
- You can answer the question yourself to bring it back around to the topic.
If that person keeps leading the conversation in the wrong direction, you can have a personal conversation with them, explaining the importance of staying on topic. Let’s remember, it is that teaching that brought everyone together which means there’s something really powerful in discussing it as a group!