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THE ART OF GROUP TALK HERE

KIDS
How to lead better conversations with preschoolers and elementary-age kids.

TEENAGE GIRLS
How to lead better conversations with teenage girls.

TEENAGE GUYS
How to lead better conversations with teenage guys.
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THERE’S AN ART TO GROUP TALK
Leading a conversation with a small group of kids or teenagers isn’t always easy.
Sometimes they talk too much—way too much. Sometimes they don’t talk enough. And sometimes you’re pretty sure your volunteer training didn’t quite prepare you for the sort of things they’d like to talk about. Actually, if you’ve been a small group leader for at least five minutes, you probably already know what it’s like for a small group conversation to totally bomb.
So if you’ve ever looked at your small group and wished you knew what to say, what not to say, when to speak, when to listen, how to make them talk, how to make them stop talking, then The Art of Group Talk is for you. Because, as a small group leader, you lead a conversation with kids or teenagers every single week. Conversations about their lives, their dreams, their friends, their imaginary friends, and their definitely-not friends. And sometimes you even manage to lead conversations about faith. These books can remind you that your small group conversations— even the ones that don’t go exactly as planned— really matter. But there are a few ways to make your conversations matter even more.
The Art of Group Talk is a series of books for leaders of preschoolers and kids, teenage girls, and teenage guys.

NEW EDITIONS NOW AVAILABLE
This 3-book series has been updated:
New stories, revised content, and now also for preschool leaders




ABOUT THE AUTHORS

AFTON PHILLIPS
Afton Phillips is the Lead Small director at Orange—which basically means she has been thinking about small groups, small group leaders, and small group strategies every single day since 2012. Before that, she spent three years working in children’s ministry at Browns Bridge Church and graduated from Johnson University with a degree in children’s ministry. But most importantly, Afton leads a small group of second graders every Sunday. If you want to be Afton’s best friend, all you need to do is buy her a black coffee and let her wear a tiara all day. She strongly believes tulle skirts should be worn every single day, and her favorite place is any giant used book store.

ADAM DUCKWORTH
Adam Duckworth is the lead communicator at Downtown Harbor Church, a forward-thinking church committed to reaching families and embracing culture in its community. He transitioned to this role after spending nearly 15 years in family ministry. Adam is the co-author of Not Normal: Seven Quirks of Incredible Volunteers and Leading Not Normal Volunteers. He leads conferences for volunteers and serves as a communicator at Orange. He and his wife, Katelyn, live near the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, along with their petite goldendoodle, Dottie.

ASHLEY BOHINC
Ashley Bohinc serves as director of Middle School Strategy at Orange. She has worked with students in public education, athletic, and ministry settings since 2005. Ashley is most passionate about resourcing the local church, communicating on stage, developing leaders, working with students, and world missions. Additionally, she is the USA Director of Carry 117, a ministry in Ethiopia, which focuses on orphan prevention and family preservation by empowering women. In her downtime, you’ll find her watching Friends, cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers, traveling, or on one of her Fairytale Friday Adventures.

CRYSTAL CHIANG
Crystal Chiang is the director of XP3 High School Curriculum. Before joining the team at Orange, she spent 10 years as a high school Spanish teacher and student ministry leader, doing everything from small groups, to speaking, to curriculum design. She currently volunteers at her church as a leader of sophomore girls whose numbers are creating what might be deemed a not-so-small group. They keep her laughing, praying, and constantly on her toes. Crystal and her husband, Tom, live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their embarrassingly ill-tempered chihuahua, Javier.

JEREMY ZACH
Jeremy Zach, or JZ, spent 10 years as a youth pastor in the local church. He received an undergraduate degree in communication studies from the University of Minnesota and a masters of divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. Jeremy is the father of two girls, Harlow and Aria, and two calico cats. A few things that he enjoys are hot, hot sauce, YouTube cat videos, and loud EDM music.

TOM SHEFCHUNAS
Tom Shefchunas is the executive director of Student Strategy at Orange. In this role, he leads the development and strategy for XP3 Middle School and High School curriculums. Previously, Tom was North Point Ministries’ multi-campus director of Transit, their middle school ministry, for 12 years. And before that, he spent 10 years as a high school teacher, coach, and principal. Additionally, he is the co-author of Lead Small with Reggie Joiner. Tom and his wife, Julie, live near Atlanta, with their three children.

BRETT TALLEY
Brett Talley served full-time in student ministry for 11 years before joining the Student Strategy team at Orange. He and his wife have three kids. He loves baseball, golf, and making amazing turkey-melt sandwiches (if he has the time and ingredients; otherwise, they’re just average).

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MORE RESOURCES FOR VOLUNTEERS

IT’S PERSONAL
Five questions you should ask to give every kid hope. For anyone who works with preschoolers, children, and teenagers.

A NEW KIND OF LEADER
Seven beliefs and practical applications to help leaders reimagine how they’re influencing their small group. Perfect short read for anyone who works with kids or teenagers.

LEAD SMALL
Five big ideas every small group leader needs to know. For leaders of preschoolers, elementary-age kids, middle schoolers, and high schoolers.

LIDERAR EN PEQUEŃO
Cinco grandes ideas que todo líder de grupo pequeño necesita saber. Para grupos pequeños líderes de preescolares, niños y adolescentes.

NOT NORMAL
Seven characteristics—quirks—that make volunteering at church a unique and fulfilling experience. For any volunteer in children’s or student ministry.
Orange Books publishes nonfiction, in a variety of formats, with the goal of helping churches influence those who influence the spiritual growth of the next generation. We partner with well-known and emerging leaders to bring you proven and practical strategies to maximize that influence. Orange Books is an imprint of The reThink Group, Inc.

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