Next Generation Leader Andy Stanley

Getting Started With the Next Generation Leader Curriculum

I ran a Next Generation Leader Andy Stanley group through our church for about two years, going through multiple cohorts. What follows is basically a field manual for actually getting something useful out of this material, not a sales pitch. The program itself is a discipleship and leadership curriculum built around Andy Stanley's preaching and teaching content. It's designed for small groups to work through over several weeks, usually eight sessions per round. You get lesson guides, video content, discussion questions, and application exercises. The target audience ranges from new believers to mature leaders who want structured growth.

Next Generation Leader Andy Stanley: Setup and Structure

Before you even assemble your group, you need to sort out the logistics. Here is how the whole thing typically plays out. You acquire the curriculum materials. These are usually available through Lifeway, North Point Ministries, or the Next Generation Leader website directly. The core package includes leader guides, participant guides, and the video curriculum that anchors each session. Budget roughly between eighty to one hundred twenty dollars per participant depending on which bundle you buy and whether you are running a hybrid model. Form your group first before you touch anything else. I have seen too many people start the curriculum with an empty room or a dozen strangers who showed up because the bulletin said something was happening. A Next Generation Leader group works best with four to eight people who know each other somewhat or are committed to meeting consistently. If you cannot find five solid people willing to commit to an eight-week run, do not launch it yet. Wait until you can.

Pick a consistent schedule. Same day, same time, same place every week. The number one reason these groups fizzle is scheduling drift. People miss sessions, catch up on their own, and then the group dynamics fall apart. Block it on everyone's calendar during sign-up and treat attendance as mandatory, not optional. As the leader, you do not need to be an expert. You need to be prepared. Go through every session at least once before the group meets. Read the discussion questions. Watch the video. Take notes on where the content gets thin or where you sense pushback might come up. I learned this the hard way during session three of my first run. The video segment ran long, the discussion devolved into silence, and three people left early looking confused. I had not timed it properly and had not prepared backup questions. Never skip the preparation pass. Create a simple commitment document. Have every participant sign a one-page agreement that states expectations: show up on time, complete the personal reading before each session, respect confidentiality, and engage honestly. It sounds bureaucratic, but it filters out casual browsers and saves you headaches later.

Running the Sessions

Each session follows a similar pattern. There is usually an opening prayer, some personal connection time, the core video teaching, small group discussion, and a closing prayer or action step. The structure is intentional and repeated deliberately so people know what to expect. Do not rush the connection time. People will skip introductions and jump straight into the content if you let them. In my experience, the first fifteen minutes of relational investment pays off across the entire session. Ask real questions. Let people share about their actual lives, not just spiritual talking points. When you play the video, keep it intact. I once cut a ten-minute segment because I was worried about time. Two people called me afterward asking why that part was missing. It was the most important part of the session. Just run it straight and adjust your discussion time around it instead of trimming content.

The discussion questions are your primary tool. They are designed to move from observation to interpretation to application. Do not skip ahead or ignore the harder questions. When someone gives a surface-level answer, wait. Silence in a group setting is uncomfortable, and most leaders fill it too quickly. Count to eight in your head before you respond or ask someone else. Usually, the best contribution comes right after that pause. Application comes at the end of each session. This is not optional filler. The Next Generation Leader model hinges on people doing something different because of what they learned. Each session has a specific action step. Hold people accountable for it in the following week. Ask what happened, what got in the way, and what they want to try next time.

A Real Problem I Ran Into and How I Fixed It

About six weeks into my second cohort, we hit a wall. One of our participants, let's call him Marcus, was deeply engaged and technically accurate in his responses. But every discussion veered toward abstract theology, and nobody was applying anything. The session before had been about decision-making in leadership, and Marcus spent twenty minutes explaining biblical principles of wisdom without once connecting it to an actual situation in his life or his team. I tried redirecting him directly and it backfired. He went quiet and the group lost momentum. So I changed tactics. After that session, I pulled Marcus aside and asked him to bring one real leadership dilemma to the next meeting. At the start of the following week, I opened with him sharing it. We spent the entire discussion applying the lesson to his actual problem. Everyone else leaned in because it was concrete, not theoretical. Marcus stayed engaged for the rest of the cohort, and the group dynamic shifted noticeably toward practical ownership. The workaround was simple but not obvious: meet the person where they are, not where the curriculum assumes they will be. The guide assumes a certain baseline of vulnerability. Some people do not start there. You have to create the conditions for it.

Common Pitfalls That Break These Groups

There are a few traps that show up consistently, and they are not discussed enough. The first is leader burnout. Running a small group alongside a regular job and family takes more energy than most people predict. If you are going all in emotionally every session, you will be hollowed out by week four. Protect your own life first. The group benefits when the leader is sustainable, not heroic. The second pitfall is skipping the hard conversations. Some leaders keep things light to avoid conflict. But Next Generation Leader material intentionally tackles identity, purpose, boundaries, and spiritual formation. These topics generate friction. That friction is where growth happens. If your group never disagrees or wrestles, you are not going deep enough. Guide the conversation with respect, but do not dodge the tension.

The third pitfall is treating completion as success. Finishing all eight sessions does not mean the group succeeded. Success looks like people changing behavior, taking on responsibility, and investing in others. You can finish the curriculum in eight weeks and have nothing to show for it, or you can move slowly through four sessions and have people transformed. Track fruit, not progress bars.

What the Curriculum Does Not Cover Well

Nothing is perfect, and this model has real blind spots. It assumes a certain level of theological literacy. People who are brand new to faith or coming from a non-Christian background may struggle with the vocabulary and references. You will need to supplement with extra mentoring or basic discipleship sessions outside the group structure. There is no built-in accommodation for absolute beginners. It is also heavily anchored in Andy Stanley's particular teaching style and theological framework. That works if you agree with that framework. It creates discomfort if you do not. Be honest about that with your group upfront. Do not present it as neutral curriculum. It is rooted in a specific tradition, and people should know that before they commit.

The digital delivery model has limitations too. If you are running a hybrid group where some people join via Zoom, the discussion quality drops significantly. Screen fatigue is real, and people disengage faster in virtual settings. If you must run hybrid, keep sessions under sixty minutes and use breakout rooms strategically. Otherwise, prioritize in-person gathering whenever possible.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If Next Generation Leader does not fit your context, there are other structured programs. Emerge by Steve Arterburn is stronger for younger adults in their early twenties. Explore by Dave Brown offers a more exploratory, question-based approach for seekers. Multiply by Steve Corbett focuses heavily on leadership multiplication rather than general discipleship. Pick the model that matches your actual population, not the one that sounds the most appealing on paper. The bottom line is that any curriculum only works as well as the leader behind it and the community that surrounds it. The Next Generation Leader Andy Stanley materials are solid and well-designed. They will not fix a broken group culture on their own. But used thoughtfully, with preparation, accountability, and honest reflection, they can move people forward in meaningful ways. Start small. Stay consistent. Do not pretend it is easier than it actually is.