From Eric Geiger:

I recently shared research that demonstrated group leaders want direction for their groups. They realize that a wise discipleship plan would be helpful for developing the people in their groups over time. Sadly, many church leaders fail to offer one. Thus, their churches are filled with a lot of guys like Jason…

Imagine Jason in a church without a discipleship plan for their groups. His first year he attends a group and they decide they want to study relationships for a while, followed by the latest book by the pastor on the radio, then a cursory look at the end times, and then a quick run through some Proverbs. After eighteen months, the guy leading the group gets transferred to another city, so Jason joins another group. This group launches and follows a similar pattern. After three years, Jason has essentially studied the same content in a rather random and haphazard fashion. Does the Lord use this? By all means, yes! His Word never returns void, but the discipleship could be so much more effective, so much more strategic, so much richer.

The apostle Paul said, “We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). Paul wanted to see maturity and development occur in the people he led, and according to this passage, this involved teaching with wisdom. The antithesis of teaching with wisdom is a haphazard plan or no plan for developing people in our groups or classes. In another passage, Paul said that he engaged in ministry as a skilled master builder in response to and empowered by God’s grace, and he challenged us to be careful how we build (1 Corinthians 3:10). Building skillfully surely means more than a random and disconnected array of programs, studies, and events.

So let me offer two wise approaches to your group/ministry content: a discipleship plan or aligned content. Throughout my ministry in local churches, I have practiced both of these approaches at different times, in light of the context, and as the Lord led. I believe in both of them because I see wisdom and intentionality in both practices…

Read the rest here, including how the team I lead at Lifeway can custom write Bible study content specifically for churches.