Chapter 5 · 45 min
The Inner Circle: Peter, James, and John
Big idea
Peter, James and John saw things the other nine did not. Concentric circles of access are not favoritism; they are capacity.
Session objectives
- ◆Understand levels of trust and access as a leadership structure
- ◆Check whether your inner circle is chosen for growth or comfort
- ◆Guard against the resentment that unmanaged access creates
Opening question
Who gets the unfiltered version of our situation, and why them?
Discussion questions
- 1.Do we have an inner circle by design or by accident?
- 2.Is our closest circle challenging us or agreeing with us?
- 3.How do we explain access differences without creating a caste system?
- 4.Who has outgrown their current level of access?
Group exercise
Circle diagram
- 1Draw three concentric circles: core, team, wider community
- 2Place every leader's name in a circle
- 3Ask: is anyone in the core purely because of history?
- 4Identify one person ready to move inward this year
Commitment before next session
Invite one person into a decision they would normally only hear about afterward.
JOI categories addressed
Disciple DevelopmentCommunity & Relationships
Facilitator note: open with the question, keep discussion to half the session, and end with every participant naming their commitment aloud.