Small Groups Module 4 New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator
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Small Groups Module 4 New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator November 18-19, 2011
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Small Groups Module 4 New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator. November 18-19, 2011. Goals for This Module. By the end of this module, participants will be able to: Identify needed knowledge and skills for nurturing Christian faith and discipleship - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Small Groups Module 4 New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator
Small GroupsModule 4
New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator
November 18-19, 2011
Goals for This ModuleBy the end of this module, participants will be able to:1. Identify needed knowledge and skills
for nurturing Christian faith and discipleship
2. Describe various audiences for small groups
3. Assess current small groups and classes offered in your congregation
4. Analyze gaps and set priorities for new small groups and classes
Lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10).
Loving
Formation Questions
1. Since we last met, how have you experienced the presence of God?
2. With whom have you met in your congregation to work on goals?
3. What are you learning about being a spiritual leader?
Homework Review1. Tell about the responses you
received to sharing success stories from chapter 4 of Unbinding the Gospel.
2. Which exercise did you use with leaders? (Paying the Rent, Ministry in Focus, or Faith Sharing in Three Chapters) How did it go? What did you learn about evangelism in your congregation?
Learning
Small Groups & the Church
Fundamentally the church exists in order to further the kingdom, or reign, of God.
Toward an Adult Church:A Vision of Faith FormationJane E. Regan
Small groups provide a setting for exploring God’s self-revelation and what our response could be for our context.
Safiyah Fosua & Carol Krau
The soul and the body make a [person]; the spirit and discipline make a Christian.
Causes of the Inefficacy of ChristianitySermon 122, 1789John Wesley
Entry Points for Small Groups
Belonging
Believing
Behaving
Faith Formation
Cultivating identity Discovering purpose Making meaning Mature faith Extending God’s kingdom Connecting the church’s inner
life and outer work Sanctification
Faith Formation
Cultivating identity Discovering purpose Making meaning Mature faith Extending God’s kingdom Connecting the church’s inner
life and outer work Sanctification
Small Group Exercise
• What do (group) need to know?
• What do (group) need to be able to do?
• What do (group) need to experience?
Audiences for Small Groups
Cautious Curious Committed Professing Inviting
Cautious
Faith / religion may be largely unimportant, even unknown
They may be cautious because of unfamiliarity
They may show some interest, but carefully
They may have a history of pain or distrust
Curious
Have sufficient interest to merit investigation
Be willing to engage some personal experience or experiment, perhaps through a secondary entry point
Have a friend who invites them and attends with them
Committed (to something)
Be interested enough for regular attendance in some aspect of the congregation’s life
Be committed to the pastor, to the youth group, to a small group
Not be committed to Christian discipleship
Note: These adults may have “joined the church.”
Professing
Identify Jesus as Savior, Redeemer, and/or Lord
Take initiative for learning about the Bible, Christian spiritual practices, and other aspects of the Christian faith
Look for opportunities to serve in the church and community
Inviting
Living a life of active discipleship Serving as a mentor and role
model with others to help them develop as Christians
Moving toward a life that reflects the mind and heart of Christ
Faith Formation “Flow”
Encounter Explore
Embody
Embrace
Leading
Putting It All Together
Intentional plan Explicit expectations Focused on the church’s mission Developed in context Rooted in our Wesleyan heritage Aligned for impact
Putting It All Together
Intentional plan Explicit expectations Focused on the church’s mission Developed in context Rooted in our Wesleyan heritage Aligned for impact
Nurturing Adult Faith and Discipleship Grid A Planning and Assessment Tool
CAUTIOUS CURIOUS COMMITTED PROFESSING INVITING
BIBLICAL LITERACY
PROFICIENCY IN USING SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN
SERVICE & OUTREACH
ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
GROWING CONFIDENCE IN TALKING ABOUT
ONE’S EXPERIENCE OF GOD
LEADING LIVES OF HOSPITALITY AND
GENEROSITY
Blakemore UMC, Adults
CAUTIOUS CURIOUS COMMITTED PROFESSING INVITING
BIBLICAL LITERACY
Retreat: Getting to Know My Bible
Bible from Scratch, OT
Bible from Scratch, NT
Sunday school classes
Disciple 1, 2, 3, & 4
Lectionary Discussion Group
Jesus and the Gospels
Communities of Practice?
PROFICIENCY IN USING SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Retreat: Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition
Retreat: Walking with God
Three Simple Rules
Opening Ourselves to Grace
Companions in Christ
Covenant Discipleship Groups
Communities of Practice?
REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN
SERVICE & OUTREACH
Blakemore Housing Trust
United Methodist Men
ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Living the Questions
Covenant Discipleship Groups
Communities of Practice?
GROWING CONFIDENCE IN TALKING ABOUT
ONE’S EXPERIENCE OF GOD
Story-telling (Wednesday)
Witness?
UM HERITAGE
Orientation to Blakemore (2 hr. intro offered 4X a year)
Seminar: Methodism 101
Being Methodist in the Bible Belt
By Water & the Spirit
This Holy Mystery
CHURCH YEAR
Pancake Breakfast (Shrove Tuesday)
Easter Egg Hunt
Advent workshop Twelfth Night Jazz Mass (Mardi
Gras)
Advent studies Lenten studies
Writing Advent or Lenten devotionals
Blakemore UMC, Children
CAUTIOUS CURIOUS COMMITTED PROFESSING INVITING
BIBLICAL LITERACY
Sunday school VBS Retreat: Getting to
Know My Bible
Retreat: Getting to Know My Bible
PROFICIENCY IN USING SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Way of the Child Sprouts?
REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN
SERVICE & OUTREACH
Sprouts?
ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Sprouts?
GROWING CONFIDENCE IN TALKING ABOUT
ONE’S EXPERIENCE OF GOD
UM HERITAGE
Worship readiness (sacraments)
John Wesley
CHURCH YEAR
Pancake Breakfast (Shrove Tuesday)
Easter Egg Hunt
Advent workshop Twelfth Night Jazz Mass (Mardi
Gras) Ash Wednesday
Journey to Jerusalem (Wednesday)
On the Way to Bethlehem (Wednesday)
Individual Reflection
Reflect on your own congregation, using the grid. Add categories based on your own assessment of what is needed in your context for people to grow in faith and live as disciples. You might want to begin with one age group, assigning current classes, small groups, retreats, etc. to various sections of the grid.
Homework1. Continue working on your grid with one
or two leaders from the congregation. Be prepared to share it at our next meeting.
2. Discuss with one or two leaders in the congregation what kind of leaders are needed for the small groups you are considering. Consider how you will equip those leaders.
3. Develop a strategy for encouraging participation in small groups. Be prepared to share it at our next meeting.
EvaluationWhat went well?
What did you learn?
What would you revise to make the module more effective for use in your congregation?
What else do you need to plan well for small groups?
Closing prayerInvite participants to close the
meeting with the following sentence prayers:
Today, I thank God for…Today, I ask God for…
(As with Mutual Invitation, participants may pass if they do not wish to pray aloud.)
