Root Groups

Leaders Guide

THE WHY OF ROOT GROUPS?

We believe that spiritual growth must be expected, measured, evaluated and celebrated. We also believe that life change happens best in a small group community where people are accountable to and responsible for one another. Therefore, we believe that the best place to grow spiritually and connect relationally is in a small group – or what we call Root Groups.

We have four expectations of every disciple of Jesus Christ:

1. Gather as a True Worshipper to Bless the Name of God.

2. Grow as an Obedient Learner to Become the Image of Jesus Christ.

3. Give as a Humble Servant to Build the Church.

4. Go as a Compassionate Evangelist Bring Others to Christ.

Our goal is to strategically instruct and equip every person who is a part of our church to invest and engage in these specific ways. In other words, we deliberately prepare each person by the Word of God to dynamically participate every day in the work of God. And the work of God is what our task is as a church:

GROW DISCIPLES WHO GO MAKE DISCIPLES

Our strategy for growing disciples is Root Groups which provide a simple, yet intentional format where every disciple can actively pursue becoming more like Jesus Christ through three regular interactions – it’s as simple as ABC:

A – Apply the Bible through Sermon Discussion

B – Build Deep Relationships in Community

C – Care for One Another with Responsibility and Accountability

The goal of every Root Group is found is Ephesians 3:16-19, “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

How We Do Small GroupsTwo Hour Format

A Apply the Bible by Sermon Discussion 40 minutes

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another… Hebrews 10:24-25

We will focus our Bible discussion on specific questions that come from the Sunday AM sermon. These questions will be sent out immediately after the sermon to all registered SG participants. We encourage and expect everyone to engage in this application of the Bible to real life.

B Build Relationships by Knowing Each Other 40 minutesMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay

down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13

We will eat together, learn about one another, share stories and fun facts, and learn to trust and depend on each other as we grow deeper in our walk with God and each other. The Sunday gathering is a great time to worship and learn. But the small group is the place to really experience and grow deep friendships.

C Care for One Another by Praying and Serving 40 minutes Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that

person gently… carry each others burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:1-3

We will share prayer requests and pray together either out loud or silently. Sometimes we will stay together, sometimes we will separate into guy and girl groups. As needs are shared, we will pray, and sometimes do more than pray, as God leads us. We will also consider a way to show God’s love to our community by selecting at least one group service project that fits our group’s gifts.

Small Groups exist to help each other grow as disciples. We apply the Bible to real life, build deeper relationships and thereby care for one another effectively as followers of Jesus Christ together.

THE HOW OF ROOT GROUPS?

SIZERoot Groups are for adults and should be no larger than twenty adults and no smaller than ten adults. Maintaining an appropriate size ensures quality interaction and optimum participation. Groups may welcome new participants at the start of any semester as long as there is room in the group for them. Root Groups are not expected to split but rather are encouraged to train up leaders who can be sent to start new groups. Ideally, the core of a group should stay together to better facilitate deeper and more meaningful relationships.

LEADERSHIPRoot Groups must be led by at least two (couples or individuals) co-leaders. We believe that teamwork motivates participation, multiplies productivity, and shares responsibilities.

Each potential Root Group leader must meet the following requirements and prerequisites before being approved as a Root Group leader.

1. Have a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

2. Be a member of Bible Baptist Church.

3. Have completed regular attendance and participation in a Root Group for at least two trimesters.

4. Demonstrate the time, emotional capacity, and moral discernment required to lead a Root Group.

5. Commit to at least one entire year (three trimesters) as a Root Group leader and sign the Leader Agreement Form.

6. Commit to Root Group training and coaching as a Root Group leader.

7. Commit to identifying and mentoring potential Root Group leaders for the seeding of future Root Groups.

Growing as Obedient Learners

The Leader’s Two Main Tasks

Live a life that is pleasing to God

Love those in your group

1 Thess 2:10-12 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who call you into His kingdom and glory.

Four Reasons We Prefer Sermon Discussion

Sermons instruct… Groups apply

Sermons impress… Groups process

Sermons unite… Groups customize

Sermons convict… Groups actionize

NEW LEADERS FOR ROOT GROUPS

When identifying potential

new leaders in training there are four qualities

to look for:

1. CharacterWhen what you see on the outside lines up with who a person is on the inside, that’s the stuff of character. And it matters, especially when it comes to leadership. You want to identify someone you can trust, and trust in, knowing they are consistent in who that are in all areas of life.

2. ChemistryNobody wants group to be awkward. Awkwardness can be avoided by identifying leaders who are naturally “people people”. Who in your current group already has good relationships formed? Who do members of your group naturally gravitate toward? Who do they seem to enjoy interacting with?

3. ContributionWho always seems to make a difference? Maybe it’s the person who asks thoughtful questions during group discussion, follows up with someone who shared a difficult prayer request, or is first to jump in with a solution when childcare falls through. Maybe it’s someone who’s known for encouragement of offers help with an eager attitude. They don’t necessarily have to be the most vocal (or loudest) contributor, but they should be someone who willingly contributes toward the goal of growing disciples who go make disciples on a personal level.

4. Capacity Stressed out, maxed out, time-crunched people are often great at getting things done for a very short period of time because they can’t say no to anything. However, this might not be the optimum season for them to add one more thing to their plate, and they probably wouldn’t end up serving the group well. Instead, we want to identify people with enough margin in their lives to be able to be fully present during group meetings and invest in group members throughout the week.

Root Group Leaders must also agree to the following expectations and responsibilities before being approved as a Root Group leader.

1. Facilitate the leadership and hosting of the group each week by making sure the group meets, stays on schedule, adequately provides childcare (if

necessary), stays focused during discussion time, and promotes participation by all group members.

2. Record and report attendance each week and follow up with any absent group members.

3. Record prayer requests, ensure they are prayed for during group prayer time, and pray for each group member throughout the week.

4. Attend all Root Group training and meet with assigned coach at least once each trimester.

5. Intentionally identify, get approval and mentor potential Root Group leaders.

TRAINING Root Group leaders will primarily be trained by participating in a Root Group for at least one year where they will be given opportunities to develop their leadership and facilitation skills as a part of an established leadership team. Upon affirmation of their group leaders, they will be recommended to their Root Group coach as a potential leader for future Root Groups.

Additional training sessions will be offered in August, January and April for Root Group leaders to learn and grow. There may also be occasional opportunities for Root Group leaders to attend a conference together.

COACHINGEach Root Group will be assigned a coach who will oversee, evaluate, troubleshoot, and offer feedback to the group leaders. Group coaches will be one of the Pastors or Elders. Root Group leaders are expected to meet with their coach at least once each trimester. Coaches will also periodically attend a Root Group to observe a leader in action.

TIMINGEach Root Group will meet weekly for three, eight to twelve-week trimesters beginning in September and concluding in late May or early June of each year. However, groups may launch at the start of any trimester depending on the availability of trained group leaders. Groups are encouraged to take the summer off, but may choose to continue to meet socially before starting up again in September.

ROOT GROUPS 2016-2017 Trimester Schedule & Breaks Leaders Training Saturday August 20, 2016 Fall Trimester Sept 18-Nov 20, 2016 (10 weeks) Holiday Break November 27-January 15 Celebration Root Fruit Sunday Jan 15, 2017 Leaders Training Saturday January 14, 2017 Winter Trimester January 22-March 26, 2017 (10 weeks) Spring Break April 2-16, 2017

Celebration Root Fruit Sunday April 2, 2017 Leaders Training Saturday April 8, 2017 Spring Trimester April 23-June 4, 2017 (7 weeks) Summer Break June 11-September 10, 2017 Celebration Root Fruit Sunday June 11, 2017

COMMITMENTEvery participant in a Root Group signs an agreement, at the launch of the group, committing to at least one complete ten-week trimester. At the end of a trimester, a participant may choose to leave the group and join a different group. Attendance is expected and tracked. Ideally, the core of a group should stay together to better facilitate deeper and more meaningful relationships. Potential members or visitors can attend a Root Group for three weeks before making a commitment.

FORMATDuring each weekly meeting, every Root Group is expected to follow the same basic two-hour format. This format is where our simple ABC group strategy will be applied: Apply the Bible, Build Relationships, Care for One Another.

Social Time (20 minutes) Greet, Snacks and Ice-Breaker Trust is built through developing deeper relationships. The relaxed, social conversation at the beginning and end of each group time is very important and should be facilitated intentionally. Group leaders are encouraged to provide group “ice-breakers” to help encourage meaningful participation by every group participant. Of course a light snack (or even a meal) is always useful when getting people together.

Sermon Discussion and Application (40 minutes)Each week, discussion questions from the Morning Worship Service message will be made available to every Root Group participant. These questions will serve as the guide for group discussion and application of the Bible. Discussion will be facilitated, but not dominated by the group leaders. There are four reasons why we use a sermon discussion based foremat:Sermons Instruct – Groups Apply Sermons Impress – Groups Process

Sermons Unite – Groups Customize Sermons Convict – Groups Actionize

Sharing and Prayer Time (40 minutes)Each week will also include a dedicated and extended time of celebrating God’s goodness and sharing requests for prayer. This important time must be carefully guarded and valued. Group leaders will make sure to leave adequate time for prayer and praises.

Social Time (20 minutes)Make sure to leave time at the end of the group gathering for conversation and continued development of deeper relationships with one another.

CHILDCAREEach Root Group is expected to provide their own childcare. This childcare may be done through the hiring of a babysitter, or by two adult participants taking turns watching the children each week. This is a unique way to build relationships with and get to know one another’s families. Anyone providing childcare for a Root Group must be appropriately screened, cleared and trained to work with children according to the church’s Children and Youth Safety System.

GROUP SEEDINGRoot Groups are multiplied based on the availability of trained leadership. Once potential leaders have been mentored and experienced the group environment for themselves,

they will be given the opportunity to seed a new group with a team of individuals or couples. Root Groups are not expected to split, but rather are encouraged to train up leaders who can be sent to start new groups.

STARTING A NEW GROUP

1. Identify co-leaders. Each Root Group must have at least two (couples or individuals) co-leaders. Root Groups will not be allowed to form or continue if proper leadership is not in place.

2. Enlist and recruit members. Root Groups may be formed by invitation or sign-up sheet. Remember, Root Groups are for adults and should be no larger than twenty adults and no smaller than ten adults.

3. Decide and communicate when (day and time) and where to meet. Meeting time should be agreed upon by all Root Group members. This can be done by phone or email prior to the first meeting, or established at a pre-trimester gathering.

4. Schedule meeting location(s) (i.e. host homes, reserve church space) and snack/food providers.

5. Agree upon and schedule childcare (if needed). Establish an affordable and sustainable plan (i.e. paid babysitter, parent rotation).

6. Distribute Root Group Agreement. Every participant in a Root Group signs an agreement, at the launch of the group, committing to at least one complete ten-week trimester. At the end of a trimester, a participant may choose to leave the group and join a different group.

7. Prepare for week one by printing the provided discussion questions, planning an interactive ice breaker, confirming host location, snack provider, and childcare.

Welcome to Small Groups at Bible Baptist Church. We rejoice in your desire to grow as a disciple so you can go make disciples! We believe the small group connection will have a

Growing as Obedient Learners ROOT GROUP

GROUP AGREEMENT FORM

significant impact in your growing deeper in your walk with God and other followers of Christ. As a member of a Small Group, you will be asked to enter into an agreement with the other members to make this group a priority and to make the following commitments for the next trimester:

1. I will make this next Root Group Trimester a high priority by attending every week and participating openly in group discussion. I will call the leader ahead of time if I am going to be late or absent.

2. I will work at getting to know my RG members and build relationships by being honest, showing care, giving encouragement and praying for their needs. I will keep anything shared in RG confidential unless need requires it be brought to the attention of legal or church authorities.

3. I will regularly attend services at BBC and contribute to the ministry of the church through my attendance and investment and by inviting others to join my group if they aren’t involved in another RG.

4. I will honestly explore my own next steps for spiritual growth as a follower of Christ.

NAME __________________________________ DATE ______________________

Thanks for serving as a SG leader at BBC. Your role as SG leader gives you significant influence in the lives of many. You are taking on a leadership role in the life of the church and therefore are asked to enter into this agreement with your fellow SG leaders making this common commitment together.

ROOT GROUP

LEADER AGREEMENT FORM

1. I will embody and reflect the teaching, vision and values of Bible Baptist Church and follow the leadership of its lead team.

2. I will faithfully attend BBC on Sunday mornings and intentionally seek out and greet those in my SG, as well as others outside my SG.

3. I will make my SG a priority bya. Faithfully attending my groupb. Preparing early and well for my group every week

c. Inviting/welcoming others to join my group when openings occur

4. I understand that I am responsible for the care of my SG. As a result I willa. Pray for every individual in my SGb. Maintain contact and follow-up with every individual in my groupc. Lead my group in providing care for one another in our SG

5. I will work to create an environment of growth in my group bya. Involving as many people as possible in group discussionb. Fostering a safe, comfortable and welcoming environmentc. Beginning and ending on time each week

Name ___________________________________ Date________________

RG Leaders: Stage of Life Leaders in Training: _______________________

Sign up individually for accurate count

ROOT GROUP

Sign Up Sheet

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Group Leader’s Names _______________________________________We strive to improve our SG ministry and we need and value your help in doing so. Near the end of each SG Trimester we

ask for your feedback as an SG member. This information will help your SG leaders as well as your SG family. Please be honest so we can evaluate our strengths and weaknesses and make real improvement in our next SG trimester.

THE GROUPOne of the things you’ve most enjoyed or found most helpful this trimester is:

On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (great) please rate the following for your SG___ Applying the Bible to real life Bible discussion time (40 minutes) ___ Building Relationships Ice Breaker/Food (40 minutes)___ Care and Accountability Prayer (40 minutes)___ Overal group experience (entire group time)

END OF TRIMESTER

ROOT GROUP FEEDBACK FORM

___ Outside activities (Service projects/Get-togethers beyond SG time)

Please comment and explain any 1s or 5s

Is the length of each section of SG appropriate? ___Yes ___ No Explain:

Has your SG helped you grow in any of the following ways? (check any that apply)__ Weekly encouragement to stay focused on Jesus and following Him__ Read the bible and make real life application beyond the Sunday gathering__ Make and process life choices this last Trimester__ Encouragement and support in life’s challenges and difficulties__ Other ways - comment below

Other suggestions for improving your SG experience:

MY LEADERSSome things you’ve appreciated most about your SG leaders are:

Optional: Tear off below and hand in separately to your leaders

MY PLANS For the next trimester I am planning to…___ Stay in this same SG___ Take a Trimester off from SG___ Try out a new SG

Your Name: _______________________________________________________

5 common small-group myths and the truth to help transform your group

Small groups increasingly play a significant part in the body life of many congregations. No matter why your church has small groups, it’s clear that not everyone in your church will enter into these groups with the same expectations. In fact, it’s more likely that everyone will join a small group with wildly different expectations. Some join a small group to connect at the church. They’re new to town and know relatively few people, so they join a small group. Or perhaps your church intentionally funnels people into small groups so that they can better be cared for. Your pastors and elders use the small group infrastructure to shepherd the flock. Or perhaps your church has small groups to train your people to grow in godliness and to reach their lost neighbors and friends. Those are all legitimate reasons to have small groups. Yet the church must be clear about the vision, mission, and main purpose of their small groups.

What you believe about why you are in a small group will dictate how you behave in that group. It’s important for a church to be clear why small groups exist. Do they exist to connect, shepherd, and reach unbelievers or to support one another? Are they some combination of those different things? What you believe about your small group will dictate how you approach potential problems when they arise. For example, if you buy a house knowing it will be a fixer-upper, then you approach that faux wood paneling in the

family room as an opportunity to upgrade and improve. Whereas if you buy your dream house and find out the basement floods, you’re pretty disappointed and discouraged. Similarly, be clear from the beginning about the vision and values of your church small groups.

I would suggest that a healthy small group is committed to studying and applying God’s Word within the context of Christian community in order to grow as witnesses of Jesus in our respective spheres of influence. At our church, we summarize this goal as “transformation in community for witness.” But whether your small groups are mainly to help believers grow or mainly missional, here are five small group myths that I’ve encountered over the years that need correcting.

Myth 1. A successful small group will not be relationally messy.While most people wouldn’t explicitly say so, they expect their small group be without relational

messiness. They go in thinking that these people will be their best friends (more on that later), and when they find out they’re nothing alike they wonder if they’re in the right group. When someone in the group is passive aggressive or talks way too much about politics, you’re looking for the closest exit. Yet the reality is that small groups are composed of sinners all along the same journey of faith. They're going to get messy relationally, which is precisely why we have the gospel of grace that shows us how we ought to be long suffering and humble toward one another (Phil. 2:1-11).Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Life Together:

The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and to try to realize it. But God’s grace speedily shatters such dreams. Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves.

Truth: Small groups are where the grace of God overcomes all types of relational messiness through the blood of Jesus.

Myth 2: Small groups exist for others to meet my needs.Don’t misunderstand. It is a wonderful blessing that our relational needs can be met by one another in small groups. It’s a good thing that if you don’t feel connected, or know anyone, you can join a small group and meet others at the church. But the overarching reality is that small groups exist for you to love God by loving his body, the church. Small groups exist for you to love others with the love of Christ. This is a radically different orientation than expecting others to meet your needs. And when we all have this aim—to love each other with the love of Christ—then we do meet each other’s needs.Truth: Small groups exist for you to love and serve others with the love of Christ.

Myth 3. Trust and transparency take many years to cultivate in a small group.Consider Acts 2 and how the believers had all things in common, making sure none was in need, breaking bread together, praising God together. How long had they known each other? They probably had been in community for a couple of weeks or maybe months, but not much longer. The reality is that more time together doesn’t always mean more trust and transparency. That just tends to be an excuse. Stepping into a small group, where the expectations are properly set, significant trust can be cultivated from day one.

What prevents you from opening up? Perhaps it’s shame over your sin, embarrassment that your marriage is struggling, or heartbreak over your wayward children. This is precisely what the gospel addresses. Christ took the wrath of God at Calvary and with it took our shame, condemnation, and fear of man. We can in fact be open and honest about where we are with God, because God is actively at work in us to conform us to his image.Truth: Trust and transparency are fruits of recognizing we are all recipients of God’s abundant grace for the forgiveness of sins.

Myth 4. Small group members should become best friends.Certain expectations are embedded into this myth—idealistic visions of taking vacations together, our kids growing up and marrying each other, attending each other’s birthday parties. While it would be a wonderful blessing if members of the same small group did become lifelong friends, the New Testament is nearly silent on the importance of friendship as a basis for love. Rather, our unity in Christ is the foundation and basis for our sacrificial love for one another. Ephesians 2:11-22 is about how Christ demolishes the hostility between Jew and Gentile. Jews and Gentiles may not have been “BFFs” in the first century, but by the unifying work of Jesus on the cross they could be members of the same body. Is this not amazing? Similarly, the blood of Christ unifies us to be members of Christ’s body, committed to encourage, build up, and love one another.Truth: Small groups are united by the blood of Christ and members of one body.

Myth 5. Small groups should focus only on Bible study, not sharing sins or engaging in outreach.Small groups that truly focus on Christ and his Word will inevitably get to how the gospel changes our life in all ways (sin, parenting, marriage, singleness, work, and so on) and to how we can share our faith. If your Bible study isn’t helping you to change into Jesus’s likeness you’re doing it wrong. If your study of the Bible doesn’t make you hate your sin more, ask for help in conquering it, and make you want to share your faith, you’re doing it wrong. Unfortunately, some small groups hide behind Bible study in order to avoid talking about the deeper heart issues that the gospel aims to address. If we truly allow God’s Word to speak, it must speak into our lives so that we confront our sin, strive to serve one another, and make intentional efforts to share this good news with the lost in our spheres of influence.Truth: Small groups focus on how the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms us as his disciples who grow in holiness and as witnesses of his truth.

These five common myths underline a greater goal: the gospel must be central in the vision and mission of your group. If your group exists to meet your personal needs, then when it begins to fall short you go looking for the next group. But if the group exists as a microcosm of the church, where people of all types gather at the foot of the cross, then challenges, sin, and brokenness are an opportunity to apply the gospel of Christ.