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Small Groups Module 4 New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator

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

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Small Groups Module 4 New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator

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  1. Small GroupsModule 4New York Conference Vital Congregations Incubator November 18-19, 2011

  2. 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 • Describe various audiences for small groups • Assess current small groups and classes offered in your congregation • Analyze gaps and set priorities for new small groups and classes

  3. 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).

  4. Loving

  5. Formation Questions • Since we last met, how have you experienced the presence of God? • With whom have you met in your congregation to work on goals? • What are you learning about being a spiritual leader?

  6. Homework Review • Tell about the responses you received to sharing success stories from chapter 4 of Unbinding the Gospel. • 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?

  7. Learning

  8. 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 Formation Jane 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

  9. The soul and the body make a [person]; the spirit and discipline make a Christian. Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity Sermon 122, 1789 John Wesley

  10. Entry Points for Small Groups • Belonging • Believing • Behaving

  11. Faith Formation • Cultivating identity • Discovering purpose • Making meaning • Mature faith • Extending God’s kingdom • Connecting the church’s inner life and outer work • Sanctification

  12. Faith Formation • Cultivating identity • Discovering purpose • Making meaning • Mature faith • Extending God’s kingdom • Connecting the church’s inner life and outer work • Sanctification

  13. Small Group Exercise • What do (group) need to know? • What do (group) need to be able to do? • What do (group) need to experience?

  14. Audiences for Small Groups • Cautious • Curious • Committed • Professing • Inviting

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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.”

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. Faith Formation “Flow”

  21. Leading

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. Nurturing Adult Faith and Discipleship Grid A Planning and Assessment Tool

  25. Blakemore UMC, Adults

  26. Blakemore UMC, Children

  27. 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.

  28. Homework • Continue working on your grid with one or two leaders from the congregation. Be prepared to share it at our next meeting. • 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. • Develop a strategy for encouraging participation in small groups. Be prepared to share it at our next meeting.

  29. Evaluation • What 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?

  30. Closing prayer Invite 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.)

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