Life Group Playbook
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LIFE GROUP Live Connected (5 months) 1) Next Steps – 2-6 weeks 2) Starting Point Series – 7 weeks 3) Trust Christ Outcome – 3 weeks 4) Soul Revolution – 6 weeks * Grow Pastor visit to do Ask & Close * Overnight or a Saturday to share stories Additional Resources: http://www.gatewaychurch.com/lifegroupleader Be Transformed (19 months) 5) Start the 10 remaining Selected Outcomes 6) Complete 6 Group Selected Outcomes * Reflect, Celebrate, Anticipate after each set of 3 or 4 Outcomes LIFE GROUP Life Groups are at the very heart of Gateway and speak to the value we call “Be Transformed.” Nobody stumbles into spiritual maturity. It’s the fruit of God's’ work, our choices, and trusted community. The aim of a Life Group is to intentionally pursue spiritual maturity through a deepening relationship with Jesus that results in a multiplying effect of sending others to do the same. Life Groups are not for the spiritually elite; it doesn’t matter how much or how little of the Bible you know. Life Groups are for anyone who chooses to do the work that growing and maturing require. DISCOVER In the discover season, we work toward a single spiritual outcome: Trust Christ* DEVELOP Love God: Love God: Surrender Relate to God Self-Feeding Trust God Build Character: Obey God* Wisdom Worship God Steadiness and Perseverance Study God* Love People: Build Character: Sacrifice Stay Connected to God's Spirit* Faithfulness New Creation* Be the Body: Spiritual Disciplines Ministry Confession Multiplication* Freedom* Love People: Relationally Engaged *= Selected Outcome Peacemaker* Build Others Humility* Self-Awareness* Be the Body: Serve Spiritual Gifts Financial Generosity* Outreach Intercession DEEPEN LIFE GROUP Spiritual Maturity is the Point Colossians 1:28-29 “He (Christ) is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend.” Paul strenuously worked to help people become mature in Christ. The Life Group environment is the space we created where this can happen. Ephesians 4:1,13-14 “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received…become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body.” Maturity is the goal. Living more fully in who God designed us to be. Notice the contrasts in the following verses: Luke 8:14-15 “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those people who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil (the person that does mature) stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by enduring produce a crop.” Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and intensely reaching forward to what is ahead.” Hebrews 5:12 “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” “No one stumbles into Spiritual Maturity.” Dallas Willard 1 Timothy 4:8 “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Paul compared godliness to physical training for a reason. Maturity requires our attention and takes intense effort! 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Multiplication is both a result and a means of being Spiritually Mature. LIFE GROUP THE STORY OF A LIFE GROUP A Life Group is an unfolding story of people finding life and freedom in Christ for themselves and others. CHANGE YOUR WORLD BE TRANSFORMED LIVE CONNECTED COME AS YOU ARE PREFACE CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 Invitation Create Create Create Cultivate Cultivate Equip for Community Loving Transparent 11 Selected 6 Group ~ Ministry and Multiplication Community Community Spiritual Grace ~ Selected Outcomes Spiritual Giving Strangers ~ ~ Community to Acquaintances Friends Outcomes Acquaintances to to Friends Transparency Next Steps Starting Point Soul Revolution Commissioning, Serving starting New Life Groups Deepen Outcomes 5 19 ongoing months months Ask & Close Key principles that Define and Distinguish a Life Group (from a small group, bible study) Intentional Becomes a Movement that Multiplies = Life Groups Life Groups have a clear target = Pursues Spiritual are the primary way that we spiritually mature people, Maturity who become spiritual leaders, who will develop new Community is a means and byproduct but not the life groups that will spiritually mature people, who main target. become spiritual leaders, that will develop new life groups….it’s how we spiritual care for and grow the Method = how you journey along the path matters: whole church. location - environment - meeting frequency – size of group - clarity of purpose – Transferable = “Able to be transferred, especially to format (guided conversations vs teaching) someone else’s ownership. To cause to pass from one person to another, as thought, qualities, or power”. Ask and Close = accepted the invitation to “do the Matt 28:20, 2 Tim 2:2 work” to mature (spiritual maturity is never Method, materials, destination all done in such a way accidental) Heb 12:5-13, Phil 2:12-13 that once you’ve experienced it, you are able to pass it on yourself. There’s no need to create something new Materials = focused Spiritual Outcomes and or go get “expert training”. Simply take others handpicked resources through the same experience you went through yourself LIFE GROUP Change Your World LIVE CONNECTED: 5-7 months 4 weeks : Next Steps from message series 6 weeks : Soul Revolution (Life Group Alliance) 7 weeks : Starting Point CHRISTMAS BREAK / SUMMER BREAK 3 weeks : Trust Christ : All together not HW assigned 1 week : Ask and Close - Story weekend (weekend) BE TRANSFORMED: 17-19 months total (includes 6 months of Summer Connect) 11 selected outcomes (below), 6 group selected outcomes, and 5x RCA (reflect, celebrate, anticipate) Love God: Love People • Study God • Peacemaker • Obey God • Humility Build Character • Self Awareness • Stay Connected to God’s Be The Body Spirit • Financial Generosity • New Creation • Multiplication • Freedom Sample Schedule for February Launch: Months 1-12 (February launch) Months 13-24 (February launch) February – message series (4wks) February – 6 of 11 March – Starting Point (7wks) March 7 of 11 April – Starting Point April – 8 of 11 / 9 of 11 May – Trust Christ [1 of 11] (3wks) May – 10 of 11 June – Soul Revolution (6wks) / Summer June – RCA / Summer Connect Connect July – Summer Connect July – Summer Connect August – Summer Connect August – Summer Connect September – 11 of 11 / Outcome A September – Soul Revolution / RCA October – Outcome A / Outcome B October – Ask and Close / 2 of 11 November – RCA / Outcome C November 3 of 11 December – Outcome D / BREAK December – 4 of 11 / BREAK January – Outcome E / RCA / Deepen January – 5 of 11 / RCA LIFE GROUP Sample for September Launch: Months 1-12 (September launch) Months 13-24 (September launch) September – message series (4wks) September – 5 of 11 October – Starting Point (7wks) October – 6 of 11 / 7 of 11 November – Starting Point November – 8 of 11 December – Trust Christ [1 of 11] (3wks) / BREAK December – 9 of 11 / RCA January – Soul Revolution (6wks) January – 10 of 11 February – Soul Revolution / RCA February – 11 of 11 / Outcome A March – Ask and Close / 2 of 11 March – Outcome A / Outcome B / RCA April – 3 of 11 April – Outcome C / Outcome D May – 4 of 11 May – Outcome D / Outcome E June – RCA / Summer Connect June – RCA / Deepen Phase / Summer Connect July – Summer Connect July – Summer Connect August – Summer Connect August – Summer Connected LIFE GROUP Change Your World Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Multiplication is both a result and a means of being Spiritually Mature 7 groups x 10 = 70 people in groups, 2 people per group that will start new groups 2 x 7 = 14 new groups = 12 groups that will make it = 120 people in groups (3 years) 2 x 12 = 24 new groups = 20 groups that will make it = 200 people in groups (6 years) 2 x 20 = 40 new groups = 38 groups that will make it = 380 people in groups (9 years) 2 x 38 = 76 new groups = 75 groups that will make it = 750 people in groups (12 years) [Total of 1,520 in groups in 12 years] 7 groups x 10 = 70 people in groups, 3 people