Creating Community part cinq

Creating Community part cinq

(Taken from Bread for the Journey blog - http://www.george24.blogspot.com/Check it out !)

I left our small group last night with mixed emotions. I was on the one hand excited about those who were genuinely interested in starting a small group (our small group was a "turbo" group that was created so that couples could come together to experience small group with the possibility of starting one this fall. We had our usual fun time together sharing, connecting and praying together.

On the other hand, it was sad, because it was the last time that we will together on a consistent basis as a group.

Relationships were formed, bonds were created.

We prayed and Alex got a new job.

We ministered to Dan and Barb when Dan's dad passed away.

We prayed with Matt and Elizabeth concerning some extended family issues.

To be candid with you, that might not have happened if we weren't in relationship, connecting with each other.

Here's some observations we came away with from our group (not in any order):
Keep the group small
Let the group evolve to its own purpose
Relationships are the purpose
Be flexible as to attendance
Find ways to reach those who don't know Christ is select settings and times outside of regular small group meetings
Be vulnerable (vulnerability brings forth vulnerability)
Don't worry if the house if perfect or not
Use paper plates
Just do it!
Learn as you go
Each small group meeting can be different

Now then, let's summarize the section five of Andy Stanley's book, Creating community.

This section is entitled, "processes need reality".Stanley writes, "we must make a distinction between a person who leads a group meeting and a person who leads a group."

A person who leads a group meeting can be anyone in the group who is comfortable with navigating the discussion.

He writes, "because of this, we encourage our groups to rotate responsibility for leading the discussion" (which we did in our small group with a lot of success).

A person who leads or oversees a group, on the other hand, is someone who meets five reasonable criteria.

1. Leaders have to be connected. Connected to First Assembly.

2. Leaders need character.

3. Leaders must embrace our groups culture, that "relational" is the word to describe where we want to be at First Assembly.

4. Leaders must have good chemistry with other leaders

5. Leaders need to have a level of competence.

The role of the leader is simply to serve as a shepherd in two ways: by faciliating the group and by monitoring the group.

This has to do with process issues, such as where the group is headed, when and where the group meets, who is leading the group and what the group will be studying. Also....People issues, such as how connected people are feeling, how openly people are sharing, how much people are growing, and whether the group is poised to multiply.

Stanley goes on to write that we don't need more information to start a small group, we simply need to apply what we know.

We have so brainwashed the church that we think to effectively minister we must sit in rows and fill a notebook with ideas and "learn" the concepts before we serve.

BUT THAT DOES NOT WORK IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS!

I quote, "people need to be trained around the core principles they need to know, not an endless amount of information that is nice for them to know."

What are the six essentials we need to know?

1. Think life change. The purpose of a small group is to see life change.

2. Cultivate relationships. Relationships are like bank accounts: They require regular, intentional deposits.

3. Promote participation

4. Replace yourself As leaders, we train leaders while we lead.

5. Provide care.

6. Multiply influence...Multiply!

Finally, Stanley writes that we must set up for success.

We set ourselves up by success by focusing on the few things we do really well and keeping our church's strategy simple.

We don't try to do everything.

I quote, "if a ministry isn't a step toward community, we don't do it."

wow.

Let me end this series on a personal note.

I am convinced that this is the direction we need to go as a church family. I know that not everybody will get excited about small groups (that's not my expectation level), and I know that small group ministry is not perfect.

But it's biblical, personal, relational and takes up beyond our own personal comfort zones to a lifestyle of truly living our faith.

Isn't that what it's all about?

Creating Community part quatre

Creating Community part quatre


(Taken from Bread for the Journey blog - http://www.george24.blogspot.com/Check it out !)

Mike Yaconelli in his book, "Messy Spirituality" writes:"

Spirituality is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection. The way of the spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality, not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws, but because we let go of seeking perfection and instead seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives. Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God's being present in the mess of our unfixedness."

Connection is so very important in our culture today. People want to connect. That's not the issue. The issue is breaking us all out of our apathy and lethargy to connect. Connection costs. It costs our time and effort.

Andy Stanley writes, "As important as small groups are in executing our strategy, it all falls apart if people have a difficult time connecting. If they cannot get into a group, then we cannot deliver on the benefits of a group."

So true.

Let's again ask the questions:What do we want people to become?
What do we want people to do?
Where do we want them to go?

This is done in steps, incrementally. There are three different "locations" to describe our environments that can connect people relationally and help move them into small groups.

Stanley calls it their, "foyer to kitchen" strategy.

Like the rooms of a house, the environments of the church function for different purposes to help people connect.

We desire that people go from the foyer as a guest, to our living room as a friend, to our kitchen as family. We desire that our small groups connect to the extent that people have "refrigerator rights," as Randall Neighbor said.

Let's go to the foyer. Foyers are to be designed to change people's minds about church. Most people today don't have a problem with God, they have a problem with the church. They view the church as being irrelevant to their everyday lives.

The foyer would be our worship services on Sunday mornings.

We must continually stay relevant to where people are!

Then there is the living room. Our living rooms are medium-sized environments designed to change people's minds about connecting.

This would be our adult electives and other smaller settings where people begin to get to know one another.

Then there is the kitchen table.

The kitchen table is often where life's most meaningful conversations take place.

It's where we being to feel like family.

Small groups are to be designed to change people's minds about their priorities, as Stanley writes, "that through the activity of God and the influence of their group, their priorities and God's priorities will line up; that over time, their lives will change."

One of the barriers to participating in a small group is the decision-making process of deciding where we fit in.

Some people fear they will be trapped if they join a group..That after a few weeks, the group will not be what they wanted or expected and it will be too late...They will be STUCK.

As Stanley writes, "and so for the next eighteen to twenty-four months, they will be condemned to group hell."

North Point Church has 8 week "starter" groups, which is a group that "dates" for 8 weeks. If the group gels, they continue on for the entire covenant period as a fully functioning community group. If it doesn't no hard feelings. No questions ask.

Let me ask you these question and try to generate some response. How can we do this at First Assembly of God.

How can we help people overcome this fear?How can we get folks to join a small group while overcoming the barriers of feeling trapped by the commitment levels involved?

What are some barriers for people getting into a small group?

Why is establishing clear expectations form the beginning so important for a group's success? How could you do this effectively in your setting?

Creating Community part trois

Creating Community part trois


(Taken from Bread for the Journey blog - http://www.george24.blogspot.com/Check it out !)

Now then, what is going to be our strategy?

Andy Stanley asks the question: When people think of your organization, what is the word they will associate with it?

Another question is: What do we want it to be?

Are we an "evangelistic" church?

Are we a "worship" church?

Are we a "doctrinal" church?

Are we a "recovery" church?Are we a "service" church?

Or are we a combination of any of these?

What is "our" word?

What we are seeking is to be a "relational" church.

We desire to emphasize our relationship with God, intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders.

In the pursuit of these relationships:

Some come to faith
People worship
Truth is taught
the broken recover
and material needs are met.

We want to "do" ministry in the context of relationship in communities, as Stanley writes, "not on committees."

Churches need strategy. And I agree that finding our "word" is a great place to start in defining what our strategy will be.

So...let's go on.

How do we choose our strategy (our plan of action..Intended to accomplish a specific goal)."

A great strategy is simple to understand and easy to implement.

I understand the philosophy of "seeing people saved" at church.

I lived that for almost 20 years of being a pastor.

I still desire to "see people saved" at church.

Sometimes, however, people want to belong before they are willing to believe.

As Stanley writes, "they want to "taste and see" if it is good before they are willing to jump in.

Why small groups?

Groups decentralize church leadership and care. Our groups gives us many shepherds in our church, not just a few.

Groups enable more people to serve.

Groups help develop authentic community.

Groups offer maximum flexibility.

This point is especially important for group leaders who might be experiencing burnout.

Groups members can schedule their own meetings times around their personal schedules. No one is tied down to meeting at one time on one particular day. The group can meet on the day they choose.

Some might meet once a week, some twice a month, some once a month.

Groups don't only offer flexibility when they meet, but also where they meet. They can meet anywhere or, if they so choose, they can rotate meeting locations to avoid burnout on one specific leader.

Groups allow us to be better stewards.

Groups remove the primary limits to growth.

What is the overall goal of a small group? Multiplication! Multiplication in the short term is hard, but in the long term is very profitable. Like every living thing, every group has a life cycle (Randall Neighbor said 18 months). Every group eventually comes to an end.

That's why one of our ultimate goals is to start a group so that other groups might be started!

Stuff to chew on.....

Creating Community part deux

Creating Community part deux


(Taken from Bread for the Journey blog - http://www.george24.blogspot.com/Check it out !)

I read a quote this morning when I sat down to my desk: "We are not put on this earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you."

Jesus put it like this, "give and it will be given to you."

In other words, when I open myself up to relationship with others, I receive relationship and community in return.It costs doesn't it.

It costs our time and effort, but are the rewards great or what!

We talked yesterday about the dream that God has for all of us - to live in community. Today let's ask the question. What are some of the things we need to consider to make God's dream a reality? What are some strategies that allow the prayer of Jesus (that we might be one) to be experienced by more and more people?

Well, we must clarify our goal. What is the point of our church? We can get so busy as a church family and get caught up in the "tyranny of the urgent."

Let's ask ourselves these three questions:

1. What do we want people to become? In other words what do we want the result of our small groups to be?

A lot of churches are either skill-based churches (people becoming proficient and effective in certain skills. There are classes, seminars, courses, conference, training, and lots of it. And "lots of it," is better right? Or not?

A lot of churches are Bible-knowledge churches. Their core purpose is to help people become biblically literate. Let me quote Andy Stanley, "on the surface, this seems to be a very noble goal. What church that believes in the divine inspiration of the Bible doesn't want its people to be biblically literate...But in and of themselves, I would suggest they aren't the goal."

What is our goal? Jesus said it well in Matthew 28 to, "...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 everything I have commanded you."

We are to make disciples. And here's an important quote from Andy, "Jesus was saying that as we go through the NORMAL STUFF OF LIFE - as we go to work, interact with our friends, and do all the things we normally do - our purpose is to relationally connect with people in such a way that it encourages them to follow Christ.

2. What do we want people to do?

The first question is the what? The second is the how?

We want people to love God and love people. Jesus said to, "love the Lord your God with all your heart...And love your neighbor as yourself."

This is not a one time love but a love that shows itself on a continual, daily basis.

I would suggest to you that spiritual growth is not one more seminar or conference but a process measured by demonstrative growth in our love for God and for others. I quote, "it is not a complete program or the acquisition of a skill, but a continual expression of love in our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationships with one another. Saying spiritual maturity is a point in time is like saying physical fitness is a point in time."

Intimacy in any relationship just doesn't happen.

So we are to love others within our church family, and those outside our church family.

What do we want people to become? We want them to grow in their relationship with Christ. What do we want people to do? Continually pursue three vital relationships - intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders.

3. Where do we want people to go?

What is "home plate" for our church?

Is it a "class" where someone learns more?Is it a service group that impacts the community or an area inside the church?Is it a doctrinal seminar for new members?

All of these of good in and of themselves.Or is it a small group where people are relating and growing in Christ together?

What do we want people to become? People growing in their relationship Jesus Christ?

What do we want people to do? Pursue three vital relationships. Where do we want people to go? Into a small group.

Love God and Love people!

Creating Community

(Taken from Bread for the Journey blog - http://www.george24.blogspot.com/
Check it out !)

Andy Stanley has a great little book out called, "Creating community - 5 keys to building a small group culture."

Great book.

I like his quote on the flyleaf of the book, "small groups are not an appendage to our ministry; they ARE our ministry. We think groups. We are driven by groups."

This is the direction we are headed in as a church.

Let's summarize the 5 keys in the next 5 days, taking a key a day.

Key number one: People need community.

Stanley talks about going to Starbucks and finding a card there that they give employees that states on the front of the card, "create community. Make a difference in someone's day." On the back of the card it states, "When you work at Starbucks, you can make a difference in someone's day by creating an environment where neighbors and friends can get together and reconnect while enjoying a great coffee experience."

Wouldn't it be interesting to have a card that we hand out at our church that says on the front, "create community. Make a difference in someone's day."

And then on the back it could say, "When you come to First Assembly, you can make a difference in someone's day by creating an environment where neighbors and friends can get together and reconnect while enjoying the presence of God."

People are lonely. I am around people all day, every day, and yet there are times in the midst of a crowd that I feel lonely. I don't think I'm the only one. The only way to overcome loneliness is to connect with others on a deeper level.

Stanley writes, "We are a culture carving relationship. In the midst of our crowded existence, many of us are living lonely lives. We live and work in a sea of humanity, but we end up missing out on the benefits of regular, meaningful relationships."

God intended from the very beginning that we live in relationship with others. When we aren't in meaningful relationship, we suffer natural consequences, whether we realize it or not.

We lose perspective on life.
We begin to fear intimacy
We become selfish
We begin to experience poor health.

Stanley writes, "Living life alone does not accurately reflect the One whose image we bear."

Henry Cloud writes, "God created us with a hunger for relationship-for relationship with him and with our fellow people. At our very core we are relational beings."

One of God's biggest dreams for us is authentic community.

Did you know that God has a dream for you?

Jesus prayed in John 17, .....protect them by the power of your name - the name you gave me - so that they may be ONE as we are one."

God desires that we be one.

God desires that we truly live out our faith, being real with one another in authenticity and truth.

Jesus goes on to pray in John 17:21, "so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

Wow....the greatest "apologetic", as Francis Schaeffer writes, is Christian community."

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another," Jesus said.

That's what God has called the church to be about: creating environments where authentic community can take place.

Getting It All Together

Check out the view from here !

You should be up here, seeing it the way I see it !

The GroupLink Chain

Here's another picture riddle !
A friend said that my pictures are too easy.
O.K., here's a harder one !
Let's have a deep discussion about why I chose to post this picture !