Life Groups
We are getting our small group program underway (called Life Groups). It has been amazing to see God just provide through all my stress... We have decided to do small groups in a different way than most and are taking some hints from Saddleback and North Point Church and moving them into homes rather than having them on the church campus. This has been an interesting expereiment, and has taken a ton of extra work and contact with host homes, teachers and small group leaders. It has been so rad as God has litterally opened doors to amazing families and homes to give students a place to connect and grow. We are so excited about our Life Group Launch on October 4th. It will be a blast with a big night of worship fun and small group connection. We are praying that we have 100 students hooked up in small groups this year, because we believe that spiritual growth happens best in that context.
We have made the Life Group program the "win" for our ministry. It is our prayer and desire that students move from casual attender to committed member of a small group, and we feel that we have not done our job effectivly until our students are "Connected in a Life group with other Christ-following students and a caring adult." That is the goal of our organization and the way we attempt to accomplish the mission that God has entrusted with us.
It is such an amazing phenomenon, as students begin to connect they are more readily unleashed to DO the work of the church. This is why small groups are so key for us, because they directly relate to evangelism and ministry. We care so much about going somewhere as a ministry and not just being a place, but a movement, that we have put all our chips on our students. It will be an exciting ride.
So here is how we are doing it: We are actively marketing this as the goal of our ministry. We are using signage and consistant publicity to give students as many entry points into groups between now and October 4th, which is our launch. We are having an entire weekend service revolving around the importance of small groups and we are creating resources to assimilate students into groups that are targeted to their age, school and specific needs. In "Creating Community" Bill Willits describes how the "closed group" model most effectively allows leaders to care for small group members and growth to happen because there exists a level of dependability among members of the group. So we have, in our own way, adopted this idea of a closed group, so as students sign up for groups, they are committed for the year, and the groups do not add members, but are closed, to provide the feeling of a family. If students want to invite friends, we encourage them to bring the to a more targeted program for their unchurched friends, such as a Reach Night or a Weekend Service. We are excited to see how God will use our efforts in this approach to help students connect to each other and grow in real fellowship and authenticity through our Life Groups.
We have made the Life Group program the "win" for our ministry. It is our prayer and desire that students move from casual attender to committed member of a small group, and we feel that we have not done our job effectivly until our students are "Connected in a Life group with other Christ-following students and a caring adult." That is the goal of our organization and the way we attempt to accomplish the mission that God has entrusted with us.
It is such an amazing phenomenon, as students begin to connect they are more readily unleashed to DO the work of the church. This is why small groups are so key for us, because they directly relate to evangelism and ministry. We care so much about going somewhere as a ministry and not just being a place, but a movement, that we have put all our chips on our students. It will be an exciting ride.
So here is how we are doing it: We are actively marketing this as the goal of our ministry. We are using signage and consistant publicity to give students as many entry points into groups between now and October 4th, which is our launch. We are having an entire weekend service revolving around the importance of small groups and we are creating resources to assimilate students into groups that are targeted to their age, school and specific needs. In "Creating Community" Bill Willits describes how the "closed group" model most effectively allows leaders to care for small group members and growth to happen because there exists a level of dependability among members of the group. So we have, in our own way, adopted this idea of a closed group, so as students sign up for groups, they are committed for the year, and the groups do not add members, but are closed, to provide the feeling of a family. If students want to invite friends, we encourage them to bring the to a more targeted program for their unchurched friends, such as a Reach Night or a Weekend Service. We are excited to see how God will use our efforts in this approach to help students connect to each other and grow in real fellowship and authenticity through our Life Groups.
posted by Kurt and Katie at
4:38 PM
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