Church Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 23

December 13, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 5

What does a mature disciple of Christ look like? Over the past decade LifeWay Research has delved into this with thousands of pastors and church leaders. Culling through the data, we discovered that strong discipleship ministries and practices could be put in eight categories. We call these eight categories the signposts along the discipleship pathway. One sign of growing disciples is that they regularly engage with Scripture.

I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here, but any who wants to grow in Christ needs to engage with His Word: reading, studying, and so forth. That’s obvious, right? After all, the bulk of most churches’ weekly schedule is worship services where the Word of God is proclaimed and Bible study groups where the Bible is studied and discussed.

The centrality and importance of Scripture in the life of churches and believers may be clear, but that does not translate into practice. The research that led us to see the importance of the Bible in the life of a maturing disciple also showed us that too few believers are actually engaging with Scripture as they should. When asked how often they read the Bible—not as part of a church worship service—19 percent said “every day,” 26 percent said “a few times a week,” 14 percent said “once a week,” 22 percent said “once a month” or “a few times a month,” and 18 percent said “rarely/never.”

Simply reading the Bible does not equate discipleship, (althuogh it’s a good starting point). Yet 40 percent of believers are not even reading it once a week. For a person to become a maturing disciple, he must regularly and consistently get his nose in God’s Word.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Paul told us why we should engage with Scripture: it’s God’s Word to us! That’s reason enough, but Paul also pointed out how the Word benefits us.

The Word of God teaches. Through the pages of Scripture, God has revealed Himself. We see what He is like and how He has worked throughout history. We see His purpose and plans for us. As God reveals who He is, we also see ourselves: both our sinful fallen state and who we can be through Jesus Christ.

The Word of God rebukes. Because Scripture reveals God’s law, commands, and will for our lives, it also reveals our sin and rebukes us. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to convict us.

The Word of God corrects. The purpose of the Spirit’s convicting work is to bring us back to Him. Scripture reviews God’s plan of salvation that corrects the course we’re on and brings us into a relationship with Him. God’s Word continues to correct us as believers when we stumble and sin. It puts us back on the right path and helps us stay there.

The Word of God trains us in righteousness. God’s Word does more than just correct us; it helps us move forward and grow to become more and more like Christ.

Engaging with Scripture means allowing God’s Word to work in our lives in these four ways. Maturing believers don’t just read it to know what it says; they seek to let it change them. To live by the truth and precepts of Scripture is to increasing become more like Christ.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Engage with Scripture.

Preach the Word. Go deep. Don’t just read a passage and then get on with a sermon that never refers back to the passage! Lead the congregation to engage fully with the passage, seeing both its context and connection to their lives.

Promote Bible study. Whether you call it small groups, life groups, Sunday School, or That Thing We Do Before Worship, challenge every person to get involved in a group. In a smaller setting (6-15 people), people can study and discuss the Word. They can raise questions. They can encourage each other and challenge each other to learn and apply God’s Word.
Mention the value of Bible study groups frequently. Call attention to those who facilitate groups. Challenge group leaders and members to invite these not involved to join their group.

Provide resources. Encourage people to spent time in the Word everyday by providing devotional guides and books. Invest in devotional guides like Open Windows, Stand Firm (for men), or Journey (for women). DevoHub offers a great online, access-from-anywhere approach.

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers engage with Scripture?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in LifeWay’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

December 10, 2019

Top Bible Studies for Christmas

By Deborah Spooner

Christmas. The best time of the year?

The calendar flipped to December, and this means many churches and small groups have turned towards their plans for the new year even as they aim to finish out the Christmas season well. After all, Christmas is supposed to be about Christ, right?

Yes, but many church and group leaders feel pressure and stress around this time and can actually find it harder to focus on Christ than during other times in the year.

We understand. And we want to help in any ways we can.

Here are some Bible study suggestions to help you, as the group leader, keep your focus on Christ during this season, and here are some resources to help center your group on Christ as 2020 rounds the corner.

For You

Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers

With Foundations, you can read through the key, foundational passages of the Bible in one year, while still having the flexibility of reading 5 days per week. Along with supplementary devotional content each day, you can experience the miracle of reading and responding to God’s Word. By using the H.E.A.R. journaling method, you will be guided through Highlighting, Explaining, Applying, and Responding to passages, allowing for practical application throughout the year-long plan.

Foundations New Testament: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers

Based on the success of Foundations (described above), Foundations: New Testament uses the same H.E.A.R. method to provide a 5-day a week, year long devotional scripture reading experience that takes studiers through only the New Testament. You’ll also be guided with weekly scripture memory options for the duration of the study

For Your Group

Overcomer

With the recent Thanksgiving release of the latest Kendrick brothers movie, OVERCOMER, you can launch your group into thinking through themes of identity and overcoming difficulties this Christmas and New Years season. Many people feel they are less than who God says they are. We get our identity from our careers, our political positions, our roles in the family, and a number of other lesser things. However, when we understand who God is, we more fully understand who we are. This new small-group Bible study uses clips from the Kendrick Brothers film OVERCOMER to examine how we determine our identity and how we can find our true identity in Christ. (5 sessions)

Momentum

Most Christians want to make real, noticeable progress in their walk with Christ. We long to forgive, to have a pure heart, and to find peace, but we just don’t know how to get there. It’s time to get unstuck and build momentum toward a more godly life. The understanding and strength we need to pursue holiness are available through the path Christ laid out for us in the Beatitudes. Find out what it really means to be poor in spirit, to be meek, and to mourn, and discover how those qualities will help you live a life in which God’s blessings are abundantly clear and present. (8 sessions)

Something Needs to Change

Christmas and New Years is a time of reflection, so why not direct your group to reflect towards eternal change? When David Platt took a trip to the Himalayan mountains, the staggering hardship he witnessed transformed the trajectory of his life. Now, in this study, he’s inviting you to reflect and wrestle with him as he describes his life-altering trek through the Himalayas. You’ll ask hard questions alongside Platt about human need, suffering, faith, the gospel, and our role. For Christians, ignorance of profound human need is not an option. Neither is indifference. It’s time to explore what it means to follow Jesus in a world of urgent physical and spiritual need.

You can have the first two sessions of this Bible study for free here! And you can also find a 7-Day guide, showing you how to pray for the unreached people of Asia for free here.

Gospel Foundations: A One-Year Journey through the Storyline of Scripture

The Gospel is foundational to all aspects of the Christian life, so why not finish out a Christ-centered Christmas by keeping the momentum towards seeing Christ in all of scripture continuing throughout the entire next year? From cover to cover, the Bible is the story of God’s plan to redeem sinners through Jesus—the gospel. Gospel Foundations tells that story. From the creators of The Gospel Project, this six-volume resource is comprehensive in scope yet concise enough to be completed in just one year. Each seven-session volume is video-enhanced to help your group engage in discussion with a clear understanding of how each text fits into the storyline of Scripture.

See the first two sessions of this Bible study as well as gain access to wallpapers, sermon guides, and more here.

Christmas doesn’t have to be the most stressful time of the year. Here’s to keeping the focus on Christ and to helping others do so as well.

Church Leadership

December 9, 2019

Three Ways to Take the Temperature of Your Group

By Michael Kelley

My family will tell you that I’m a thermostat control freak. I have a day marked on my calendar when I have arbitrarily determined it’s acceptable to flip on the air conditioning or the heater, depending on the season. And even when those systems come on, they’re never set quite how my family would prefer.

They’d sure like the AC to flip on before it gets to be 76 degrees, and they’d probably enjoy the heater coming on before it gets to 65. Thing is, though, I like it just fine. I actually get quite a bit of satisfaction when I’m sweating in our living room, or when I’m bundled up at the kitchen table. It makes me feel tough; it makes me feel frugal. (Notice I said frugal. Not cheap. Can I get an amen from the dads out there?)

But even as I write this, I’m realizing that those under my care don’t have the same sensibilities I do. I have created an environment in the home that I like, appreciate, and enjoy, but those within the environment I’ve created might not be having the same reaction. Sure, I can simply dismiss their feelings and keep the thermostat the way I like it, but as a leader in the home I would do well to “take the temperature” of my family to see how they’re responding to the temperature of our home.

It’s a bit of a silly illustration, but the principle is strong, I believe. When you find yourself in a leadership role, whether in an organization, a small group, or a home, there is a certain temperature you have created in that environment. As godly leaders, we are not only responsible for setting the temperature; we are responsible for knowing how the temperature we have set is affecting those who have to live inside it.

When you take the temperature, you are making sure that you have not done something detrimental to the people living in it. You are humbly acknowledging that the culture you have intentionally created is having its desired effect, which is moving people closer and closer to Jesus. And you are also acknowledging that you are not the ultimate authority, and that like any other human, you might have made a mistake and created an environment that is having unintended consequences.

So how can you take the temperature inside the environment you lead? I would suggest at least three ways:

1. Listen. Most of the time, people who sit in your environment are talking. Many times it’s the easiest thing in the world to become so convinced that you’re right and your decisions are valid that you purposely choose not to listen to those who are speaking. But if you really want to know the temperature of the environment you’ve created, you’ve got to make sure your ears are open.

Of course, when you’re listening to others, you must also be listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. That’s because not every voice you hear will be right or even helpful. So through the wisdom that only God will provide, you and I must learn who and what to listen to and when is the right moment to take heed.

2. Observe. Let me go back to the illustration of our home. It’s possible that my sweet wife knows by now that I like the thermostat set at a certain temperature. And though she might not like it that way, she has decided in her godly heart to not press the issue; instead, she has decided to wear a scarf and gloves to the dinner table.

Many times observation is an even more helpful method of taking the temperature than listening. That’s because people always communicate even when they’re not speaking. They communicate through their body language, their gestures, and even the indirect questions they ask. Watch, observe, take note—people will tell you what the temperature is even when they don’t tell you what the temperature is.

3. Ask. Of these three, this is the most obvious, but it’s also the one I think we do the least. We can actually, verbally, ask the question. Why don’t we do this more?

I would posit it’s because we already know what the answer is, and we don’t want to really hear it. That’s because when we do, we have to react to what we suspect but are unwilling to admit to ourselves. This is a humbling thing; it means we may have to adjust the “perfect plan” we had in place, and it means we have to admit that we, too, make mistakes.

But in those moments, we would do well to ask ourselves whether we would rather live with an illusion or pursue a better future? We can actually find someone we trust, someone we know will tell us the truth, and actually ask the question.

If you find yourself in a leadership role, friends, be it of an organization, church, group, or something else, don’t be afraid to take the temperature of the environment you are stewarding. Don’t be so married to your good intentions that you fail to embrace reality.

Michael Kelley lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife, Jana, and three children: Joshua (10), Andi (7), and Christian (5). He serves as Director of Groups Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources. As a communicator, Michael speaks across the country at churches, conferences, and retreats and is the author of Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God; Transformational Discipleship; and Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life. Find him on Twitter: @_MichaelKelley.

Church Leadership

December 5, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 4

By Lynn Pryor

Live Unashamed. Everyone has a favorite something. It might be the college football team you cheer for or a favorite restaurant. You might have a passion for a hobby or activity like golf or running a marathon, or you have a television show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Whatever your favorite thing is, you talk about. You find ways to discover if other people feel the same way you do. You wear team colors or gather around at lunchtime to discuss the latest development on a show.

We are unashamed about those things for which we have a passion.

Christians have even more reason to put something on display for the world to see. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). As believers mature in their walk with Christ, they grow increasingly unashamed for others to know about their faith. They are unabashed in letting the gospel and its transformative power be on display in their lives.

LifeWay’s research into discipleship ministries and practices found that maturing believers felt it was not just appropriate but necessary for others to know them as Christians. When you are being changed by Christ, you want others to know about it. Not surprisingly, as we develop in this attribute of an unashamed lifestyle, it only fuels and strengthens our growth in the other discipleship attributes. For example, living unashamed makes it easier to also exercise faith, share Christ, and serve others. Even more so, we live out these qualities with intentionality. We want people to know why we can exercise faith and why we serve. All our actions flow out of our unashamed love for Christ and His gospel.

Living unashamed lives includes transparency. Maturing believers are OK with others seeing their weak spots. It’s not that they’re proud of those weak areas, but neither do they pretend to be perfect Christians. In fact, they are quite willing to let other believers speak into their lives and help them along the path of growing in Christ. Maturing believers are unashamed about their pursuit of maturity to the level that they invite help in the process.

I began this article with a reference to the unashamed approach people have toward their favorite teams or interest. But being unashamed of our walk with Christ differs from the unashamed—boisterous, proud and obnoxious—behavior many fans display for their favorite team. (I’m sure I’m not referring to the behavior of the fans of your team.) The believer is neither arrogant about his faith nor derogatory of those who disagree. Instead, an unashamed believer lives by the principle in 1 Peter 3:15-16: “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3:15-16, emphasis added).

Living for Christ is counter-cultural, and it is becoming increasingly more counter-cultural. Mature believers do not shout at the darkness, but unashamedly live and speak for Christ. In the process, they can pique the curiosity of unbelievers and galvanize the lives of other believers. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Live Unashamed.

Model. The best way for any believer to understand what it means to live unashamed is to see it modeled for them. It’s easy to appear unashamed from the church pulpit, but let believers see how your faith is openly and naturally expressed in your day-to-day interactions with individuals. Let individuals church members participate with you in your various tasks, especially out in the community.
Host ministry opportunities in the community. Provide opportunities for church members to serve in the community. Opportunities for Christians to serve together are also opportunities for them to practice living unashamed as a group. They can support and encourage each other. Those moments when they step outside their comfort zones for the name of Christ only embolden them to do it more.

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers live unashamed?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in LifeWay’s ongoing adult Bible study department. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

December 2, 2019

3 Realities of Sin

By Group Ministry

This article is excerpted from Content from Matt Carter’s Prodigal Son: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of The Father.

We all make mistakes. We might seem to be making right choices, but then things can start to happen. We slip, and we begin to fall. How? How do we go from strongly walking in the Lord to being tempted and pulled into sin? Matt Carter, in his newly released Bible study Prodigal Son: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of The Father describes just this (partially excerpted and adapted below):

The Anatomy of a Fall

So far we’ve talked about how the prodigal son has become convinced there is a better life for him outside of the love of his father. But before we continue on our journey with the prodigal, let’s take a closer look at what causes us to make the decision to turn our backs on our heavenly Father and walk away. Every sin starts with a first step. We’ve already seen how Satan loves to deceive us into believing there is happiness outside of the love of the Father. Now let’s dig a little deeper into the deceptive nature of sin by turning to the letter of James where he urges us to overcome temptation by remembering the goodness of God.

Temptation

Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God[a] has promised to those who love him. No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. – JAMES 1:12-15

According to James, where does temptation come from? Where does it not come from? Why are these important distinctions to make?

James connects temptations to trials. How do our temptations often come out of our trials?

We can’t see inside the mind of the prodigal, so we can’t know for certain what made him decide to walk away from his father’s house. Jesus doesn’t tell us. However, James teaches us that our temptations are often related to our trials. For instance, if you are experiencing financial difficulty, you might be tempted to steal. If you are lonely, you might struggle with seeking company in inappropriate relationships. Yet, James is clear on one point; God never tempts us. God is never at fault when The Step we walk away from Him and choose sin. While it’s true that God does test us, He always does so to strengthen our faith, never to tempt us to sin. Sin is always our choice. We fall into the allure of sin, because sin is enticing.

The Allure of Sin

Why is it helpful for us to realize sin is “alluring”?

What does it mean to be “carried away” or “enticed” by our own lust (v 14)? When have you seen this process play out in your own experience?

“Alluring” isn’t a word you hear very often. It means “powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive.”1 James is creating a picture of a fish who is attracted to a lure in the water, but the fish is unaware that the lure will actually kill it. Temptation becomes a problem when it entices us into sin, because just like the fish, when sin reels us in, death is always waiting at the other end of the line.

What lies must we believe before we give in to temptation?

How has experience taught you that temptation is misleading and never delivers on its promise?

A fish wouldn’t take the bait if it realized the inevitable outcome. When Christians embrace temptation, they have forgotten that sin leads to death. They were enticed by the promise of life where there was only death. God is the only One who can deliver on every promise, and He does every time. We’ve already seen that God doesn’t tempt us, now let’s look at what God does.

Grace in Temptation

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. – JAMES 1:16-18

According to these verses, what can God give us that temptation and sin never can?

Why should this be an encouragement to not succumb to temptation?

James contrasts the emptiness of temptation with the goodness of God. When Satan tempts us, he is hoping that we believe the lie that embracing temptation leads to blessing. But temptation is always a bait and switch. James tells us every good thing comes from God. Paul stated it more directly.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 6:23

Sin always brings death and God always brings life—the kind of full and abundant life that is worth having. With Jesus there is no bait and switch, but only grace, love, and life. Jesus delivers on every promise

How did James refer to the people he was writing to in verse 16? How can we prevent ourselves from being deceived?

n verse 16, James addresses the church. In fact, the entire New Testament was written to the church—a group of people seeking to follow Jesus together. Temptation and sin isolates us from God and from other people. And that is exactly what Satan wants. God intends for His children to live in biblical community. We’re meant to wrestle with our temptations together. Imagine what might have been different for the prodigal if he had a wise friend able to provide good advice.

With which friends can you be honest about your temptations and struggles?

Look up James 5:16. Why should we desire the kind of relationships where we can share our struggles and sins with one another?

End your time today being honest about your temptations. Write them down below. Then make time to talk to someone about your struggles.

_______________________

End today by asking God to deliver you from your temptations, knowing that He will provide a way out.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. – 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

Church Leadership

November 25, 2019

Five Ways to Care for Hurting People During the Holidays

By Group Ministry

by Rick Howerton

While many people enjoy the holiday season more than any other time of the year, there are others who struggle to find any joy in it at all. In fact, for many people, this time of year is devastating and debilitating. A broken relationship, a haunting seasonal memory, the death of a friend or family member, or the inability to bless their family with the kind of gifts others are receiving plants a dark cloud over many, especially when they are seeing the masses celebrating passionately when they are hurting deeply.

So how does a small group leader show the love of Christ to those who are living in the midst of the dark night of the soul?

1. Be an active listener while disciplining yourself not to give advice.

For many in this situation, all they need is a listening ear. They need the opportunity to share with someone what they’re feeling and why they’re hurting so deeply. Allow them to say anything they need to say without telling them what they need to do. You can’t fix what’s broken, but you can help them release of some of their emotional intensity.

2. Exercise the ministry of “presence.”

For many, aloneness is what causes their greatest pain. Invite the person to your home to spend the evening without any agenda in mind. In fact, it may be best just to invite them to come for dinner and spend the evening with you and your family.

3. Worship with the hurting individual.

If the person you’re aiding is single, or they’re single when they attend worship at the church (their spouse doesn’t attend church), simply invite them to sit with you. In the presence of God, emotions often flow freely allowing you to be there to comfort them and, in many instances, allowing you to be there and encourage them to trust God in the midst of their darkness.

4. Text words of encouragement often.

Texting has opened the door to encourage in the moment when we don’t have the time for elongated conversations. Use this approach wisely. Don’t bombard the person with statements telling them that it will all work out (this is a promise you can’t honestly make), or that they just need to claim God’s promises. By the way, once a day would be best, twice a day would be optimal.

5. Invite the individual to celebrate the holiday with you—if it’s appropriate in your situation.

That is, if the person is going to spend the holiday alone. Be certain this is agreed to by your family, as many families prefer to spend the holiday with relatives only.

Rick Howerton is the South Central Regional Consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. He has authored many small group studies, is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker, and is the author of Destination Community: Small Group Ministry Manual as well as A Different Kind of Tribe: Embracing the New Small Group Dynamic. He is also the co-author of Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple Making and Countdown: Launching and Leading Transformational Groups. But Rick’s deepest passion and his goal in life is to see “a biblical small group within walking distance of every person on the planet making disciples that make disciples.”

Church Leadership

November 22, 2019

Five Ways to Help Your Group Make it Through the Holidays

By Chris Surratt

The air is getting cooler, the leaves are disappearing from the trees, and football season is in full swing. We are also heading into the toughest season all year for small groups. Winter brings a myriad of parties, vacations, and holidays. It’s tempting at this point to not fight against the busyness and just cancel group until the new year. But by the time January hits, the group has lost any kind of momentum and has to start over—or completely disband because of lost interest.

Holidays can look different when your small group is considered friends and family instead of just members of a group. I want to spend time with friends during those seasons. We may not choose to meet every week for a study, but I don’t need a break from my friends for a few months. That mind-set helps me stay excited about our group even when the schedule is inconsistent. With that in mind, Here are five things your group can do over the next two months to maximize the opportunities:

Have a plan.

The first step to your group surviving–and even thriving–through the holiday season is to have a plan, communicate the plan, and stick to the plan. Being proactive and getting ahead in scheduling gatherings as holiday seasons get closer is vital to ensure group health. Clarity is crucial. Let your group members know what the holiday plan is so they can prepare.

Schedule a pre-Thanksgiving alternative meal.

Everyone loves to eat, and what could be better than a Mexican-themed Thanksgiving meal? The crazier the food theme, the better. They will get plenty of traditional turkey and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving day.

Serve together at a homeless shelter or ministry on Thanksgiving morning.

There are multiple opportunities around cities to serve on Thanksgiving day. You can be done by mid-morning and ready for your family celebration by 1:00 p.m. Nothing prepares your heart for being truly thankful than serving as a group for those without.

Plan an early December Christmas party and then take a break.

Most parties don’t get started until the second week of December, so prepare your group now to get their ugly sweaters washed before December 1st! Don’t worry about attempting to have weekly group meetings through December. The normal rhythm of work and school parties will soon wipe out everyone’s calendars.

Get your first meeting in January on the calendar now.

Instead of scrambling to put something together in the whirlwind of the new year, go ahead and pick the date so that everyone can be ready for it after the festivities and relatives have disappeared. If you haven’t already picked your study for the new year, go ahead and do that before your last meeting in December. This will give everyone something to look forward to coming back in January.

Holidays do not have to kill your group’s momentum. If you get creative and plan ahead, they can give your members something to look forward to every year.

Chris Surratt (@ChrisSurratt) is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience. He served on church staffs prior to becoming the discipleship and small groups specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the author of Leading Small Groups: How to Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group. You can follow his blog at ChrisSurratt.com.

Church Leadership

November 21, 2019

Missional Small Groups

By Group Ministry

by Reid Smith

Outreach has a way of turning groups inside-out. Not a bad thing. Struggling groups and small group ministries have found help not by focusing on their own internal issues, but by looking beyond their problems and giving attention to the needs of those beyond their immediate relational circles.

Small groups are essential to empowering God’s people in mission. They are not meant to add new comfort zones for people, but rather create environments where believers can be emboldened to go beyond their comfort zones and to do things they never imagined themselves doing. Every group can find a way to be missional in a manner that is natural for its own unique group dynamic. To not do so is a big miss.

A small group becomes missional as it develops a heart and mindset that is aware and deliberate about sharing the Good News through word and deed with those who have yet to know Christ as their Savior and Lord. As the small group leader, if you don’t take the lead in cultivating this “outward-orientation” to your group life then it is very unlikely somebody else in the group will. So let people know at the beginning of your group that finding ways for everyone to share their faith will be an important part of your life together that will ensure everyone’s experience in the group is healthy and life-changing.

The Lord will show your group how it can make a difference in every sphere of influence (Acts 1:8). You might begin by thinking through what constitutes Jerusalem (local-citywide), Judea (citywide-regional), Samaria (statewide-countrywide), and the ends of the earth (countrywide-worldwide) for your group. What does each sphere look like and what opportunities exist within each? Ask the group to come up with examples for each area of influence.

Take time to answer questions and give each one a part to play in organizing for outreach together. You might even want to go to the effort of linking outreach/evangelism with the vision and values of your small group. Explain how the community of your group can be instrumental in helping each one fulfill their calling to be an evangelist and bring biblical truths to life (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Pet 2:9-10; 2 Tim 4:5).

An easy way you can encourage group members to engage in personal evangelism is to turn your attention to people who are not a part of your group during your prayer time, especially those who are already in their relational circles. Prayer builds care. Don’t just give permission for them to invite friends…tell them you want them to invite their friends!

Learn about the neighborhood where you meet, the needs in your community, and ways your church is already reaching out that your group can join in and support. You might even want to reserve a meeting to talk about your discoveries so that your group can be strategic in its prayer and outreach.

There are a variety of ways your group can reach out together:

Invitational – invite your friends to your group and your church.
Event-based – Link your small group outreach to your church events and serve together during your weekend services or special outreach events.
Community-focused – Check out servantevangelism.com for some practical ideas then identify needs in your community that touch your group’s heart and serve together, e.g. community clean-up day, providing school supplies for underprivileged kids, food delivery, helping the homeless, etc.
Sponsorship – support a child (compassion.com) or adopt a people group (joshuaproject.net or adopt-a-people.org), starting with a little research and concerted prayer.
Mission Trips – Contact a member of your church’s pastoral leadership team and share that your group would like to go on a mission trip together. Learn about what your church is already doing and get a couple of recommendations on organizations that can help with planning it.

Missional small groups are not only about reaching those outside of our groups. It is also about reaching those inside of our groups so they can be built up and reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4:13). Small groups that allow God to turn them inside-out will experience the transformational joy of impacting lives for eternity and they mature spiritually in ways they never would have if members had never ventured beyond their own comfort zones.

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He currently serves as a Pastor of Groups at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL and has been a contributing author for various publications, including LifeWay’s Ministry Grid. Learn more about how to start and multiply healthy groups throughout your church at www.reidsmith.org.

Church Leadership

November 18, 2019

The Cost of Opening Your Home

By Group Ministry

by Jared Musgrove

Place matters. A person and a people’s story is impossible to understand apart from their place of origin and life lived in a place. They learn their way in a place, they show their way in a place, and they make decisions to be in a place. We see this in the Lord Jesus Christ. He himself was like us in every respect (Hebrews 2) including His attachment to and choice of place. So, it is important to consider what places the Lord Himself chose to spend His time. And what He did when he was in those places.

The Gospels record the ministry of Jesus occurring in three places: public spaces, the synagogue, and the home. Each has an obvious 21st Century counterpart. But in Jesus’ time it was the home that was considered the foundation stone upon which the rest of society was built. As went the home so went society. Considered rightly alongside Scripture’s teaching on the importance of family and home, it should stand out to us that Jesus placed a special emphasis on homes as a place of intentional ministry. There are over 50 instances of this across the four gospels. Even later in His ministry, Jesus began to move away from primary ministry in the synagogue and public spaces, moving more to homes.

I am not setting out to prove the home as a primary place of ministry and evangelism. I’m just saying that Jesus already did. His practice of proximity in the most personal of places matters for how we see ourselves and our ministry. If we model Jesus, we see that ministry is often best done in community that allows intimacy. And there are not many places more intimate than someone’s home. Home Groups at The Village Church are our effort to shrink the church from corporation to this kind of closeness of camaraderie centered in Christ. They are our effort to do the mission of God much like Jesus did in many respects.

Jesus used the home to build relationships and heal others, thus allowing Him to demonstrate the very power and truth He came to teach. It was His apologetic in many cases. He used the opportunities that were made available to Him through the relationships and miracles to teach on matters of faith, law, grace, and general truth on various subjects. If we were to say it in a way that includes the modern day believer living as Jesus did, we may see the home as a place set apart to build relationships and provide a healing presence so that others may be open to the truth of the gospel. That they would have a reason to wonder why we believe what we believe because we first lived our belief right before their eyes. And that place of intimacy and safety becomes a place of revelation.

In this, Jesus’ ministry in homes was a ministry of love. Such love in the most private of places was a most potent apologetic to an unbelieving world. It still is.

In Jesus’ day, homes were places of hospitality and intimacy where the host would, in a way, open up their heart like they opened up the physical door of their home to others. They were places for knowing others and being known in the context of family and friendships. They were a context for bearing burdens and in many cases the primary context for ongoing participation in Christian living and witness to neighbors.

The potential and potency of such a live parable still exists in our day. Jesus shared hard truths in homes. Could it be that in this context He might do so in a less confrontational manner where the persons present may have listened closer and accepted more readily the insight of the Son of Man? What does this mean for we who are being conformed to His image who have homes to open? Nothing but possibility, so far as I can see.

First Century Jewish homes were a place of belonging and hospitality known by other peoples/nations (i.e. Not God’s People), so anomalous was the practice of welcoming a stranger in those days. This was the first and final apologetic in ancient Jewish culture. It still could be. Should be. Jesus clearly took advantage of homes to instruct, develop relationships, and perform miracles such that everyone present in the home left saying, “we’ve never seen anything like this!” So too is the possibility when we see our homes as a genesis in ministering Christ to the believer, to the lost, and to spiritual skeptics. That’s the possibility of a gospel-centered community that meets in a home. We won’t innovate a faithful way around this and we are fools to think we ever could surpass the Master’s plan of evangelism and ministry.

God sent His Son to dwell with His people. Jesus came in the midst of a culture that, unlike the peoples/nations around it, welcomed strangers and were hospitable to all. This is as it should be. God expects more of believers than He did or does of nonbelievers. God expected His people to be hospitable. He still does. And Jesus demonstrates it in acts that resonate to set the desire and direction across space and time. The incarnational God is revealed not only by Jesus coming to this earth, but in Jesus going into homes.

Whether or not the home is or should be the primary and most effective place for ministry in these postmodern times may depend upon context. Certain urban areas will have a difficult time with such home ministry because people may not want people in their space. There may be safety concerns. There may not exist a cultural memory of having someone in your home. If you have a home at all this week. In such very real contexts, the church building can be a sanctuary of a place. But this does not tend to be our context at The Village Church. We are sub-urban, we have dwelling places prime with such potential to affect for Christ.

It doesn’t take a program. It doesn’t take a budget meeting. It starts personally and starts in your homes and Home Groups. Begin by opening your home for a community to be affected by Jesus.

The Village Church’s community is costly. If you think what God has done here is easy then you don’t understand. We cannot be explained merely by the clear biblical truth that is preached powerfully and effectively; we cannot be explained by the fact that we have a staff of heavy hitter ministers, capable men and women working at the top of their game unto God; Those two things are important and they are a gift but The Village Church cannot be explained if you remove the third aspect. And that is there has been community here. And it has been costly community.

It is a costly thing to open one’s home. My wife and I have lost wedding gifts and family heirlooms because of it. We’ve personally welcomed people — even pastors — who struggle with their faith in God, who struggle with sexual attraction to their same gender, struggle with being a minority person of color, struggle with deep grief and health defects. We’ve lost sleep and time and money; we know members of this church who’ve lost so much more than that but gained a brother or sister in Christ because of it. It doesn’t take a program to minister the gospel like Jesus did. You don’t have to convince the elder board. All you have to do is open your home. Francis Schaeffer writes, “And there is no place in God’s world where there are no people who will come and share a home as long as it is a real home.” A compassionate, open home is part of Christian responsibility, and each family should practice it up to the level of their capacity. Jesus made no distinction between home or foreign missions — it was all evangelism to Him. Home Groups are our attempt to regularly emulate this practice as a people after Jesus.

Place still matters. It did to Jesus and it should to you. The home as a primary place of ministry mattered to Him. That’s why Home Groups matter to this church body. When evangelism and ministry happen in homes it seems to Scripturally and experientially be more effective than not. That’s the plan. That’s the place. That’s the why, what, and wonder of Home Groups.

Jared Steven Musgrove serves as Groups Pastor and elder at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Oklahoma, a Master of Divinity in preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry in leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the husband of Jenny and the father of two sons, Jordan and Joshua. You can follow him on Twitter @jsmusgrove

Church Leadership

November 14, 2019

When Your Group isn’t Responsive

By Group Ministry

Listen! The sower went out to sow.” —Mark 4:3

The sower’s work is unimpressive. Try to picture the sower scattering the seed by hand. He walks 20 miles in a day, up and down the same field, and when he comes home his legs are tired and his arms are aching.

He looks back over the field, and it strikes him that after all his work the field looks exactly the same as it did that morning. Nothing has changed. He has worked all day, and what does he have to show for it? His effort hasn’t made any observable difference.

This is the hidden pressure of all spiritual work. I sometimes envy the guys who work in construction. At the end of the day you can see what you accomplished. But open the Word with your small group and sometimes you wonder if you’ve done anything at all!

Remember the Beatles’ song “Eleanor Rigby”?

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name.
Nobody came.

Father Mackenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave.
No one was saved.

Anyone who pours their energy into sharing the gospel knows what this is like: you work hard to sow the seed of the Word. But what comes of it?

How does the sower sustain himself in this work? How does he (or she) keep going? By having great confidence in the seed. The sower continues his work, because he is deeply convinced that the seed he is planting will bring a harvest pleasing to God.

I’ve been greatly helped by seeing that the doctrine of Scripture is not just what the Bible is (it is the word of God), but what the Bible does (it does the work of God).

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” —Psalm 19:7-8

This Word is perfect, trustworthy, right, and radiant…that’s what the Scripture is. It revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart, and light to the eyes…that’s what the Scripture does! And it does these things precisely because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword.

How do you sustain a ministry of the Word to your small group? Have confidence in this seed. Believe what Jesus is telling us here—this is how God’s kingdom comes. This is how Christ’s church is established. This is how lives are changed in every culture and generation.

Colin Smith (MPhil, London School of Theology) is Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a multi-campus church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and his ministry extends through his radio program Unlocking the Bible. He is also committed to mentoring next-generation pastors, missionaries, and church-planters through The Orchard Network. Colin and his wife, Karen, have two married sons and four grand-daughters.

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