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Church Leadership
June 9, 2020

Gospel-Centered Race Resources for Your Group

By Group Ministry

It didn’t just start yesterday, last week, or last month. Injustice and racial disunity span deep into both our national and global history.

We are broken people living in a broken world. But we are meant to be ambassadors of reconciliation, striving to learn, listen, and act for justice as we seek to be the hands and feet of Christ.

However, knowing who to listen to and what actions to practically take can be difficult. Many voices are speaking loudly. Many emotions are surfacing powerfully. What can we do? Where do we turn?

We’ve worked with various authors and trusted Christian voices who have provided resources that can practically aid yourself, your group, or your church towards these ends:

  1. The Church and The Racial Divide (in partnership with ERLC; by Trevor Atwood; general editors Trillia Newbell and Dan Darling)

Featuring contributors: Walter Strickland, Juan Sánchez, and Russell Moore

In light of racial tension in America, many Christian leaders are talking earnestly about racial reconciliation. Many pastors and lay leaders look at the growing tensions in our churches and wonder how they can be a healing force in our culture. The problem is they don’t know where to begin. The average evangelical Christian may not understand why racial reconciliation is a gospel imperative. The average pastor may not know how to pursue it.

This resource features video teaching from key leaders discussing race, culture, and the gospel. Using these evangelical voices and Bible study, participants will learn about racial reconciliation and be equipped to be part of the solution.

  1. Imago Dei (in partnership with The Gospel Coalition; by Mike Cosper)

Featuring contributors: Jackie Hill Perry, Juan Sánchez, H.B. Charles Jr., Tony Merida, Shar Walker, Sam Allberry,  Ligon Duncan, Tim Keller, Miguel Nunéz, D.A. Carson, Rosaria Butterfield, Afshin Ziafat, Albert Mohler, and more.

People are naturally compelled to ask questions of identity: Who am I? What am I worth? Why am I here? The answers culture offers only lead to more questions. To properly answer these questions, we need to look all the way back to the beginning—to our creation—and see that all people are made in the image of God.

Having a well-rounded view of the imago Dei will help us better understand ourselves, God, and the restoring work of salvation that comes to us through Jesus Christ. We can understand what God intended the imago Dei to be, how sin corrupted it, and how Jesus restores it through the power of the cross and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Imago Dei examines the image of God biblically within the grand narrative of Scripture, relationally as it applies to ourselves and others, and missionally in our service to others and in our obedience to the Great Commission.

  1. The Gospel and Racial Reconciliation (Eds. Russell Moore and Andrew T. Walker)

The problem of racism stretches back as far as humanity’s origin in the book of Genesis. Brother pitted against brother, tribe against tribe––people have warred against one another, fueled by contempt for racial differences. Yet the gospel is a message of reconciliation.

The kingdom of God is us reconciled to one another.

Editors Russell Moore and Andrew T. Walker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) assemble leading voices to frame the issues with a gospel-centered perspective. The Gospel for Life series gives every believer a biblically-saturated understanding of the most urgent issues facing our culture today, because the gospel is for all of life.

 

Additional Bible studies by authors of color:

Tony Evans

  • Pathways
  • Detours
  • The Power of God’s Names
  • No More Excuses
  • Kingdom Man

Priscilla Shirer

  • Discerning the Voice of God
  • The Armor of God
  • Breathe
  • One in a Million

D.A. Horton

  • Letters of the Revelation
  • To the One Who Conquers – Teen Study
  • Authentic Love – Teen Guys’ Study

Derwin Gray

  • The Good Life

Jackie Hill Perry

  • Jude

Eric Mason

  • Unleashed
  • Manhood Restored

Dhati Lewis

  • Among Wolves
Church Leadership
June 8, 2020

Last Week of Gospel of Mark Bible Study

By Group Ministry

For the past several weeks, LifeWay has been offering a free Bible study on Mark to anyone who wanted to participate. This week, we cover session six.

In session five last week, Jesus sent His disciples out two by two to do many of the works He had been doing and to spread the gospel. This week, He makes it clear that His kingdom is for everyone. 

In his Gospel, Mark emphasized that Jesus never turned anyone away. He was always willing to teach and to heal, even when it might not have seemed convenient at the time. His attitude and actions stood in stark contrast to the religious leaders of the day, who were usually more concerned with the traditions of the law than the troubles of the people.

To emphasize Jesus’ love and compassion for even the castaways of society, Mark highlighted two healing stories…

Click here to access the sixth session, entitled Includes. 

Church Leadership
June 4, 2020

How to Choose a Groups System That Works (Including Online)

By Chris Surratt

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of the word “system” is: “a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method.”

We’re sometimes afraid of systems in the groups world because we feel community is supposed to happen organically, not through an organized scheme.

But at its core, a system is simply a way to help people know what to do next and how to do it.

If groups are our primary path to multiplying disciples, then our people need a good system to know what they are and how to do them.

There are a lot of group structures to choose from, and there is not one system that fits all.

Every church has to do the work of discovering who their people are, what their vision and mission is, and then choosing and tweaking a system that works best within that ethos.

There is also no perfect system. Each one will have its pros and cons that need to be weighed before landed on. Here are six of the most popular groups systems and pros and cons for each one.

1. OPEN GROUPS

An open groups system will primarily offer groups that are open to adding new people throughout the life of the groups. This structure works especially well for on-campus groups in a more traditional Sunday School type model.

Pros: Open groups give the opportunity for group members to be missional in their circles of influence. They are encouraged to invite friends and neighbors to join their groups at any time.

Open groups also give new church attenders a place to connect immediately. Their first visit on a Sunday can include a small group Bible study experience.

Cons: It can be more difficult for groups to achieve accountability and vulnerability if there are new members constantly being added.

Also, it can be hard for new members to feel comfortable in an existing group if they don’t already have relationships there.

2. CLOSED GROUPS

A closed groups system will primarily offer groups that are closed, after an initial sign-up period, throughout the life of the groups. This structure works especially well in off-campus home groups.

Pros: Closed groups can achieve community and accountability faster than open groups. Without the possibility of new people coming in, group members can be more open with their lives.

Cons: If closed groups stay together longer than two years without multiplying or adding new people, they can become stale and possibly toxic.

They will start having the same conversations around the same subjects and spiritual growth may be stunted as a result.

3. MISSIONAL GROUPS

A missional groups system will encourage church members to gather their group from the community in which they live.

Pros: Missional groups are naturally evangelistic in form. Instead of relying on the church to fill their groups with attenders, leaders are trained to see their community as a mission field.

Some missional group leaders will move to a location specifically to form a group there.

Cons: It can be much harder to launch and maintain a missional group. The bar for leadership has to be higher because the group is truly a microcosm of the church.

Also, it’s more difficult to help new attenders join a missional group, unless they already live in a community with an existing one.

4. DISCIPLESHIP INTENSIVE GROUPS

A discipleship intensive groups system primarily offers smaller gatherings of 3 or 4 same-sex groups for deeper discipleship, conversations and accountability. These groups are sometimes referred to as “D Groups.”

Pros: Larger small groups of 8-12 people are perfect for community, but not always the best for accountability and discipleship conversations. Especially if they are mixed gender.

We all need this level of community with a few others to help us go deeper in our walk with God.

Cons: Not everyone in the church is ready for this type of group. If you are reaching outsiders on the weekend, they need somewhere less intrusive to test the community waters before they dive into an intensive discipleship group.

5. FREE MARKET GROUPS

A free market groups system offers attenders the opportunity to form groups around something they are passionate about, or are already doing with a group of people.

For example, a group of men, who already get together to ride bikes on the weekends, can be a free market group.

Pros: Groups are much easier to form. People who are already doing life together can add some “God time” to help members grow spiritually through relationships.

Also, invites to join a group are more natural than asking someone to go to a home for a Bible study.

Cons: While community is easily achieved in a free market group, discipleship may not be.

6. ONLINE GROUPS

Before the current COVID-19 crisis, a few churches offered the opportunity to attend small groups exclusively online. Now, most churches have some type of online group experience.

Pros: Joining and attending an online group is a much lower bar to go over. An invitation to an online group is as simple as sending a Zoom invite. Most churches have reported higher group attendance rates since going online.

Cons: As easy as it is to join an online group, it’s also just as easy to disappear from one. Accountability is more difficult to achieve in a virtual-only format.

A consistent Bible study will not in and of itself disciple someone, but will help group members look to the Bible for answers to life’s questions instead of just each other.

Those are six of the most popular groups systems available, but your system may eventually offer groups from different categories.

It’s most important to know why you offer the types of groups that you do, so you can cast a consistent vision for why people should lead and join them.

CHRIS SURRATT (@ChrisSurratt) is the discipleship and small groups specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources, a ministry consultant and coach with more than 20 years of experience, and the author of Leading Small Groups: How to Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group.

Church Leadership
June 1, 2020

Gospel of Mark Bible Study, Week 5

By Group Ministry

LifeWay has been offering a free Bible study to anyone who wants to participate. This is week five of our study of Mark. The last session discussed Jesus’ use of parables. In session five, Jesus multiplies His influence. 

Bringing His followers together, Jesus paired them off and sent them out. To this point, the message of the kingdom had gone wherever Jesus had gone. His ministry expanded only where His feet could take Him. The disciples could move out in multiple directions so the gospel could spread. 

To access the fifth week of the study, entitled Sends, just click here.

This six-week Bible study is an excerpt from a 13-session study in the Explore the Bible Daily Discipleship Guide. Explore the Bible helps your whole church grow together in God’s Word one book at a time, learning how to know, love, and invest in God’s truth in a way that is practical enough for daily application, sustainable in individual and group settings, and age-appropriate for the entire church.

Church Leadership, Uncategorized
May 26, 2020

The Next Season of Groups [Replay]

By Group Ministry

Enjoy this replay of a Facebook Live discussion with three church leaders on the next season of small groups.

 

Ashley Anderson Ashley Anderson is community groups leader at Church of the City in New York, New York.
Dave Enns Dave Enns is the pastor of life group ministries at North Coast Church in San Diego, California.
Jon Hughes Jon Hughes is adult ministries director at Community Christian Church in Chicago, Illinois.
Chris Surratt Chris Surratt is the discipleship and small groups specialist at LifeWay and author of Small Groups for the Rest of Us and Leading Small Groups. You can follow his blog at www.chrissurratt.com.
Church Leadership
May 25, 2020

Gospel of Mark Bible Study, Week 4

By Group Ministry

LifeWay is offering a free Bible study to anyone who wants to participate. This is week four of our study of Mark. The third session covered the escalating tension between Jesus and the religious elite. This week, Jesus throws them another curveball.

As the crowds around Him grew, Jesus shifted His teaching method. He began telling parables—stories about real-life things that taught spiritual truths. Some in the crowds got what He was saying; others didn’t. But He always shared the meaning with His disciples so they could understand His heart and the substance of His message.

To access the fourth week of the study, entitled Restores, just click here.

This six-week Bible study is an excerpt from a 13-session study in the Explore the Bible Daily Discipleship Guide. Explore the Bible helps your whole church grow together in God’s Word one book at a time, learning how to know, love, and invest in God’s truth in a way that is practical enough for daily application, sustainable in individual and group settings, and age-appropriate for the entire church.

Church Leadership
May 19, 2020

A Facebook Live Discussion: Coast-to-Coast

By Group Ministry

Tired of hearing bad news about COVID-19? Let’s turn our attention to the future possibilities for small groups!

This free Facebook Live event will present how three churches in three different parts of the country are preparing for a new season. Hosted by Chris Surratt, discussion points will include:

 

 

  • What is working and not working for your groups right now?
  • What questions are you asking as you look at the future for your groups?
  • Is there a future for having online and in-person group meetings?
  • How will you assimilate people into groups when the gathering ban lifts?

Watch here at 2 p.m. CDT on May 21

Church Leadership
May 18, 2020

Gospel of Mark Bible Study, Week 3

By Group Ministry

LifeWay is offering a free Bible study to anyone who wants to participate. This is week three of our study of Mark. 

The second session covered some of the miracles of Jesus. This week, the tensions between Jesus and the religious elite continues to escalate. Some of the leaders had accused Him of blasphemy—claiming equality with God. They also had serious concerns about His attempts to define the Sabbath in ways that ran contrary to their accepted traditions. Session three begins with another Sabbath showdown…

To access the third week of the study, entitled Unites, just click here. 

This six-week Bible study is an excerpt from a 13-session study in the Explore the Bible Daily Discipleship Guide. Explore the Bible helps your whole church grow together in God’s Word one book at a time, learning how to know, love, and invest in God’s truth in a way that is practical enough for daily application, sustainable in individual and group settings, and age-appropriate for the entire church.

Church Leadership
May 11, 2020

Gospel of Mark Bible Study, Week 2

By Group Ministry

For a period of six weeks, LifeWay is offering a free Bible study on Mark to anyone who wants to participate. The first session last week was all about the authority of Jesus being revealed. This week, session two covers how some rejected that authority. 

After recording Jesus’ interactions with His first disciples (Mark 1:16-20), Mark described a series of miraculous events. In addition to revealing Jesus’ power and compassion, these accounts validate Mark’s argument that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah and that the kingdom of God had come to earth. But some refused to believe.

To access the second week of the study, entitled Forgives, just click here.

This six-week Bible study is an excerpt from a 13-session study in the Explore the Bible Daily Discipleship Guide. Explore the Bible helps your whole church grow together in God’s Word one book at a time, learning how to know, love, and invest in God’s truth in a way that is practical enough for daily application, sustainable in individual and group settings, and age-appropriate for the entire church.

Church Leadership
May 8, 2020

Could COVID-19 Usher in an era of Church Growth?

By Ken Braddy

COVID-19. Until a few months ago, I hadn’t heard this name. Now I’d like to forget it! But COVID-19 hasn’t been all bad for our churches. In fact, I’m asking the question, “Could COVID-19 usher in an era of church growth”? It has the potential to do that, and based on another terrible pandemic our nation faced in 1918, it may do just that. I am praying that history repeats itself. Let me explain.

In 1918-1919, Americans faced the Spanish Flu pandemic. Over 50 million people died worldwide. The death toll was very high here in America. Spanish Flu ravaged our country and many other nations. Here is what the CDC reports about this pandemic:

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919.  In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html).

The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) Connection

My denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, held an annual meeting in 1919 just like it does today every year. The Book of Reports from that
convention can be found online in digital format. It is fascinating to read what the Convention reported in regards to the affect of the Spanish Flu on the SBC and its Sunday Schools. My colleague, Dwayne McCrary, had the forethought to go and see what was reported, and I took a look at the 1919 report, too. Here is what Dr. I.J. Van Ness told the SBC delegates who met in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1919:

“At the very time of greatest stress came the epidemic of influenza, and this was perhaps the most far-reaching hindrance to Sunday-school work which has been known in a generation…The influence of the epidemic stayed with us through December, but the bright sun-shiny months of the opening year gave reassurance. Our Sunday schools rallied, business became more normal, conditions improved, and the working force of the Board resumed its normal operations. We had anticipated that it would take many months for the Sunday schools to rally, but they came back in March. There flowed in a steady stream of orders, which indicated that the Sunday-school hosts were well organized, full of purpose, and had rallied themselves. As a result, the year, which had been so trying for many months, ended full of hope and promise.” (pp.449-450)

This is an encouraging report about the country’s resilience and fortitude. America came through a terrible two-year period in which many citizens died. Many more survived. And as Dr. Van Ness reported, things began to return to normal, churches rebounded, and Sunday Schools began thriving in the wake of a terrible pandemic. The country was hopeful and it was healing in 1919. And then there came 1920 and the man, Arthur Flake.

The Arthur Flake Connection

In 1919 America was recovering from the Spanish Flu and almost 700,000 deaths. As things began to return to normal, Arthur Flake was hired by the Sunday School Board in 1920, right on the heels of the Spanish Flu. It would be a new day for the Southern Baptist Convention.

Arthur Flake is known to many of us as “the Father of the Sunday School movement.” He was hired by the Sunday School Board (now called LifeWay Christian Resources) to train church leaders and provide leadership to the brand new Sunday School department. He became a prolific writer whose books set the standards for Sunday Schools in the Southern Baptist Convention. He led that department until 1936, and ushered in an era of growth that fueled the SBC for decades.

As the Spanish Flu ravaged the country, people returned to church. They returned to Bible study groups. Churches needed trained workers because of the renewed interest in spiritual matters on the part of untold Americans. Arthur Flake helped churches prepare to assimilate millions of new people into their congregations. His method for doing that? Sunday School. Bible study groups. Smaller gatherings of people within the church. Call it what you will, it was these smaller Bible study groups with trained workers that help spread the gospel, teach the Bible, and assimilate spiritually hungry people into the church.

Might history repeat? I hope it does. It already looks like it may. I hope the trend we see today during COVID-19 with more people participating in online worship, and in online Bible study groups, continues. As a people, we tend to turn to God during times of upheaval. When we feel unsure and not in control, God uses that to draw people to Himself. People return. New people discover the Lord. May history repeat!

COVID-19 is bad, but it’s not all bad.

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