2017 Crossway Life Groups Manual

Transcription

1 2017 Crossway Life Groups Manual 2 Vision Drive Burwood East Victoria 3151 Australia P F

2 Crossway Mission Loving God, Loving People, Disciples that Multiply. It s really important that you understand our mission as part of our church. 2

3 Health check As a church we can fulfil our Mission by following Jesus example. He had three great loves in his life: 1. His relationship with his father (UP) ; 2. The relationships within his friends and family (IN) ; and 3. Involvement with a broken world, both individually and communally (OUT). His commitment to manage these three loves is consistently demonstrated throughout Scripture. Luke 6: One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (UP) When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. He went down with them and stood on a level place. (IN) A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. (OUT) The life shape to the right shows how the three parts of our mission and Jesus three loves interact. They directly relate to God s purpose for our lives Multiplying disciples who love God and love people. UP (Loving God) OUT (Disciples that Multiply) IN (Loving People) 3

4 So where do Life Groups fit in? Life Groups are one of the vehicles for facilitating Crossway s mission of Loving God, Loving People and Disciples that Multiply. We are continuing to develop a discipling culture by encouraging Life Group leaders to use the life shape of UP _ IN _ OUT as a simple expression of our church s mission. A healthy Life Group will proritise all three aspects of UP _ IN _ OUT. We will pray and seek God together (UP); love and support one another (IN); as well as love and serve those in our sphere of influence (OUT). Here are some practical ways to help you move beyond mere good intentions and make discipling part of your Life Group s lifestyle. UP Growing UP in your intimacy with God Alpha Worship Personal relationships Prayer walking Social events (e.g. outings, BBQs, weekends away) Discovery Bible Study LifeCare (e.g. Coach, B-Empowered) Ask Anything Going Deeper Spiritual retreats Midweek Bible teaching Bible study Prayer ministry Sunday worship & teaching Corporate prayer and fasting Baptisms Special interest groups (e.g. Sports and car clubs) Local community OUT Being bold in your influence with OUTsiders LifeKeys Membership belong Follow Me discipleship resources Life Group connections based on passions, location or life stages Sunday lunch at Revive Café Discipleship modelling including leadership training Group serving opportunities (e.g. Care Ministry, Newcomer s Lounge, Security Dads, B-Together, F.H.C. Breakfast Club, local community) Adopt a Crossway missionary IN Thriving in community with INsiders 4

5 Opportunities for looking OUT as a group Looking OUT beyond your group can sometimes feel intimidating. However if you are asking God to lead you as a group, you will find that the opportunities are closer than you think. Here are some examples. Personal relationships - neighbours, work colleagues, friendship network, sporting club Social events eg. weekends away, BBQs, outings Prayer walking in your local area Regular backyard working bees (or equivalent) for a person, family, street, parkland, kinder, school etc. Read the Bible with some one (Discovery Bible Study) Ask Anything What ever you do, take every opportunity God provides you (UP), to love people (IN) and make disciples that multiply (OUT). This is HIS purpose for us. If you try to build the church you will rarely get disciples BUT if you make disciples you will always get the church. Mike Breen Remember, the most important part of looking out is relationship building. 5

6 Discovery Bible Study DBS is a simple but very powerful discipleship process centred on opening the Bible with someone who doesn t yet follow Jesus. Check out this video: Methodology It s best to start with 2 or 3 people. Try to reach a community, not just an individual this will give the meeting a sense of community from the beginning. Jesus discipled people in groups and He s the best example we have! Simple as ABC A. Ask What s been good this week? (this teaches the participants to praise God) What s been hard/challenging this week? How did you go with what you committed to do from last week? B. Bible When reading the Bible, the aim is to allow participants to discover God s truth for themselves, rather than relying on a leader. Jesus did this a lot in His discipleship, asking the disciples questions and letting the process of discovery happen over time. He let them discover the truth via revelation from His Father. 1. Choose a passage of Scripture that s simple, has a narrative and is not too long. 2. Read it out loud. 3. If a person is bilingual, read it in their own language then read it in English. If reading is difficult, simply tell the story. 4. If read in English, use two different versions. 5. Paraphrase the passage. Re-tell the story. This will help reinforce it. 6. Next ask, What do you see? (It will be hard as the leader to not jump in and start teaching but you must stay silent and pray for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Let them come up with the answer in terms of what God is saying in this space. It s all about self discovery.) 7. Don t be afraid of silences. 6

7 Discovery Bible Study 8. You can prompt the participants with questions such as: What does this say about God? What does this say about us? Are there areas you re bothered by? What do you like? 9. If you re doing the most talking, then you re talking too much! 10. Keep it centred on Scripture. 11. If the session veers off course, bring it back to Scripture by asking, Where do you see that in Scripture? C. Commit to obey The third part of this process is to ground the talk into obedience steps. Jesus described making disciples as teaching people to obey everything I have commanded you. We often miss the word obey. Our discipleship processes are often knowledge based and not obedience/action based. There is a key difference. After asking the question What is God saying to you? ; ask, What are you going to do about it? Who are you going to tell? Let them suggest their own commitment. Whatever it is, it needs to be listened to and respected. It s ok if it s a simple application. We are all on a journey. When someone commits to obey truth that comes via scripture and revelation, in this process God s truth becomes alive, personal and owned. Concluding remarks So, it s as simple as ABC. Scripture is at the centre of this. As a Life Group leader you function as the facilitator, there to empower the participants and to pray. You don t have to have all the answers. The disciple discovers the truth directly in the Word and learns to obey and share this with others from day one and to listen to the Holy Spirit. The Life Group team is more than happy to answer any questions you may have about Discovery Bible Study. Our doors are open. 7

8 Discovery Bible Study Sample DBS Reading Plan The Creation Story Genesis 1:1-25 God Created the World Genesis 2:4-24 The Creation of Man The Fall Genesis 3:1-13 The First Sin and Judgment Genesis 3:14-24 Judgment of a Sinful World Genesis 6:1-9 The Flood Redemption Genesis 12:1-8, 15:1-6 God s Promise to Abram Genesis 22:1-19 Abraham offers Isaac as a Sacrifice Exodus 12:1-28 The Promise of Passover Exodus 20:1-21 The Ten Commandments Leviticus 4:1-35 The Sacrificial System Isaiah 53 Isaiah Foreshadows the Coming Promise Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus Matthew 3; John 1:29-34 Jesus is Baptized Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation of Christ John 3:1-21 Jesus and Nicodemus John 4:1-26, Jesus and the Woman at the Well Luke 5:17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals Mark 4:35-41 Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Casts Out Evil Spirits John 11:1-44 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead Matthew 26:26-30 The First Lord s Supper John 18:1-19:16 Jesus is Betrayed and Condemned Luke 23:32-56 Jesus is Crucified Luke 24:1-35 Jesus Conquers Death Luke 24:36-53 Jesus Appears and Ascends John 3:1-21 We Have a Choice 8

9 Missionary Adoption Many Life Groups choose to adopt a Crossway missionary or missionary family. This is a great way to connect with our missionaries in their day-to-day lives, and gives wonderful support to those involved in missions around the globe. Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Pray and discuss the idea with your Life Group Select one of our Crossway missionaries (there are missionary information cards in the church foyer). To find out more, contact our missions pastor Daron Himstedt at daron.himstedt@crossway.org.au Let your Life Group pastor know that you have adopted the missionary Connect with the missionary and start supporting them Some of the ways Life Groups support our missionaries include: Prayer support, and keeping up with how to be praying for them ing and encouraging them regularly Inviting them to come and share with the Life Group when they return to Australia on leave Offering assistance with practical needs (including when they are home) Sending small gifts for Christmas and birthdays, especially for children in the families Giving financial support Life Group members may consider visiting the missionaries in their mission context 9

10 Leading a Healthy Life Group Leading a group isn t difficult and the responsibity may be shared with others. The two key elements are facilitation and discipling. Here s an outline of what healthy Life Group leadership might include. Facilitation Coordinate other group members to lead components of your group life (e.g. Bible study, social events, ministry opportunities, supper, worship) Coordinate and share regular follow-up of members within your group (e.g. personal calls, texts and s, Facebook groups, whatsapp) Integrate new members Set the tone for group interaction, moderating discussion between talkers and non-talkers Fulfil current legal requirements (i.e. provide evidence of an up-to-date Working With Children Check) Discipling Provide opportunities for everyone to understand and engage in obeying Jesus teachings Pray for each other as a regular component of group life Encourage genuine spiritual growth and deepening friendships Develop a healthy accountability culture Create an environment where the UP _ IN _ OUT health of your Life Group can flourish Explore giftings within the group and leverage this diversity to serve productively Refer members with needs beyond your group s current capacity to Care Ministry (e.g. loss of income, death of a family member, divorce, mental illness) Contact: Pastor Megan Stock, care@crossway.org.au or Corporately pray about the people group, passion or location to which God is calling your group Personally invest in potential leaders Look for God inspired potential in all your group members Encourage different ways for members to reach, love and serve people in their own spheres of influence Have you had a Life Group health check lately? 10

11 Mandatory Volunteer Documentation The Australian Government has been going through the process of lifting the standard for child safety in the community. In Victoria, this has brought about enforcement of the following laws - Grooming, Failure to Protect and Failure to Disclose. As a result, from January 1st, 2017, it will be mandatory for all organisations, including churches, to abide by the new Child Safe Standards. 1 Any volunteer interacting with children needs to have a Working with Children Check. We appreciate that for some Crossway volunteers, like Life Group leaders, there is minimal or no interaction with children, however as a church, Crossway has decided that in an endeavour to remain transparent, all volunteers now need to have a Working with Children Check. To apply for a Working with Children Check, please follow these instructions: Go to 1. Fill in the application form and verify your identity online 2. Check the that will be sent to you with instructions on how to finalise your application at Australia Post 3. At Australia Post your photo will be taken at no charge to you To validate the application, you need to include the following information: A. Type of application: select volunteer B. Organisation details: Name of Primary Organisation: Crossway Baptist Church Inc. Postal Address: 2 Vision Drive, Burwood East, Vic, 3151 Employer/Volunteer Organisation Contact Phone Number: C. Occupational field: Code Number: 64 (Religious Organisations) Occupational Type: volunteer Already have a WWCC? Log into mycheck and add Crossway as a volunteer organisation Code Number: 64 (Religious Organisations) Prior to you being officially recognised in your new volunteer position, Crossway will need to be provided a copy of your application. Please this to your Life Group Pastor as soon as possible. We really appreciate your grace and understanding in this process. It is important for us as a church community to reflect the nature of Christ. One of the characteristics of our Lord Jesus that most people admire is his inclusion of and concern for children. Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16). As followers of Jesus, we seek to follow our Lord in this. If you have any further enquiries regarding Working with Children Checks, please contact Caryn Chan via caryn.chan@crossway.org.au 1 For more information on the new Child Safe Standards visit 11

12 Application for Baptism at Crossway Baptist Church Name Address Post Code Telephone Home Work Mobile address Date of birth Male/Female (please circle) Have you been water baptised by full immersion before? If YES, please state where and when: Do you wish to be water baptised by FULL immersion? Which leader will baptise you? Phone: Yes/No Yes/No Name: What is your preference of date and time of service for you to be baptised? The dates will be advised by the Baptism Pastor/Facilitator. First Preference at the 8.45am, 10.15am 11.45am or 6pm service on (Date) SAMPLE ONLY Second Preference at the 8.45am, 10.15am 11.45am or 6pm service on (Date) Are you happy to be contacted by the Crossway photographer regarding the availability of photos of this event? Yes/No Are you happy for your baptism ceremony to be to be used as footage in future baptism advertisements to encourage others? Yes/No Signed Date Privacy Statement: We only collect information where it is necessary to do so to provide a service to you, or where we are required by law to do so. Access to your personal information is restricted to staff and support staff who require information to provide a service to you. Your details are not generally available to everyone. We will not pass on any of your personal details to any other organization or third party. 12

13 Partnering in Membership Having accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, been baptised by immersion in His name, and being in agreement with Crossway's statement of beliefs, its vision and mission (as contained in the Church Rules), I now commit to partner with Crossway Baptist Church through membership. In doing so, I commit myself to: 1 Loving God 2 Loving People 3 Disciples that Multiply I will seek to develop my relationship with God through regularly reading and meditating on His word. I will pursue an increased level of intimacy with God through my ongoing engagement in prayer, praise and worship. I will demonstrate my love for God through engaging in opportunities to serve Him with my gifts and talents. I will demonstrate my love for people through actively looking for opportunities to serve them. I will demonstrate my love for people through seeking opportunities to care for those in need both inside and outside the church. I will develop my love for people by learning to love myself - embracing what God says about me. I will develop as a disciple of Jesus through learning to respond to the Holy Spirit as He directs me. SAMPLE ONLY I will endeavour to be a disciple that multiplies as I engage with pre-christian people and seek to lead them to faith in Jesus Christ. I will demonstrate that I am a disciple of Jesus as I bring my tithes and offerings to Him. 13

14 Partnering in Membership I would like to partner in membership at Crossway as outlined overleaf: Name Address Phone Date of birth Former church (if applicable) Have you been baptised by full immersion? Y / N SAMPLE ONLY Signature of applicant Date of commitment Privacy Statement: we only collect information where it is necessary to do so to provide a service to you, or where we are required by law to do so. Access to your personal information is restricted to staff and support staff who require information to provide a service to you. Your details are not generally available to everyone. We will not pass on any of your personal details to any other organization or third party. 14