Ablaze Living All Rights Reserved Missions International PO Box Franklin, TN 37068

Transcription

1 Ablaze Living 2006 All Rights Reserved Missions International PO Box Franklin, TN 37068

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3 For more information, please contact Missions International PO Box , Franklin, TN , ext Permission to photocopy this training material is granted by Missions International for use in Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregations. 2006

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5 Facilitator Guide Supply List General Supplies q Facilitator Guide q Participant Guides q Ablaze Living Resource CD q Pens q Markers q Whiteboard/Posterboard/Flipchart paper q Bibles Ablaze for the Harvest q 3M Post-it Notes (3 x3 ) q Pens q Candy for prizes (optional) q Whiteboard/Posterboard/Flipchart paper q Markers Power in Prayer q Ee-Taow DVD/VHS, DVD player/vcr, TV Visit or call q Bibles q Pens q Whiteboard/Posterboard/Flipchart paper q Markers q Prayer Bookmarks See the Ablaze Living Resource CD or visit Starting Spiritual Conversations q Folding Chairs q Masking Tape q Newspaper q Bibles q Pens Praying for the Harvest q Option 1: Whiteboard/Posterboard/Flipchart paper, Markers q Option 2: Bruce Almighty DVD/VHS, DVD player/vcr, TV q Pens Clear Communication q Paper q Overhead Transparency q Pens Starting Interest Groups q Pens 2006

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7 Ablaze Living Implementation Plan

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9 Implementation Plan Table of Contents Step 1 - Introduction A Special Note for Churches who Have Completed Motivation for Mission or Natural Evangelism First Steps Role of the Small Group Coordinator Step 2 - Preparation Five Weeks Prior to Study Four Weeks Prior to Study Three Weeks Prior to Study Two Weeks Prior to Study One Week Prior to Study Step 3 - Implementation Week One Week Two Week Three Week Four Week Five Week Six Step 4 - Follow Up Week Seven

10 A Special Note for Churches who Have Completed Motivation for Mission or Natural Evangelism: Congratulations on taking the next step in the Groups Ablaze program! We hope you will find the Ablaze Living Study a way to strengthen the outreach focus in your church. The Ablaze Living Study is designed to be used as a standalone study as well as a follow-up to Motivation for Mission and Natural Evangelism. Therefore, you most likely have the small group structure in place and may not need to repeat every step in this Implementation Plan. You have already laid the groundwork for church interest during the previous study. Interest surveys and new bulletin inserts are included; however, the promotional campaign and preparation may be shortened considerably. Another option is to have a two-week transition/break period immediately following MM or NE, and then begin the Ablaze Living program right away. If you are using the same SG Coordinator and Host Homes, perhaps only a refresher session is needed. If you have new Host Home leaders that were participants in the last study, or if they are new to the process, some training/orientation may be required. Please feel free to adapt this plan as necessary. Many blessings on your Small Group ministry!

11 Introduction Calendar First Steps Where to Start The following pages include specific actions that you can take prior to and during the Ablaze Living Study. However, these steps may need to be adapted to fit your church s needs. 1. Pray!!! As you are reading this, pray! Prayer is at the heart of any successful ministry. Pray for God to show you a deeper sense of our purpose as individuals as well as a church to reach the lost! Enlist the prayer power of your church leaders. Get as many people possible praying for this season of Ablaze Living.

12 2. Read through the Ablaze Living material if you have not done so already. The Word in the training will build you up and create excitement in your heart for what God is going to do in your church! 3. Mark your calendar for an Informational Meeting to be held on the Sunday of Week 3 Prior to Study at a time convenient for the greatest number of people (before service, during Sunday school, etc.). 4. Recruit a Small Group Coordinator. This coordinator will be instrumental to the success of the study. The coordinator may be a staff member or lay person. 5. Distribute Interest Surveys to the congregation and select church leaders. Also complete the Pastor Profile. Compile the results and submit to your District ME as well as Dwight Marable at Dwight@missions.com. The surveys are located on the Resource CD. To Do List Pray! Enlist prayers of church leaders Distribute surveys and complete Pastor Profile Mark calendar for informational meeting Make arrangements for the meeting Recruit a Small Group Leader Possible Small Group Leaders:

13 Small Group Coordinator Job Description Duties Recruit small group hosts Attend Informational Meeting Act as a contact/support person for Hosts Contact each Host Home weekly to provide follow-up and coaching Monitor Host Homes and troubleshoot. Have a sense of attendance in the groups, not an exact number. Keep the Pastor informed Qualifications A heart for small groups Enthusiastic and excited about Ablaze Living Good relationships Outgoing person with strategic planning gifts Ability to problem-solve and delegate Is known by the church and respected Ability to organize and good follow-through skills

14 SAMPLE Church Member Interest Survey Survey 1. Are you a visitor to this church? Yes No 2. If you are a member, have you been here more than 5 years? Yes No 3. Would you be interested in participating in 6 Bible studies that may be held in homes of the members of the church? Yes No *If yes, please sign your name here: 4. Did you grow up in the Lutheran Church? Yes No 5. Did you come to faith as either a teenager or adult, not in your childhood? Yes No 6. Would you be interested in learning about small groups designed to reach out to non-christians or unchurched Christians? Yes No

15 SAMPLE Church Leader Interest Survey Survey for Church Leaders LCMS Groups Ablaze 1. Name: 2. Address: 3. Church Name: 4. How long have you been a member of this congregation? 5. How long have you been a Christian? Were you an adult convert? 6. If you have children, what are their ages? 7. What is your leadership role in the church? 8. Have you participated in a small group at this congregation that meets in a member s home? If the answer is yes, what was the purpose of that group? 9. Would you be interested in hosting a group for 6 meetings in your home with church members? 10. About how many people who are not actively involved in a church or are not believers do you know well enough that you could call their name if you saw them in a grocery store? 11. Would you be interested in learning about small groups that reach out to the unchurched or people who are not believers? 12. Have you received any training on how to share the Gospel in the past 5 years? If so, could you share with us the name of the training program(s)?

16 SAMPLE Pastor Profile Groups Ablaze Pastor Profile 1. Name: 2. Church: 3. Address: 4. Mailing Address: 5. Length of time of service at present church: 6. What evangelistic training events have you participated in during the last 5 years? 7. Does your church currently have small groups? If so, what would you consider to be the primary purpose of those groups? How long have they been meeting? 8. Could you describe any outreach activities at your church? (Please use the back of the page to complete) 9. What is the average age of those who attend your Sunday services? 10. Approximately how many families in the year old age range attend regularly? 11. If you have equipped your members to share their faith, would you describe the type of training you used and how many participated, as well as any results? 10

17 SAMPLE Survey Report Groups Ablaze Survey Report CHURCH INFORMATION First Lutheran Church, 55 Main Street, Any Town, NJ Pastor: Joe Smith Telephone: District: New Jersey District ME: John Jones RESULTS FROM SURVEY FOR CHURCH MEMBERS: 40 Total Respondents, 35 members and 5 visitors Of the 5 visitors: 2 would be interested in participating in the 6 Bible Studies. 4 grew up in the Lutheran Church. 1 teen/adult convert 2 would be interested in learning more about small groups. Of the 35 members: 28 have been members for more than 5 years. 31 are interested in participating in the 6 Bible Studies, 2 are not, 2 unsure. 24 grew up in the Lutheran Church, 11 did not. 23 teen/adult converts 17 would be interested in learning more about small groups, 4 unsure, 14 are not. RESULTS FROM SURVEY FOR CHURCH LEADERS: Names: Linda Jones Linda@yahoo.com Jeff Smith jeff@comcast.net How long have you been a member of this congregation? Average of 22 years How long have you been a Christian? Average of 41 years 2 Adult Converts 1 respondent has children under 18. Leadership roles include: Treasurer, Stewardship committee, Family Ministry board, Church Council secretary, Congregation President and Vice President, Elder Have you participated in a small group that meets in a home at this congregation? 2 yes If the answer is yes, what was the purpose of that group? Bible Study, Stewardship Would you be interested in hosting a group for 6 meetings in your home with church members which would focus on the mission and purpose of the church? 2 maybe, 5 no About how many people who are not actively involved in a church or are not believers do you know well enough that you could call their name if you saw them in a grocery store? 3 0/no answer, 2-2-3, Would you be interested in learning about small groups that reach out to the unchurched or people who are not believers? 5 yes, 2 - maybe Have you received any training on how to share the Gospel in the past 5 years? If so, could you share with us the name of the training programs? 0 received training RESULTS FROM SURVEY FOR CHURCH PASTOR: Time of Service: 3 years Evangelistic Training in past 5 years: None Does your church currently have small groups? No Outreach activities: Board of Family Ministry holds events with members inviting guests. Twice a year we have a venison dinner. Average age of congregation: 45+ Families in the range: 20 Equipping Training: None 11

18 Preparation Calendar Five Weeks Prior to Study Rollout Sunday The pastor should talk about Ablaze Living at the opening of his sermon and mention it every Sunday. Excitement and enthusiasm are contagious. If the Sr. Pastor and the SG Coordinator are excited, then the members will want to be a part. Use the Ablaze Living Bulletin Insert. These files are located on the Resource CD. See next page for suggested announcement. YOU CANNOT COMMUNICATE TOO MUCH!! BE CREATIVE. FIND WAYS TO BUILD ENTHUSIASM EACH WEEK! 12

19 Suggested Announcement: On, we are very excited about starting a new six-week Bible study called Ablaze Living. These interactive Bible studies will equip us in the high impact behaviors of praying, reaching, caring, and empowering AND will initate new harvest-oriented small groups. Pastor will be preaching sermons that coordinate with the home Bible studies to help us all focus on God s plan for this church. This will be a time of fellowship in homes around the Word of God! Some of you will want to host the home meetings and everyone will want to join a group for the 6 discovery studies. Look at the insert in your bulletin. Take a moment and fill out the card and put it in the offering plate. For those of you interested in being a host home, there will be an informational meeting at, on Sunday,. If you have any questions, please see me or (SG Coordinator). 13

20 Preparation 1 Calendar Four Weeks Prior to Study Sunday Repeat Ablaze Living Bulletin Insert and suggested announcement on page 13. Emphasize the meeting next Sunday (give time and place) for the host home volunteers. Pray for God to bless the congregation with new insights about his purpose for the church and members. YOU CANNOT COMMUNICATE TOO MUCH!! BE CREATIVE. FIND WAYS TO BUILD ENTHUSIASM EACH WEEK! 14

21 What to Do this Week: Continue to help the SG Coordinator recruit host homes by phone calls to key lay leaders asking for their participation as host homes. Invite them to the Informational Meeting. To Do List Use Bulletin Insert Continue to announce the Study Prepare for meeting Invite potential Host Homes to meeting Possible Host Homes: 15

22 Preparation 1 Calendar Three Weeks Prior to Study Sunday Announce the Informational Meeting and give one last invitation for people interested in learning about Host Homes. See instructions for the meeting on the next page. This meeting will be led by the Pastor and SG Coordinator. The meeting should last approximately one hour and yet no longer than one hour and fifteen minutes. 16

23 Informational Meeting This is the opportunity to introduce the series. Ablaze Living focuses on the four essential components of a small group: praying leaders, focused outreach, loving and caring relationships, and empowerment. Your excitement about the study will catch on with everyone. Be sure that you have read through all of the six lessons so that you are genuinely excited about what the church is going to experience and learn. (Be sure you collect everyone s contact information, including addresses.) The Hosts Role 1. A small group will be meeting in their home 1-2 hours per week, once a week for six weeks. 2. Hosts are encouraged to invite their friends to attend their meetings. These friends can be from church or outside church. A group size of is ideal; 15 is the recommended maximum. 3. Hosts read the Facilitator s Guide and lead the group through the material. (This is not teaching but helping them follow the activities in the Guide.) 4. Hosts coordinate for participants to bring refreshments. Orientation Activity During this meeting take 30 minutes to give the hosts some experience using the Facilitator s Guides. Do this early in the meeting to allow time for questions and discussion of the process afterwards. Instructions: Distribute copies of the Facilitator Guide pages for the first lesson, Ablaze for the Harvest. Explain the Facilitator Guide pages vs. Participant Guide pages. Show a copy of the Participant Guides to everyone, but have them use the Facili- 17

24 tator Guides. You will be the facilitator; they will be participants. Have them follow along as you go over Planting a Garden, pages 1-2 of the Facilitator Guide. Briefly review the balance of the lesson. Tell the hosts: It may not be possible to cover every activity in one hour. It is okay to leave off sections use your best judgment. Discussion After the group has seen what it is like to be a facilitator, open the floor for questions. Possible questions might include: Food: Refreshments are encouraged. Suggest that couples in the group take turns bringing refreshments. Refreshments are for after the meeting. Time: The study should take about one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes each week, with minutes of refreshment time following. Child Care: Ideally children would be cared for at their homes or at a location other than the host home. Schedule: Each host will decide which day and time to meet. Please let the SG Coordinator know when you will meet. I can t do this! : It does not take a pastor or a teacher to lead this study, just the willingness. If anyone is still nervous after the exposure to the process, suggest that the group in the home could act as the facilitator as a group by reading the facilitator materials together. Wrap-Up Close the meeting by asking who will commit to be a host home leader. Get a feel for where everyone is at and have the SG Coordinator follow up. Decisions are due by Friday. The coordinator will be contacting them. PRAY together for God s blessings on this study! 18

25 What to Do this Week: SG Coordinator should follow up on the informational meeting to see who is ready to commit. SG Coordinator needs to follow up with all committed to be host homes and collect the following information to publish for the church: Day and time of meeting Address Phone number, This is a great time to encourage, pray together and generally enjoy the process, for both the SG Coordinator and host homes! Excitement builds excitement. Encourage the hosts to contact other members in the church and invite them. To Do List Continue to announce the Study Conduct Informational Meeting Assist SG Coordinator with meeting follow-up 19

26 Preparation Calendar Two Weeks Prior to Study Sunday Continue to announce the Study. A list of Host Homes will be available next week! 20

27 What to Do this Week: SG Coordinator should compile a list of hosts with their information for the church bulletin or to be posted at a strategic place for people to sign up. SG Coordinator should copy and distribute Ablaze Living materials (including the Supply List) to hosts. You can send them their weekly copies via (PDF) or a print copy through the mail or in person. Suggestion: Distribute Facilitator Guide and Participant Guide materials for all 6 weeks at one time. To Do List Continue to announce the Study Assist SG Coordinator with Host Home list Begin preparation for the Study as a Host 21

28 Preparation Calendar One Week Prior to Study Sunday Announce that Host Home lists are now available. (Hosts will also be recruiting for their groups.) Encourage people to sign up with a host. Be sure that the list of host homes (name, address, phone, , day and time of meeting) are in the bulletin and/or a prominent place. Remind the congregation to contact their host home so that the hosts can prepare for them. Group size is limited, so please RSVP ASAP. 22

29 What to Do this Week: SG Coordinator should contact Hosts to follow-up: Are there any questions? Do you need assistance with the materials? How many people are signed up? SG Coordinator may need to gauge group numbers and help recruit accordingly. To Do List Continue to announce the Study Remember: If the Sr. Pastor and the SG Coordinator are excited, then the members will want to be a part. Assist SG Coordinator with any last details Continue preparation for the Study as a Host 23

30 Implementation Calendar 1 2 Week One Kickoff Sunday Announce that it is not too late to sign up for the study! Refer them to the list of Host Homes. Remind the congregation to contact their host home so that the Hosts can prepare for them. Group size is limited, so please RSVP ASAP. This week s message: Ablaze for the Harvest. Announce next week s message: Power in Prayer. Groups will meet this week to study Ablaze for the Harvest. 24

31 Implementation Calendar 1 2 Week Two Sunday This week s message: Power in Prayer. Announce next week s message: Starting Spiritual Conversations. Groups will meet this week to study Power in Prayer. 25

32 Implementation Calendar 1 2 Week Three Sunday This week s message: Starting Spiritual Conversations. Announce next week s message: Praying for the Harvest. Groups will meet this week to study Starting Spiritual Conversations. 26

33 Implementation Calendar Week Four Sunday This week s message: Praying for the Harvest. Announce next week s message: Clear Communication. Groups will meet this week to study Praying for the Harvest. 27

34 Implementation Calendar Week Five Sunday This week s message: Clear Communication. Announce next week s message: Starting Interest Groups. Groups will meet this week to study Clear Communication. 28

35 Implementation Calendar Week Six Sunday This week s message: Starting Interest Groups. (Optional: Announce next week s Celebration message.) Groups will meet this week to study Starting Interest Groups. Plan a Debriefing Meeting with host home leaders for next Sunday morning during a strategic time. Surveys will be completed by participants during the Starting Interest Groups module. Leaders should bring the survey results to this meeting. Announce that meeting and put it in the bulletin. Congratulate Hosts on a job well done. 29

36 Optional: Encourage the groups to meet one more time during the next week as a celebration and wrap-up of the Study. Groups that enjoyed the group activities might have a board game night. Groups could go out to eat if sharing meals was an important part of the group dynamic. Celebrate the relationships that were formed/strengthened during this time together. To Do List Announce Debriefing Meeting Make arrangements for Meeting Make contact with Hosts and suggest optional Celebration meeting Optional: Prepare Celebration message 30

37 Follow-Up Calendar Week Seven Sunday Optional: This week s message: Celebration Message. Optional: Groups meet this week for a Celebration time. Conduct a Debriefing Meeting with Host Home leaders. Discuss the participants survey results. Survey the leaders by asking the questions on the following page. 31

38 Debriefing Survey What is the greatest learning you have taken away from the Study? What was the most fun? What was the greatest benefit to you personally? What practical changes have you made in your life as a result of this Study? What ideas do you have for strengthening this course? Are you interested in taking the next steps with Groups Ablaze? Would you be willing to lead a small group focused on outreach? What to Do this Week: Meet with SG Coordinator for a final report on attendance (number of groups, and the total number of participants). Please share these totals, along with the debriefing survey results, with your district office as well as Dwight Marable at Missions International (Dwight@missions.com). Also, share what the impact of Ablaze Living was on the church including a new or renewed passion for outreach, perhaps even an increased number of visitors, strengthened relationships, etc. BUILD ON THE MOMENTUM! 32

39 Facilitator Guide Ablaze for the Harvest 10 minutes Planting a Garden Facilitator Instructions: Break the group up into teams for this exercise. Three or four people in a team is fine. Hand each group a small pack of post-it-notes with these instructions: You have three minutes to brainstorm as many steps as possible that are involved in growing a vegetable garden. Write one step per post-it-note. That s all of the information you have or need. Ready...Begin! Debrief Find out which team has the most steps. For some fun, you might want to have a prize available for the winning group. Next, spend some time building a list of steps together on a whiteboard. Gather input from all of the groups to build a master list of the steps involved. You should be able to generate between steps (If you have a real gardener in the room it could be more!). After you have built the list together, ask a few poignant questions to the whole group: Question #1: In what ways are growing vegetables like growing people? 2006

40 Ablaze for the Harvest Question #2: In what ways are growing vegetables like helping a person find God for the first time in his or her life? Key Point: If the group doesn t make the connection, help them see that helping people find God is a lot like gardening. There are often many steps involved in the journey. Evangelism is not an event; it s a process. Today, we re going to take a look at this journey of the heart and practical gardening steps you can take to assist someone God has placed in your life. 10 minutes Ablaze Living Facilitator Instructions: Transition from the opening activity to the short article entitled Ablaze Living. Encourage everyone to read it slowly, or you could read it aloud as a group. Take some time to draw the group out on what they see in the chart. It looks a little complicated at first, but it contains some rich insights. Allow people some time to connect the dots by asking them what stands out to them or impresses them as they look at the chart. What implications does it have? Ablaze Living Dwight Marable and Jim Egli have done extensive statistical research involving thousands of small groups in dozens of countries. This research has revealed the dynamics that make small groups grow: measured in terms of conversion growth, the assimilation of new members and the launching of new small groups. Interestingly, small group growth is not impacted by such factors as the age of the leaders, their educational level, their gender, marital status, their personality or their spiritual gifting. In other words, it doesn t appear to matter if groups are led by teens or senior citizens, high school drop-outs or Ph.D s, men or women, marrieds or singles, introverts or extroverts, those with the gift of teaching or evangelism or service. These factors make little if any difference. However, consider the path analysis chart for a moment. Many of the research findings can be boiled down to this single diagram. Arrows simply indicate influence. So it can be said that the research indicates that a praying church influences praying leaders and focused outreach. In other words, if a church emphasizes prayer, that will influence leaders to pray and groups to be intentional about their outreach efforts. In addition, praying leaders influence conversion growth. Facilitator Guide

41 Ablaze for the Harvest The findings of the research yielded a number of fascinating insights. In particular, it was discovered that groups attracted non-believers 1) if the leaders (and group members) take time with God in prayer; 2) if the group members are experiencing loving relationships with one another; 3) if the groups have a clear outward focus on the unchurched; and 4) if the groups are empowering others by recognizing their potential and actively involving them in leadership. These small group health factors are referred to as the Core Four of Pray, Reach, Care and Empower. Ablaze Living is a learning series which will emphasize the pray, reach and care components of the Core Four. Facilitator Guide 2006

42 Ablaze for the Harvest 20 minutes Take the Assessment To help everyone get better acquainted with the Core Four, take some time to have everyone fill out the assessment tool. Read the directions at the beginning of the Small Group Assessment together. Make sure everyone understands the terminology and how to answer the assessment. Debrief To bring the session to a personal level, break the room up into groups of 2-3 for a time of sharing. Ask each person to respond to these two questions: Question #1: What surprised you about the results? Question #2: In what specific ways does the (SG) 2 assessment personally challenge you? Question #3: What is one specific step you can take in the next month to grow or stretch yourself related to the assessment? 10 minutes Wrap-Up To bring this session to a conclusion, bring the whole group back together and ask a few folks to respond to these questions: Question #1: What is one highlight for you personally from this session? Question #2: What is an area of your life that you would like to grow in as a result of taking the assessment? Have a number of people close the meeting in prayer asking for God s blessing on the Ablaze Living Series. Facilitator Guide

43 Small Group Assessment Welcome to the (SG) 2 Small Group Assessment! This tool is designed to help you evaluate your leadership and the strengths and weaknesses of your group in a quick and practical way. As you read each question, circle the number for the appropriate answer. Total your scores for each section and continue on to the next page. Praying Leader Spending Time with God to Get His Help for Me and Others Focused Outreach Encouraging and Modeling Caring Outreach to Non-Christians Loving Relationships Extending Friendship and Joy to One Another Empowering Leadership I take at least 30 minutes each day to pray and study the Bible. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I pray daily by name for the salvation of my unbelieving friends and family members. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often On a typical day, I spend the following number of minutes in devotional time with the Lord: I pray daily for the members of my small group members between our meetings. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I consistently pray for our small group meetings in the days leading up to it. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for PL: Copyright 2005 Missions International Members of my small group intentionally spend time with unbelievers in order to share Christ with them. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I encourage members to invite family and friends to our small group meetings. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often People in my small group are strongly reminded that we exist to reach out to those that don t yet know Christ. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often In our small group meetings we take time to pray for the salvation of unbelievers. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I spend at least an hour a week with unbelievers to build relationships and share Christ with them. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for FO: People in our group are like family to one another. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I feel very close to the members of my group. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Members of our group pray for each other throughout the week. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often When someone in our group has a problem, he or she can be sure that others are praying for him or her. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often There is much joy and laughter in our small group meetings. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for LR: I talk to members of my group about their leadership potential. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I encourage members to take risks and try new things in ministry and group leadership. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often When the church offers small group leader training, I seriously consider whom I should encourage to attend. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I meet every week or two with an intern or apprentice whom I am preparing to lead their own group someday. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I am constantly looking for leadership potential among group members. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for EL:

44 Graph Your Scores Enter your total scores from the previous page on the four scales of the graph by placing a dot on each scale to indicate your scores. Connect the dots with a line. Debrief What was your highest score? What was your lowest? How might you use your strength to help your weakness? Copyright 2005 Missions International Score Praying Leader Focused Outreach Loving Relationships Empowering Leadership

45 Participant Guide Ablaze for the Harvest Planting a Garden Debrief Question #1: In what ways are growing vegetables like growing people? Question #2: In what ways are growing vegetables like helping a person find God for the first time in his or her life? 2006

46 Ablaze for the Harvest Ablaze Living Dwight Marable and Jim Egli have done extensive statistical research involving thousands of small groups in dozens of countries. This research has revealed the dynamics that make small groups grow: measured in terms of conversion growth, the assimilation of new members and the launching of new small groups. Interestingly, small group growth is not impacted by such factors as the age of the leaders, their educational level, their gender, marital status, their personality or their spiritual gifting. In other words, it doesn t appear to matter if groups are led by teens or senior citizens, high school drop-outs or Ph.D. s, men or women, marrieds or singles, introverts or extroverts, those with the gift of teaching or evangelism or service. These factors make little if any difference. However, consider the path analysis chart for a moment. Many of the research findings can be boiled down to this single diagram. Arrows simply indicate influence. So it can be said that the research indicates that a praying church influences praying leaders and focused outreach. In other words, if a church emphasizes prayer, that will influence leaders to pray and groups to be intentional about their outreach efforts. In addition, praying leaders influence conversion growth. Participant Guide

47 Ablaze for the Harvest The findings of the research yielded a number of fascinating insights. In particular, it was discovered that groups attracted non-believers 1) if the leaders (and group members) take time with God in prayer; 2) if the group members are experiencing loving relationships with one another; 3) if the groups have a clear outward focus on the unchurched; and 4) if the groups are empowering others by recognizing their potential and actively involving them in leadership. These small group health factors are referred to as the Core Four of Pray, Reach, Care and Empower. Ablaze Living is a learning series which will emphasize the pray, reach and care components of the Core Four. Take the Assessment Debrief To bring the session to a personal level, break the room up into groups of 2-3 for a time of sharing. Ask each person to respond to these two questions: Question #1: What surprised you about the results? Question #2: In what specific ways does the (SG) 2 assessment personally challenge you? Question #3: What is one specific step you can take in the next month to grow or stretch yourself related to the assessment? Participant Guide 2006

48 Wrap-Up Ablaze for the Harvest Question #1: What is one highlight for you personally from this session? Question #2: What is an area of your life that you would like to grow in as a result of taking the assessment? Participant Guide

49 Small Group Assessment Welcome to the (SG) 2 Small Group Assessment! This tool is designed to help you evaluate your leadership and the strengths and weaknesses of your group in a quick and practical way. As you read each question, circle the number for the appropriate answer. Total your scores for each section and continue on to the next page. Praying Leader Spending Time with God to Get His Help for Me and Others Focused Outreach Encouraging and Modeling Caring Outreach to Non-Christians Loving Relationships Extending Friendship and Joy to One Another Empowering Leadership I take at least 30 minutes each day to pray and study the Bible. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I pray daily by name for the salvation of my unbelieving friends and family members. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often On a typical day, I spend the following number of minutes in devotional time with the Lord: I pray daily for the members of my small group members between our meetings. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I consistently pray for our small group meetings in the days leading up to it. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for PL: Copyright 2005 Missions International Members of my small group intentionally spend time with unbelievers in order to share Christ with them. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I encourage members to invite family and friends to our small group meetings. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often People in my small group are strongly reminded that we exist to reach out to those that don t yet know Christ. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often In our small group meetings we take time to pray for the salvation of unbelievers. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I spend at least an hour a week with unbelievers to build relationships and share Christ with them. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for FO: People in our group are like family to one another. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I feel very close to the members of my group. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Members of our group pray for each other throughout the week. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often When someone in our group has a problem, he or she can be sure that others are praying for him or her. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often There is much joy and laughter in our small group meetings. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for LR: I talk to members of my group about their leadership potential. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I encourage members to take risks and try new things in ministry and group leadership. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often When the church offers small group leader training, I seriously consider whom I should encourage to attend. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I meet every week or two with an intern or apprentice whom I am preparing to lead their own group someday. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often I am constantly looking for leadership potential among group members. Rarely Seldom Sometimes Often Very Often Total Score for EL:

50 Graph Your Scores Enter your total scores from the previous page on the four scales of the graph by placing a dot on each scale to indicate your scores. Connect the dots with a line. Debrief What was your highest score? What was your lowest? How might you use your strength to help your weakness? Copyright 2005 Missions International Score Praying Leader Focused Outreach Loving Relationships Empowering Leadership

51 Facilitator Guide Power in Prayer 35 minutes *Purchase the video (or DVD) Ee-Taow from New Tribes Mission Ee-Taow Video Clip Start off this module with a powerful video clip from the Ee-Taow: The Mouk Story and The Next Chapter. It s the story of a missionary couple who experienced a powerful move of God in the village they were trying to reach. Start the video at the 11:43 mark and run it until the celebration at the end is completed. Set up the scene by telling the group that this couple had initially been rejected as missionary candidates because they were thought to be too old. They persevered and eventually made it to the mission field to work with the Mouk people where they learned the language and had an opportunity to share God s plan of redemption starting with the Old Testament first. Watch what happens! Debrief Question #1: What obstacles did the missionaries face? How did they overcome them? Question #2: What obstacles do you face (personally) and (corporately) as a church in reaching people with the life-transforming Gospel? 2006

52 Power in Prayer Triad Sharing and Prayer After the discussion about the film, move the room into groups of three. Ask people to share about a few people they know in their web of relationships who need the love of God. Encourage people to think of friends, neighbors, work associates, and family members who need Jesus in their lives. After a brief time of sharing (5 minutes), ask the triads to make a transition and to spend time praying by name for the people they have shared about. Encourage them to pray that God would stir the hearts of these people and that their hearts would be opened like the Mouk people in the video clip. Debrief With the triads still assembled ask them to share what it was like to pray by name for their friends who need Jesus. Hopefully, you will find that for some in the room, the time of prayer stirred a sense of compassion. 15 minutes Power in Prayer Read this section together There are many ways to lower our friends down to Jesus. As a small group there are some very specific things you can do. Research from around the world conducted by Missions International has found that one of the most important elements of groups that attract and win lost people to Christ relates to prayer. Four issues surfaced related to the small group s prayer: #1 Daily prayer for members of the group #2 Devotional time spent with God each day #3 Focused prayer related to the small group meeting #4 Prayer daily for non-christians by name All four aspects are connected spending time with God each day and integrating group related prayer needs into that daily time. Quick Neighbor Nudge Everyone quickly turn to a neighbor and answer the following question: How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 on these four prayer habits? Use the following scale as a guide: (1) Seldom... (3) Somewhat... (5) Often Facilitator Guide 2006

53 Power in Prayer Praying for the Lost For our time together today we want to focus particularly on the habit of praying daily for non-christians by name. With a partner, look up the scripture passages that have been provided for you to discover specific ways that we can pray for those that don t know Christ. Take turns looking up the passages below and discuss how each reference relates to ways that we can lower people to Jesus by praying specifically for them. Passage Key Insight about Praying for the Lost Revelation 3:20 Matthew 9:36-38 Acts 28: Corinthians 4:3-4 Titus 2:11-14 Colossians 4:2-6 Debrief Using a whiteboard, posterboard or flipchart, debrief with the group about what they found in each passage. Highlight one key insight from each passage that can fuel the way that we pray. This is a great time to hand out the Prayer Bookmarks as a practical way of remembering to pray more consistently for the Lost. Facilitator Guide 2006

54 5-7 minutes Personal Application Power in Prayer On your own, in the space provided below, take some time to journal a personal response to this question: What obstacles do I need to overcome to become more intentional about praying for my friends who need the love of Jesus? Wrap-Up As people feel comfortable, encourage them to share what they found themselves writing about in the exercise. Ask them to listen carefully to one another and then wrap up their triads praying for one another. Ask them to specifically pray for each other regarding developing the habit of praying for the Lost. Put a wrap on the whole day by bringing the group back together and asking individuals to share in response to this question: What was one thing that you take away from our time together today? *Remind everyone that they will check in with others in the group next week for accountability on the prayer bookmarks! Facilitator Guide

55 Participant Guide Power in Prayer Power in Prayer There are many ways to lower our friends down to Jesus. As a small group there are some very specific things you can do: Research from around the world conducted by Missions International has found that one of the most important elements of groups that attract and win lost people to Christ relates to prayer. Four issues surfaced related to the small group s prayer: #1 for members of the group #2 spent with God each day #3 related to the small group meeting #4 for non-christians by name All four aspects are connected to spending time with God each day and integrating group related prayer needs into that daily time. 2006

56 Quick Neighbor Nudge Power in Prayer Everyone quickly turn to a neighbor and answer the following question: How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 on these four prayer habits? Use the following scale as a guide: (1) Seldom... (3) Somewhat... (5) Often Praying for the Lost For our time together today we want to focus particularly on the habit of praying daily for non-christians by name. With a partner, look up the scripture passages that have been provided for you to discover specific ways that we can pray for those that don t know Christ. Take turns looking up the passages below and discuss how each reference relates to ways that we can lower people to Jesus by praying specifically for them. Passage Key Insight About Praying for the Lost Revelation 3:20 Matthew 9:36-38 Acts 28: Corinthians 4:3-4 Titus 2:11-14 Colossians 4:2-6 Participant Guide

57 Power in Prayer Wrap-Up On your own, in the space provided below, take some time to journal a personal response to this question: What obstacles do I need to overcome to become more intentional about praying for my friends who need the love of Jesus? Participant Guide 2006

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59 Facilitator Guide Starting Spiritual Conversations 5 minutes Ablaze Living Check-in Facilitator s Note: Before you launch into the game below, take a few minutes to allow people to check in with one another about the Ablaze Living Series. In groups of three, ask each person to respond to the following questions: Question #1: What has God been challenging you with in the Ablaze Living series so far? Question #2: How consistent have you been in praying for your friends who need God? After a brief time of sharing ask someone in each group to pray for what was shared and for today s session. 2006

60 Starting Spiritual Conversations 15 minutes Bridge Over Troubled Water Game Here s a fun way to reinforce the principles for today s session. The whole group will get to be involved in the action. Divide the room into 2 teams. (If you have more than 8-10 people divide into teams of four or more for maximum involvement; however, make even numbers of teams.) Clear out a space where you can place 2 folding chairs six feet apart. Each team should huddle around one of the chairs. The goal of the exercise is to design and construct a bridge between the two chairs in 8 minutes. It must have the structural integrity to hold a Bible. Each team is to be given one roll of masking tape and one copy of a whole newspaper. Explain the Rules for the Game 1. No one is allowed to stand in no man s land between the chairs. In other words, the two teams have to cooperate and talk with one another without walking or touching no man s land in the middle. 2. No other props or materials are allowed to be used except what is given to each team. 3. The emphasis of the game is to collaborate with the other side of the room to reach the goal of building a sustainable bridge. 4. A Bible will get placed on the bridge as a test only one time! There are no repeats or structural repairs allowed if the bridge collapses. 5. You have 8 minutes to complete the bridge! The facilitator is the time keeper. Debrief Question #1: What dynamics did you observe during the bridge building? Question #2: What does it take to make a bridge that can carry weight? Question #3: What are ways to build bridges to the lives of non-believers? 15 minutes Building Bridges Facilitator Instructions: Read this section together. Today s session will be focusing on how we can build bridges in our conversations with non-believers. In other words, how do we transition every day conversations Facilitator Guide 2006

61 Starting Spiritual Conversations and turn them into spiritual discussions? How do we bridge from everyday life to eternal issues? good witnesses have learned to apply the art of asking good questions. Jim Peterson (in his book, Evangelism as a Lifestyle) says, Any subject, if explored far enough, will lead us into a discussion of the good news. The ability to ask appropriate questions enables any subject to lead to a discussion of the Good News. As a matter of fact, one of the most difficult problems Christian witnesses face is how to get from a discussion of the weather, politics, sports, or current events to a conversation about spiritual matters. The art of asking questions is one of the most effective ways. (from The Art of Sharing Your Faith, Joel D. Heck ed., p.81) Questions have a way of opening up conversations and allowing us to catch glimpses of what our non-believing friends think, feel, and believe. A welltimed, well-worded question is the perfect bridge to going deeper in our conversations. Facilitator Instructions: Look up these verses as a group and ask people to respond to the question: What was the impact of each of these questions? (Hint: you ll have to consider the context of the verse.) After you have looked up the verses, give everyone a couple of minutes to read about the Four Levels of Questions which will frame the next exercise: Starting Spiritual Conversations. Verse Impact Genesis 3:9 Acts 8:30 John 21:17 Job 38:1-7 John 5:6 Mark 4:40 Luke 10:26 Facilitator Guide 2006

62 Starting Spiritual Conversations Four Levels of Questions Joel Heck suggests that there are four levels of bridge building questions we can use in our conversations. Consider each level for a moment... Level 1 General Information Questions This is where we try to solicit basic information about a person s life, background, work, interests, etc. Example: Tell me about where you grew up. What do you enjoy doing with your free time? Level 2 Purpose Questions These kinds of questions help you discover the basic reason(s) or purpose for an individual s life. Example: What made you choose the kind of work you re involved in? What do you want most out of life for your kids? What are your thoughts about what s happening in our state, community or nation? Level 3 Initial Spiritual Questions Transitions to spiritual issues begin here. Often we can use the topic under discussion in Level 2 to springboard to a deeper question. Example: What do you think God thinks about what s going on in the Middle East, in our nation or community? Level 4 Deeper Spiritual Questions From Level 3, it is a natural step to move to more personal spiritual questions that help highlight where a person is in their journey with God. Example: If you were to die tonight and you were standing before God and He asked you this question: Why should I let you into Heaven? what would you say? minutes Starting Spiritual Conversations Break the group up into triads for this brainstorming exercise. For this next exercise we ll focus on Level 3 kinds of questions. In the various situations listed, brainstorm with your partner(s) different Level 3 questions that you could ask a non-believer to start a spiritual conversation. Facilitator Instructions: Take some time to debrief the Starting Spiritual Conversations worksheet. Encourage people to write down helpful questions that others share as you go around the room. Facilitator Guide

63 Starting Spiritual Conversations Life Situation Bridging Question You Could Ask 1. Stress in the workplace Example: What have you found helpful in coping with work pressure? 2. World events (other nations, conflict) Example: Does it ever make you wonder where God is in the midst of the conflicts we are seeing around the world? 3. Creation (the beauty around us) Example: If there is a God, which part of the world do you think He s most proud of? 4. Current events (community, state, country) Example: How do you think God views AIDS? 5. Social trends (suicide, drugs, divorce, etc.) Example: How do you think God feels about assisted suicide? 6. Christmas and Easter (even Thanksgiving) Example: Is there a particular holiday that makes you think about spiritual things during the year? 7. A popular movie (with a deeper message) Example: Why do you think so many people wanted to see The Passion of the Christ? Facilitator Guide 2006

64 Starting Spiritual Conversations minutes Application Activity: Role Playing Transition from the debriefing time to several minutes of role playing in pairs or triads. People will need to be creative as they use various life situations to start spiritual conversations. * Important note: Before you turn the groups loose to role play, demonstrate from up front how the role play works by conducting one yourself with one of the participants acting as your non-believing friend. Each role play should only be 2-3 minutes max. You simply want people to get a feel for how to ask bridging questions. Role Play Guidelines: One person is the non-believing friend One person is the Christian trying to bridge into a spiritual conversation One person is the observer The person playing the Christian needs to pick a life situation from the Starting Spiritual Conversations worksheet. Their goal is to start a conversation that can lead to a spiritual conversation with the person roleplaying as a non-believer. Each person should take turns as the Christian, non-believer and the observer. Depending on the time you have available, allow for several rounds of role-playing and encourage people to switch their roles. Also, encourage the observer to give feedback on what went well and what could have been improved in the conversation. 3 minutes Wrap-Up 1. Debrief the role playing by asking: Question #1: What went well? Question #2: What was challenging for you? Question #3: What did you learn? 2. Ask people to go back into their triads and to share the name of the person or persons that they would like to bridge a spiritual conversation to this week (or some other specified amount of time). Close out the time together by praying in triads for the non-believers and for the courage to make conversation bridges. Facilitator Guide

65 Participant Guide Starting Spiritual Conversations Ablaze Living Check-in Question #1: What has God been challenging you with in the Ablaze Living series so far? Question #2: How consistent have you been in praying for your friends who need God? 2006

66 Building Bridges Starting Spiritual Conversations Today s session will be focusing on how we can build bridges in our conversations with non-believers. In other words, how do we transition every day conversations and turn them into spiritual discussions? How do we bridge from everyday life to eternal issues? good witnesses have learned to apply the art of asking good questions. Jim Peterson (in his book, Evangelism as a Lifestyle) says, Any subject, if explored far enough, will lead us into a discussion of the good news. The ability to ask appropriate questions enables any subject to lead to a discussion of the Good News. As a matter of fact, one of the most difficult problems Christian witnesses face is how to get from a discussion of the weather, politics, sports, or current events to a conversation about spiritual matters. The art of asking questions is one of the most effective ways. (from The Art of Sharing Your Faith, Joel D. Heck ed., p.81) Questions have a way of opening up conversations and allowing us to catch glimpses of what our non-believing friends think, feel, and believe. A welltimed, well-worded question is the perfect bridge to going deeper in our conversations. Take a look at the following passages. What was the impact of each of these questions? (Hint: you ll have to consider the context of the verse.) Verse Impact Genesis 3:9 Acts 8:30 John 21:17 Job 38:1-7 John 5:6 Mark 4:40 Luke 10:26 Participant Guide

67 Starting Spiritual Conversations Four Levels of Questions Joel Heck suggests that there are four levels of bridge building questions we can use in our conversations. Consider each level for a moment... Level 1 General Information Questions This is where we try to solicit basic information about a person s life, background, work, interests, etc. Example: Tell me about where you grew up. What do you enjoy doing with your free time? Level 2 Purpose Questions These kinds of questions help you discover the basic reason(s) or purpose for an individual s life. Example: What made you choose the kind of work you re involved in? What do you want most out of life for your kids? What are your thoughts about what s happening in our state, community or nation? Level 3 Initial Spiritual Questions Transitions to spiritual issues begin here. Often we can use the topic under discussion in Level 2 to springboard to a deeper question. Example: What do you think God thinks about what s going on in the Middle East, in our nation or community? Level 4 Deeper Spiritual Questions From Level 3, it is a natural step to move to more personal spiritual questions that help highlight where a person is in their journey with God. Example: If you were to die tonight and you were standing before God and He asked you this question: Why should I let you into Heaven? what would you say? Participant Guide 2006

68 Starting Spiritual Conversations Starting Spiritual Conversations For this next exercise we ll focus on Level 3 kinds of questions. In the various situations listed below, brainstorm with your partner(s) different Level 3 questions that you could ask a non-believer to start a spiritual conversation. Hint: Your question doesn t have to include God in the sentence. For example, you could ask: Have you ever wondered... or What do you think about... Life Situation Bridging Question You Could Ask 1. Stress in the workplace Example: What have you found helpful in coping with work pressure? 2. World events (other nations, conflict) Example: Does it ever make you wonder where God is in the midst of the conflicts we are seeing around the world? 3. Creation (the beauty around us) Example: If there is a God, which part of the world do you think He s most proud of? 4. Current events (community, state, country) Example: How do you think God views AIDS? 5. Social trends (suicide, drugs, divorce, etc.) Example: How do you think God feels about assisted suicide? 6. Christmas and Easter (even Thanksgiving) Example: Is there a particular holiday that makes you think about spiritual things during the year? 7. A popular movie (with a deeper message) Example: Why do you think so many people wanted to see The Passion of the Christ? Participant Guide

69 Facilitator Guide Praying for the Harvest 5 minutes Ablaze Living Check-in Facilitator Instructions: Before you get started with the opening activity, have people get in groups of 3-4 for a little check-in time regarding the Ablaze Living Series. Have each person respond to: Question #1: What s the main thing God has been teaching you so far in the Ablaze Living series? Question #2: How well have you done in praying for your friends? Question #3: Have you had any conversations in the past couple of weeks where a spiritual topic came up? 2006

70 Praying for the Harvest 10 minutes Opening Activity Pick Option #1 or Option #2. Option #1: Pair people up for this exercise. Pass out some paper with markers or colored pens. If you have access to flipchart paper, that s even better. After each pair has some supplies give the simple instructions that they are to: Draw a picture of partnership. After 5-10 minutes, take some time to admire the artwork around the room. Let each group briefly (30 seconds or less!) explain their drawing. Bring everyone back together and ask them to identify a few common themes or threads that run through the various pictures. Option #2: Show a powerful video clip about prayer from the movie Bruce Almighty. (If your local video rental store does not carry this movie, you can order it online on or similar websites.) Set the scene up by framing the clip this way: In the movie, God (played by Morgan Freeman) decides to let Bruce (played by Jim Carrey) find out what it s like to be God. God grants Bruce the power to be God for awhile. In this particular scene, Bruce discovers what authentic, heart-felt prayer is all about. Start the scene at 1:23:37 and end it at 1:29:03. After the clip ask people react to what they saw. Then follow-up with the question, What is God looking for when we partner with Him in prayer? Debrief To transition to the core content of the session, ask these provocative framing questions: Question #1: Do you agree or disagree with this statement: There are some things that won t happen in life without us praying about them? Question #2: In what ways can prayer impact the life of an unbeliever? 10 minutes Learning Activity After a few minutes of discussion, transition to the Learning Activity by highlighting that this session s purpose is to increase our awareness and sense of responsibility regarding partnering with God in prayer for our Harvest field. Give everyone a few minutes to slowly read the article entitled 6 Creative Harvest Prayers. Facilitator Guide

71 6 Praying for the Harvest Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? Facilitator Guide Creative Harvest Prayers One of the most intriguing aspects of our Christian lives is that God calls us into partnership with Him. His redemptive plan for mankind is something for which He invites us to link shields with Him, much like Roman soldiers linked shields when they were in the midst of a battle. Not that we can save any individual by our own efforts; that is truly a work of the Lord. However, the Great Commission passage in Matthew 28:18-20 indicates that God expects us to share the Good News with those around us. Not only does He ask us to co-labor with Him (Romans 10:14-16) but He also asks us to pray about the Harvest. Dick Eastman, in his book Love on its Knees, talks about some creative ways that we can pray for our unbelieving friends, acquaintances, and family. He has found it helpful to pray that God would stir six questions in the mind, heart, and experience of those that need to know Jesus. The six questions that he has made a practice of praying revolve around the simple framework: who? what? why? when? where? how? We can pray that our friends will become more and more curious about who God is. We can ask God to cause circumstances and experiences to stir questions about how they relate to the God of the universe. What does the person you are praying for need to know and believe? You can pray that they would have the opportunity to hear the Gospel clearly presented. Pray that God would make it clear to them about His plan of salvation and His desire to be Lord of their life. God often stirs the heart by nudging an unbeliever to answer the question, Why am I here? We can pray that our friends would be convicted to ask the ultimate questions about what direction their life is heading toward. In the searching we can pray that they would seek after the Lord diligently. The world asks the question, When will I be happy? or When will I experience fulfillment in my life? We can pray that they will experience emptiness with what the world has to offer in answer to these questions. We can ask God to show them that they will only find peace and contentment when they have turned their life over to the Savior. We can pray that our friends will slow down enough to muse over the question, Where will I go when I die? or Is this all there is and then it s over? We can pray that these penetrating questions will stir their soul and will lead them to ask questions which will lead them to the Bible. We can pray that we will have opportunities to talk with them about eternal things. All of us at times ask the question, How can I cope? We can pray that life circumstances will force our friends to ask God for help. In a loving way, we can pray that the challenges of life will create an openness to spiritual things. 2006

72 Debrief Question #1: What stands out to you in this article? Praying for the Harvest Question #2: Is there a new or fresh insight about praying for unbelievers from this article? 10 minutes Practice Activity This is a practice activity that people will do on their own. Instruct everyone to pick one person in their life that needs God. Ideally, it is someone that they know relatively well. In the space provided, they are to write a written prayer for that person using the six questions. In other words, they are to put the six questions from the article into their own words for the person that they are focusing on. This is simply a way to begin to practice using the six questions and making them a bit more personal. Have them share with a partner My six questions prayer for Facilitator Guide

73 Praying for the Harvest 5-7 minutes Application Activity Allow each individual to do some reflection on the following questions: What keeps me from praying consistently? What do I need to do to become more regular and consistent in praying daily for my harvest field? After everyone has had a chance to reflect have them share with people around them (triads, etc.) minutes Wrap-Up To close out the session do two things: 1. Have people spend some time praying the six questions for those that are on their heart. Keep everyone in their sharing groups and simply transition the time right to six questions praying. 2. After the groups have had time to pray, take a few minutes to celebrate together by asking people to respond to the question: What s one new insight or an encouragement you received from our session today? Facilitator Guide 2006

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75 Participant Guide Praying for the Harvest Ablaze Living Check-in Question #1: What s the main thing God has been teaching you so far in the Ablaze Living series? Question #2: How well have you done in praying for your friends? Question #3: Have you had any conversations in the past couple of weeks where a spiritual topic came up? 2006

76 6 Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? Praying for the Harvest Creative Harvest Prayers One of the most intriguing aspects of our Christian lives is that God calls us into partnership with Him. His redemptive plan for mankind is something for which He invites us to link shields with Him, much like Roman soldiers linked shields when they were in the midst of a battle. Not that we can save any individual by our own efforts; that is truly a work of the Lord. However, the Great Commission passage in Matthew 28:18-20 indicates that God expects us to share the Good News with those around us. Not only does He ask us to co-labor with Him (Romans 10:14-16) but He also asks us to pray about the Harvest. Dick Eastman, in his book Love on its Knees, talks about some creative ways that we can pray for our unbelieving friends, acquaintances, and family. He has found it helpful to pray that God would stir six questions in the mind, heart, and experience of those that need to know Jesus. The six questions that he has made a practice of praying revolve around the simple framework: who? what? why? when? where? how? We can pray that our friends will become more and more curious about who God is. We can ask God to cause circumstances and experiences to stir questions about how they relate to the God of the universe. What does the person you are praying for need to know and believe? You can pray that they would have the opportunity to hear the Gospel clearly presented. Pray that God would make it clear to them about His plan of salvation and His desire to be Lord of their life. God often stirs the heart by nudging an unbeliever to answer the question, Why am I here? We can pray that our friends would be convicted to ask the ultimate questions about what direction their life is heading toward. In the searching we can pray that they would seek after the Lord diligently. The world asks the question, When will I be happy? or When will I experience fulfillment in my life? We can pray that they will experience emptiness with what the world has to offer in answer to these questions. We can ask God to show them that they will only find peace and contentment when they have turned their life over to the Savior. We can pray that our friends will slow down enough to muse over the question, Where will I go when I die? or Is this all there is and then it s over? We can pray that these penetrating questions will stir their soul and will lead them to ask questions which will lead them to the Bible. We can pray that we will have opportunities to talk with them about eternal things. All of us at times ask the question, How can I cope? We can pray that life circumstances will force our friends to ask God for help. In a loving way, we can pray that the challenges of life will create an openness to spiritual things. Participant Guide

77 Praying for the Harvest Debrief Question #1: What stands out to you in this article? Question #2: Is there a new or fresh insight about praying for unbelievers from this article? My six questions prayer for Participant Guide 2006

78 Personal Reflection What keeps me from praying consistently? What do I need to do to become more regular and consistent in praying daily for my harvest field? Praying for the Harvest Participant Guide

79 Facilitator Guide Clear Communication 5 minutes Ablaze Living Check-in Facilitator Instructions: Before you get started with the opening activity, have people get in groups of 3-4 for a little check-in time regarding the Ablaze Living Series. Have each person respond to: Question #1: What s the main thing God has been teaching you so far in the Ablaze Living series? Question #2: How well have you done in praying for your friends? Question #3: Have you had any conversations in the past couple of weeks where a spiritual topic came up? 2006

80 5 minutes Discovery Activity: Paper Folding Clear Communication Facilitator Instructions: Give everyone a piece of paper and ask everyone to follow your directions closely: Instruction #1: Please fold your paper in half Instruction #2: Tear off the bottom right corner of your sheet Instruction #3: Please turn your paper over Instruction #4: Please tear off the top left corner of your sheet Have everyone open their sheets and then compare them with their neighbors. Have a little fun as a group as you take note of the fact that almost every sheet has turned out differently. Debrief Question #1: What caused the sheets to look so different? Question #2: What does this tell us about the communication process? 7-10 minutes Learning Activity: The Bridge Illustration (For more information or to order booklets that could be used in the training session go to or to learn more about the One-Verse Evangelism method.) Have everyone follow along with you and ask them to copy the drawing as you build the bridge illustration on a white board or a flipchart. Ask for a volunteer to come up and role play (to be the non-christian) with you as you do a live demo of the illustration. Ask the participants to build the illustration with you and remind them that you will be giving them a chance to draw it for someone else after your done. Only one passage is used in this method: Romans 6:23. The key to this method is to ask questions and to allow the sharing to be conversational. As you are unpacking the verse, circle the different key words (wages, sin, death, gift, eternal life) as you go. Ask the other person to give their input on what each of these words means to them. Facilitator Guide

81 Clear Communication For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Man God For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Man God Step One: The Problem Write out Romans 6:23 at the top. Start by drawing the left side of the picture with the cliff. Ask your friend, when you think of the word wages what comes to mind?...how about the word sin? What words come to mind with that phrase? Clarify at this point that sin means to miss the mark, to come up short of God s perfect standards. Both actively and passively, all of us have disobeyed God. The wages of our sin is death. Add the second cliff and underscore the separation that now exists between us and God. Step Two: God s solution Next, focus on the word But. But God didn t abandon us at this point. He decided to provide a gift. Ask, What s the difference between wages and a gift? God loved us so much to send Jesus as a gift and to allow Him to die on the cross as a penalty for our sin. He died in our place. His death is a free gift and offers a bridge to a fulfilling and eternal relationship with God. Draw the cross as a bridge between the two cliffs. By faith, God wants us to move to the other side by humbly admitting that we need to be forgiven for rebelling against Him and that we need to come under His leadership. This simple act of trust and obedience results in our sins being pardoned and our debt being paid. By trusting in Christ we have the assurance of eternal life minutes Practice Activity Divide the participants into groups of three to practice the bridge illustration. Participants will need a fresh piece of paper to draw the bridge illustration. Each triad will have one person drawing, one person role playing the lost person and another person as the observer. After each presentation, allow for a short time of feedback and then rotate the presenter role, the observer role and the non-christian role. Give each presenter 5-7 minutes to work through the entire bridge illustration. Encourage them to use their Bibles to explain the bridge illustration if they feel comfortable. However, the use of one verse should give them the focus they need to stay on track. Facilitator Guide 2006

82 After each person is finished presenting, allow the other two people to give them feedback on the presentation. Ask them to give feedback around these two questions: Question #1: What went well in the presentation? Clear Communication Question #2: Is there any way that the presentation can be polished? Debrief Keep the groups in their triads. Ask for feedback on the practice session. Question #1: What was it like for you personally? Question #2: What went well? Question #3: What was difficult or frustrating? 5 minutes Application Activity Back in triads have everyone share the name of a non-christian that they would like to share the bridge illustration with in the next week (or your own predetermined period of time). Encourage people to create the opportunity by saying something like this: I m taking a class (or course) at my church and one of my assignments this week is to share an illustration they taught us with a friend. Would you mind if I grabbed 10 minutes (now) or sometime this week to take you through the illustration? I promise...no strings attached or Bible thumping! Challenge everyone to make a commitment to share the bridge with one person in the next week. Close out the time by praying in triads for: prayer by name for openness of the non-christians for boldness and courage to share for clear communication of Romans 6:23 and the bridge illustration Facilitator Guide

83 Clear Communication minutes Ablaze Living Wrap-Up Facilitator Instructions: As a way to draw a net around the Ablaze Living Series give everyone an opportunity to reflect about what God has done for them in the series. Give each person 5 minutes to record some of their thoughts in the Ablaze Living Reflections section. After this, enter into a time of sharing. This can be a great whole group closure experience. Ask people, one at a time, to share their reflections as a way to celebrate what God has done through the Series. Close the Series out with prayer as a whole group by asking the Lord to take the blessings out into the community! Ablaze Living Reflections What are a few personal highlights for you from the Ablaze Living Series? What are a few of the most important insights you have gained from the Series? What are specific ways that you are being challenged to grow as a result of the Series? What action steps can you take before the next meeting to go forward with these ideas? Facilitator Guide 2006

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85 Participant Guide Clear Communication Ablaze Living Check-in Question #1: What s the main thing God has been teaching you so far in the Ablaze Living series? Question #2: How well have you done in praying for your friends? Question #3: Have you had any conversations in the past couple of weeks where a spiritual topic came up? 2006

86 Clear Communication Learning Activity: The Bridge Illustration Only one passage is used in this method: Romans 6:23. The key to this method is to ask questions and to allow the sharing to be conversational. As you are unpacking the verse, circle the different key words (wages, sin, death, gift, eternal life) as you go. Ask the other person to give their input on what each of these words means to them. For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Man God Step One: The Problem Write out Romans 6:23 at the top. Start by drawing the left side of the picture with the cliff. Ask your friend, when you think of the word wages what comes to mind?...how about the word sin? What words come to mind with that phrase? Clarify at this point that sin means to miss the mark, to come up short of God s perfect standards. Both actively and passively, all of us have disobeyed God. The wages of our sin is death. Add the second cliff and underscore the separation that now exists between us and God. For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Man God Step Two: God s solution Next, focus on the word But. But God didn t abandon us at this point. He decided to provide a gift. Ask, What s the difference between wages and a gift? God loved us so much to send Jesus as a gift and to allow Him to die on the cross as a penalty for our sin. He died in our place. His death is a free gift and offers a bridge to a fulfilling and eternal relationship with God. Draw the cross as a bridge between the two cliffs. By faith, God wants us to move to the other side by humbly admitting that we need to be forgiven for rebelling against Him and that we need to come under His leadership. This simple act of trust and obedience results in our sins being pardoned and our debt being paid. By trusting in Christ we have the assurance of eternal life. Participant Guide

87 Clear Communication Participant Guide 2006

88 Ablaze Living Reflections Clear Communication What are a few personal highlights for you from the Ablaze Living Series? What are a few of the most important insights you have gained from the Series? What are specific ways that you are being challenged to grow as a result of the Series? What action steps can you take before the next meeting to go forward with these ideas? Participant Guide

89 Facilitator Guide Starting Interest Groups minutes The Wonderful World of Hobbies Facilitator Instructions: Keep the group together for this sharing exercise. Ask people to think of a hobby that they have now or have had in the past. It should be something that they enjoy or have fun doing. Once people have had a moment to think about it, ask each person to share their hobby and to tell everyone what made the hobby particularly enjoyable for them. After everyone has had the chance to share, ask the group to reflect about what was shared by discussing these questions: Question #1: What makes hobbies so enjoyable for us? Question #2: What makes a hobby worthwhile or worth pursuing? After you have reflected together, simply point out that God has given each one of us unique interests. What we pursue for a hobby says a lot about our unique make-up. Today s session is going to explore the idea of starting groups with people who share similar interests. 2006

90 Starting Interest Groups But before we go too much farther, let s take a page out of the life of Matthew from Luke 5: After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. Follow me, Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus answered them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Debrief Lead the whole room in a discussion from this passage. Question #1: What impresses you about Matthew (Levi) from this passage? Question #2: What evangelism principles do we see operating in this passage? Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg put it this way in Becoming a Contagious Christian: So if we re going to impact our world for Christ, the most effective approach will be through friendships with those who need to be reached. We ll have to get close to them so that they can see that we genuinely care about them individually and that we have their best interests in mind. Over time that will earn their trust and respect. (1994:97) 10 minutes The Power of Interest Groups Facilitator Instructions: Encourage everyone to slowly read through the article entitled The Power of Interest Groups. The Power of Interest Groups There is a group of guys in Colorado Springs who get together for flyfishing every couple of weeks. Early Saturday morning, they meet at one member s home, load gear and food into an SUV, and head into the mountains. Once at the river, they pile out of the car, pull on their waders, sort through flies and rods, and venture into the cool Colorado stream. Facilitator Guide

91 Starting Interest Groups To the other fishermen on the river, these guys look like everyone else. They search out a promising hole, cast back and forth, and wait for the snag on their lines that signals a bite. They talk and laugh and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. But these guys aren t just out for a day of fly-fishing. They aren t just recreating. They re connecting through their local church. In fact, they are holding an officially registered New Life Church Small Group. At the same time, back in town, people all over the city are meeting for all kinds of different activities. A dog-training group gathers in the city park. Aspiring writers meet in a home to read and to discuss their works, a financial expert coaches a group of married couples on money management, and teenagers meet downtown to serve at the homeless shelter. Men pour into a basketball gym for a pick-up game, and women sit drinking coffee and discussing the latest bestselling book at the bagel shop. What s going on here? These aren t community groups, although they don t look like church groups, either.this seems odd, right? After all, what do fly-fishing, dog training, and eating bagels have to do with sharing Christ? They are ministry, and this ministry perfectly expresses what the Bible is all about: loving God and loving others The way I see it, effective ministry is powerfully connecting with God and people-- living life better through biblical relationships. (from Dog Training, Fly Fishing, and Sharing Christ In the 21st Century by Ted Haggard, Thomas Nelson Publishers, p. 5) In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul expresses the genius of Christianity when he states, We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. It was Paul s willingness to share his life with the Thessalonians that brought feet, hands and heart to the Gospel message. As it was in the first century, so it is today. Have you ever creatively considered that God has given you a hobby, an interest, or a passion for a reason, and that reason may be that He wants you to share it with others, both inside and outside the church? That s right-- there is tremendous power when people link up around a shared interest. It s fun, it s relaxing, it s relational, it s not hard to get motivated etc., etc. Some of your friends might not come to church with you, but they would go fishing, or to the bowling alley, or to a coffee shop, or for a ride in the hills. So take the church to them by starting an interest group. Facilitator Guide 2006

92 Starting Interest Groups New Life Church found that when they encouraged their people to consider starting Interest Groups a number of exciting possibilities opened up. The leadership of the church simply asked that each group be willing to do one of four things at each meeting: worship, prayer, Bible study, or a short testimony. They found that this was a realistic requirement for almost any group setting. And every group understood that their primary purpose was to be a relationship building environment and to simply help people move one step closer to God. Debrief After everyone has read the article, discuss its contents with a few questions: Question #1: What stood out to you from the article? Question #2: What do you like about the concept of Interest Groups? Question #3: As you were reading, did any possible interest groups emerge in your thinking? 10 minutes Application Activity Facilitator Instructions: After the discussion of the article, turn to the page that lists Interest Group ideas and the related What If worksheet. Give everyone 5-7 minutes to work through this individually and then move to the Wrap-Up sharing time. Highlight the point that this session s purpose is to get people thinking, praying and planning to try starting some kind of interest group in the near future. Facilitator Guide

93 Starting Interest Groups What Interests and Hobbies Do You Have? Sewing Quilting Cooking Genealogy Painting Gardening Scrap-booking Travel What Interests, Hobbies, Life Skills, or Professional Skills Do You Have? Guitar Voice Drums Brass Instruments Piano Quartet Composing Listening What Interests or Hobbies Do You Have? Basketball Softball Running Camping/Fishing Aerobics Running Weight Training Golf What Study Interests Do You Have? Book Study Life Study Support Group Recovery Group Prayer Group Need related study Movic critics club What Life Skills, or Professional Skills Do You Have? Budgeting Financial Planning Getting Out of Debt Finances and Marriage Job Transition Business Leaders What Needs are You Interested in Meeting in the Community? Homeless Ministry Prison Ministry Nursing Home Spanish Sign Language Community Action/Service Facilitator Guide 2006