About Leading A Group Thanks so much for your interest in becoming a Life Group leader! This packet will give you an overview of the vision of Life Groups and outline the role and responsibility of a Life Group leader. If you decide you d like to apply to be a Life Group leader, please complete the About Me, and About My Life Group forms and return it to us at the church office no later than one month before the next Life Group term begins. If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with Pastor Todd anytime through the church office.
About Leading A Group City Life Church s mission is simple: Live Like Jesus. Love Like Jesus. When we investigate Jesus life and teachings, we quickly see the importance and value he places on small groups. While He publicly preaches and ministers to the masses, He privately does everyday life with a small group of men: eating, explaining parables, and showing them by example how to live a life pleasing to God. The results are pretty terrific. The church today has the same need. While we all gather together weekly for preaching and worship, we also need a small group for our long-term spiritual growth and our need to connect in meaningful and authentic relationships. WHY DO WE HAVE LIFE GROUPS? There are many good reasons and a variety of different models that a church can build their small group ministry around. Our church eldership recognizes that we are a unique church with a distinct mission and vision to fulfill. Because of that, we have built our Life Group ministry to fulfill three simple objectives: 1. Every person connects with a pastor. This is our first and highest priority. In this context, we re not talking about our staff pastors, but those who have a willingness to develop and cultivate a shepherding heart toward others. We envision training and releasing Life Group leaders that have a heart to pastor those within their group. As a minimum, Life Group leaders must agree to consistently pray, care for and encourage the people in their group. To help you lead effectively, each Life Group leader will also be assigned a Life Group coach. Our Life Group coaches pray, care and encourage our Life Group leaders, ensuring they are well cared for as they care for others. This also provides you with a quick access point to a mature and experienced leader who can help work with you through any leadership challenges you may face in your Life Group. 2. Every person connects with people. This is our second priority. We have many guests coming through our doors every Sunday, but people don t stick around if they can t quickly connect with other people. There are also people that are already committed to our church but feel isolated and alone. Life Groups provide an opportunity for people to connect in meaningful and authentic friendships. 3. Every person connects with purpose. This is our third and lowest priority, but it will likely be the most important factor for a person in selecting a Life Group to join. Variety is the key here, and this is where you come in as a Life Group leader. What is it that you re passionate about? Studying the Bible? Building a strong marriage? Going on hiking trips? Knitting? Gathering with others in a similar season of life as you? Sharing meals together? Exercising? Whatever it may be, your passion will gather people together and build a strong Life Group where people are pastored and connect with others. We can help you through identifying the type of group you want to build. We have a number of different categories of Life Groups and have a growing resource library to make it as easy as possible for you to run a successful Life Group. HOW LONG DO I SERVE AS A LIFE GROUP LEADER? We have a defined but flexible term system. Each year our Fall Term runs from September to January and our Spring term runs from February to June. Life Groups will run a single fivemonth term as a default, with an option to carry on for further terms at the Life Group leader s Life Groups City Life Church last edited 150728 1
discretion. A Life Group purpose/focus and the connectivity of the group s members will be key factors in a group leader s decision to run for one or more terms. For example: If a Life Group s purpose is to complete a specific curriculum or focus, it will likely run for just one term. After that term, the Life Group leader could carry on and teach the same curriculum to a new group. This allows leaders to lead from their strength and passion. If a Life Group s purpose is built around a specific season of life (GenPlus, Regen Church, families, etc.), the leader may decide to carry with the same group for a second term. As trust and vulnerability often take this long to begin forming in a group, multiple terms may be the right choice for this group. The benefit with a term system is that it allows flexibility in the types of things we do in Life Groups, keeps the commitment manageable for the Life Group leaders, and gives everyone a get-out-of-jail free card. Some groups, no matter how experienced the leaders, just don t gel together well. Having a defined ending (with the option to carry on) helps avoid any potential hurt feelings or disappointment when a group ends. WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE GATHER? Great question. Remember: every group s highest priority is to connect its members with a pastor. Its second priority is to connect its members with other people. So, if you have a shepherding heart, want to help others reach their potential in Jesus, and are open to creating an environment where people can connect with each other in friendship, you can lead a group! The final priority is what you re going to actually do. But what you do is still incredibly important! And that's where we come in. As part of the application process, we ask you to identify the type of Life Group you have a heart to lead. From there, we have a resource library of approved material that you can choose from (if this is part of your group s purpose). If there s a curriculum, book or DVD series that you re really excited about going through with other people that s not on the list, one of our Life Group coaches will review it with you. The church Life Group resource library is willing to purchase all approved curriculum and provide you as leaders with the resources you need to lead (DVDs, leaders guide, etc). Life Group members are responsible to purchase their own copies of the participant guides. WHERE/HOW OFTEN DO WE GATHER? The Life Group leader determines the location, day of the week and time. Most Life Groups gather weekly or every second week, depending on the focus and purpose. HOW DO I GET PEOPLE IN MY LIFE GROUP? If you want people in your group, you re likely going to have to go get them. Jesus did. And most successful Life Group leaders do too. We encourage you to pray, ask the Holy Spirit to highlight those in our church family that aren t already connected, and approach them about becoming part of your group. Before the beginning of every term, we will also be highlighting and celebrating Life Group ministry in our church and encouraging everyone in City Life Church to CONNECT in a Life Group. We also have all our Life Groups listed online, where people can easily search by category or interest and contact leaders directly. Life Groups City Life Church last edited 150728 2
WHO CAN SERVE AS A LIFE GROUP LEADER? It is a wonderful privilege and responsibility a Life Group leader! They are the first tier of pastoral/shepherding leadership a person at City Life Church connects with. While they aren t perfect, they are influencers. Their lives become examples others follow. They live in such a way that the calling of God defines how they use their time, energy and finances. Because of this, we ask our Life Group leaders to agree to the following: Spiritual Requirements Agree with the City Life Church Statement of Faith (available online). Agree with and practice the principles on the Serving at City Life handout (attached). Have a consistent and stable lifestyle that models Jesus and your leadership calling. Submit to their Life Group coach and the leadership of the church. Deal with disagreements and offenses in a Biblical manner. Commit to represent Christ in your lifestyle, attitude and actions towards others. Practical Requirements Commit to serve for a minimum of one full term. Attend our Life Group leadership training events and meetings. Have an email address and check it regularly for team updates and reminders. Work closely with your Life Group coach as you plan, prepare and run your Life Group. Report and seek counsel on any emerging issues quickly. If you have a Life Group where anyone under 19 years old will be attending, complete the RCMP Criminal Records Check and Consent for Check of a Sexual Offense forms available through our church office. I M IN - WHAT S NEXT? First: thanks! We are excited to serve you as you develop your giftings and talents and use them to help fulfill our church s vision! Next: please complete the About Me and About My Life Group forms one month before the next Life Group term begins. Pastor Todd or one of our Life Group coaches will contact you shortly to connect with you more about details. Life Groups City Life Church last edited 150728 3
SERVING AT CITY LIFE But Jesus called them to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:25 28 (ESV) Jesus was a servant. His life was not about popularity or building an impressive ministry. His highest priority was the needs of other people. In Matthew 20, when the mother of two of his followers asks Jesus to give her sons prominent positions in his kingdom, he replies by telling her the secret to greatness in God s kingdom is SERVING. We often make the same mistake as this mom, thinking the ones that are truly great are those who are seen up on a stage, making the big decisions or ordering people around. Jesus confronts and corrects this thinking by telling us that the greatest and most important people in God s kingdom are those who serve. What s more, Jesus doesn t just TELL us this, but SHOWS us how this works by living it in his everyday life. Whether it was feeding hungry people, healing the sick, teaching people to live a godly life or dying on a cross to save humanity, Jesus is the model we all need to follow when it comes to serving. We need that same attitude as we serve our church and city. It is an honour, not an obligation, for us to serve and put others first. What we re doing is important, even if it s not noticed by anyone. As we serve from the same heart that Jesus had, we will discover that this kind of lifestyle brings amazing life to us personally: more joy, peace and fulfillment! Because serving is important, we ve developed four key qualities that we require in every person that serves to model. 1. First things first. We require that every one who volunteers has made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and is growing in their faith, a committed member of City Life Church, a consistent attender and living a lifestyle that is in alignment with the teachings of Jesus. 2. Serve with my heart first. Every volunteer needs to understand that a positive attitude and a humble heart is the most important thing they can bring to the team. Working hard is important, but putting in your best effort in is more an attitude than an action. Be excited and passionate about what you re doing, regardless of how important it seems. 3. I am an ambassador. You are the hands and feet of Jesus to every person that you come into contact with. If you re not good at this, start watching how your pastors and leaders relate with others and do the same you ll get it! Take time before, during and after you serve to talk with people. Be positive and engage people by loving, listening and encouraging them. 4. We couldn t do it without me. Whatever it is that you ve been asked to do, whether it s leading a team of people or making sure the bathrooms are clean, do it with passion, purpose and the conviction that you make this place work! Practically, that means that you need to show up whenever you re scheduled, be on time, work hard, look for things that need doing (even if you re not asked to do them) and make sure your job is completely finished before you leave. Life Groups City Life Church last edited 150728 4
Life Groups City Life Church last edited 150728 5