Building Christian Community Small Group Ministry in Todays

Building Christian Community Small Group Ministry in Today’s Seventh-Day Adventist Church

1. Small groups: part of God’s plan 2. Life-changing small groups: some definitions 3. Small group values: the key to growth 4. Small group meetings and small group life 5. The goal of small groups: holiness and harvest 6. Small group leadership 7. Developing a small group network

Building Christian Community SESSION FOUR: SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, SMALL GROUP LIFE

The Four Parts of a Small Group Meeting WELCOME WORSHIP WORD WITNESS

Small Group Meeting Agenda FOCUS CHRIST’S PRESENCE ORDER ACTIVITY RELATION WELCOME Entrance into Fellowship WORSHIP Exaltation in His Presence You to Me Us to God to Us God through Us CHRIST’S POWER WORD CHRIST’S PURPOSE WITNESS Edification in the Word Evangelism Vision & Prayer

The Four Parts of a Small Group Meeting WELCOME • Greeting and welcome • Time to “catch up” with each other • The icebreaker

Breaking the Ice with the Ice-Breaker The Ice-Breaker: • creates a relaxed atmosphere • enables everyone to say something • can lead into the Bible study or worship period

The Four Parts of a Small Group Meeting WORSHIP • Acknowledging the presence of Jesus: • With singing • Meditation with instrumental music • With testimony, prayer or Scripture

The Four Parts of a Small Group Meeting The Bible study WORD

Small Group Bible Study Should Be Relational Three Questions: ? What is this text saying to me/us ? What are we going to do about this

Relational Bible Study • Asks not only “What does this mean? ” but “What is God saying to me/us here? ” • Based more on real life experience than on a collection of doctrinal texts • More concerned with making Christianity real than with proving a point • Concerned not only with the original characters associated with the story, but where we see ourselves in it • Accepts all opinions as equally valid • It allows the group to grow together even when there is serious disagreement

The Four Parts of a Small Group Meeting WITNESS

Witness: Praying for Group Growth • Spirit-led prayer • Informal, usually seated • Conversational prayer • Smaller prayer groups • Special prayer for individuals

The “Afterglow” • Begin and end the meeting on time • Simple refreshments afterwards • Informal: some leave, some stay • Sometimes the most important time of sharing

Remember the Goal The Goal of Small Group Meetings: • Life transformation • Building community • Kingdom growth

Group Life Outside Group Meetings • Social events • Community service • Church involvement Community cannot • Retreats • Mentoring “happen” in a weekly meeting alone

Stages of Small Group Development 1. Adventure 2. Discovery 3. Development 4. Maturity

When the Group Gives Birth. . . …the gain is greater than the pain!