3.     When the Bible has the answer to the question. The goal of a Christian community is to hear from God. Most often, He speaks to us through His Word. When a question comes up allow the Bible to speak. That is, turn to a passage of Scripture and tell the person asking the question what God tells us in Scripture. God’s response is always the right response, whereas our opinion may miss the mark.

CONNECTING with God’s family

We are intentionally cultivating our relationships with Christian friends & spiritual mentors……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1  2  3  4  5

We are cultivating authentic community by speaking truth in love and creating healthy boundaries…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are more loving, grace giving & forgiving to others than we were a year ago……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are resolving conflict with others in a Biblical manner, and supporting the leadership of this church family………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1  2  3  4  5

Connecting Total  _________

GROWING to be like Christ

We have an intimate relationship with God, growing spiritually through regular quiet time in God’s Word & prayer. (Spiritual Habits)………………………………………………………….. 1  2  3  4  5

We respond to challenges with peace and faith to protect us from pain rather than anxiety and fear …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1  2  3  4  5

We see ourselves more through God’s eyes than our own………………………………… 1  2  3  4  5

We avoid using addictive behaviors (food, television, busyness, etc.) ………………… 1  2  3  4  5

We are honoring God with our finances & our personal giving (budget) to God…….. 1  2  3  4  5

Growing Total  __________

DEVELOPING your SHAPE to serve others

We are expressing our gifts (S.H.A.P.E.) as a way of life at work and at home…….. 1  2  3  4  5

We have attended the 301 CLASS, discovered our SHAPE and

completed our SHAPE interview……………………………………………………………………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are serving in a regular (monthly or better) ministry to the church body…………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are sharing responsibility within our small group by serving in a role…………….. 1  2  3  4  5

We are praying, discipling, or mentoring another person in the group or

community……………………………………………………………………………………………………1  2  3  4  5

Developing Total  __________

SHARING your life mission everyday

We are actively praying for & cultivating relationships with unchurched friends

and family…………………………………………………………………………………………………….1  2  3  4  5

We are inviting seekers to church and sharing our spiritual story with them…………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are participating in cross-cultural missions by discovering needs and praying

for them……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1  2  3  4  5

We are praying and considering on where God can use our cross-culturally in the

future…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are reproducing our life spiritually and/or praying for when this will happen……. 1  2  3  4  5

 Sharing Total  __________

SURRENDERING your life for God’s pleasure

We are faithfully attending church worship services on the weekends………………… 1  2  3  4  5

We have created a life mission statement and are seeking to fulfill it………………….. 1  2  3  4  5

We are growing in our personal worship to God through music & praise…………….. 1  2  3  4  5

We are surrendering our whole life by improving our exercise and nutrition…………. 1  2  3  4  5

We are honoring God with every dimension of our life by balancing His purposes in

our life………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1  2  3  4  5

Surrendering Total  ___________

Add up your scores and see where you stand

0-5 = Just beginning

6-10 = Fair

11-15 = Getting Going

16-20 = Very Good

21-30 = Well Developed

Posted on September 13, 2011 by cland in Free Group Resources, Small Group Leader Articles

www.lifetogether.com

Focus on who’s next.

I did it as a pastor.  I have endeavored to keep the same emphasis in leading the Spiritual Formation ministries of The Wesleyan Church.  It is a focus I am investing a huge part of my life and Christ’s ministry through me in.  It is not an “exclusive” focus, but definitely a priority choice.  Who do you focus your local church and personal ministry efforts on?  Do you realize that researches say around 90 percent of those who accept Jesus as their Savior these days are fourteen years of age or younger?  This is the important indicator of why it is crucial to provide vital and relevant ministries for our youngest. When pondering this, do not be tempted to misinterpret what I’m saying.  I am not saying if you are over fifteen the church is through ministering to you.  People over fourteen who accept and follow Jesus still count.  Because there is focus in ministry, I am not saying this is a license to ignore other age groups.  In fact, one of the best emphases a local church could develop is to create an atmosphere where mutual ministry happens between and to the variety of generations in any community.

Do you realize that researches say around 90 percent of those who accept Jesus as their Savior these days are fourteen years of age or younger?

Not one person is spiritually complete once they have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.  No one is finished growing in his/her relationship with Jesus this side of heaven.  The holiest of them all on the earth still needs to become more like Jesus, unless you are Jesus Himself!  We need to offer vibrant ministry to every generation.  But, if you have to make a choice on where to start or when to focus – start with the children and youth.  While it wasn’t always popular, I asked the adults of the church I pastored to help me reach the kids.  Thankfully, they did.  And, they did it well – as unto Christ.  We were able to develop dynamic, life-changing ministries to children and youth.  Some of those kids are in vocational ministry today.  Many of them are serving the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength as godly teachers, homemakers, truck drivers, fitness instructors, lawyers, and doctors.  Entire families were baptized in the same sacramental ceremony.  Even grandparents of the children and youth we reached came to church and were transformed into new creations by the power of Jesus.

If I were pastoring today, I’d make the same choice.  I would make sure ministry was available to every generation, but the focus would be on the youth of the congregation.  Why?  They are most receptive to the Gospel.  They will evangelize their parents and grandparents.  Yes, they will get the carpet dirty.  Yes, they will make noise and look a little different on occasion.  You’re right – they don’t tithe much.  But, it will be the young who, if they get Jesus and His truth right in their lives early and often, will keep authentic Christianity alive and well in a world so desperately in need of Him. They will keep the Wesleyan message of heart change and holy lifestyle going.

Many adults made ministry to me a priority.  Parents, teachers, pastors, youth leaders, volunteers, and a few chaperones were focused on kids like me so I would have many opportunities to truly follow Jesus.  They made sure their focus was on Jesus for me.  They made sure church stuff was fun and engaging.  Now it’s my turn.  A simple way my family and I focus on our youngest is teaching a preschool class at the church plant we are members of.  Will you join me?  You and I well know who we are in Jesus Christ.  No, we’re not done in our walk of obedience.  Even so, it is our turn to focus on the next generation of disciples of Jesus Christ.

Community life is the place where our limitations, our fears and our egoism are revealed to us. We discover our poverty and our weaknesses, our inability to get along with some people, our mental and emotional blocks, our affective or sexual disturbances, our hatred and our wish to destroy. While we are alone, we could believe we loved everyone. Now that we are with others, living with them all the time, we realize how incapable we are of loving, how much we deny to others, how closed in on ourselves we are…. Community is the place where the power of the ego is revealed and where it is called to die so that people become one body and give much life.” (Walking the Small Group Tightrope, 147)

Transforming community is worth giving our lives to achieve.

Mike Skor

(Originally posted February 2010)

As the Apostle Paul often said in his letters, Every time I think of you, I thank God for you.  Why am I thankful for the many people who have taught me?  Allow me to name a few reasons:

1. They loved Jesus. Each demonstrated this fact in a different way, but it never crossed my mind that one of my spiritual mentors might not love Jesus with his or her whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Thank you for loving and showing me Jesus.
2. They believed in God’s Word. I realize I’m fortunate and perhaps am becoming a dinosaur of sorts, but all of my teachers believed in God’s Word so much they made sure it was clearly taught it in the classes I attended. Teachers all over the world still do. Tough questions were allowed, but never once do I remember any of the teachers I had in Sunday School or disciple groups wonder if God really meant what He said. There was no wavering on God’s truth and the fact that it was believable, reliable, and applicable. I’m grateful for the priority on scripture others had when I didn’t even realize it.
3. They invested their time. Some paid in personal expense for curriculum and juice boxes, I’m sure. One of them I remember had the entire class over annually for a “Passover Feast.” As I remember, all of them were prepared. Almost all of them made it fun to learn about God. This all took valuable commodities they gladly gave “…as unto Christ.” Think about it. Our leaders take personal resources away from family, hobbies, and recreation to invest the days of their lives in others. I thank God for the deposits others have made in my life.
4. They impacted me for Jesus’ cause. The outcome of every class and every group in church life should be to make more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. Regardless of my age, my teachers understood this reality. They prayed and hoped for the divine impact of Christ, His Word, and His Holy Spirit on each student’s life. Not only did they live this relationship, they gave it away to their students. Thank you for allowing God to impact me through your life and example.

The next time you are in a Spiritual Formation class or see one of your former teachers – thank God and thank them personally.  By the way, Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day is Sunday, October 16, 2011.

• Watch sports or go to a game together. Many guys will talk about challenges at work while eating wings and watching the game. They just need the distraction of sports to help get them to open up.
• Work on a project together. That might mean you help build a deck, cut down a tree, or hang siding. Even if you’re all thumbs, if your friend is handy, you can hold the tools.
• Go to a show together. No, not a Broadway show – but a boat show, a car show, or a gun and knife show. Some type of show where you walk around, look at “manly” stuff, and talk.
• Go to a Coffee shop and talk. OK, I just told you lots of guys don’t want to do that. But keep in mind all guys aren’t the same. Some guys hunt, some guys hunt for good deals at the outlet mall. Some guys can’t verbalize their feelings and some guys can. But nearly every guy likes coffee. So sit at a coffee shop with a couple of guys and see what happens.
• Grill something together. Steaks or hot dogs – it doesn’t matter. Standing around a grill, while overcooking meat, get’s more guys to open up about life than nearly any other context.
• Serve together. This is essentially the same as working on a project together but this time you’re all serving someone else out. Instead of helping out a buddy, you’re helping out someone in need.

Those are several ways you can build community OUTSIDE of your normal group time.

[from www.churchleaders.com]