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Introduction to Community Groups1 3Why Community Groups? 3What is a Community Group? 3How do Community Groups fit into Frontline as a whole? 4Hub Structure 4Resources 4

Online Resources 4Weekly Report 4Hub Cards 5Website & Emails 5Group Connect 5

CARE within Community Groups 6

The Goals of Community 7

Multiplication2 8Casting vision for multiplication 8Reasons for multiplication 8Methods of multiplication 8

The Community Group Leader 10Qualifications of a Community Group Leader 10Structural Expectations of a Community Group Leader3 10Evaluations 10Trainings 11

Apprentices5 12

Community Group Rhythms 16Structure of Community Group Meetings 16

Understanding Group Dynamics11 17

Worship 18

Prayer12 20

Practicing Spiritual Gifts 24

Pastoral Care: The Art of Shepherding15 31

Troubleshooting21 34Common Problems 34

A person who dominates the group 34A person who says something that is heretical 34A person rarely participates 35A particularly troubled person drains all of the life out of the group 35The group keeps going off on tangents 35Someone asks a major question just as you run out of time 35The group is overly intellectual, and not heart-felt 36Prayer requests are too far removed from the genuine needs of people’s lives 36People are long- winded in their prayer requests and prayer time goes too long 36

Endnotes 40

Appendix 41Community Group Evaluation 41Qualifications of a Community Group Leader 42

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Introduction to Community Groups1

Why Community Groups?We see community throughout all of scripture through creation, the first relationship between Adam and Eve, but most importantly we see community happening in the Trinity. We were created in God’s image; we were created to exist in community. Community is something that is happening all around us, and has been our entire lives. There is community going on all the time. The difference is whether it is redemptive community or worldly community. At Frontline, we have decided to engage in redemptive community through Community Groups. It is here we pursue discipleship, care of members, and mission. It is here we carry out our mission to multiply Gospel communities that Love God, Love People, and Push Back Darkness.

What is a Community Group?Community Groups are the primary way in which we experience community as the body of Christ. It is where we see 80% of care at Frontline take place as well as discipleship, confession, and repentance of sins. They are groups of people who meet around the city in the homes of members of Frontline.

There are two elements to community. There is the organic (being community) and the intentional (doing community). Organic community comes when the end result is people point each other to the Author of blessing instead of the blessing itself, which in this case is community. Community should help us move towards receiving the grace of God, respond by imaging God, and lifting up the name of Jesus. Within that we see 5 things emerge.

1. Image of God – this isn’t something we do, it’s something that we are. We see Him more clearly. 2. Identity – we aren’t defined by what we do but who we belong to. 3. Worship – we are always worshipping something but were created to worship God. 4. Community – if we get the first 3, as a community we will reflect the goodness of God and preach

the gospel with our lives. Loving one another, forgiving one another, like Christ. 5. Mission – this happens naturally when we are living out of the first 4. People see a difference and

want to be a part of it.

But there is also the intentional, doing side of community. In Acts 2:42-47, we see a group of people who didn’t come together once a week, hoping that God would show up but a group who experienced Him all week long and came together on Sunday to celebrate what was happening throughout the week. We also see these 7 elements of community.

1. Bible Study – God’s scripture is the final authority, not our mind, will, emotions, etc.2. Confession & Repentance – we no longer walk in shame because we are covered by the blood of

Jesus Christ. Roman 8:13. Worship – whether through songs, eating a good meal, enjoying a good laugh, because we see Him

rightly, we can worship God with our whole being. 4. Prayer – we are filled with His Spirit and in order to be Spirit dependent, we have to be committed

to prayer, to talking with and listening to the Spirit. 5. Hospitality – loving people where they are while providing a safe place to experience gospel

community. We welcome outsiders – not an “us and no more” mentality but also care for and preferring one another – it’s a both/and. 

6. Exercise of Spiritual Gifts – we are all part of the body, given different gifts to help build the body up. It is here we see those worked out, polished, learned.

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7. Mission – community is great but if we end there, we have missed the goal. We must move past ourselves and bring others in.

How do Community Groups fit into Frontline as a whole?Community Groups are the main avenue for care and community at Frontline. Community Groups are where we live out the equipping we get on Sundays. Community Groups are on mission together to LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, AND PUSH BACK DARKNESS. They do this in their neighborhoods, jobs, and with each other.

Hub StructureCommunity Groups at Frontline are organized into Hubs based on geography. A hub is comprised of a set of zip codes that are together.

Community Director – the Community Director is responsible for discipleship and accountability for the hub leaders in a given congregation. Hub Leaders – Hub leaders are responsible for discipleship and accountability with the community group leaders within their hub. Community Group Leaders – a Community Group Leader is responsible for oversight of their group as well as discipleship and accountability of an apprentice. Apprentices - These are future community group leaders that are appointed by current community group leaders. They are not necessarily ready to lead though may be.

Resources

Online ResourcesFrontline’s Leadership Development Resource Library can be found at: resources.frontlinechurch.com. There are resources for different subjects, weekly reports, evaluations, leadership assessments, opportunities to serve, etc. Please check it when you need something. Please familiarize yourself with this valuable resource.

Weekly ReportEvery week on the night of your C Group an email will be sent to you asking you to record your group attendance that week. It is crucial that you fill this out each week. If you do not fill it out, it will resend to you every 2 days until you do so.

If you did not meet as a group or if your discipleship groups met, click the “Did not Meet” button. If you met as a large group then please click the “Record Attendance” button to proceed with filling out your weekly report.

You will first count how many people are in attendance that night. Then, on your weekly report roster you will check the name of each person that was there. Everyone who was there, whose name is not in your roster, is then considered a guest for that week. So if you take your total attendance number you counted, then subtract the number checked on your roster that will give you the total number you will put in the guest space. If there are people that you would consider members, we want to get them on your roster. To do that use the “People Info” box to tell us who you would like added or subtracted from your roster.

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Hub CardsWe have hub cards with all our active groups on them. They are kept by each Community Group map in the sanctuary and Den. There is a map at the front and each group is listed per predetermined hub. It is very important to make sure that all information regarding the group be updated with the community group team. If your day, time, location changes, please let us know a.s.a.p.! We want to make sure all information is as up to date as possible.

Website & EmailsThere is a CONTACT button for each group on the website on the Community Groups page. When the contact form is filled out the leader will get an email letting them know their group has been inquired about with the person’s name and email. We have made this the sole way to contact a group outside of Sunday morning and group connect to create quality control for responsiveness and accountability. Please respond to these in a timely manner by simply replying to the email. There will be a large green button on the email you receive that says, “comment”. Do not press that. It will leave notes for the community staff but will not contact the inquirer.

Group ConnectGroup Connects happen after each service on the first Sunday of every other month. During this time, people who are not involved in Community Groups will come to the Den to meet Community Group leaders near them. Community Group leaders are expected on those Sundays to represent their Hub during Group Connect. Each Community Group Leader will wear their Hub lanyard to distinguish their location. We will want to direct each person to the hub that corresponds with where they live. Then the Community Group leader representing that hub will give them the Hub Card and be there to answer any questions they have. They can look at the Community Map to find the group that meets closest to them on a day they are available. If there are any questions the Community Group leader does not know the answer to, they should direct the visitor to the Community Director for the answer.

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CARE within Community GroupsAt Frontline, our goal is for Community Groups to administer 80% of care. We want to provide some framework for you to be able to do that effectively. One of the most important ways to do that is through taking care of each other.

Process for CAREThis is the process for providing care for our members (specifically c group attendees):

A Frontline member/community group attendee requests care from the leaders. The community group leaders gather information and determine if they're equipped to tend to the

needs. They will look within the group for a person(s) to come alongside the attendee. If the leaders determine no one within the group is equipped, they will contact their hub leader. The hub leader will determine if the need should be passed on to the CARE Ministry. If the hub leader determines that the need is too great for the group, he/she will give the

Community Group Leader the go-ahead to share the Care email: care@frontlinechurch.com. Upon receipt of the email to CARE, the attendee will be directed as determined by the CARE

Director. If counsel is provided by the CARE team, an online intake form will need to be filled out in order to move forward. This link will be provided by the CARE Director.

So, it goes like this:   Member Community Group Leader Hub leader CARE team

What do you take care of within your community group?The first question when someone comes to you with a question or problem is “who in our group can minister to this person?” Situations that you should be especially aware of being proactive to take care of your people are things like: Hospitalizations Babies

Significant illnesses Bad diagnosis

Crisis Situation Death

How do you care for them?Think through things you would need or a family in a different situation might need. Some general ideas are things like: Prayer Meals (takethemameal.com) Babysitting (do a rotation)

Physical needs Mowing the yard Grocery shopping

Laundry House Cleaning

What do you push up to CARE at frontline?Though much of the care is provided through a community group, we want to know what is going on in your group. We want to acknowledge care issues through cards and flowers but we can’t do that if we don’t know about it. Please include these things in your weekly report. Things that we want to hear about: Hospitalizations Babies

Significant illnesses Bad diagnosis

Crisis Situation Death

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The Goals of Community

Markers of true communityOur primary goals in Community Groups are not to simply provide fellowship, care, or belonging. These things make community about us. Our primary goal is to receive the grace of God, respond by imaging him in lifting up the name of Jesus, and out of that pointing others to Jesus. He is our means of becoming a disciple, our example for how to live as one, and our example of how to make more of them. We are to be disciples making disciples. A Community Group should be defined as a lifestyle, not an event. When that is reversed, we tend to hold on to our individuality and view the group primarily in terms of what it offers us. We are more like consumers than contributors.

In Genesis 1-2, we see the world as it was created, the way it was created to be. God created, and it was good. He created the heavens and the earth, and it was good. He created the animals and plants, and it was good. Then, creating man after his own image, the pinnacle of his creation, he saw his whole creation, and everything was very good. Well, almost... There is one thing that was not good. God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone.

God created Eve for Adam and it was good. They had the community that they previously lacked but because of Satan, it didn’t last long. Sin damaged the once good community they had with each other and with God. Because of Jesus’s death, however, we are reconciled to God. No longer do we live in separation from but live in communion with Him.

The cross of Christ not only reconciled us to God and restored us to fellowship with him, but the cross of Christ has also brought us into community with one another. If while we were enemies, God reached out and reconciled us to himself that we might have community with him, then how much more now that we are reconciled to God will we be reconciled to others in community. This redeemed community is called the Church. Christ’s death on the cross reconciled us to God, and subsequently reconciled us to each other.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility... that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:13-16

Community Groups are small expressions of the Gospel truth. In Community Groups, we experience true community within the context of the Church. A Community Group is life-giving, not life-taking. In these groups, we live out the Gospel, and as a result, experience community with one another, true community. True community is not defined by having a lot of things in common, or even enjoying our hobbies together. True community is living life together, growing in Christ together, pointing each other to our hope in the Gospel, and pushing each other to be disciples of Christ.

We love each other, forgive each other, encourage each other, and correct each other. As we live in community, we begin living as we were made to live. We are brought back into the community we were made to experience, and as a result, we are imaging the glory of God.

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Multiplication2

Casting vision for multiplicationThe goal of multiplication is not simply to grow in numbers but grow in the capacity to provide effective and healthy discipleship, care and opportunity for mission. We want to be a church that multiplies gospel communities that Love God, Love People, and Push Back Darkness. In order to do that, we must multiply when groups reach maximum capacity. There is no cookie cutter answer for when a group must multiply based on size or time – each situation will be unique; however optimum group size is between 12 – 15 adults, and appropriate time frame before multiplication is at least 6 months. Speak with your Hub Leaders and Community Staff for help.

Reasons for multiplicationWhen groups are too big (please see Understanding Group Dynamics for more info on size) they are not able to care well for the group. There are a few general areas that we see impacted when the group is too big:

PERSONAL GROWTHOnce a group grows beyond a healthy threshold, participation and growth begins to waiver. Discussion is often focused on the most verbal in the group and people simply can’t know everyone. The leaders can’t know everyone. The ability to make sure everyone is growing becomes stifled

CAREBecause community groups are the frontline of care, responsible for 80% of care at Frontline, it is necessary to have a group size that will provide the ability to know and care for the members within said group. When there are too many for the leader, people fall through the cracks and groups are not able to effectively care for the members of their group.

MISSIONWithin community groups, if we stop at just the community aspect, we have missed part of the goal. At Frontline, we are a church that wants to Push Back Darkness. That includes reaching out to people who don’t know Jesus. If a group is too large, visitors can feel neglected and not even noticed.

Methods of multiplicationHow you go about multiplying is something that you should pray about and consider based on your group dynamic. If you are having trouble figuring out what that looks like for your group, talk to your hub leader, they are there to help you with the process.

There are always obstacles to multiplication. People will want to push back. It is important to help walk them through the process and continually cast vision to help them through the process of multiplication.

DIRECTBeing upfront with the group, letting them know that on a given date you will be multiplying and they should be praying about where God is calling them to go. Explaining who will be leading the groups and where they will be and from there letting members decide.

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INDIRECTA conversation is had with an apprentice or a leader within the group to gather the people that they feel drawn together and feel and affinity towards and encourage them to start a group together. Once the plan is set, the leaders would explain that a group is multiplying out of with the goal of multiplying to more effectively be on mission.

ORGANIC As the leader of the group, take note of sub-groups that form naturally. Ask the Lord to highlight who the leaders in those sub-groups are and approach them about forming new groups.

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The Community Group Leader

Qualifications of a Community Group LeaderSee Appendix

Structural Expectations of a Community Group Leader3

While a leader is responsible for the discipleship, care, and mission of the group, that does not mean, however, that they themselves are responsible to take care of all these areas. It is the leader’s responsibility to make sure that each area is covered and that what is being expected is inspected regularly.

DISCIPLESHIP Discipleship happens through discipleship groups and has a leader. The responsibility of the Community Group Leader is to check in with the discipleship group leaders to see how they are going and where they may need resources. Community Group leaders should generally not also lead Discipleship Groups.

CARE This is one of two expectations that are not to be handed over but taken care of by the Community Group Leader. Community Group Leaders are expected to lead out in the care for the group members. While the group takes care of each other and someone may be appointed to administer the needs of the group member, it is the leader’s responsibility to lead their group members.

MISSION Leaders are expected to lead the group in pursuing mission. Part of this is engaging in the culture you are a part of with the desire to see people meet Jesus. How you do that is up to your group and you will naturally have people who feel more evangelistic than others. This is a good place to let them use their gifts and raise up other leaders.

ADMINISTRATION Within a group there is the need to organize and plan so that you can Love God, Love People, and Push Back Darkness. There is follow up with visitors, managing food lists (if you have food at group), etc. Invite people into leading in this way. It is not your responsibility to handle all these details but it is your responsibility to see to them being handled.

SUNDAYSThis is the other expectation that can’t be handed over. Community Group Leaders serve communion at Frontline. Community Group Leaders are responsible for holding the bread while people come through.

We use Planning Center (https://planningcenteronline.com) to schedule everyone for serving. You will be added to Planning Center as you become a leader. Please make sure when you receive the scheduling email, you confirm/decline as soon as possible. This is an expectation for each group leader.

EvaluationsLeaders are evaluated annually based on pre-determined criteria built around the mission of our church. This is a tool and a guide to help Hub leaders effectively disciple community group leaders, community

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group leaders effectively disciple apprentices, and congregational lead pastors effectively disciples all levels of leadership and make decisions regarding care and training of leadership at each respective congregation. A copy of the evaluation is in the appendix.

It is important to make sure that it is understood this is not something that automatically disqualifies someone from leading. It is used to help identify areas for potential growth but also to praise for great jobs done. Hub leaders as well as apprentices are also being evaluated. We always want to inspect what we expect of leaders in order to be a good steward of the people God has entrusted to the leadership, both elders but yours as well as a Community Group Leader.

TrainingsCommunity Group leader trainings and Hub trainings happen nearly every month. At Community Group leader trainings a meal and childcare is provided while current community group leaders, apprentices, and prospective leaders receive training and application time with their Hub Leaders.

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Apprentices5

Leadership is the crucial resource in the church for it to grow both in maturity and outreach. Therefore, the most important role behind the Community Group leader is the apprentice. As a Community Group leader, one of your major responsibilities is to train, develop and deploy leaders. Therefore, we ask that every leader be committed to replacing himself or herself by recruiting one or two leaders-in-training. You are encouraged to do this when you begin your group. And once you have begun your group you are to be constantly on the lookout for potential leaders.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt.9:37) We need to be asking God to raise up new leaders. We should not expect them to just appear without our praying. Especially when he has explicitly commanded us to do so.

Every group should be working toward having an apprentice by about 3 months in. The apprentice, depending on skill and experience, would be the person to launch out of the group for the next multiplication. You would be teaching the apprentice what you are doing and discipling them the way your hub leader is discipling you. There is an outline for how an apprentice becomes a CG Leader that can be helpful if you need a guide.

There is no specific timeline or protocol as each individual and situation is unique. Some people will need more time for this process than others.

1. Individual fills out a leadership assessment and turns it in to the Hub Leader. 2. The hub leader will follow up and walk through the assessment.

a. Make sure they are a member3. If there are any issues, the Hub leader will push it to the Community Team. 4. The hub leader approves and gives this to the Community Team for a final interview and approval.5. Once approved they will be commissioned from the stage by Community staff and Elders.

Identifying an Apprentice6

While there is no absolute formula for identifying an apprentice leader, there are several characteristics to look for.

1. Loves Jesus (Jn. 14:15)2. Loves the church (Jn. 15:12)3. Loves the lost (Jn. 17:18) 4. Listens to others, includes others in conversation (James 1:19, Romans 15:1)5. Depends on Scripture (Dt. 8:3, 2 Tim. 3:16)6. Open about sin and repentance (James 5:16, Mark 1:15, Mt. 3:8) 7. Eager to serve the needs of others (Rom. 12:1-13)8. Humble (James 4:6)

Also, make sure you don’t simply look for someone like you. The body of Christ is immensely diverse, and so are those who he has called as leaders, so be open to consider people who are very different from you.

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In many ways, two (or more) apprentices are better than one, for you as a leader, for your apprentices, and for the legacy of your group. One advantage of having more than one apprentice is the simple economy of scale as you are able to multiply the impact of your time invested.

Additionally, creating a peer group of apprentices can provide an intensively dynamic growth community for the apprentices.

Inviting an apprentice7

As important as it is for you to prayerfully consider the identification of an apprentice, it is equally important that a potential apprentice prayerfully considers the call to leadership. First, and foremost, they should feel a call to leadership, but they may never feel called by Christ if they are never asked by you. So, begin by letting the individual know that you have observed certain leadership qualities in them, and invite them to consider, in prayer, if God might be calling them to become a leader. Continue to pray and then follow up in a timely manner.

Assessing an apprentice8

The formal assessment of an apprentice begins with a leadership assessment filled out by the apprentice. The leadership assessment is a series of questions and scenarios to figure out where they are and what needs to be covered before they lead a group. An overview of the role and requirements of a Frontline Community Group leader are also provided.

During the application process, special attention will be paid to the applicant’s view of church leadership and understanding of the Community Group culture. Additionally, no applicant should proceed into the apprentice process who is not a faithful member of Frontline who submits to church leadership, faithfully stewards time, treasures, and talents, and continually seeks to grow as a faithful disciple of Jesus.

Because a Community Group leader carries a significant responsibility for the shepherding of the members of their group, it is important that their Hub Leader assesses each apprentice before being launched. The above description of what to look for in a potential apprentice can be used as a guide for assessing an apprentice’s readiness for leadership.

Training an apprentice9

Four clear stages are marked out before a person becomes a leader. A potential leader can move through those stages in anywhere from six months to two years, depending on their spiritual growth. Your job is simply to help them move from one step to the next, giving them resources and evaluating their progress.

Each stage has identifying traits—things to look for in a developing leader. For example, in the first stage, the “Identify” stage, you look for newer Christians who display a passion for God and compassion for people, a teachable spirit, and a regular attendance pattern.

Each stage has a gradual increase in responsibilities. In stage two, the apprentice leads the worship or the sharing/prayer time. At stage three, they lead the study with you present. Finally, they lead the study without you by the time they reach stage four. Along the way, you’re able to give feedback and encouragement.

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Each stage also has training objectives and suggested resources. For example, in stage three, the “Intern” stage, you can cover basic Bible reading skills, basic interpersonal skills, and a vision for small group community. The resources come from existing in-house teaching: sections from this handbook or Bible study curriculum like The Gospel-Centered Life and Sync Meetings. If you prefer, you could discuss a recommended book with the intern. You’ll find a wonderful list of resources appropriate to each stage listed on the Apprentice Training Plan, found at the end of this section of the handbook.

Each stage can take anywhere from one to six months, at a self-guided pace. Please see this as an opportunity to pick someone in your group to spend a little extra effort on, in order to help them grow into shepherd-leaders. This is basically a guided mentoring or discipleship process. Along the way, some people that you mentor and disciple may encounter blocks to leadership. They may experience instability in their life, or they may simply become too busy. Still, the time you spend with them is worth the effort to help produce a more effective disciple.

The Four Stages Explained10

1. Identify Stage At this stage, the potential apprentice does not need to know what great plans you hope for them. That might frighten some needlessly! You are simply attaching yourself to someone for additional mentoring. Look for: someone with a passion for God, a hunger to know Him more. They should also have a compassion for people and a desire to help others know more of God’s grace. Even though they may be a new Christian, and a relatively new regular attender at Frontline, they ought to be teachable and exhibit signs of growth. Train/Assess them in: basic gospel truth through Bible study materials (make sure they really are a Christian). Also, encourage basic spiritual disciplines of personal Bible study, worship, community, accountability, and service. Choose and use some of the books recommended on the Apprentice Training Plan.

2. Mentor StageAt this stage, they begin to lead small portions of the group. This is still an informal stage. Look for: someone able to lead the sharing/prayer time or the worship time. Are they capable of this small leadership? Also, are they faithful to the group? People who have led groups in other churches may jump to this stage. Train them in: sections of the handbook discussing their experience leading parts of the group. Also, help them to live out the gospel and joyful repentance more fully in their lives. At this stage, have them lead a Discipleship Group within your Community Group.

3. Intern StageNow, the apprenticeship is a little more formal. Look for: someone who, having gone through stages one and two, exhibits gospel confidence in their leadership. They could lead the study with you present, and are beginning to have a desire to lead. Train them in: sections of the handbook relating to their leadership, and basic Bible reading skills. Also, help them with some simple interpersonal skills that leaders need to develop. At this point, cast a vision for small group community life in the church that builds on their desires to lead. Again, you may want to encourage them to read one or more of the recommended books listed in the Apprentice Training Plan.

4. Apprentice Stage Announce to your group that this person is your apprentice and may be launching a new group in the future. How does your group react? Look for: someone that has the respect of the group. You should feel confident in letting them facilitate the study/discussion portion occasionally without you present. They should be able to articulate the gospel clearly from their own experience with Christ’s grace and have a genuine concern for other people’s spiritual welfare. Train them in: sections of the manual related to their leadership. Help them to see the different aspects of group leadership. They should begin attending the CG Leader trainings with you so they can meet your Hub Leader.

5. Interview, Approve, and Launch!

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Apprentice training plan

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Community Group Rhythms

Structure of Community Group MeetingsThere are 3 primary rhythms of Community Groups. These rhythms are Fellowship Meal, Discipleship Groups, and 3rd space engagement. Every alternating week [eg: 1st and 3rd week] we gather in our large group. Every other week we meet in smaller gender specific discipleship groups [3-5 people] outside of the Community Group location. The 5th week in a given month is encouraged to be spent in 3rd space engagement.

Fellowship meal The fellowship meal is a potluck dinner where everyone participates by bringing food and friends. This a space where we bring newcomers and is a less intimidating situation for non believers to check the group out. This can be purely relational or can have content like prayer or discussion.

Smaller discipleship groupsEvery alternating week we will be meeting in gender specific discipleship group of 3 to 5 people, outside the location of the community group to proactively engage each other in confession of sin and struggles, repentance, praying for each other encouraging each other and keeping each other accountable.

As leaders you get to use prayerful discernment to pick groups of 3-5 to meet together for the discipleship group. It is ideal for you to recognize a group leader who will communicate with you anything that needs to be addressed in a larger platform eg: pastoral counseling, marriage counseling, care ministry etc. The community group inquiries come to the group leader before the group meets. If it falls on the week where you are meeting in the smaller discipleship group you can always let newcomers know to come the following week.

Ideally it would be good to alternate the Fellowship dinner and the third space meeting so that you will have two times evenly spaced through the month when you can invite non-Christians.

3rd space engagementOnce in two months the group can plan on doing an activity of your choice together in a third space [like a park or a bowling alley or meeting as a group in a restaurant]. This third space engagement is so that we can engage with the local community and also invite non-Christians to our gatherings, thus being intentional about our local mission. For more on this, see the Missional Living section.

This third space gathering can happen either on a fellowship meal night or a different night – your choice.

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Understanding Group Dynamics11

Keeping the goal in mindRemember that the purpose of Community Group is to experience Christ Jesus in our midst, ministering to us and through us to one another so that our community and lives are changed. Your goal is to help create an environment where this purpose can be accomplished. You want to avoid things that will hinder the accomplishment of this purpose. The environment ought to be one that is warm, relaxed and safe, where people can share honestly, openly, and appropriately about their lives or the topic in question, always with the truth of the Scriptures in view. Creating this kind of environment is an intangible effort that is difficult to put down in "rules." If you as a leader feel somewhat weak in the hospitality gifts, choose a particularly strong host.

Ultimately you want it to be easy for people to answer the following kinds of questions: "What is God's perspective on a certain aspect of my life or a certain feeling which I have shared?" or "How does this truth we are talking about apply to my actual life? What concrete, specific things should I do in light of this truth?"

Two opposite problems concerning sharing must be avoided 1. Sharing one's feelings without seeking to understand God's perspective. 2. Talking about the truth without seeking to apply it and see how it specifically relates to personal

life—thinking, acting, choosing. The purpose of all of your interaction is to bring both yourself and everyone else in the group to a renewed sense of attentiveness to God.

Group sizeThe ideal size of the community group is 12-15 adults. The ideal size for Discipleship groups is 3-5. It is very important that discipleship groups cap at 5.

Leader Expectations

7 things you should expect from your group leader1. Prayer for you and your family. 2. Honesty no matter what, include words like "I don't know, I disagree, and I wish this wasn't true". 3. A consistent commitment to remind you that any one person is not the prize, answer, solution to a

problem, or a place to hang hope - and that Jesus is. Your group leader can't save you, nor bear the weight of a responsibility only fitting for our lord Jesus.

4. To be under the spiritual authority of others and be accountable to pastors and elders. No one is asking you to be under someone's spiritual authority that isn't already under authority themselves.

5. Expect them to be vulnerable and transparent. They will confess sin, have problems and need a savior as much as you do.

6. Be available. They will be there for you, and will be responsive to you. Don't abuse this privilege and allow for parameters, but expect availability.

7. Expect a commitment to serve you by loving God, loving people, and pushing back darkness during your time together. Study of scripture, prayer, worship, communion, mission, evangelism, etc. a healthy rhythm of all these things.

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WorshipWe are always worshipping. It is the activity of every human soul and the response to what the heart finds most valuable. However, worship for a follower of Jesus is a total life re-orientation in response to his revelation of Jesus and the rescue of our hearts through the cross and resurrection. In other words we place Christ as center and pre-immanent in our lives, seeking first His kingdom and his ways. Isaac Watts put it like this…Were the whole realm of nature mine, that would be an offering far too small, love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all!

Sam Storms writes, “Worship begins with deep, biblical thoughts about God, robust and expansive truths about who he is and his greatness and glory, which in turn awakens passionate affections for God, affections like joy and gladness and delight and gratitude and admiration and love and fear and zeal and deep satisfaction in all that God is for us in Jesus. These in turn find expression in all of life, whether in singing or speaking or acting or the decisions we make or the way we live life in general.”

What Does Gathered Worship In Community Group Look Like?There is no formula for exact worship in the New Testament, only principles. We can set out two simple goals for our gathered worship in Community Groups:

1. Vertical: God would be glorified and pursued2. Horizontal: People would be encouraged and equipped

What Are Ways We Can Do This?1. Singing

It’s one of the few things people can do all together. It helps focus our hearts and express what’s inside, not to mention it’s commanded fifty times in Scripture. Paul talks about this in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-20. He reminds us our singing must be Word-fed and Spirit-led. Not only that, but it has vertical and horizontal dimensions. If you don’t have a music leader and still want to sing, you have options: sing a cappella if your group can pull it off, or even create a playlist with some worship songs (you can pause to pray between songs).

2. PsalmsWe forget what a great gift God has given us in the Psalms! In Working the Angles, Eugene Peterson writes, “The great and sprawling university that Hebrews and Christians have attended to learn to answer God, to learn to pray, has been the Psalms. More people have learned to pray by matriculating in the Psalms than any other way. The Psalms were the prayer book of Israel; they were the prayer book of Jesus; they are the prayer book of the church. At no time in the Hebrew and Christian centuries (with the possible exception of our own twentieth century) have the Psalms not been at the very center of all concern and practice in prayer.”

There are some very simple ways to explore the Psalms together, and I encourage you to try different forms and see what works. Read out loud together. Once you read through it, you can encourage people to try to let the Psalms be a springboard to their own prayers. If you feel comfortable doing this, ask someone to bring a Psalm for the next gathering time that helps encourage everyone to participate.

3. PrayingOften we don’t associate prayer with worship, but praying (even when you petition) expresses dependence on God! We pray precisely because God is powerful. J.R. Vassar observes, “Before we

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make more commitments to prayer, we must start thinking truer thoughts about God.” Sometimes it helps to frame our prayer times in truths about who God is. There are a few ways to do this:

Spend some time-sharing some of the attributes of God, and how he’s been faithful in the past. Then split up into groups praying for each other’s requests in light of all you’ve been reminded of. There are some bookmarks available at the Connect Counter that mention five of them (God is great, glorious, good, gracious, and giving) as well as accompanying verses.

4. Meditational StudiesTry reading about an attribute of God or act of God and then responding together in praise. As we do this, God puts meat on the bones of words and attributes we might not have seen a depth in or even remind us of them—it thickens words. Expressions like “God is wise” should explode with meaning. Words like grace, adoption, forgiveness, the cross, and salvation should have a tremendous depth to them. Ideally, every attribute and work of God would have several scriptures tied to it so I can meditate on and bring to the forefront of my mind when necessary.

5. SilenceWe live in such a loud, noisy, busy society. After reading some Scripture, or reflecting on God, try to spend some time (5-10 minutes) in complete silence in worship. If that’s too awkward, listen to some instrumental music. Have people pray silently, worship silently, and journal, etc. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God and I will glorify myself among the nations.”

6. Gifts Of The Holy SpiritIn 1 Corinthians, Paul describes an actively participating body of people. The beauty of smaller groups is that we can allow for more involvement.

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 1 Corinthians 14:26

Again, note the horizontal dimension of our worship! Who’s in your group? What gifts has God given them? Sometimes we put a ton of pressure on having five songs, but never make room for something else. Allow God to move in your midst!

7. Show & TellAsk someone in the group to bring something that has sparked worship in their heart. It might be a song, photograph, or poem to share with the group. Ask them to describe what about it stirred their heart towards God or toward the gospel.

8. StoriesHave someone share how they became a Christian or a time where God revealed himself. What attributes of God are revealed through that person’s story? Take some time to thank God for revealing himself after their story and pray for the person.

9. Biblical Postures of WorshipYou could try teaching different biblical postures of worship with your group. Every group is different, so their comfort levels will vary. The goal isn’t to pressure people, but rather encouraging them to explore. Ask them to try pray while kneeling or while lifting their hands. For some it might be standing or singing.

To SummarizeIn our Community Groups and Discipleship Groups, we want the gathered worship to be saturated in God’s Word, faithfully remind us of all He is, and be fueled by the gospel. How you walk that out is up to you as long as it’s in line with Scripture. As we remind ourselves in gathered worship of who God is and all he’s done for us in Christ, we have strength and vision to enter our lives and be who God has called us to be and live lives of worship in all aspects of our lives.

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Prayer12

PREPARING THE COMMUNITY GROUP FOR PRAYERThere are a number of approaches to group prayer that work well. We encourage you to change the type up from time to time for people to learn different ways to pray. Remind people often that God really does hear and respond to the prayers of his people. To help lead your group through prayer read a passage such as 2 Corinthians 1:10-11, Colossians 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, etc. Having read the verse, walk them through the Father’s heart for us to pray and trust Him. The Goals for prayer in the group are:

Grow in being Gospel centered/Bible honoring The Father's blessing – We pray to God but also from God – we want to ask God for His heart for

whatever the situation is. The person is drawn closer to The Lord than when we started praying. Encourage them to walk in the light and in close fellowship with each other.

It is also important to cultivate a walk of intimacy with the Lord. We can’t just turn on our hearing if we are rushed; we must learn to be still. We can’t force ourselves to go to sleep but you can create the conditions where sleep can come. Likewise, we can’t force ourselves to hear from God but we can cultivate a quiet and humble heart to listen to his voice when he speaks.Prayer is personal communication with God. This includes not only our speaking to Him but also His speaking to us. Participation in this ongoing, conversational relationship with our Lord is how we are meant to live. Just as surely as He desires that we communicate with Him, He desires to communicate with us. In order to do this we must recognize His voice.Though God desires to speak to us we must realize that we like sheep do not always recognize His voice either, especially in the beginning. Recognizing His voice is something that we must also learn through time, experience, close association, and repetition. This should not surprise us since we learn many things in life in this same manner such as recognizing the color red and distinguishing it from yellow or blue, hearing the differences in noises that animals make (Old McDonald had a farm), etc.God speaks to us all the time, but many of us have not yet learned to hear his voice. Learning to hear his voice is based on intimacy with God. We must continually make time to sit and be still before God. It is a lifestyle God wants to invite us into. I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me. Psalm 40:1Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10THE GLORY OF GOD AT THE CENTER OF YOUR PRAYERToo often, we pray merely for circumstances in our lives: difficulties, health, relatives, work situations, psychological adjustment, immediate burdens, and so on. There is nothing wrong with that, except when it pushes aside prayer that’s God-centered and ignores the critical level of where change occurs.Transforming our lives is from the inside out. Following the wise advice of David Powlison, we need to pray for change at the level where change occurs. Therefore, when seeking prayer for change, focus on heart issues. As a leader, if you begin to pray with a kingdom-centered focus and with a heart-change focus, then your group will begin to change the way it prays. As you model effective and courageous

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prayer, the prayer lives of those around you will be enriched. For new Christians, this is a great opportunity to learn a lifetime of prayer.It is also important that you ask the Lord for His heart in a given situation. We want to go where God is going and say what God is saying. If we don’t take the time to listen to what it is He is saying, we won’t be able to say it. See the Hearing God section for more information on this.

Two methods for group prayerThe first decision you have to make regarding method is whether to pray as a large group or in smaller groups of three to five. Feel free to ask the group for their preference in this decision.

BREAK INTO SMALLER GROUPS If you break up in smaller groups, you may want to divide by male and female as well. Advantages to smaller groups: each person can talk more, share more honestly, and pray more fully. Plus, breaking into smaller groups prevents the prayer time from going on for an oppressively long time. Disadvantage: everyone in the group is not in touch with what is going on in the lives of all the group members. One way to partially overcome that disadvantage is to ask if anyone has something that they would like the whole group to be praying for?

When you send people into the smaller groups, give them clear directions about what they are to do. If they are sharing prayer requests, encourage them to not spend the whole time talking. It is also good practice to just take turns asking the Lord for His heart for each other. He wants to speak to and through us, we must be willing to listen.

Depending on the group's preference, you may keep these smaller groups the same from week to week, change them regularly, or change them periodically.

REMAIN IN THE LARGER GROUP Advantages to larger groups: Creates a greater sense of community and connectedness between the members. Disadvantages: Sharing, as well as the prayer itself, can go on for an oppressively long time. If you choose to go this route, you should encourage them to be succinct. If someone feels a pulling to know more they can discuss after prayer. The goal is to hear everyone who wants prayer and have time to pray.

Invariably there are some people who go on much longer than they need to. In those cases you will probably need to break in on them. After they have gotten the basic gist of their request across, wait for them to take a breath and then say "Thanks for the request Jim. We can continue to talk about it more but want to make sure everyone gets a chance to share. Does anyone else have something for which they would like prayer?" Generally the person will not be offended at all and the rest of the group will be relieved as well.

As a general rule, once a person has shared their prayer request you should probably solicit the next request by saying something to the effect of, "Thanks. What else? Is there something else we can be taking to God?" This keeps the sharing time flowing and lets people know what is expected of them.

Various approaches in large group prayer1. Sharing Requests

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This gives people who want to share and/or pray the opportunity to do so. It also gives those who do not desire to share or pray the freedom to decline. The negative is that certain group members may dominate week after week. Try to keep requests balanced. People can volunteer to pray for a person or you can just say everyone prays for the person to their right.

2. UnisonEveryone prays out loud at the same time for whatever the topic of prayer is that time or for whoever they have agreed to pray for.

3. Using Liturgical FormsBy using a form, someone leads and the rest join in on that topic in informal prayer. You can find such examples in The Book of Common Prayer.

4. Using Historical PrayersWe can greatly enrich our prayer lives by looking at the prayers of Christians in earlier times. The Puritans and others have left a great legacy of prayer that gives us a richer language of prayer from which we can draw. This is most effective when it’s used only occasionally, allowing your group to develop its own life of prayer. Some good resources include: The Valley of Vision, Puritan prayers collected by Arthur Bennett (Banner of Truth), A Diary of Private Prayer by Bailey (Colliers) and A Call to Prayer collected by Caryl Micklem (Eerdmans).

Making your prayer time Kingdom-CenteredKingdom prayer is focused on the needs of the kingdom. It is revival prayer, a longing for God's glory to be shown.

Look at the prayer of Moses, in Exodus 33: He refused to go on without the presence of God. "If your presence will not go with me, do not carry us up from here." (Ex 33:16) He continued to plead: "I pray, show me your Glory!" (Ex 33:18) And the Lord granted his request, and passed by the cleft in the rock, showing Moses a taste of his glory.

1. It is Focused on God's Presence and KingdomJack Miller talks about the difference between "maintenance prayer" and "front-line prayer" meetings. Maintenance prayer meetings are short, mechanical, and totally focused on physical needs inside the church. But front-line prayer has three basic traits:

A request for grace to confess sins and humble ourselves A compassion and zeal for the flourishing of the church and reaching the lost A yearning to know God, to see his face, to see his glory

2. It is Bold and Specific It is important to note that the boldness comes from a strong relationship with God. Lloyd- Jones explains that those who know that they are sons and daughters can come before the Lord as their Father and address him in a bold, specific manner. It would be disrespectful, except that we are merely asking for what God wants– his Glory to be shown in the world. Those who don't have a deep relationship with God cannot show this boldness because they don't rely on their status as children of God and because they aren't seeking God's will, his Kingdom rule.

3. It is Prevailing and CorporateBy this we mean simply that prayer should be constant, not sporadic and brief. Why? Are we to think that God wants to see us grovel? Why don't we simply put in our request and wait? The answer is that we should not be so impertinent. Sporadic, brief prayer is such because we do not make time for it. It shows a lack of dependence, a self-sufficiency, and thus we have not built an altar that God will honor with his glory fire. We must pray without ceasing, pray long, pray hard, and we will find that the very process is

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bringing about that which we are asking for– to have our hearts melted, to tear down barriers, to have the glory of God break through.

This also means that individual believers need to be the front-line of prayer. Although leaders must set the pace, we all are called to this priestly office of prayer. It should be found in our worship services, in our prayer meetings, in our home groups, and most of all in our devotional life. Prayer of this sort renews the heart and the church. In short, why wait for everyone else to lead the charge?

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Practicing Spiritual Gifts

Do You Earnestly Desire Spiritual Gifts?13

I've been giving some thought to Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14:1. There he writes, "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (ESV)…

It would appear from this passage that it is not enough to be open to spiritual gifts and their operation in the local church. One must be zealous for them and earnestly desire their presence, especially the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1, 12, 26).

However, not everyone agrees with this interpretation. As I've thought about it, there appear to be several ways that one might respond to this exhortation. But first, two observations are in order.

(1) It's important we remember that this is an exhortation, an imperative, a command, and not merely a statement of fact. In 1 Corinthians 12:31 Paul says, "earnestly desire the greater gifts." The verb translated "earnestly [or eagerly] desire" (zeloute) is grammatically ambiguous (it can be either indicative or imperative).

The same verb form appears in 1 Corinthians 14:1 and 14:39 and is there unambiguously imperative (i.e., a command). It is difficult to believe that the same verb, in the same form, in the same context, would be used by Paul in two entirely different ways without some hint or contextual clue to that effect.

Consider also 14:12 where Paul writes, "So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts [referring to their collective enthusiasm for tongues], seek [imperative] to abound for the edification of the church [in particular, the gift of prophecy, as the context demands].

(2) The exhortation to "earnestly desire" spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1) is in the plural. Paul is writing to everyone in the church at Corinth, each of whom is responsible for individually responding to an exhortation that has validity for the entire church. In other words, what is the corporate church if not a collection of individuals on each of whom the obligation falls? The plural of this exhortation simply indicates that all believers in Corinth are to heed the apostolic admonition. It is a duty common to everyone. That includes us as well.

Prophecy in the Church Today14

The "prophetic" can be defined in a simple and broad way. It has generally to do with direct divine communication by the Holy Spirit to and/or through human beings. "Prophetic" then serves as an umbrella term that has many sub-categories: the prophetic Scriptures (2 Pet 1:20); a spirit of prophecy, a spirit of wisdom and revelation; the gift of prophecy, a word of wisdom or knowledge; a prophet or prophetic ministry, spiritual dreams and visions; angelic visitations, Holy Spirit induced trances; audible voices from the Spirit realm and the like. Direct divine inspiration and communication is intrinsic to all prophetic activity and causes its recipient to be animated and activated by a power beyond this earth.

What is the biblical role of the prophet today?The proper role of any modern-day "prophet" is akin to the "prophets" that are referred to in the New Testament. There are similarities between the New Testament prophets and the Old Testament prophets, but there are also many differences. The major one being the fact that through the New Covenant, every

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believer in Christ has an abiding anointing of the Holy Spirit that has transformed them into a living "temple". Thus, every Spirit-filled believer has the Spirit dwelling within as opposed to the OT where it was described over and over as the Spirit “came upon”.

In light of this, NT prophets are not to be considered infallible in their person or their ministry, just as other gifted believers are not to be regarded this way. Even the weak humanity of the apostles Peter and Paul are referred to in the NT account. Just because they themselves were anointed and used by God to inscripturate His infallible word doesn't imply that they were above and beyond error in other aspects of their lives or ministries. The words of NT prophets need to be judged and examined by the rest of the Spirit-filled community because their weak humanity might get mingled in with their message. Their words are not infallible, because they don't need to be infallible to be legitimate and helpful, as long as they are properly related and in submission to the body of believers about them. If they make errors in the transmission of their words, then they can be forgiven and encouraged instead of being rejected and stoned. Their word should be tested and refined by the light of Scripture, the wisdom and mature judgment of the body, and the leaders that surround them so that any good can be gleaned from what they have delivered. If infallibility is to be the standard for NT prophetic ministry, who then would dare step out to begin to prophesy?

Hearing GodWhen you read through 1 Corinthians 14 you see not only can anyone hear God and prophesy (vs. 31) but you also see that we should be eager to do so (vs. 1 & 39). We also see 1. See it

God often spoke to the prophets through spontaneous pictures or visions. He will often plant a picture in your mind. Jesus said that He only did what He was the Father doing. In Habakkuk 2:1-2, the writer records, “I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me. The Lord answered me and said- Record the vision.” Habakkuk equated hearing from God as seeing a vision. As you learn to relax and wait on God you will find that He will often give you as image or a picture in your minds eye. Spontaneous pictures or visions. Pictures in the mind. They often feel like scenes from a dream. A written word or symbol – see the word in your mind Seeing the anointing on a person: Natural realm - people are drawn to the person who is anointed.

Supernatural realm - a shining or glowing light around the person. Someone you keep noticing. Seeing shadows or dark patches on the body (This is almost always anafflicting spirit.) Seeing a shape or highlight over a portion of the body

2. Feel itMany people experience the Lord moving them by means of physical sensation. Pain or sensation in the body – if a part of your body starts hurting out of no where, He may be

leading you to pray for someone with that ailment. Feeling emotions – the Lord will sometimes give us His heart for others. Extreme joy, compassion,

or love. Other times, He will allow us to feel what others are feeling to pray for them in that place. Sensations of warmth flowing out of the hands – your hands will feel warm though the rest of you

doesn’t feel anything special. Tingling feeling (goose bumps) - Slight trembling on hands (usually a release of power) Special anointing, power going out of your body Sense of knowing Electricity

3. Hear itThere are also those in the Bible that actually heard

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God often speaks through specific Bible verses. Sometimes He will give the reference and you will need to look it up. Other times scripture will “come alive” as you read it, or as you are waiting on Him, a scripture will “pop” in your mind.

A word or phrase, even if it doesn’t make sense to you. Sometimes thought and impressions begin to flow through your mind. These are not coming from a detailed thought process, rather they are spontaneous and usually unpremeditated

Inner knowing / gut feeling

God also speaks through other people, angels, and even circumstances. None of these different means is “fool proof”. It takes practice to learn to distinguish the voice of God from your own “inner voice” or the voice of the enemy. The Bible says we must test everything and hold on to the good.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good . I Thess. 5:21

A few misunderstandings among believers concerning the prophetic giftsThe most obvious misunderstanding is that they have somehow become unnecessary and God has planned that they would cease before the return of Jesus. Cessationism is clearly negated by what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:4-8:

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Another mistaken view is that NT prophetic ministry should be viewed as an infallible exact science or on par with Scripture. This can lead to several related errors: That such giftedness automatically implies maturity in character and/or doctrine on the part of the

human vessel. When we want to study about the spiritual gifts we typically turn to 1 Corinthians. Yet, when we want to expose immaturity and carnality in the church, we also turn to 1 Corinthians. I think you get the point.

That prophetically gifted people do not need to live by the same basic biblical patterns of life, ethics and standards as other believers do. That somehow these people are above and beyond these basics.

That prophets know just about everything about anything or that God will tell them if they ask Him to. That God is "continually talking" to prophets and that prophets are continually hearing the voice of

God. That prophets cannot have or enjoy aspects of an ordinary life because of their extra-ordinary

giftedness. That prophets are not to be properly subject, like everyone else, to the governing elders of their local

church.

What is the role of the prophetic in evangelism? Prophetic ministry is wonderfully seen in the NT as a significant means of conviction, conversion and opening up the gospel to whole new groups of people. We see revelatory words at work through the ministry of Jesus Himself. (By the way, there is a very important concept to highlight here. I deeply believe that Jesus conducted His miraculous ministry, not out of His divinity, but out of His Spirit-filled humanity. This is the basis on which He could say in John 14:12, that the works that He did, and greater works, would be multiplied through His followers who would receive the very same Spirit's power.) It

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seems that it was a simple word of knowledge through our Lord that led to Nathaniel's extravagant commitment to Him. It was prophetic insight that touched the heart of the woman at the well. This ultimately opened up the whole village to believe in Jesus. In fact, we see Peter's confession of Jesus as the Son of God in Matthew 16 was based on a personal revelation from the Father to Peter's heart. As Paul would later say in 1 Corinthians 12:1, "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' but by the Holy Spirit". A "prophetic" revelation from the Holy Spirit to the heart and mind of a human being is the very dynamic that initiates their conversion.We see in the book of Acts how prophetic revelation is often linked with the occurrence of miraculous healings and conversions. Two outstanding examples in of how the prophetic is linked to evangelism are seen in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus and of the household of Cornelius. Prophetic visions, anointed proclamations and prayers, trances, angelic visitations and supernatural voices all played into these world- altering events. These kinds of accounts are not one-time super-human testimonies that only happened in the first century. Accounts similar to these have been repeated throughout history wherever the gospel has gone forth--especially on the front end of reaching the unreached people groups.I know of a number of contemporary testimonies of people coming to Jesus through obviously prophetic means, the most common of these being spiritual dreams given to people who did not know Jesus as Lord at the time.Are there things prophetic individuals can do to constructively reach out to open-but-cautious Christians?Many sincere believers have never had an obvious encounter with prophetic ministry, although they actually have "heard" the voice of God in one way or another. There are many constructive ways that prophetically gifted people can reach out and encourage fellow followers of Jesus without confusing or offending them. When I find myself ministering to believers for whom this ministry is unfamiliar, I often adapt my approach to make it more "user-friendly". If the Holy Spirit is granting prophetic revelation in their case, then it will hit the mark on its own, regardless of our methodology. One main way that I do this is to turn my prophetic insight into a personal prayer for them. Another way is to ask questions based upon the insight that I have received. Still another helpful approach is to give credible and reasoned testimony about how the Holy Spirit is still moving in these ways in our day. There are many books that contain these kinds of accounts and many people have personal stories to tell along the same lines. It has been well said that a person with a testimony is never at the mercy of a person with an argument. Finally, it is fruitless to argue with fellow believers about this matter, for we might find ourselves disobeying the great commandment while attempting to share this good news about the power of the Spirit. This is an irony that is best for us to avoid.Do you have any closing words for us?There certainly is a great deal more that can be said about the prophetic ministry of the Holy Spirit. In closing, let me return to the well-known prophecy of Joel that Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost. I believe that this prophecy, like so many others in Scripture, contains various degrees of fulfillment.I like to compare theses great Biblical prophecies to the overlapping picture transparencies of the human body that can be found in some encyclopedias. Each picture overlays the previous to add more detail, literally adding flesh to bones and skin to flesh. These prophecies had a true application within the generational circumstances in which the prophets first spoke them. This would be like the transparency of the human body that pictures the skeletal system. But there are aspects of these divine utterances that were not totally fulfilled in their original cultural context. God was also foretelling what would come to

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pass in the generation that saw the incarnation of the Christ. This could be likened to the next transparency of the body in which we see the placements of the vital organs. It is in this sense that Peter declared that what happened in the upper room that day was the fulfillment of Joel's ancient prophecy. However, there was even more to come from this word from God in the future of human experience. By simply looking at the specific content of the prophecy, it is clear that there are elements that have not, even as yet, come to pass upon the earth. These are events that are reserved for the "very last days" of the "last days" that began at the ascension of Jesus Christ. There are eschatological dimensions to the fulfilling of many of these Old Testament prophecies—much as another transparency of the body is laid over the previous ones, thereby creating a fuller picture of the whole.I believe that over the last century, we have been witnessing an unprecedented and further fulfillment of the inter-national, inter-generational, and inter-gender outpouring of the Holy Spirit to which Joel referred. If this move of God is that precursor to the second coming of Christ, then the spirit of prophecy within the Church is not going to abate or be deterred by any force in heaven or earth or under the earth. May God help us to simply cooperate with His unfolding redemptive plan for the nations and become ever more skilled in receiving, interpreting and applying the prophetic words that His Spirit is imparting to the sons and daughters of the living God. There is even more yet to come.

Guidelines for Prophetic Ministry in Community Groups

Three Foundational Principles1. The primary purpose of prophetic ministry is to edify, encourage, and comfort God’s people (1

Cor. 14:3, 4).2. All believers are exhorted to earnestly seek after spiritual gifts, especially prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1).3. All prophetic words must be judged/weighed by the body of Christ (1 Thess. 5:19-22; 1 Cor.

14:29-35).

Three Suggestions for Facilitating the Prophetic1. In order to encourage prophetic ministry (see 1 Cor. 14:1), leaders must create a “safe”

environment where people are willing to take risks.2. Leaders must also be intentional in “making space” or creating opportunities for it to occur: “Does

anyone have a sense from the Lord about the direction of our meeting tonight?” “Is anyone hearing from the Lord for ministry?” “Did anyone have a dream recently or feel burdened or impressed in some way?”

3. Don’t be afraid of or offended by silence. Maybe God isn’t speaking at this time!

How to Introduce and Deliver a Prophetic Word “I have a strong inner impression that I believe is from the Lord.” “I have a picture in my mind that I think may be for someone here.” “I had a sense from the Holy Spirit about what he wants to accomplish tonight.” “I had a dream which involved several of you, and I would like to share it.” Don’t use dramatic and overly authoritative pronouncements like “Thus says the Lord” or “This is

the word of the Lord” or “God told me to tell you.”

Seven Guidelines for Testing/Judging/Weighing Prophetic Words1. Does it align with Scripture?2. Does it confirm what the Holy Spirit is already doing?3. Does it edify, encourage, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3)?

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4. If the word is predictive, does it actually come to pass?5. Is it spoken in love and for the welfare of the recipient, or is it manipulative and serves only to

draw attention to or promote the speaker (1 Cor. 13)?6. Does the broader believing community (the church) endorse the word?7. Does it correspond to personal experience (cf. Acts 21:3-4; 21:10-14 with Acts 20:22-23)?

Four Suggestions on handling questionable “words” or those that lack the anointing of the Spirit1. Be gentle, kindhearted, and encouraging. Don’t crush the spirit of the person or respond in a way

that would make them fearful and hesitant to ever prophesy again2. Some “words” need immediate correction, especially if they are biblically misguided.3. If the “word” is general or vague or merely a repetition of some biblical text or principle already

well known, don’t dismiss it, but commit as a group to pray about it and re-visit it at a later time.4. If the “word” is weird or unintelligible or embarrassing, simply say: “Thanks for sharing. Let’s

discuss this in private at a later time. I’m not sure this is the direction the Spirit is leading us at this time.”

Fifteen Practical “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of Prophetic Ministry1. Do not publicly criticize or correct church leadership by name. Take such “words” privately to the

Elders. The NT doesn’t say "Be subject to the prophets" but rather "Be subject to the Elders" (1 Pt. 5:5; Heb. 13:17).

2. Do not expose someone’s sin or identify them by name. Speak of sin in general/anonymous terms and ask the Spirit to bring conviction (1 Cor. 14:24-25).

3. Don’t prophesy marriages, babies, moves, or job changes.4. If God reveals a person’s physical affliction, don’t immediately assume or suggest he intends to

heal them. But of course pray for them!5. Unless you have explicit biblical warrant, do not tell a person what “God’s will” is for their life.6. Be careful about prophesying public, political, or natural disasters.7. Avoid using prophecy to establish doctrines, practices, or ethical principles that lack explicit

biblical support.8. Don't appeal to prophecy to set behavioral standards on secondary issues (e.g., whether Christians

should attend R-rated movies, drink alcohol in moderation, listen to secular music, etc.).9. Be cautious about excessive dependence on prophetic words for making routine, daily decisions in

life. There are, of course, certain exceptions to this "rule".10. Always resist the pressure to prophesy on demand, in the absence of a divine revelation. At all

costs, resist the temptation to speak when God is silent. Some of the most severe denunciations and warnings of judgment are reserved for those who claim to speak for God, but don't (see Ezek. 13:1-9; Jer. 23:25-32).

11. Don’t let your identity be dependent on your gifting. Remember that prophetically gifted people are often more sensitive than others and can be self-defensive. They are easily wounded by criticism. Remind them lovingly that they are not their gift!

12. Don’t despise prophetic utterances when things go badly or when people are offended or when someone gets it wrong (1 Thess. 5:19-22).

13. Resist the temptation/pressure always to interpret and apply the revelation you’ve received. Share what God has shown you and be quiet! Again, there are occasional exceptions to this “rule”.

14. Devote sufficient time to helping visitors, unbelievers, or cessationists understand prophetic ministry. They will often feel confused or find it weird. Make sure there is time to dialogue and debrief about what has (or has not) happened.

15. Don’t let prophetic ministry dominate the meeting. There are other spiritual gifts!

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Pastoral Care: The Art of Shepherding15

The Community Group Leader as ShepherdShepherding or pastoring God's flock is not the exclusive responsibility of paid clergy. The "one another" passages require lay shepherding in order to be fulfilled. In one sense, therefore, all believers are called to shepherd, or nurture, one another in Christ. A Fellowship Group leader is someone who is particularly gifted in this area. You should not have to feel a call to the ordained ministry in order to be an effective group leader.

Once you have become involved in a few people's lives, you quickly realize both the thrill and the terror of shepherding. The thrill is participating in the work of the Holy Spirit as people are transformed into Christlikeness. The terror comes from always reaching beyond your own capacity. A proper attitude must therefore always be humble reliance on Christ alone, heartfelt gratitude for his mercy, and sincere repentance for your multitude of sinful actions and motivations.

Biblical leaders have a Christian purposeThey need to know God's purpose for his world and his people. The goal of all history is the glory of God. They need to comprehend the redemptive plan of God centered in Christ and the final outcome of that plan. Their purpose is to build the Kingdom of God, not through physical weapons but through the powerful sword of truth found in Scripture and prayer.

Biblical leaders have a Christian methodology1. They lead by example. (See 1Pet 5:2). People follow a person, rather than an abstract principle.

You must, therefore, be growing as a disciple yourself. You are not a tyrant or an authority. Only the Word of God is an authority; you are submitting to God's Word just like everyone else.

2. They lead by service. (Mark 10:35ff). Jesus was a strong leader, but he used his leadership to serve God and people rather than to gain prestige or power. Servanthood and leadership are compatible.

Biblical leaders have a Christian understanding of peopleThis understanding of people includes the leaders themselves. Three primary elements:

4. People are created in the image of God and as an individual. All people are treated with dignity and respect, not as a clone.

5. People are fallen. The leader is gentle with those who are ignorant and backsliding, since he is liable to weaknesses.

6. People are redeemable. You must believe in the power of the gospel to change people.

The Character of an Effective ShepherdWarmthTreat people hopefully, as they potentially are. So much of pastoral warmth is a function of non-verbal cues. Movement and posture, eye contact, expression, attitude, and timing. The key means of warmth is to talk personally, not afraid to express compassion and affection, and to praise honestly but liberally. Be careful, however, because people can spot a counterfeit compliment.

TransparencyAlso called Biblical "sincerity." This is a function of Christian humility (a self- forgetfulness, a lack of self-consciousness). It is being open about your own thoughts and feelings, your own limits as well.

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Transparency means being truthful about your concerns and your needs. It is not simply "spilling your guts," because that can be done to draw attention to yourself, or to manipulate others. Being self-revealing must be done in order to serve. Transparency is also integrity, not being radically different in public from what you are in private.

Reflective ListeningWhat reflective listening is not: 1) Parrot. "I hear you saying...". 2) Guru. Spouting clichés and quotes. 3) Detective. Firing lots of questions. 4) Drill sergeant. Providing pat answers. 5) Swami. Predicting the future. 6) Florist. Being super-duper positive. 7) Judge. Showing the error of their ways. 8) Historian. Recounting your experience endlessly. What it is: 1) Asking open-ended questions that encourage more elaboration. 2) Slowing down your responses by checking the other person's content through paraphrasing. 3) Finally provide alternative solutions and check their evaluation of each.

How long do you listen before providing answers? Longer when: 1) The person knows the answer, but needs more support than information 2) You know the answer will be hard to hear 3) You do not know the person well 4) You are not sure what the person really wants from you. Shorter when: 1) the person is sinning by the very conversation [gossip, slander, etc.] 2) the person's excessive talkativeness is a clear avoidance of an important issue 3) the person is intoxicated or severely depressed 4) this is an often repeated survey of the same ground.

ServingWatch for "crunch" situations in people's lives. Find out about family or personal crises (sickness, death, problems) and offer support, prayer, and loving deeds. Find out about job-related problems or living situation "pinches." Many people in Oklahoma City lack certain basic domestic items. Can you provide any? Can you provide information about how to get things done in the city?

Invite people to do things that you believe they would enjoy doing: a visit to a gallery, a sporting event, etc. It is "serving" if you can provide something to make an event easier (a free ticket!). Last, connect people with others who might be helpful to them, in their profession or in ministry.

Get People to Deal With God, Not YouThe most important manifestation is that a shepherd-leader gets people to deal with God. Most people prefer anything to that. There will be a tremendous temptation on the part of most people to treat you as a surrogate for God when you exemplify the above characteristics and there will also be a temptation for you to allow them to do so. It is, after all, flattering to be treated in such a way. You must resist the temptation.

Real change takes place in our lives only when we deal with God. You must not allow people to treat you as the answer man and go away feeling as though they have dealt with God when in actuality they have only dealt with you. Your essential tasks are to teach people to pray—the act of being attentive to God—and to pray for them..

Aspects of Shepherding"Pastoring" and "shepherding" in the Bible are the same word. It is a word that has aspects of nurture and guidance. It ultimately means to be responsible for the long-term growth of a person.

1. Shepherding is the ability to tap Christians' ability and responsibility to shepherd one another.

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2. Shepherding is the skill of knowing where people need to grow—the skill of spiritual diagnosis.3. Shepherding is the work of getting people (not necessarily giving people) what they need to grow.

A shepherd connects people with what they need.4. Shepherding is the gift of helping people find their gifts. 5. Shepherding is visible caring through personal contact.

Acts 20:28 "Take heed (pay close and careful attention to)... all the flock” A shepherd seeks to become intimately familiar with all the characteristics, circumstances, and needs of the person. A shepherd must know the people; the people should be conscious that their shepherd knows them.

Acts 20:31 "...for three years I did not cease night and day to admonish every one with tears”A shepherd shows that love and care in his personal contact. The shepherd seeks to be transparent enough so the people see how he/she feels and thinks ("with tears"). Second, the shepherd by physical presence shows that he/she cares. By being available ("night and day"), the shepherd expresses the love of the Good Shepherd.

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Troubleshooting21

Common ProblemsThere are a number of problems or difficult situations that arise with great regularity in Community Groups. These can cause some degree of anxiety for the leader as well as many of the members. Below are listed the most common troubles which arise and some suggestions for how to deal with them.

A person who dominates the groupThis most common way to deal with this person is to say, “Jeff has been saying a number of helpful things. Does someone else have something to add?” or “We have heard a lot from some people on the previous questions. Can we hear from some of the others of you on this next question?” If the person is regularly giving long-winded answers to questions, the leader may need to jump in when the person takes a breath and simply ask, “Does anyone else have something to add?” You might also try to avoid eye contact. If the person does not seem to get the hint that they are occupying more than their fair share of the time, you may need to address them privately along these lines: “I really do appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to share your insights. However, something that you might not be aware of is that the frequency of your speaking and the length of your responses has a potentially stifling effect on other people sharing. I am sure you don’t mean for that to happen, but I am afraid that it sometimes does.” Having said that you might ask the person, “What is your reaction to what I have said?” This gives you and the individual a chance to interact.

One other way to deal with this and many other kinds of potential problems is to have periodic evaluations of the group. At such an evaluation you might ask the group as a whole, “What do you think about the balance of participation in the group? Is there anything which is stifling participation in the group? Is there anything which if it were changed would facilitate greater participation from the group as a whole?” Though this may strike you as fairly risky, it has a great number of benefits. It provides opportunities for the truth to be spoken in love and it allows for the community to solve its problems together rather than relying on one individual to do all the work. It can often bring great healing in the group and bring it to new levels of honesty and maturity.

A person who says something that is hereticalThere will undoubtedly be many times when someone gives an answer to a question that is absolutely incorrect and which may even qualify as heresy. What ought you to do? First of all, avoid your initial impulse to correct the person. It is likely that the person does not realize that he or she is saying something which is out of accord with Christian doctrine. If you are too quick correct the person you may well end up stifling his or her future impulses to participate in the group. That would be disastrous. The group needs to remain a safe place for people to share. It needs to be a place where people are free to make mistakes. Second, remember that groups tend to self-correct the heresy which arises within them. Usually you can just say, “Thanks for sharing. Does anyone else have a different opinion or something else to add?” Generally, the more mature members of the group will provide insights which are more in keeping with the truth of the Scripture. By affirming the insights of the more mature believers, the individual who made the heretical comment and others who might have been swayed by them will come to see the comment was off-target. It will then be unnecessary to confront them directly.

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However, if you don’t think the statement has been countered adequately and that significant confusion remains then you might feel compelled to say, “I appreciate what all of you have shared. However, I think what the Bible says about this is...” Finally, if someone shares something that just cannot be supported by the text under consideration it is often quite appropriate to point the group back to the text and ask, “Just how do you see your point arising from the text? Is that really what it says?” The only caution before proceeding in this manner is to make sure that the mistake is serious enough to warrant it. Assuming that the people in your group are attending a worship service in which they are getting good teaching you might decide that such an approach would do more harm than good.

A Person Rarely ParticipatesThe first thing to determine is whether the questions you are asking are sufficiently open- ended so that they encourage sharing. Some kinds of questions can stifle participation. Assuming the questions you are asking encourage participation, you might just need to let the group know that the responses that have been given to the question don’t exhaust everything that can be said. By simply asking frequently, “Does anyone else have something to add?” you might solve the silence problem. If that doesn’t work and the problem of quietness is widespread you could say to the group at large, “We are mostly hearing from just a few people. We would really love to hear from everyone. All of you are valuable to the group and I am sure that you have insights that the rest of us can benefit from. We need to hear what you have to say.” If the problem is just with one person, you might want to say something similar to them in private. Let them know that you are glad they are part of the group even if they choose to rarely share, but that you are sure the group would benefit from what they thought. Realize, of course, that some people are just more quiet by nature and that some only share when they are convinced that their thoughts would contribute to the furtherance of the discussion. What you should AVOID doing is putting a person on the spot by calling on them by name. They may truly not have anything to say about the particular question under consideration and you will only succeed in embarrassing them. They may choose to stay away from the group in the future.

A Particularly Troubled Person Drains All of the Life Out of the GroupHow you handle this situation depends on the particular person in question. Usually, you will have to approach the person and address the behaviors that are disrupting the group. This will take both courage and tact and will often require firmness as well. But you should not avoid it. We have a responsibility to one another. If a person lacks social skills or is behaving in a socially inappropriate manner it is important to help them. Speaking the truth in love requires leaders and members to confront dysfunctional group behavior, even though it may make you uncomfortable to do so. It is suggested that you seek insight from other group members and your coordinator as to how to handle difficult people. On some occasions, you will need to help the person seek out another group that would be better for them.

The group keeps going off on tangentsThe first thing you will need to decide is whether the tangent is valuable enough to pursue or whether it qualifies as unhelpful esoterica. When the tangents are in the latter category just remind the group that you have limited time and that you think the group will be best served by sticking to the text. You might say, “That really is an interesting question and those who are interested in it can pursue it if they like after we close. In the meantime I think we would benefit most if we stuck to the passage at hand.” At other times you might just say, “We seem to be getting off on a tangent again. Let’s stick to the passage at hand.” Then ask a question which turns people’s attention back to the text. It is up to the leader to keep the group on track.

Someone asks a major question just as you run out of timeYou will probably be best served by saying, “That is an important question but if we try to get into it now we won’t be able to do it justice. I would be glad to get together with you either after the group or at

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another time to talk to you about it. Or if the group would like to we can take up the question at another meeting.”

The group is overly intellectual, and not heart-feltIt is very easy for groups to use the Bible as foil that prevents them from really interacting with one another. If this takes place it is important to get the group to become involved in personal sharing. You will need to spend much more time using sharing questions that get people talking about their personal lives. See the section of this handbook entitled Fellowship for these questions. As long as the group avoids genuine interaction, it will not be transformational in nature.

Prayer requests are too far removed from the genuine needs of people’s livesAs with many of these issues, the most important thing you can do is to be honest and forthright about the problem. You should point out to the group its patterns of behavior. You will need to call the group to vulnerability about their own needs. You might say, “It is certainly a good thing to be praying for the needs of people outside this group for whom we have concerns, but let’s make sure we do not do so at the expense of praying for character issues and difficulties which we are facing in our own lives. We need to be engaged in the mutual ministry of praying for one another’s needs.” If group members do not get to the place of being able to talk about the difficulties that they are facing, the unwillingness to deal with reality will eventually create boredom and frustration in the group. Members will then drop out.

People are long- winded in their prayer requests and prayer time goes too longIf you are going to pray together with the entire group, ask people to be concise in their sharing of prayer requests and succinct in their prayers. Your other option is to break up the group into pairs or triads and allow them to share and pray in these groups. With this arrangement, people will have more time to both share and pray.

A Final Word of CautionFor many of these problems the worst thing you can do is to ignore them and hope they will go away. It is unlikely that they will disappear unless you address them. If you let them go on unaddressed, the members in the group will gradually cease to attend as their dissatisfaction with the group life grows. Your failure to act will lead to the death of the group. Remember your chief job as a leader is to do everything in your power to get the group to function as a healthy community. This will occasionally require you to do things which don’t come natural and which seem unpleasant. But love for God’s people and concern for their wellbeing ought to serve as sufficient motivation for carrying out a difficult task.

Following Up With Those Who Fall Through the CracksInevitably, some individuals who have attended your Community Group will stop coming. Our natural inclination is to assume they would not want to be contacted. We believe that they will perceive us as a nag or a bother. We are afraid we will just make them feel guilty. We may also assume that the reason they stopped coming is that they did not find the group beneficial. The first lesson of follow-up is simply this: make no assumptions! In years of following up with people I have rarely run across someone who was not glad that they had been called. We fear follow-up, but we need not do so. It communicates to people that you care. It communicates that their absence was noticed. Often your calling up is the first indication to them that people in the church actually do care about them as an individual. They are more than part of the masses. It can be a turning point in their relationship with the church and with your fellowship group. Even if the individual does not return to your group, they are usually glad that they have been contacted. Ultimately, we should be following people up because we believe that Christian

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fellowship is essential to living a God-pleasing life. Aware that they may not be benefiting from this means of grace, we should call them out of a sincere desire to see their Christian life flourish.

WHEN TO FOLLOW UPYou may make it your practice of following-up with people on any week that they do not show up for the group and have not contacted you beforehand to make you aware that they would be absent. The benefit of this type of procedure is that it doesn't make individuals feel like they have been singled out. You might even announce to the group that this will be your practice. Also by doing follow-up weekly it becomes a normal habit and discipline in your life as a leader. However, this can be a labor-intensive practice and for that reason you may decide on a different pattern of follow-up. Instead, you may choose to follow-up anyone who has missed two or three meetings with out letting you know that they would be absent. If you follow this route you must discipline yourself to follow through on it. It becomes much easier to procrastinate with this methodology that often then leads to putting it off entirely. If a person's attendance is especially erratic you may also choose to follow them up.

If you have procrastinated to the point that it now feels awkward following-up the individual, you should still press on and contact the person. Their needs are to determine your actions, not your embarrassment.

How to Follow UpHow does one follow people up? There are three options: Personal interaction, a telephone call, a note.

PERSONAL INTERACTIONThis is the preferred means of follow-up. Face to face interaction allows for you to communicate your genuine concern to the person in a complete way. This option should only be taken if you are fairly certain that you will be seeing the person within the week. If you don't see the person on the occasion that you expected to see them, then you should immediately pursue one of the other means of follow- up.

What should you say? Probably something like this: "Bill, we missed you at Community Group this past week. Is everything all right?"

If missing the group is a pattern you might say, "We have been missing you at Community Group. We have appreciated what you contributed when you have come and would love to have you there regularly. Is there a reason or reasons why you haven't been attending?"

After asking this question it is important not to put words in their mouth. Allow them to answer for themselves. They may have been out of town. They may have been extra-busy at work. There may be some personal problems. They may not feel like they fit in your particular group. They may not feel like they are getting much out of the experience. You need to be able to respond appropriately to whatever reason they might offer. If they have been out of town or busy you might just say, "Well, we have missed you and hope to see you soon . We will next be meeting on __________. Hope to see you there." If some personal issues have prevented them from attending then you will want to provide appropriate pastoral care for them. Perhaps you will want to schedule a time to meet with them.

If one of the last two reasons is their actual reason for not attending they will be less likely to disclose this. If you sense that they are disappointed with the group for some reason you may need to give them some help to enable them to tell you. You might ask, "Is there something about the group in particular which has disappointed you? I really would appreciate your feedback if there is. Did you have certain expectations for the group which you feel are not being met?" This must be asked with humility and a

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genuine openness to hear what they are saying. You should not register your disappointment, but in as much as you are able, affirm the appropriateness of their expectations. Of course, many people bring inappropriate expectations to a group. This becomes a moment where you can pastor them with regards to their expectations ("Yes, I understand your desire to be involved in a group where people are not superficial with one another but share about what is really going on in their heart and life. My hope is that the group gets there. In fact, we are making progress. But that kind of interaction takes time and we still have a ways to go."..."I understand your desire for more doctrinal input in your life. It sure has made a difference in mine. However, fellowship groups are not especially good vehicles for transmitting doctrine. The school of discipleship is much better at that and I would certainly encourage you to make a practice of attending those classes. Community Groups, however, are very important for receiving encouragement and support for living the Christian life. That is something which we all need.")

There is also the possibility that the person just does not feel like they fit in your particular group. If you sense that they may feel like this is the case you could say, "Perhaps you feel like this particular Community Group isn't quite right for you. I certainly won't be offended if you thought this group might not be the best for you. While we would like to have you with us, it might be that you would fit into another Community Group better and that it would be more beneficial to you. If you are thinking that may be the case, I would be glad to help you find another one." Of course, if it turns out that their schedule doesn't fit with the time your group is meeting then it would also be appropriate to help them find another Community Group that is more accessible to them.

A TELEPHONE CALLThe telephone is another good means for following-up a person. Normally you will follow much the same course as is suggested above. If you get an answering machine you might say, "Hello. This is Bill from Community Group. We missed you at the group this past week. I'm just calling to make sure all is well and to let you know that our next meeting is _____________. Please give me a call if there is anything I can do for you. Hope to see you at the next meeting. Take care." If you get an answering machine and you would like to talk to the person rather than their machine you might say, "Hello. This is Bill from Community Group. We missed you recently at the group. Hope you are well. Please give me a call when you get a chance. My number is....Take care." Then when they call back you can say, " Thanks for calling back. I just wanted to make sure that everything was O.K. and let you know when our next meeting will take place." This gives you the opportunity to have further interaction with them. If they don't call back you might just leave another message letting them know when the next meeting will take place.

A NOTE, E-MAIL, OR TEXTA note is a means of following up that is non-threatening and avoids putting the person on the spot. It can be dashed off and does the job of communicating that you care. "We missed you at the fellowship group this past week. I hope everything is O.K. Our next meeting is ____________ . Hope to see there. Please feel free to contact me if you want. Sincerely,______________." If you don't get a response after a few weeks then you may want to use more a direct method of following-up.

Remember that in this process we are not interested in hounding the person. We cannot control what they will do. We don't want to be coercive. If they decide to stay away, then there is nothing you can do about that. What you can do is communicate that you care about their absence and that you have their needs at interest.

Referral of Troubled and Troubling PeopleIDENTIFYING THE TROUBLED AND TROUBLING

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“Troubling people” are not those who are merely hard to love, or require some extra energy, or are “not your kind of people." The best definition is that “troubling people” are those who dominate the group and overwhelm it, so that they shift the focus of the group to the extent that the group cannot reach it's goals, and therefore it ceases to be a worthwhile experience for the majority who attend. They are people who have ongoing critical needs that are beyond the scope of the Community Group leader. For the most part these needs are emotional or psychological in nature. They are destructive to the group. People tend to be driven away from group because of them.

We must not lose compassion for these people or treat them as problems to be solved, but instead see them as people in whom God is working but who need more intensive care then most Community Groups are capable or designed to give. Alternative support and care giving systems are required for them. The most compassionate response for both their needs and the health of the group is to refer them to a better group. When you refer someone, however, you are not washing your hands of them. Continue to pray for them and guide them into their new supportive community.

THE PROCESS OF REFERRING THE TROUBLED AND TROUBLING1. Talk to your Hub Leader to confirm that a person needs to be referred elsewhere. It is important not

to wait too long to do this. If you do, your group may be unnecessarily harmed.2. Your Hub Leader will talk with the elders and find out first what counseling opportunities are

available within Frontline Church, if appropriate for the level of the person’s needs, and which would be best suited to their needs.

3. If the person’s needs are greater than what would be appropriate for those volunteering their time within Frontline Church, there are many excellent counseling centers and support groups meeting throughout the city that are well known by the elders, with which the person can be quickly connected with.

4. The Community Group leader, either with or without their Hub Leader, will caringly and tactfully invite the individual to connect with the Hub Leader, counselor, or recommended support group. Use words such as the following: "Jeff, you've been in the group for a while and I'm not sure that it is a group that is best or most helpful for you. There is actually an opportunity for more personal discipleship that I think you would find much more beneficial." If the individual protests you might need to go a bit further. "Right now, because of your own needs, your involvement with the group isn't best for the group either. We think that both for your sake and for the sake of the group that it is important that you begin receiving additional care outside of the group.

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Endnotes1 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.2 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.3 The majority of this section was adapted from, from Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life-Support, by Brad House4 The majority of this section was adapted from Gospel Coach: Shepherding Leaders to Glorify God by Scott Thomas and Tom Wood5 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.6 This material is taken directly, with minor changes, from the Apprentice Development Guide of Mars Hill Church, which can be found here: http://marshill.com/community7 Ibid8 Ibid9 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.10 Ibid11 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.12 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.13 http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/enjoying-god/do-you-earnestly-desirespiritual-gifts-thoughts-on-1-corinthians-141/14 The majority of this section was adapted from Prophecy in the Church Today: an interview with Michael Sullivant, as it appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of the Pneuma Review.15 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.16 The majority of this section was adapted from a book entitled Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson, which can be found here: http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/portfolio/fight-clubs-gospel-centereddiscipleship/17 The majority of this section was adapted from a book entitled Fight Clubs:Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson, which can be found here: http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/portfolio/fight-clubs-gospel-centereddiscipleship/18 The majority of this section was adapted from an article entitled Simplified Missional Living by Jonathan Dodson, which can be found here: http:// theresurgence.com/2009/05/04/simplified-missional-living19 The majority of this section was adapted from Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life-Support, by Brad House20 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.21 The majority of this section was adapted from The Fellowship Group Handbook, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Version 2.0, 1997. Other additions and changes within this section are the sole responsibility of Frontline Church.

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Appendix

Community Group Evaluation

Community Group Evaluation

Love God Study of Scripture Prayer Models/Rhythm

Worship Spiritual

Gifts & callings being utilized

Love People Confession Repentance Serving & meeting needs

of those in group

Follow up Hospitality

Push Back Darkness Mission in the neighborhood Engaging immediate neighbors Non-Christian attendance 3rd space engagement Praying for the poor corporately? Engaging prayer for world missions?

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Qualifications of a Community Group Leader

There are 3 main things that we should see in your life if you want to lead a group:1. Love for God:

I John 4:7-10 - 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

A. You should be captured by the gospelB. An understanding that He loved us firstC. You should still be amazed by His GraceD. So compelled by the gospel that you want to be led more than you want to lead.E. So controlled by the gospel that the most important question in your life is, “Jesus, what do you

want?”F. All of Christian life is one of repentance so we see ongoing repentance in your life

2. Love for People: I John 4:11;20 - 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen.A. You must be knownB. You must be accountableC. You must be surrendered to the Authority of ScriptureD. You must be courageousE. You must be developing a shepherds heart

3. Pushing back darkness: Ephesians 5:8-14 - 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper,and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.”

A. You need to be willing to engage in pushing back darknessB. You need to have a working understanding of your gifts and your callingC. You need to be on mission personally

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