Creative Community

Maybe you've spent some time thinking about how LIFEGroups fit into the "BIG PICTURE" at Calvary? The following thoughts might help you work through some of the ideas, as well as to help you consider your role in helping people connect to God and others. We envision connecting people to God . (Matthew 28:19-20) True connection to God happens through discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20). Discipleship is dependent on relationships. Therefore we desire to connect people to one another. We believe these connections can be identified in three relationships every Christ-follower engages in: A relationship with God which is characterized by love . (Mark 12:30 ) A relationship with our neighbors which is characterized by love . (Mark 12:31 ) A relationship with other believers which is characterized by love . (John 13:34) We recognize that significant development of relationships in a large church

For some reason, the LIFEGroup questions were left out of the bulletin this week. If you need them, here they are! 1) What is the most amazing meal you have ever had? Who prepared it? How long did it take to prepare? 2) Read John 6:1-15. Have each member of the group talk about one thing that stands out to them in the passage. 3) Verse 6 says that Jesus was testing the disciples. Do you think they passed? Why or why not? 4) How have you felt like God might be testing you in recent months? Do you feel like you are passing? Why or why not? 5) The disciples were convinced that the food they had was far too little to accomplish what Jesus expected of them. When have you felt like your gifts and abilities were far too little to accomplish what Jesus expects of you? Does it help to know that He already knows what He's going to do? (verse 6) 6) What is something (gift, resource, time, etc...) you have that you would be willing to give to Jesus? 7) What is something amazing you w

I'm guessing this material is from Saddleback Church... EIGHT EXCELLENT REASONS TO JOIN A SMALL GROUP 1. You will understand the Bible better in a small group. If you´ve ever listened to a Bible teacher or preacher and wanted to stop that person and say, "But what about...?" or "I don´t understand," then a small group is for you! Preaching and teaching is one way communication. You listen while the speaker speaks. It´s fine for imparting knowledge but not as effective for personal application as a small group. In a small group setting, you can ask questions, participate in a discussion of the text, and hear others share insights and illustrations of the truth you are trying to grasp. The Bible must be applied to your own personal situations and that happens best in small groups. 2. You will begin to really feel like part of God´s family. Most people who have been a part of a group say the greatest benefit is the close relationships and friendships that develop.

Check out this week's newsletter, including information on our ongoing open forums, our upcoming training summit (focused on care giving), and our potential driver expectations. Click on the picture below.

This document is the fruit of our first two open forums. While it is not a finished product, it is a reflection of what we will likely be asking of all LIFEGroup drivers in the coming years. Check it out, give some feedback! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calvary Church desires to be a church of communities connecting to God and others. Our primary method for achieving this goal is by growing formative, caring, and missional communities. While these communities may take many different shapes, we refer to them all by one name, LIFEGroups. The men and women who guide these communities are LIFEGroup Drivers. 1) Participate as a partner in the LIFEGroup Driver Community Attend Training Summits (two per year, offered at three different times) Meet with a LIFE Support team (four times per year, assigned according to schedule) Pursue growth through the provid

We use dashboards to "measure". We check our speed, our oil, our fuel, our RPMs and more with the dashboard. Below are a couple of "measurements" you can use to evaluate your LIFEGroup. Glancing at the dashboard every so often is a great way to keep your group from "breaking down". In a formative LIFEGroup, members: are opening themselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, and thereby exhibiting increasing evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. In a caring LIFEGroup, members: have their physical, spiritual, emotional, and spiritual needs met by those with whom they are sharing their life. are using their gifts and abilities to care for one another and contribute to the body of Calvary and the Kingdom of God In a missional LIFEGroup, members: work together to relieve the suffering of those they know and those around them encourage one another to regularly share their faith and invite others into relationship with God

Here is this week's LIFEGroup Weekly! Click on the picture for the full size view.

Here are some ideas for small group leaders to consider when preparing discussion questions. (courtesy of LifeHack ) Questions That Control Communication Starter Question (via Liz Strauss ). Try these question if you’re unsure of where to begin: What do you do when you’re not doing this? What is important to you? Direct Questions . These are questions you ask based on some knowledge of the person. You use these to steer the conversation in the direction that you want. Some examples: How is it that you are so passionate about this topic? How could I accomplish what you have accomplished? Where did you get such a lovely jacket? Follow Up Questions . These questions are the ones you use to dig deeper into the conversation. Do you remember how you felt when that happened? Can you elaborate a little bit on this topic? Do you remember what was going on in your mind at that time? Some Tips Appeal To All Senses . When interacting with someone, ask question that appeal to all their s