What Makes a Small Group a G.R.O.U.P.

WHAT IS A G.R.O.U.P.?

(What makes a small group a group?)

G.- Guided by a Leader and Overseen by a Coach. A group leader is someone who leads the lesson/ discussion and sees to it that the goals of the group are being met. The leader also trains apprentices and turns in reports.

R.- Regular meeting times: Preferably weekly or twice a month. The goal here is that you meet often enough to get to know one another and recognize when someone is not connected or struggling.

O.- Opens God’s word. When the group meets, time is set aside to examine to read and discuss God’s Word either directly or through an approved curriculum.

U.- United in Serving. Jesus said that He did not come to be served but to serve. Groups need to focus on serving inside the group and outside the group. Organize the group to involve as many people as possible. Match gifts with serving opportunities.

P.- Prayer for one another. Time is set aside for the taking of prayer requests and prayer for the burdens and concerns of the group members as well as praying for new people to come either to the church or your group.

Discipleship Triads for Advancing the Kingdom

Discipleship Simplified and Illustrated:
In Ephesians chapter one, the Apostle Paul is declaring to the church that God has exalted Jesus and placed “all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Eph. 1:22-23).
Now in this passage we see terms like feet, head and body. These terms indicate that the church is not like a body, but the church IS His body.  There is a declaration n this passage that the church is the body of Christ and He is the head of the body.  The Apostle Paul elaborates on this in letters written to the church at Rome and the Corinthian church as well.
In these passages it is clear that Jesus is the head of the body, believers are members of the body and the body when formed, becomes the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. Since the church is the body of Christ our goal is to connect the individual members to the Head (UPWARD), connect all the members to the body (INWARD) and connect the functioning body to the mission (OUTWARD).

What is a Discipleship Triad?
A Discipleship Triad is a group of 2-3 persons of the same sex, who gather together weekly to encourage each other to make progress in their walk with Christ.
The purpose of a triad is to connect to Jesus, connect to each to other and connect to His mission. There are only 3 things that are part and parcel to this simple plan. It is simple, relational and reproducible.
1.  UPWARD- connection to Christ through reading, studying, memorizing and meditating in His Word.
2.  INWARD- connected to the other parts of the body in a small group, confession of sins and using your spiritual gift(s) to build each other up in the Lord.
3.  OUTWARD- connecting the body to the mission of Christ. The group regularly prays for opportunities to share Christ with family members, friends and co-workers.
The goal would be that every believer discovers their connection to Christ, to His body and to His mission (100% is the goal).

1.  UPWARD- Connect to Christ:
Jesus told His disciples in John 8:31-32-“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”.
Continuing in the words of Jesus is the same as “abiding in Christ” (John 15:4-5).  We continue in His Word by reading His Word on a daily basis.
In the Triad we agree to read 25 chapters per week (equal to reading through the Bible in one year) and we record insights from God’s Word as the Holy Spirit leads. When we get together we discuss what God is teaching us through His Word.
In recording our insights we answer questions like:
1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. Promises to claim?
4. Sins to avoid/ confess?
5. What do I need to change/ do?

2. INWARD- Connect & Serve Each Other:
The Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 4 that gifted leaders are given to the body to equip, empower and release the saints to do “the work of service, to build up the body of Christ.” We should use the gifts Christ has given to us to encourage and edify the other parts of the body of Christ.
In addition to our service to each other we also confess our sins to each other. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” Some questions/ areas we should be discussing:
1. Is Jesus King in every area of my life?
2. Am I asking and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me through the Word of God?
3. Do I have integrity in my relationships?
4. Am I acting responsibly in the finances the Lord has entrusted to me?
5. Am I being pure in my mind and actions?
6. Are my relationships healthy?
7. Personalized question here…

 3. OUTWARD- Connect to the Mission:
Jesus said in John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me… even so I send you.” Jesus came to us on a mission and now He sends us to the world on His mission to take the Gospel to the world and to make disciples of Jesus.
The challenge is that many disciples are not praying and not taking the gospel to their world. In this section we take time to pray by name (2-3 people):
1. That God would open doors and opportunities to share the gospel (Col. 4:3-4).
2. That God would give me the right words to share with them (Col. 4:5)
3. That the Holy Spirit would convict them of their sin, His righteousness and the Judgment to come (John 16-7-14).
4. That God would prevent Satan from binding them from the truth (2 Cor. 4:4)
5. That God would send someone to share the gospel with them (Matt. 9:37-38)
6. That the person would repent and turn from sin and call on Christ (Rom 10:9-10)

Discipleship Triads will help you, help your church and will help advance the Kingdom of Jesus.

Small Group Leadership Principles and Priorities

I know this may sound redundant, but here goes: “leading a small group requires leadership.” There… I’ve said it. We’ve all suspected for a long time that small group leadership may involve leadership, and if you have led a group for any length of time you know that it definitely requires some leadership skills. With this revelation in mind, let me ask you a question, when you think of leadership, what definition or word picture comes to your mind? You may have a military mindset of a platoon charging a hill, or you may have a business background and think of a captain of industry leading a company to new heights. Whatever your background or experience you need to develop your own core beliefs and values related to leadership. I have over 50 definitions of leadership in my files. Some are short and some are very long. Some are memorable and some are uhh … what were we talking about? Oh, that’s right, not very memorable. The core values and definition that I have developed for Christian leadership is this:

“Christian leadership starts with vision from God. A leader sees it first, farther and clearer. He or she takes that vision and influences and develops others to pursue God’s priorities for their lives.”

Let’s take a few minutes and tease through this definition and highlight some important concepts:

VISION. First, true Christian leadership begins with vision. Proverbs 29 reminds us, “where there is no vision, the people perish.” Habakkuk 2 instructs us to “write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run that reads it.” The starting point for ALL leadership is vision. A leader has the ability to look ahead and chart a course of action. Without vision you cannot lead a group toward a preferred future. Christian vision primarily comes from spending time with God, in His Word and in prayer, contemplating, reflecting and listening for His voice. As you hear and discern God’s leading, then you are able to communicate His will to His followers. Again God’s will is derived from God’s Word. God will not lead us to do something contrary to the Scriptures.

INFLUENCE. Next, once the leader has received the vision and it is clear in his or her mind, then you must communicate the vision to the people. John Maxwell has boiled leadership down to one concept when he says that “leadership is influence.” We influence people in a variety of ways. Words, knowledge, skills and example are all important elements in influence, but some of the most important ways to influence people in the spiritual realm is by applying the spiritual tools or weapons that God has given to us. Prayer. Prayer and fasting. Walking in the Spirit. The Word of God. Faith. Sacrifice. This is a short list of a few of the spiritual weapons that God has entrusted to us. It’s very important to understand that if we want to lead and influence people in the spiritual arena, we must use spiritual armaments.

DEVELOPMENT. Beyond influence is development. It is the next step in leadership. True leaders are not content to just influence followers toward a certain goal. They have a heart and a passion to turn followers into leaders. Ralph Nader, puts it this way, “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” True leadership is not content with just influencing followers. True leadership is about developing followers to the point where they develop followers. The Apostle Paul has this in mind when he says, “the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2). The world is growing at an exponential rate we need to make sure that we are developing exponential strategies (leaders developing leaders) to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Small group growth and development requires us to stay focused on developing leaders.

GOD’S PRIORITIES: The Great Commission, the Great Commandment, the New Commandment are the prime directives from the Lord. We must be about the business of winning people to Christ, connecting them to the body of Christ, encouraging them to grow in Christ to the point where they develop into worshipers and servants of Christ. Remember the promise contained in the Great Commission, “I (Jesus) will be with you.” This promise, the presence and power of Jesus, is available to any individual or any church that prioritizes making disciples. Obedience brings God’s blessing. We can have the blessing of God in our lives and in our churches IF we are serious about making His priorities our priorities. Church growth at this point is really just a matter of obedience. The key to grow the body is to grow the individual. Small groups allow us to focus on the individual person.

Leadership in a small group is not complicated. It can be tough to implement, but if we remain true to God’s Word and if focus on obeying the Lord; He will guide us toward a preferred future!