What is up Next?
- Survey Reminder: http://bit.ly/leader-survey. Please complete this survey if you haven’t already done so. Will help me provide direction and support for our GROW ministry leaders.
- Life Verse Sharing: If you haven’t already done so, please add your Life Verse to this collection board. I know that many might be uncomfortable with technology, but this is really simple and easy to use. How encouraging it will be to read what verses impact us? Not only will it edify us, but we can learn from one other. I have already added mine from Micah 6:8. Now it is your turn: http://wallwisher.com/wall/life-verse
- Outreach and Ministry: There are two opportunities this summer for outreach and ministry: VBS (July 8-13) and Church-wide Home Mission’s Week. As a group, please plan to designate these two weeks as ministry opportunities that you can do together. Many of your group members may be individually plugged it (which is fantastic), but what if as a group you adopted a ministry/outreach project together for the Home Missions Week or how about the entire group signing up as Crew Leaders for one age group for VBS. Great way to minister, connect, grow, and worship together. Check out the Sign-up Genius here to see what projects are available for the entire group: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E044CAEAF2BAB9-churchwide. Please plan this time.
- Discipleship Groups: For the Wednesday D-groups, there are three dates to plan for: July 4, July 11, July 18. For July 4, you will not meet as a group, but perhaps think about connecting together as a social. What about if the entire group makes plans to come to the church-wide pic-nic on July 1 to fellowship together? July 11 is VBS—use that night to minister as discussed above; July 18, the group can decide to meet that night to study the next session if not already plugged into an outreach activity that night or later in the week. Many of the Home mission week activities are later that week, so as a group decided how to proceed. Don’t cancel the session per se, unless the group is collectively serving together later that week. Or you can met that Wednesday and also serve later that week. Purely at the discretion of the group. But please, plan that time to minister.
GROWing POINT:
Have
you ever thought about the neighbors around you? The demonstration we saw at
church on Sunday really hit home for me. We sometimes live in our comfortable
bubble, don’t we? We sometimes forget the difficulties people right next store
face: marriage struggles, addictions to substances or pornography, loneliness,
separation from Christ (most importantly). How do we reach out to our neighbors?
As a former English teacher, I have to disagree with Robert Frost: Fences don’t
make good neighbors. We have to cross the street, build relationships,
demonstrate love and kindness. Here are some ideas:
- Host a block party on July 4 or Labor Day (invite Sunday School group to join).
- Invite your neighbors over for theme night dinner (Mexican, Italian, Low Carb…not really)
- Game night (Pictionary, LIFE, etc.)
- Build Your Own Ice Cream Sundae (build your own pizza)
- Picnic at the neighborhood park
- Meat and Greet (pull out your grills, B.Y.O. meat)
- Movie Night outside (or in)
- Garage Sale in the neighborhood
- Progressive Dinner on the block
- Neighbor-wide yard work/clean up
These ideas
and more are located in this article by Mark Howell: http://www.markhowelllive.com/top-10-ways-to-get-to-know-your-neighbors-this-summer/. Read his Top 5 Family Friendly “Invite
the Block” Activities. Love the Redneck Pool Party idea. Too funny.
Here are some
other great ideas on How to be a People Reaching
Group? http://www.churchleaders.com/smallgroups/small-group-how-tos/138300-how-to-be-a-people-reaching-group.html
New Resources for Group
Life
Explore
all Resources here: http://bit.ly/group-resources. Listed below is the
category under which these resources are catalogued.
(Take
a short break from the standard Lifeway curriculum, begin a new semester, or
provide a study focus for Affinity Groups that meet off campus)
Becoming
a Disciple: Discovering God’s Will. From Serendipity. 7 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member
Workbook (Explores the states of discipleship). For TEENS to ADULTS. Catalogued
under Spiritual Growth
Mark
9-16: Jesus, the Final Days. From Serendipity. 13 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member
Workbook (Part of the Understanding the Savior Series). For TEENS to ADULTS.
Catalogued under Books of the Bible
Living
by Grace: A Study of Freedom in Christ based on Galatians. From Serendipity. 13
Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member Workbook (Part of the Understanding the
Savior Series). For TEENS to ADULTS. Catalogued under Books of the Bible
Come
Home to the Heart of God: Building Life on the Seven Pillars of God's Kingdom
Family.
Tom Elliff. 7 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member Workbook. For TEENS to
ADULTS. Catalogued under The Church
I
love you all,
In
Christ,
Don
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