Growth Through

New Groups!

Bruce RaleyDirector Church Education Ministry

LifeWay Christian Resources

People Reached

For Christ

People MaturedIn Christ

Commonalities…and Distinct Differences

FADS

If Churches desire:

More people reached for ChristMore people matured in Christ

Start New Groups

What Types of Groups?

Connecting people through Bible study groups living and sharing the Gospel.

Realities

1. Discipleship takes places best in the context of relationships (group)

What is discipleship?1.Discipleship is not information.

2.Discipleship is not behavior modification.

3.Discipleship is transformation.

A disciple is being transformed into Christlikeness so that he/she

thinks and acts like Christ.

Realities

2. The Word of God is the focal point of life transformational groups

Realities

3.Barriers must be overcome4.Time and location no

longer define groups5.Need for Sunday and

weekday groups

Realities

6.Catalysts are essential for the creation of new groups

7.New groups are created proactively

Realities

8. Organization attendance will increase approximately 10 for every new adult groups properly started.

New groups are offensive!

HOPE!

What are the possibilities of uniting in a vision to Grow

through Groups?

• More people accepting Christ and being baptized• More people maturing in Christ• More people engaged in ministry• More people giving to kingdom

causes

A dream of State/National Sunday School Directors…

200,000 new groups in 5 years

Resulting in 2 million more people in on-going Bible study

and Hundreds of thousands of new church leaders

and thousands accepting Christ and following him in Baptism.

A dream fulfilled…

Every church begins at least one new Sunday School class each year … one group for every hundred people in attendance.

Watch For The Breaks in the Sandbar