life group leader catalog
TRANSCRIPT
Thank you so much for your interest in learning more about Life Group Leadership at South Bay Church. Within the pages of this catalog, you’re going to find some amazing stories of our current leaders. They come from different backgrounds with great things to share and one thing in common - the serving heart to urgently lead people to say YES to Jesus and passionately fol low him!
Life Groups are groups of 5-15 people that meet in homes, coffee shops and parks around the South Bay Area. Some of these groups are topical or exposition bible studies, while others are based on a particular area of interest such as hiking, baking, photography, zumba or even slack l ining! We believe that through groups, people can: grow in their faith and positively progress in their spiritual journey, connect with others - make new friendships and lasting relationships, and serve the local community through outreach and volunteer projects with their Life Group members.
We have over 100 Life Group Leaders every Spring, Summer and Fall who step up to make a difference and help others grow, connect and serve . We hope that you are inspired by these Leadership Stories and consider leading a group yourself.
Tim & Sam Life Groups Ministry Team
Welcome
Bertrand BaylosisTypes of Life Groups led: Young Professionals, Recreational
I had been attending South Bay for about a year and really enjoyed the different groups I had been a part of. I wanted to continue meeting new people and building relationships… I had never led a life group before but a friend of mine said he would co-lead with me. We both enjoyed unique sports and activities and wanted to share that with the community, so I started leading a Recreational Life Group.
My favorite part about leading was seeing people go out and try new activities while creating new friendships. Spending quality time with fellow believers really helped me develop my own spiritual growth as well.
Leading a life group is very fulfilling. I remember one of our newer members of the group telling me how happy she was when she discovered our group, because she had just moved to the Bay Area. She really wanted to meet more people and do something that keeps her active at the same time, so our group was perfect for her. The friendships and community that you build is really worth it, especially if you get to do something you enjoy at the same time!
Justin ImamuraTypes of Life Groups led: Co-Ed, Sermon-based, Men, Recreational
My family and I started attending South Bay Church about 6 years ago. I heard about Life Groups and wanted to start a Life Group based on what I enjoyed doing... playing drums. I started a Drum Circle Life Group that met every week in Downtown Campbell and that’s what began a consistent calling to start other Life Groups. After that, I began a Motorcycle Riding Life Group.
I currently lead a Men’s Life Group that meets every week for coffee and goes over the weekly sermons, books or anything else that comes up. I never wanted our men’s Life Group to end so I decided not to end it and keep it going throughout the off-season. We continue to meet every week and I don’t foresee it to stop in the near future. The relationships that the men have built are ones that will last a lifetime. Prayers have been answered and miracles have happened in our men’s group. It’s a “Band of Brothers” that will always be there for each other.
During my Life Group Leadership journey I once had the opportunity to pray over a member going through the beginning of a divorce and stand alongside him as he transitioned into a new season. I’ve been able to be a witness to prayers being answered when one of our members lost a job and was suddenly able to find an even better one, through the power of prayer. If you feel like leading a Life Group, just do it! Find your passion and lead a group based upon that. It is so inspiring to see lives changed on a daily basis.
Casey MooreTypes of Life Groups led: Women A few months after joining South Bay Church, I co-led a summer Bible Study. It went really well, so one of the other leaders and I decided to continue leading a women’s Bible Study. We hardly knew each other when we became co-leaders; we were new to leading and very nervous! But God was faithful: the group thrived, we grew a lot through our study, and we became very close friends.
My favorite part about leading was that so many ladies made such strong connections through our group. I felt incredibly blessed and humbled that God would use me to make that happen. I’m close friends with many of those ladies to this day. I’m amazed that God chose to use someone like me to lead others to grow in their relationship with Jesus. I was very nervous to be a leader, and didn’t think I’d be good enough. But I learned that God is more than capable of using us to accomplish good things, despite our fears and inadequacies. He also grows and strengthens our character, skills, and faith through leadership. If he can do that with me, he can definitely do it with others.
Leading a Life Group is a great way for you to stretch yourself and let God grow your faith. It also allows you to surround yourself with other spiritual mentors who you can go to, for questions, prayer and advice!
Janet HaytonTypes of Life Groups led: Easter, Exploring Faith, Co-Ed, Sermon-based
I had been a part of a Life Group a couple of years ago but hadn’t entertained the idea of leading a group. Then, following the Easter message emphasis, my husband & I were recommended as possible leaders for a Life Group in studying the book, “Finding Your Way Back to God.” I wasn’t confident that I wanted to do this but I decided to trust God’s direction and do it. I led our group, with the extraordinary backup from both God and my husband!
The members of our Life Group have been faithful since the beginning because of the “community” they’ve found in our group. God opened up a part of my spirit that I had hidden deep inside because of some hurts that I had experienced over the last few years. God poured out His love and grace in me and I was one of the first to “Find my Way Back to God.” One of our members had been “chased by God” for some time and he decided to stop running. He prayed and accepted Jesus as His Savior in one of our meetings and was recently baptized. Another member decided to start leading her own Life Group and is seeing God working in her life, as well as other’s. God really changed lives through the Life Group and it gave me great joy to be on His team!
If you feel prompted to lead a group, definitely do so. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar - I’m certainly not. You just need to love people enough to let God work through you. I am inadequate in my human efforts, but the Life Group meetings are entirely in God’s hands as I prepare the study and allow Him to run the show!
Christopher RyanTypes of Life Groups led: Recreational
After three years of attending and volunteering with the First Impressions Team at North San Jose Campus, I decided it was time to take another step in my service. I love photography and I enjoy sharing my passion with others, so leading a photography Life Group seemed like a natural next step for me.
I love seeing my members grow as photographers throughout the semester, but more importantly, I enjoy it when someone comes closer to God through photography. At the end of a Life Group semester, I get to look back on how much my members and I have changed in our faith journeys, friendships and dealing with life in general.
Leading a Life Group has instilled in me a sense that God can use anyone at anytime to reach others. I never thought anyone would want to drive around Northern California with me, taking photos and getting to know each other (and Jesus). It’s humbling to know how many people have wanted to do just that!
Chris & Karen ChengTypes of Life Groups led: Co-Ed, Sermon-based
We have consistently led life groups for the past 4 years. When we decided to lead a Life Group, we also wanted to use our house and all the blessings God has given us to share with others. God’s Word has helped us so much in our lives, we wanted others to experience the same encouragement we have received through the Bible.
Through our experiences leading Life Groups, we’ve been able to make genuine relationships with great people from different stages and walks of life. We feel blessed that our members found a meaningful community of friends through our efforts.
Life Groups can come in all shapes and sizes, and it’s not always about the numbers. We have had Life Groups with 16 people down to just 1, and we have enjoyed every one of them… if you’re feeling like leading one, don’t hesitate, God uses unlikely people to change the lives of others!
Frances ChenTypes of Life Groups led: Young Professionals, Co-Ed, Sermon-based
I never saw myself as the leader type and never in my life would have considered leading a Life Group. But after attending a study on the book of Revelation I had a sense of urgency to bring others and myself closer to God and to live out the Great Commission. I was reluctant and nervous at first but was reminded how God would help me like he helped Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt. My co-leader, Luke and I saw that there was a need for a YP (Young Professional) community at the Sunnyvale Campus and decided to start the Sunnyvale YP Community Life Group.
We decided to continue leading our Life Group throughout the year. Our intent is to build a long-lasting, intentional Christ-centered YP community by living life together, and being committed to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
In our first meeting, everyone shared their experience with Life Groups and what they wanted out of our group. Most people said they were looking for an intentional Christ-centered community that would help them grow in their walk with God. Some had been away from God for awhile. But, after this Life Group came together, it makes me really happy to see how each member has grown and how God has been stirring in their hearts to serve on Sundays and even start a group of their own.
If you’re contemplating leading a Life Group, do it! It really is rewarding spending time with others, creating new friendships, and seeing member’s lives change. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Amy StreetTypes of Life Groups led: Exploring Faith, Co-Ed
After participating in the Alpha Course as a guest, I was really touched by the amazing things God was doing in my life, and the lives of the people I met in my Life Group. I came back to Alpha again, but as a Life Group Leader… and soon I became the overall Co-leader of Alpha. Having an opportunity to serve our church and Christ through Alpha has been incredibly rewarding. Being able to play a part in impacting someone’s eternity is unbelievably cool!
After Alpha ends, I’m always excited for the next round of folks coming in! During each semester, I make more friends and hear more amazing stories. I get excited when someone who came through Alpha chooses to give their life to Christ, gets baptised, or even starts serving and getting more plugged in with our church community. I love that I get to meet new people, talk about God, and crack funny jokes as ice breakers! “Come for the comedy, stay for the video” is my motto.
If you feel led to start a Life Group, go for it! God will take you to some pretty incredible places when you follow his lead and the connections you get to make with people are lifelong friendships.
Tyler WiestTypes of Life Groups led: Recreational, Service/Outreach
When I was going to school, much of my income came from teaching private lessons for Self Defense. After moving back home to San Jose, I still wanted to teach it, and was inspired to combine the lessons of physical self defense with God’s lessons of spiritual self defense.
As my group progressed, I felt like I didn’t want it to end. I continued to lead the Self Defense group for 3 years, along with the Homeless Outreach group... Both groups continue to evolve into better versions of their original selves.
Through my spiritual lessons of Self Defense I connected to a lot of people’s hearts. Through the Homeless Outreach group, I’ve connected with a lot of people living in North San Jose, and been able to open up opportunities to serve locally. I’ve developed a lot of great friendships and helped others do the same, through both Life Groups.
Leading a Life Group is very fulfilling, and God will equip you and help you to lead as your group progresses. If you don’t feel ready to lead yet, you can always reach out to the Life Groups Team and indicate interest in being an Apprentice Leader.
Jean-Charles & Karen CastagnaTypes of Life Groups led: Couples/ Family/ Marriage, Recreational, Exploring Faith
We began leading a Life Group by hosting a table for the Alpha course. We were really excited about it because it meant sharing the love of Jesus with others. Thereafter, we started a French recreational group and wanted to use it as an opportunity to be a witness for Christ. Then, we were asked to mentor a couple who was getting married. This was an exciting opportunity to encourage a young couple to follow God’s leading in their l ives and build a marriage based on God’s word and desire for them.
The inspiration to lead a group comes from seeing a need and having a desire to lead others into a deeper relationship with Jesus. When our group ended, it was really hard to accept that we would not see these people as often. They had become an important part of our l ives.
In our Alpha group, three people gave their l ives to Christ and got baptized. In the French group, through prayer instantly answered for a toothache, a door to share the gospel opened up. We now have three French couples coming regularly and have begun discussions on the importance of God in our l ives.
Leading a group and being a part of what God is doing in the l ives of others is an adventure beyond anything you can imagine. At the same time, God wil l work in you and show Himself to you in ways you did not expect.
Marie ChuTypes of Life Groups led: Co-Ed, Women, Recreational, Exploring Faith
I started leading a Life Group because I wanted to foster a sense of community where people can share their faith journeys together. You cannot be a Christian alone.
While leading the group, I experienced a tremendous amount of fulfilment and blessings. Jesus has promised that He will be with us if 2 or 3 are gathered in his name. When someone in your group comes to faith, and you get to witness a miracle right before your eyes, it is the best feeling in the world. By leading a group, my house is also cleaned once a week - it is a silly side-effect, but one that makes me quite happy.
As my Life Group slowly ended, I felt a sense of ambivalence and gratefulness. Ambivalence because like many leaders, you feel sad that you no longer meet. Grateful because there is a sense that a great blessing has been bestowed upon the group, like “Wow, God did it again!”.
Before deciding to lead a group, I would encourage you to pray. If you do not have any experience before and are hesitant, why not co-lead with another leader who has done it before?
Krista Joy MoraTypes of Life Groups led: Young Professionals (College)
When I became a young adult, I wanted to go deeper with my relationship with God and tried out a bunch of groups at different churches. Even though I built some of the best friendships I have ever had during my Life Group hopping season, I knew that God wanted me to start a College Life Group at South Bay. My goal was to lead people to have an authentic relationship with God (and others), without having to feel like we have to filter out the ugly parts of our lives.
From the beginning of my Life Group, I felt that as a leader, I lacked a lot of know-how and confidence. But with prayer and practice, God provided. Even when I felt clueless, God moved. I’m proud to say that even with my insecurities as a leader, God opened my group members hearts and allowed us to grow deeper in our faith and community.
The biggest blessing I received through my group was when I got the opportunity to baptize one of my members who, when she first started coming to the group, said that she didn’t feel like she could worship God because she was not in the right place with Him. It has also been very fulfilling to see how well the members have connected with each other and grown in their young adulthood. One of our members even stepped up to continue leading the group the next semester.
Leading a Life Group is a responsibility, but do not doubt yourself. God uses broken people to do amazing things and He promises that He will provide you with everything necessary to make it happen.
Melanie YoungTypes of Life Groups led: Women
When I moved from to Bay Area 4 years ago, I visited South Bay Church and heard everyone talk about Life Groups, so I picked up a Life Group booklet. With my schedule, I was looking for a weekend group and noticed that there was no Saturday Women’s group. One thing led to another and 3 months after I started attending, I was leading a Life Group. It was a way to serve in my area of passion of guiding others to believe in God and know Him more, through reading his Word and being able to draw practical life lessons from it.
As my Life Group progressed, I felt amazed, blessed, energized and bonded. With each Life Group I’ve led, I feel this every time - a tug in my heart that God just did something very special once again. I am not a morning person but on Saturday mornings I look forward to getting up early to host and lead the group. Every individual who attends shares something new every week, and it is encouraging to see how everyone connects. A safe environment is created, sharing is encouraged, and strong connections are built.
My advice to anyone considering leading a Life Group is: don’t ignore the tug on your heart or the God-incidences (as opposed to coincidences) that may be prompting you to lead a group. You don’t want to miss that special opportunity for you to impact the lives of others. God is in the business of using every willing person to make the unimaginable happen.
Sam HuangTypes of Life Groups led: Young Professionals, Recreational
About two years after I started attending South Bay, I led my first Life Group. I wanted to create a welcoming environment for Young Professionals to grow spiritually and bond together. I started thinking about topics that would welcome different kinds of people, and could not think of much initially. Just before the timeline for Life Group idea submissions ended, I came up with the thought of a Cooking Life Group. I observed that when people cooked together, many relational barriers disappeared and everyone connected with each other effortlessly. The cooking group that came out of that idea turned out to be something that many South Bay members were interested in!
I felt proud of everyone in my group because they all pitched in to make the group a success. Seeing members say “Yes” to Jesus through baptism and also step up to lead other types of Life Groups was extremely fulfilling and I felt God powerfully moving in the hearts of our members.
Leading a Life Group is a wonderful opportunity to grow in your faith and also inspire others while building meaningful relationships.
Luke MendozaTypes of Life Groups led: Co-Ed, Young Professionals
About a year after I started attending South Bay, God helped me and my co-leader Frances see that there was a need for unity amongst the Young Professionals ( YP) Community at the Sunnyvale campus. We wanted to see a community of YPs committed to loving, encouraging, and challenging one another to become more l ike Christ.
Our group meets year-round so we technically haven’t ended yet. Deep and meaningful relationships take a lot of t ime and care, and leading the group has taught me that. I love seeing words of encouragement and challenge being exchanged within the group. I also love seeing people step out of their comfort zone and leading a discussion or planning an event for the group. The effort and care that everyone contributes never fai ls to encourage me to be a better servant leader for them.
If you’re thinking about leading a group, have the confidence beforehand that God can and wil l do amazing things through your group. Also priorit ize the relationships over the task, and value l iving l ife with each other (grab coffee, do a grocery run, wash each others’ cars).
