Calvary Group Leader’s Resource Guide

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Calvary’s Vision Statement

Calvary’s goal is to help people become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.

The Best Way to accomplish this goal is through Calvary Groups.

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.”

– Acts 2:46-47

What’s a Facilitator?

In case you’re slightly intimidated by the title “Group Facilitator”, we want to put your mind at ease and help you understand what it means.

What a facilitator isn’tJust to clarify, here are a few things that a group facilitator is not:

Not someone with a PhD in Theology Not someone who is a professional counselor Not someone whose life is completely perfect Not someone with a minimum of 7-10 years of small group experience

What a facilitator isBy contrast, here are a few things that a group facilitator is:

Someone who helps guide a Calvary Group Someone who has a desire to love and serve others Someone who is growing in Christ

Your role as a facilitatorOver the next 8 weeks, here’s what your role is:

Gather your group Create a safe environment Help people engage with one another

Four F’s of Facilitating

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1. F ill - UpWho can I invite to be a part of my Calvary Group?

People in previous Groups. 

People I meet during weekend services. 

People I meet when I'm serving.  

People I meet at a Play Group.

How do I tell people about my Calvary Group? Serve at the Group Connect Area on weekends at the end of a service.

Email/call/text anyone I know to invite them to my group.

Post about my Calvary Group on Social Media.

What are other ways my group can fill up and be successful? People select a group because of location, day, time and topic (in that

order).

Secure a Co-Facilitator for your Group.

List 4 people you can invite to join your Growth Group:

1. 3.

2. 4.

*Challenge: _Serve at the Group Connect Area this month_

2. F ollow - Up

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How do people sign up for my Calvary Group?

Weekend Sign Ups from the Connect Card & Group Connect Area are sent to you on Monday.

Online Sign Ups: you receive an automatic email

Three types of communication….

1. Immediate__ Follow-Up

As soon as someone signs up, email them all the details about your Group.

Within a few days of someone signing up, call them to introduce myself and try to meet them at a weekend service.

2. Pre-Group___ Communication

Send a message to your Group each week leading up to the First Meeting

Message the day before the First Meeting. Call your Group Members the week of your First Meeting

3. Ongoing___ Communication

2 Weekly Communications Sent Out:o Prayer Requesto Meeting Reminder

*Challenge: Call everyone who signs up for my group___

3. Focus____How can I prepare for my FIRST Group Meeting?

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Pray for your group and the individuals who sign up.

o When someone signs up, immediately add them to your group list on PCO Groups.

o Keep a 3” x 5” index card with the names of everyone who signs up for your Calvary Group.

o Place this index card in a place that you will see every day so you can pray for your Calvary Group Members.

Prepare for your first meeting & have a place for your group to meet.

o Secure a meeting location NOW and let everyone know about it immediately.

o Think through your first group meeting (Use “1st Group Itinerary” on pg. 7)

o Consider how you will do childcare (Use “What About Childcare?” on pg. 10)

Commit to lead your group through the Group Agreement

o Group Agreement pgs. 11-13

*Challenge: _Email Syllabus & Group Agreement____

4. Faciliatate

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How can I lead a successful Group EVERY TIME we meet?

o Begin and end on time, every time. (Fab 4 for a Great Group Meeting - pg. 9)

o Encourage everyone to participate in discussion. (Use IceBreakers to start the group - pgs. 14-15)

Ping Pong Ball….Pinball Machine...

Don’t let one person ruin it for everyone else.

Ask open-ended questions.

Provide the “2 C’s”: Care_to Group Members & Communication to Staff.

Serve at a weekend service once a month this semester.

Participate in Servolution this semester.My Calvary Group WINS when together we apply eternal biblical principles to our lives and pray for one another.

*Challenge: _Identify 2 potential facilitators ___

Itinerary for your 1st Life Group Meeting 1. First 15 Minutes: Allow people to arrive, talk, and snack – 15 min.

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2. Introductions: Have everyone introduce themselves and share what they do, where they are from, and why they decided to join the group – 10 min.

3. Ice Breakers (See some favorite ideas below):a. Two Truths and a Lie: Have everyone tell 3 things about

themselves (2 being true and 1 being false). Have everyone else try to guess which one is false.

b. A Penny for Your Thoughts: Bring a small bag of pennies from a variety of years to growth group. Everyone takes a penny as they pass the bag around, and they share a fond memory from the year that they chose. Have members put their penny back if they choose a year that they didn’t live through. If you don’t have many pennies, any other coins will do.

c. Little Known Facts: Ask each person in the group to think of two interesting, unusual, or humorous facts about themselves that no one else would know. Everyone takes a turn sharing their little known facts with the group. Be prepared for some wacky revelations!

d. The Name Game: Tell the story behind your name – are you named after someone, does your name mean something special, etc.

4. Introduce Your Book: Hand out Group syllabus (example of a syllabus on pg. 8) and any other important information. Answer any questions – 5-10 minutes.

5. Life Group Expectations: Read through the Life Group Expectations carefully with the group. Explain the points as you read each one. Answer any questions. If anyone tries to be difficult and disagreeable, offer to talk with them individually at the end of the meeting – 5-15 min.

6. Explain and ask for volunteers for the different roles within the group: Play Coordinator, Food Coordinator, etc. – 5 minutes.

7. Share prayer requests and pray together – 10 minutes.

8. Talk and eat – 15 minutes or until people go home.

Fall 2015 LG Syllabus (Example) “Staying in Love”

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Welcome to your Fall 2015 Life Group! Our group will meet every other week between September 17th and December 10th . During the semester we will go through a DVD series by Andy Stanley called “Staying in Love”. Falling in Love is easy, but staying there is something entirely different. We will find practical/biblical principles to re-kindle or stoke the flame of love in marriage.

If you would like a participant’s guide (not necessary), you can buy them new at Amazon for $7.

Facilitator: Brian Rosendahl, email: br954@bellsouth.net Phone: (954) 651- 7800

Location: 988 NW Demedici Rd, PSL 34986 – Thursday nights 6:30pm-8:30pm

LG Week # 1: Thursday, September 17th: First Life Group Meeting: Introductions, Group Orientation, Life Group Covenants, Introduction to The Circle Maker

LG Week # 2: Thursday, October 1st: Session 1 – Love is a Verb LG Week # 3: Thursday, October 15th: Session 2 – Re-Modeling

LG Week # 4: Friday, October 30th: Trunk-OR-Treat Outreach at Calvary PSL

LG Week # 5: Saturday, November 7th: Servolution Project LG Week # 6: Thursday, November 12th: Session 3 – Feelin’ It

LG Week # 7: Thursday, December 3rd: Session 4 – Multiple Choice Marriage

LG Week # 8: Thursday December 17th: LG Play Date Thursday, December 24th: Christmas Eve Services at Calvary PSL

SUNDAY SERVICE DATES: October 18, 2015 November 15, 2015

SERVOLUTION DATE & PROJECT: November 7, 2015 – Park Clean-Up

LG PLAY GROUP DATE: December 17, 2015

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How to have a Great Group MeetingAs your Calvary Group meets over the next several weeks, we’d like you to focus on four things during group meetings:

1. Eat some food

Some groups may decide to eat a meal together, others may eat a snack. Either way, food is one of the best ways to start a Calvary Group!

2. Play a Game

This is a fun way to get to know others in the group! Some ideas for fun games to get your group interacting are:

Bean Boozled – you can download the bean boozled app and find the jelly beans at Wal-Mart, Target, or online.

Table Topics – this is a box of random questions. Group members blindly pick a card and when it’s their turn they will share the question and then answer it.

3. Discuss the Questions

We provide application questions that go along with the teaching from each weekend. It’s a simple way to help people get into God’s Word and apply it to their lives.

4. Pray for Each Other

Listen to what’s going on in the lives of the people in your group and then spend some time praying about these things.

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“What about Childcare?”Each Group is responsible for its own childcare needs. Be prepared to give your group some creative and workable options:

1. Have everyone in the group who has children pitch in financially to hire a baby sitter or two every week. When all of the parents give a little the cost is surprisingly minimal.

2. Set up a rotation where a different couple in the group hangs out with the children each week. Make sure no one has to do this more than once or twice during the semester.

3. Challenge every couple with children to find a solution before coming to group (baby sitter, relative, etc.). After all, they have to find childcare when they go out on a date or have a work function. Most parents have several childcare options.

4. Create a child-friendly group where parents are encouraged to bring their children. And involve the children in the group dynamic.

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Calvary Group AgreementPurpose To provide a predictable environment where participants pursue healthy relationships and spiritual growth

Values and Goals Relationships

While prayer and discussion of curriculum are key elements, the driving force behind the group is the building of relationships.

Authenticity

The atmosphere should encourage openness and transparency among members. This is an environment where people should feel free to be themselves.

Confidentiality

For authenticity to occur, members must be able to trust that issues discussed within the group will not be shared outside the group.

Respect

Group members should never say anything that will embarrass their spouses or other members of the group.

Availability

A primary responsibility of the group is to prioritize for specific relationships. This requires a willingness to be available to meet one another’s needs.

Multiplication

Group members recognize that one of the goals of their group is to start a new group within the life cycle of the group. This allows others to experience the Community Group relationship.

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Step 1: Meeting Time & Location(s)MEETING DAY: _________________________

MEETING TIME: We’ll meet from: ____: ___ am/pm until approximately ___: ____ am/pm

MEETING FREQUENCY:

___ 3 weeks on, 1 week off

___ Every Week

___ Other ________________________

MEETING LOCATION(S):

Name: ______________________________________________________________

Street: ______________________________________________________________

City: ____________________________ State: ______________

Name: ______________________________________________________________

Street: ______________________________________________________________

City: ____________________________ State: ______________

Step 2: Time Commitment

__ 6 months (recommended) ___ 12 months

___ 9 months ____ Other _____________________________

WE’LL DISCUSS FURTHER COMMITMENT ON: ________/ _________/ _____________

Step 3: Group Type

____ Closed: no new group members will be added during this current commitment

_____ Open: new group members are always welcome to visit and/or join the group

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____ Hybrid: the group will discuss adding new members on a case-by-case basis

Step 4: Childcare

Childcare Coordinator: _________________________________________________

Childcare will happen in the following manner:

__ Children will be cared for separately by babysitter(s) at our individual homes.

___ Children will be cared for together by babysitter(s) in another group member’s home.

___ Children will be cared for by babysitter(s) in the same house where the group meets.

Step 5: Content

___ Application Questions from weekend passage/message

___ DVD-led curriculum/Bible Study (can borrow from Calvary PSL resource library)

____ Alternate between application questions and other DVD-led material.

Group Facilitator(s) ___________________ __________________

Group Members __________________________ ___________________________

__________________________ ___________________________

___________________________ ___________________________

____________________________ ___________________________

_____________________________ ___________________________

_____________________________ ___________________________

_______________________________ _____________________________

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______________________________ ______________________________

Ice Breaker QuestionsIf you could be one for just 24 hours, what cereal box cartoon character

would you be? Why?

What is your favorite animal? List three adjectives to explain your choice.

What is your favorite color? List three adjectives to explain your choice.

If you could have any job in the world, which one would you want?

What were your best/worst subjects in school and what subjects would you want to learn now?

What are you most talented at?

What is your worst nightmare today?

What is your favorite way to waste time at work without getting caught?

If you could have had the starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick?

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do?

Name your favorite song.

If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be and why? If you already play an instrument(s), what do you play and why?

When trick-or-treating as a kid, was there any kind of candy that you didn't like to get?

What was the weirdest food you've ever eaten?

When you were in grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

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If you were given 24 hrs to live, what would you do?

If you were in a talent competition, what would your talent be?

What do you think the most ultimate gift of the world is.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

What was your favorite TV show when you were growing up?

If you had one extra hour of free time a day, how would you use it?

Name the most famous person you've had a face to face encounter with.

Name your favorite children's story.

If you could spend 15 minutes with any living person, who would it be and why?

What person in the Bible do you most closely identify with?

What article of clothing most closely describes your personality?

If you were to write a book what would it be about?

How many rings before you answer the phone?

What is the first thing you think of when you wake in the morning?

If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Who do you admire the most?

Have you ever had a reoccurring dream? What was it?

What was your nickname growing up or now?

What is your favorite cartoon character & why?

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Calvary Groups

Facilitator/Co-Facilitator AgreementThank you for serving as a Group Facilitator/Co-Facilitator at Calvary PSL. As a Facilitator or Co-Facilitator you will be viewed by those in your group as a leader in the church. As a result, we ask that you agree with the other Group Facilitators to make the following commitments:

1) I will embody and reflect the values and principles of Calvary PSL and will follow the leadership of the Staff Team.

2) I will faithfully attend Calvary PSL on Sundays and:• Participate in the church by giving in a measurable way.• Lead my group in serving together.

3) I will make my Group a priority by: Faithfully attending my Group. Preparing beforehand for my group each week. Inviting/welcoming others to join my group. Identifying New Leaders in my Group.

4) I understand that I am responsible for the care of my Group. As a result, I will:

Pray for the individuals in my group. Follow up with each person in my group. Lead my group in providing care for one another.

5) I will strive to create an environment of growth in my group by: Involving as many people as possible in group discussion. Creating a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment. Beginning and ending on time.

6) I will intentionally share my faith with those around me by:• Reaching out to lost and unchurched friends and inviting

them to Calvary PSL and encouraging my group members to do the same.

• Lead my group to participate in Servolution during the semester.

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