Groups Gatherings for Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

Basic Outline1. Prepare – Read the daily readings for the coming week2. Gather

a. Welcomeb. Prayer

3. Worda. Videob. Scripturec. Discussion

4. Senda. Individual actionb. How to carry out the missionc. Prayer

5. After – read the daily readings for the next week.

Group Covenant

Participants:

We agree to meet on the following days:

At the following time (beginning and ending):

At the following place(s).

Who will bring food:

How we will handle child care:

We will do the daily devotions and worship together during these five weeks. We will call if unable to attend the group gatherings.

We will share openly and listen no judgmentally.

I will contact _____________________________ I am unable to attend a small group meeting.

Name Best way to contact me. Cell, Text, email home phone

Phone Email

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Group Gathering #1: Radical Hospitality

Prepare:• Before coming, read Days 1-7 in "Cultivating Fruitfulness," one chapter a day for the

week leading up the first Sunday of the series.• As you gather, model hospitality by sharing a meal together, or having snacks and

drinks before1 beginning the group gathering.

Gather:• Have the host begin the group gathering with a prayer of thanks for the food and for the group, or invite another to do so. • Share your name and some other interesting facts about yourself. Who invited you to this group? Why did you say yes? • Work through the group covenant (above).• If the Introduction video (7:18 on every DVD) was not shown at church, you could watch it here.• Describe a time when you were shown outstanding or radical hospitality. What were the components? How did it make you feel. • What makes you feel welcomed when you enter a new or strange situation?• When someone comes to your home, how do you show gracious hospitality? Do you meet them at the door? Offer them a drink? Invite them to sit with you? • How does your congregation show gracious or radical hospitality? Do the same principles apply as in your home?

Word:• Watch the “Radical Hospitality” video segment on the first DVD.• Work through the questions below. Don't feel obligated to grapple with every question. • Read Romans 15:7. How might we welcome one another as Christ welcomed us? How did Christ welcome us?• Read Matthew 25:34-36. Why do you suppose Jesus puts so much emphasis on welcoming the stranger? Who are the strangers you encounter as you go through your week? Who are the strangers you encounter on Sunday morning? Who are the people you don't recognize on a Sunday morning? • How can you identify the first time attender on Sunday morning? (Tip: Look for the person who pauses for a minute looking around when they enter the building.)• Read Hebrews 13:1-3. Describe a time when you were a stranger in a new place and were shown good hospitality. • When have you shown hospitality to a stranger?• Who are the strangers in our society, to whom we might be called to show hospitality? How?

Send:• If you were to take this calling to hospitality seriously, what would it look like in the daly rhythm of your life?• If your congregation were to up its hospitality, what would that look like?

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• How does your congregation show good hospitality to the strangers in their midst? Are people met at the door? Who greets? Are refreshments available and easy to find?• As a group, fill out the covenant below, committing to the daily readings, the weekly group gatherings and weekly worship. • Confirm your dates and places for the group gatherings, and decide who will bring food. Are there child care needs? (Consider hiring a babysitter for the evening.)• Pray together as a group. Perhaps each person might think of someone who is a stranger in a new environment and pray for that person by name. Pray that God will give you the courage to welcome them.• Close with the Lord's Prayer.

After:• Read a chapter of Cultivating Fruitfulness each day, days 8-14 this week. • Set aside time for daily silent prayer. • Your pastor will be preaching on these five practices texts. Think about the connections between what you hear in worship and your group conversation.

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Group Gathering #2: Passionate Worship

Prepare:• Read Days 8-14 in "Cultivating Fruitfulness," one chapter a day.• As you gather, share a meal together, or have snacks and drinks before beginning the group gathering.

Gather:• Begin the group gathering with prayer. • Take a moment for people in the group to share something about their past week, highs and/or lows. • Describe going to church as a child. Did you attend regularly, occasionally or not at all? Would you describe it as "passionate?"

Word:• Watch the “Passionate Worship” video segment on the red DVD (9:25).• Work through the questions below. Don't feel obligated to grapple with every question. • Read Deuteronomy 6:4-5. How do you hear the call to love the Lord your God will all

your heart, soul and might? When do you set aside time to focus on adoring God?• In worship, what actions best demonstrate passionate worship for you? Singing?

Intently listening to the scriptures or message? The prayers? What?• Read Matthew 22:34-40. How do you love God? How do you love neighbor? Are these

things you do alone, or do you do them with others? Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "actions Speak louder than words?"

• Read Psalm 148 together. Sun, moon, stars, mountains, hills fruit trees, wind and snow all praise God. Even the birds sing God's praises. This is the most natural thing for creatures to praise the Source of Life. When have you experienced praise most profoundly in your life?

• Birds sing because that is what God has gifted them to do. The sun gives light and warmth because that is what created it to do. Given how God has gifted you, what actions might be actions of praise?

• Read Acts 2:42-47. Do these descriptions of the early church's activity sound like your life? Your church?

• These verses describe people who are passionate for their God. What do you think drives their passion? On a scale of one to ten (with ten being the description in Acts) where would you place your congregation? Where would you place yourself?

• Would a Sunday guest see your congregation as passive or passionate in their worship of God? How would they see you?

• In verse 46, when it says they broke bread at home, do you think this means they celebrated Holy Communion in homes, or simply that they shared meals together? Or both?

• When and where do you experience awe in your life?

Send:

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• If you were to worship every Sunday this year, how might it affect your spirit?• What might you do in Sunday worship that would make worship more passionate for

you?• Try sitting together at worship and committing to more passionate worship. Report you

experiences at your next meeting.• What might make your church's worship more passionate or joy-filled?• Confirm the next date and place for the group gatherings, and confirm who will bring food. Who is handling child care?• Take a moment for the group to share prayer concerns. Pray for one another. • Close with the Lord's Prayer.

After:• Read a chapter of Cultivating Fruitfulness each day, days 15-21 this week. • Set aside time for daily silent prayer.• Sit together with your group in worship.

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Group Gathering #3: Intentional Faith Development

Prepare:• Read Days 15-21 in "Cultivating Fruitfulness," one chapter a day.• As you gather, share a meal together, or have snacks and drinks before beginning the group gathering.

Gather:• Begin the group gathering with prayer. • Take a moment for people in the group to share something about their past week, highs and/or lows. • Did you sit together in worship? If so, share your experiences. Did it make any difference in your worship experience?• Describe a time when your faith seemed to take a giant leap forward. What do you think caused the spurt?

Word:• Watch the “Intentional Faith Development” video segment on the purple DVD (7:15).• Work through the questions below. Don't feel obligated to grapple with every question. • Read Acts 2:42-47 again this week. Can you name four things the first followers of Jesus did as they devoted themselves to Jesus? (v. 42)?• How do you think people devote themselves to the apostles' teaching today? • What do you think is meant by "fellowship" in this passage, if not coffee and doughnuts after church? Is what you are doing now in this group fellowship?• Read Deuteronomy 6:6-9. List the elements that you see as intentional faith development in these passages.• Put check marks by the things that have helped develop and strengthen you faith, then share these with the group.

Prayer Worship Bible study Giving Serving Retreats Mission trips Suffering Teaching Listening to music Nature Other ________________________

Send:

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• Take a look at the things above that most helped you develop and strengthen your faith. Make a commitment to build them into your life. Do you need any resources to help you? For example, if retreats or Bible reading were ways you grew are there resources that could help you? If so consider contacting your pastor or searching the internet. Share your commitment to yourself with the group. "I am going to __________________."• Can you think of someone who you could help grow in his or her faith? Would you pray for that person and ask God to show you how to best help them? Can you think of a way that you could help groups of people grow in their faith? Host a future small group? Organize a prayer group? Organize and carryout a retreat? What? Share what you are thinking with the group and ask them to pray for you.• Confirm the next date and place for the group gatherings, and confirm who will bring food. Who is handling child care?• Take a moment for the group to share prayer concerns. Pray for one another. • Close with the Lord's Prayer.

After:• Read a chapter of Cultivating Fruitfulness each day, days 22-28 this week. • Set aside time for daily silent prayer.

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Group Gathering #4: Risk-taking Mission and Service

Prepare:• Read Days 22-28 in "Cultivating Fruitfulness," one chapter a day.• As you gather, share a meal together or have snacks and drinks before beginning the group gathering.

Gather:• Begin the group gathering with prayer. • Take a moment for people in the group to share something about their past week, highs and/or lows. • How effective would Jesus' preaching have been if it had not been accompanied by his healing ministry in the community? Do you think people came first because of what he said or because of what he did?

What do you think will be the impact of speaking of Jesus' love and never acting out his love? Will people believe the message is creditable?

What do you think will be the impact of acting out Jesus' love and never talking about Jesus and his love? Will anyone know about Jesus? If so, How?

How effective will the church's preaching be if it is not accompanied by a healing ministry in the community?

Word:• Watch the “Risk-taking Mission and Service” video segment on the rust-colored DVD (9:05).• Work through the questions below. Don't feel obligated to grapple with every question. • Read Matthew 25:31-46. Can you name six acts of kindness that Jesus highlights? In

which of these activities have you personally been involved? In which have your church been engaged?

• 1 Corinthians 12:26. Charity is a handout. It may alleviate suffering but it doesn't change the conditions that lead to suffering. Accompaniment is walking alongside someone who is hurting. Accompaniment may involve some charity, but it is mostly about the relationship. How might you tell the difference between toxic charity and compassionate accompaniment?

• The times you've encountered those in need, what was it like? What was your experience of the rest of your small group?

• Have those opportunities for accompaniment been more blessing for you, or for those you served?

• Jesus promises to be present when we serve those in need (v. 40). When we serve others, the least of these, we are seeing Jesus. What does this say about the priority of risk-taking mission and service?

Send:

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• Who are those most in need in your sphere of influence? Make a list and prioritize it.Which needs tug at your heart the most? In what way are you responding? Make a plan to address that need.

• Who are those most in need in the world? Make a list and prioritize it. Which needs tug at your heart the most? In what way are you responding? Make a plan to address that need.

• Consider serving together as a group, or going on a mission trip together. Brainstorm ideas and put someone in charge of setting the date.

• Confirm the next date and place for the group gatherings, and confirm who will bring food. Who is handling child care?

• Take a moment for the group to share prayer concerns. Pray for one another. • Close with the Lord's Prayer.

After:• Read a chapter of Cultivating Fruitfulness each day, days 29-35 this week. • Set aside time for daily silent prayer.

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Group Gathering #5: Extravagant Generosity

Prepare:• Read Days 29-35 in "Cultivating Fruitfulness," one chapter a day.• Take a look at your charitable giving for the past year. Begin thinking about what you would like that giving to be for the coming year. • As you gather, share a meal together or have snacks and drinks before beginning the group gathering.

Gather:• Begin the group gathering with prayer. • Take a moment for people in the group to share something about their past week,

highs and/or lows. • What is your major motivation for giving? Guilt? You should? Support of the church?

What you get in return? Fulfilling the mission of Jesus? What? All of the above?• Describe a time when someone was extravagantly generous to you. • What do you think motivates generosity?

Word:• Watch the “Extravagant Generosity” video segment on the rust-colored DVD (10:13).• Work through the questions below. • Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. Why might Paul say that giving reluctantly or under

compulsion is a bad thing? Why would forced giving be undesirable?• Would you accept a gift given begrudgingly? Why or why not?• What conditions do you think help someone to be extravagantly generous? What

needs to be in place for generosity to blossom? Would you agree with the statement, everyone needs just a little more money to be happy? Do you think having a little more would make a person more or less generous? Do they need to feel deeply grateful for what they have? Why are some people not generous?

• Describe a time when you were generous. How did it make you feel? Any regrets?• Read Matthew 6:19-21. Why do you think Jesus is so worried about materialism?• What do you think it means, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also?"

Send:• Someone once said show me your checkbook and your calendar and I will tell you

what your priorities. Do you agree or disagree it? Take a look at your checkbook when you get home. What does it say about your priorities? Where is your heart?

• Do you plan your giving, or simply give based on what is left in the checkbook at the end of the week? What might your practice say about faith and/or stewardship?

• Do you think that planning your giving would help grow your faith? Why or why not. • What might make you uneasy about making a plan of giving and sticking to it?• What do you think about tithing (one tenth of your gross income)? Would it be

extravagant giving? Just what's expected and anything above would be extravagant giving?

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• Consider gathering your family and making a plan for giving next year. What does extravagant generosity look like to you? After making the plan decide whether you consider it extravagant or a step toward extravagant giving.

• On a scale of 1 to 5 with one being the highest how would you rate your group experience? What was best? What would improve the experience? Is it worth considering continuing as a group?

• Ask your pastor for some ideas about which small group material you could use. Renew or revise your covenant. Continue to grow together as a group and to grow in your faith.

• If you have time, watch the “Conclusion” video segment (4:54 on every DVD).• Take a moment for the group to share prayer concerns. Pray for one another. • Close with the Lord's Prayer.

After:• Talk with your pastor about a good book your group could read together or other small group study materials. • Decide on your giving for the coming year, with your family. Make a commitment of giving to your congregation.• Attend the final Celebration Sunday for the Five Practices series.

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