Small Group Study for April 22

Hi everyone! Here's a discussion guide that you may wish to use for your first Small Group gathering. To use for your study, cut and paste the text into your favourite Word Processing program (you may need to adjust some of the fonts). Be sure to print out enough copies for your group. Please come back to the blog next week to give some feedback. Have a great time together!

Connect (20 min):

1. If there are any new people in your group, take time to introduce yourselves to each other

2. Allow time for each person share any significant personal events that have taken place since you were last together as a group. Be sure to note them for your closing time of prayer.

3. Have someone offer a brief prayer of thanks for bringing you together as a group, and ask for God’s blessing for the journey ahead.

Grow (30 min):

Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

1. In the first message of this series, Kevin introduced the term, “haqqaton,” which is Hebrew for “youngest,” or “insignificant.” David was seen as insignificant by his family, yet God saw him differently.

a. Reflect on how that word relates to your own family situation? In growing up, did you or someone else in your family play that role?

b. Have you ever felt like a “haqqaton” in a ministry situation—where perhaps you felt out of place, insignificant, unqualified etc? What does this passage teach us about being in a place of perceived weakness?

2. Eugene Peterson writes: “David’s life is the premier biblical instance of what’s sometimes called ‘the priesthood of all believers.’ …There are a variety of offices in the community of faith—prophet, priest, wise person, elder, apostle, deacon, bishop and so on—but throughout the church, the primary emphasis is on people.” (Leap Over a Wall, 19)

a. How do each us of do the work of a priest, that is, how do we represent God to people and people to God?

b. Read 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10. What does it look like for a church community to function as a “kingdom of priests?” What does it look like for a Small Group?

c. Do you see any connections with the message that Martin gave this morning?

d. Do you see any connections with our FIA/Alpha experience?

Share (30 min):

One of the goals for our Faith in Action (FIA) and Alpha project was to help us to discover how God can use each of us for His purposes.

1. Take some time for those who participated in FIA or Alpha to share how God worked through the experience and what they learned about themselves in the process.

2. As you listen to each other, try to discern if there are themes/ideas/learnings that you can apply to your own Small Group as you move ahead together. Is there something that God is saying to you as a group? Do you feel led to open your group to some new people or to multiply? Do you feel led to pursue a service project of some kind? Something else?

3. Without drawing conclusions, write down your ideas and commit to praying about this for the next few weeks. Is there anything that you would like to share with other groups (ideas, questions etc.)? Feel free to post them at the Small Group Cafe blog.

4. Perhaps it would be helpful to review the Small Group Covenant together.

Worship (10 min)

Close your meeting with an open time of prayer, lifting your group before God, asking for His leading. Give thanks for the way you have seen God at work in the lives of your group members. Pray for each others’ needs.

Don’t forget to connect with each other in between your meetings!

Small Group Covenant

Reviewing our covenant together is an important part of healthy group life. Below are the questions from our covenant. You may find it helpful to cut and paste this into a document and walk through together at your first meeting.


1. The purpose of our group is to:

2. We will meet for _______ weeks/months, after which we will re-evaluate the group covenant. Review date: ___________________

3. We will gather on _________________ (day of the week) at _______________ (time of day) ________________ (frequency -weekly/biweekly).

4. Caring Together We will connect with one another, demonstrating Christ's love by:

5. Learning Together: We will develop and grow by:

6. Working Together: We will serve the church and our community by:

7. Being Together: We will fellowship and have fun together by:

8. Seeking Together: We will create an environment that is open to growth from within the church and community by:

9. We will seek to share some or all of the following roles and responsibilities: leader, host/hostess, prayer planner, event planner, service project coordinator, care coordinator etc...

Getting Back in the Groove

Below are a few hints and tips to help with the transition back into the regular group setting.

• Take time in your first meeting to reflect on the experiences of those who participated in the 2-10-1 and Alpha events.
• Both Alpha and Faith In Action made impacts in amazing ways. Discuss how some of these experiences can be continued personally and within your group. How should the format of your meetings change? Is there a new ministry/service activity that you could embrace together as a group? How can your group care for each other better?...
  
• You've met new people! The event has led to new relationships and connections. Look at ways to include those who are not in a small group, to be included into your own. This may mean discussing how your group can grow and divide! If you need support in this area, call your Small Group Coach: Wayne, Julie or Marge.
• Review your Group Covenant
• This will help with getting back on track for the remainder of the season, and allow for tasks to be shared among the group members. It is a vital part of an effective small group!
• Check Out this site for Small Group Study Material !!
• If your group would like alternate material, contact Marge Kloet or your small group coach for a list of resource ideas.

Welcome!

Hey, you found us! This is going to be our Small Group Connecting place for the next couple of months. We hope that you use this site not only to get content for your group discussions, but to also participate in making this a meaningful resource for our groups.

Every other week or so, I will be posting Small Group discussion material based on my next sermon series on the life of King David. However, for our first Small Group night on the week of April 22, I want to develop a set of questions that will help groups reflect and learn from the Alpha and FIA experiences that some of their members may have had.

As I prepare that first session, I would love to hear from you about what kinds of themes/questions that you would like to discuss as you look ahead to reuniting with your Small Group. I would also welcome thoughts about how to use a blog like this to encourage and support the important ministry that happens in our Small Groups! Feel free to post your ideas!

Kevin