Now Live It Out!

I don't know about you, but I thoroughly enjoyed our Life on Mission study this fall!  Many of you have just finished as well or are coming up to the end, and I wanted to share two thoughts with you.

I know this was a great study and that the lessons, if applied, will be life transforming. Please look for practical steps to put what was learned into practice in your life, and encourage your group to do the same. If everyone will look for just one person to come alongside to build a relationship for spiritual conversations, can you image the impact? Let make that our prayer!

I also wanted to remind you that any conversations you have regarding next steps or a next study need to be discussed with your coach or myself before you make any decisions with your group. I found a list of 30 million Bible studies on Google, and you need to pick 1 for your group.  Accurately access where you and your group are spiritually, and then prayerfully and in conversation with your coach, select one that will purposefully move your group toward our picture of a disciple!

Our winter small group trimester open enrollment will formally kick-off on January 15th, with group ready to start their study after the 22nd. Enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas, let's be in prayer together as we come to the close of 2016 and prepare for 2017.  Thank you for your leadership and investment in your small group.

Blessings,

Pastor Rich

Prayer

     One of the cool things about small groups is that everyone of them is unique! I've been working with small groups for many years, and I have never seen any two groups that are the same.
    A major difference you'll find between groups is how they pray together; they are all different. In some groups, everyone prays, or maybe just the leader prays, or there might be "popcorn" prayer.
     One of my favorite methods is to have everyone pray, going around the circle. If you are comfortable praying out loud, do it, otherwise pray silently and say amen out loud so the person next to you knows it's their turn. This overcomes the praying out loud barrier, but stimulates a prayer connection with our heavenly Father for each person in the group.
     One of our groups (thanks for the pic Jerry!) puts out a prayer journal, and everyone takes turns writing in it. This is a great way to keep up with prayer requests and track answers to prayer!
     There is no right a wrong way, but prayer is an important discipline. Take a moment to share some ideas that have worked for you.
     I trust you are having a great study time together this fall. Please contact your coach if you have any questions, and count on my prayers for you and your small group!

Pastor Rich

Thank You!

     Just a quick note to thank you for allowing God to work in and through you and your small group.
     I personally know that there are so many things that compete for your time and that it is sometimes difficult to find balance with personal time, family, work and ministry.
     But I want you to know that your role as a small group leader/host is having an eternal impact!
     Be encouraged, stand firm, and count on my prayers for you and your small group!

     "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Prayer Gathering

On Sunday March 23rd, from 7am to noon, we our hosting a Springbrook Time of Prayer! Pick one of the five one-hour slots and invite your small group to come together and pray as a group. Make sure to sign up this weekend.
Thank you for your leadership and count on our continued prayers for you and your group!

Happy New Year!

Just a quick note to let you know that our small group open enrollment begins January 12/13 & 19/20, with the winter trimester kicking off on the 26/27. The week of January 21-25 will be our church-wide prayer emphasis as we head into the new year, and you will be receiving a packet the weekend of the 12/13.

Talk with the members of your small group about inviting others to join your group this trimester!  Also be praying about the value of multiplying leaders and small groups! Remember, the dead sea is called the dead sea because stuff flows in and never flows out!

If you have any questions, please contact your coach or me at rwollard@springbrook.org.

May God richly bless you in 2013 and may the hope that is in Christ be contagious in our church body, our neighborhoods and community!  And remember, Jesus paid it all...

Merry Christmas!

     As we enter into this Christmas season, I know many of our small groups are preparing to break for the holidays. I has given me great joy to witness the exciting things God has done over this past year! As we move toward the end of another season, it is my prayer for each of our small groups, that they we be strengthened, encouraged, and sustained by the grace and love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus.

     Merry Christmas, AND count on my continued prayers for you and your small group!

Pastor Rich

Praying In Your Small Group

One of the things I love about visiting small groups is that everyone of them is different and has a life of its own! Prayer is no exception and can not be reduced to a formula.

Over the years I have seen many different types of prayer in groups. Some groups go deep; REALLY deep. Some groups use a snorkel and skim the surface. Recognizing that all of us are a different places spiritually and emotionally, the expectation that it should look the same in every group is a mistake. The idea is to help people connect with God as they talk to Him, out loud or not.

One of the most effective ways I have seen prayer handled is to pray in a circle, going from person to person, giving each person the opportunity to pray, out loud or quietly. This way God is able to meet with each person based on where they are spiritually and the value of connecting with God through prayer is upheld. The most important part of this method is to explain what you are doing and why, and to remind people that pray silently to say AMEN out loud when they are finished so the person next to them knows it is their turn!

Anyway, check out [this link] for various types of prayer you might find interesting, and take a moment to share any ideas you might have. God bless you today!

How To Teach People To Pray In A Small Group

For many people, praying aloud can be threatening. Novices may feel so anxious that they will back out of the group. How do we enable people to move from the fear of praying aloud to enjoying God's presence and others' presence as they pray together? The following eight-week plan from the Discipleship Journal Archives has proved effective: http://www.navpress.com/magazines/archives/article.aspx?id=1.58.17