tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37912366928056836102024-02-07T02:55:37.494-08:00The Naked Truth About Small GroupsLooking for the fabric-free, snarky truth about small group ministry and small group resources? Look no further.Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-81952237851399205382019-09-14T07:35:00.001-07:002019-09-14T07:35:18.044-07:00Just want everyone to know that I love my new pastor, Fred Nelson who leads Antioch Houston. He is equipping and releasing saints for the work of their ministry!Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-18318622710774549422019-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:002019-05-13T15:25:36.631-07:00Hosting a Small Group in Your Home
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Hosting a small group of people in
your home each week is a powerful way to serve others, and there’s numerous
blessings that come from it. This brief guide will help you understand your
role in the life of your group and provide practical tips for making the small
group that meets in your home a time of experiencing Christ’s presence, power,
and purposes.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Role of the Host<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Hosting a group in your home is a bit more than tidying up and
vacuuming the floors, although the time required for this is a great way to prepare
for having people in your home for worship, discussion, laughter, tears, and times
of intense prayer. Hosting models servanthood. It also demonstrates a
willingness to let others, even total strangers, into your world.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">When my wife and I host meetings
in our home, we will often use the cleaning time to pray for the meeting and
each person we think may show up that night. We play worship music as we work,
and the preparation of our home is considered an act of worship to our Lord and
servanthood to our group. People will confess sin, find healing, discover
giftings, and pray for lost friends in this room tonight. And we’re privileged
to be a part of that! </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Share the joys of hosting</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br />
Now we don’t keep all the blessings of preparation to ourselves… if our small
group is meeting at our home for an extended period of time—more than a few
weeks—we will ask individuals (usually people without kids) to come a bit early
and help us. Just a few weeks ago, I asked a younger single guy to help out
before our meeting and I introduced him to my vacuum cleaner and showed him how
to use it effectively. This may seem odd to you, but most people are anxious to
serve in some way. He was helpful that night, and even stayed after the meeting
to put all the dining room chairs back in the dining room and washed a few
dishes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The next day he called me to thank
me for asking him to help us get ready for the meeting. Imagine that!</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Opportunity of Hosting<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">When your small group meets in your home, they will get to know
you really well. People will ask about pictures on your fridge, play with your kids,
pets, and your remotes if you leave them out. Hosting is a great way to
increase your level of community and build friendships with other small group
members.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">But this is just the beginning!
Truth be told, walking into a church building the first time is not nearly as scary
as walking into a stranger’s home. We have found that when our group meets at
our home, our unchurched friends, neighbors, and family members are far more
willing to visit a small group meeting compared to when we invite them to go
with us to a meeting at another member’s home. For this reason, our small group
moves the group from home to home for a calendar month if we find out that a
member has invited an unchurched friend to come and they make a lot of excuses.
</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Is Your Home Right for Hosting?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Years ago our small group met at a relatively large home for our
area, decorated beautifully and with ample area for the men and women to meet
separately and for the kids to have their own space. We also enjoyed the sauna,
hot tub, and outdoor pool after meetings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">One might think this would be an
ideal place for a small group, and you’d be right! The problem is that no one
would host the meeting at their “normal” home after going to this house for a
meeting. And to make matters worse, the couple bought a ton of amazing prepared
food for everyone for the first few weeks. Meetings in their home was good, but
rarely powerful. And in small groups, we’re not attempting to entertain people
in our home, but to help them encounter Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Contrast their lavish home with a
second story apartment with no furniture in the living area where a different
group of ours met for a month. The member told us she would gladly open her
apartment for our meeting because her friends were comfortable going there, but
we would certainly not be comfortable unless we brought a pillow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Those weeks were jaw-droppingly
powerful, even though most of us sat on a dirty hardwood floor. God showed up
in a very powerful way, and words of encouragement and revelation flowed from member
to member, even though and the member’s roommate was smoking marijuana in the
next room that first night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">I share these contrasting stories
of hosting for one reason. Your home is probably not lavish and it’s probably
not bare floors either. The fact that you’re willing to open your home and
invite people to experience Christ’s presence is the most important thing to
remember.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Preparing your Home<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">It was mentioned earlier, but praying for the meeting and the
people who will be arriving shortly is the very best preparation. However, you
can multitask. As you’re praying and worshipping, here’s a few tips to make
your home ready for small group:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Tidy up the room(s) where you’ll
be meeting. A deep clean isn’t necessary, but you don’t want piles of papers,
dishes, and junk on flat surfaces, dog hair on the couch, and someone’s socks
left under the coffee table. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Weapons and medicine should be in
a locked room or locked cabinet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Minimize distractions. We turn off
radios, TVs, the land line’s ringer, and computer screens. If a TV will be used
for DVD curriculum, it should be in the DVD player and tested to make sure it
works prior to the meeting, but not playing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The bathroom. Clean it and put an
extra roll of toilet paper in plain sight and within reach of the potential
user. Remove anything from the medicine cabinet you don’t want fiddled with, ingested
or used for grooming and hygiene by unauthorized users.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Give your home a good sniff. That
commercial about going “nose blind” is spot on, especially when Spot has left
numerous spots on your carpet and you’ve grown accustomed to it. Fabric deodorizer
is amazing stuff and you should use it about an hour before anyone arrives if
necessary to give it time to work and wear off a bit.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Pets: Just before the first guest
arrives, our golden retrievers go in their crates until after the meeting. People
either adore our dogs or they wish we didn’t have animals our home when they
are visiting. Either way, the pets must not be a distraction or nuisance to the
people coming over to experience Christ in their midst.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We set out little bottles of water,
purchased by the case, for people to drink during meetings. Since we are
hosting the meeting, we expect other members to bring snacks and this is made
clear when no one brings snacks and all we have is little bottles of water! If
someone makes a snarky comment, make them the snack captain for the next six
weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Speaking of snacks, we keep all snacks
in the kitchen and ask parents to supervise their children.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Kid’s Area<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We have children in our group. They stay with us for worship, then
go out with an adult or two for their own age-appropriate time. Make sure that
you have an appropriate area for the kids, and insure it’s free from
distractions, dangerous, or embarrassing items, even those that may be tucked
away in drawers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We always let
the kids and all the adults know that they should feel comfortable in our home,
but they are not permitted to open drawers, go into rooms without permission,
let the dogs out, run with scissors, make a mess and not clean it up, etc.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Small Group Meeting Area <br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Before I forget, there’s something a host can do to foster a sense
of belonging and promote participation during the meetings in their home. Arranging
the furniture in a circle so no one sits behind someone or in another room is the
key. If you have to move a recliner to accomplish this, it’s worth it. Ask
someone from the group to arrive early and help you accomplish this.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">When the meeting concludes… <br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Finally, when your meeting is over and everyone is chatting, ask a
couple of people to help you put the chairs back in place. Ask different people
to clean up the kitchen. Ask parents to find their children and not “accidentally”
leave them at your home (you think I’m kidding but I’m not!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We also do
something very important after everyone has left our home: Prayer walk through
each room of our house and ask the Holy Spirit to fill up the rooms with Christ’s
love and leave no room for anything that doesn’t belong in our home. Small
group is a wonderful time of personal confession and healing. We know we are
victorious over sin and not scared one bit, but we are aware of the spiritual
realm and the evil that exists.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Should you open your home for small group? <br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Absolutely! I’m not a big fan of a permanent host home for a small
group because moving the group around to other member’s homes is powerful.
Plus, hosting weekly for months on end can be laborious or exhausting, even
with help from group members. But it’s totally worth hosting your group in your
home for all the benefits YOU will receive, including having a moderately
cleaner home after the meeting!</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-7112478398913439762019-05-01T08:54:00.000-07:002019-05-01T08:56:53.808-07:00Five Reasons Small Group Launches/Transitions FailThousands of churches have launched small group ministries in the last decade or two. And in my opinion, most of their groups are failing to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission to a point of growing organically (seeing conversion growth occur from relationships between group members and lost, unchurched persons). Here's five basic reasons why small group launches fail:<br />
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1. Groups were launched to support the weekend large group gathering. The stated purpose of launching groups may be to help people experience missional living, but the reality is the groups were formed for visitor and member retention. If groups are constantly being retooled or relaunched to fit the latest sermon series, they're just another supportive program for the pulpit ministry.<br />
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2. Potential members were not told that groups are, by design, to experience Christ's presence, power and help them fulfill their purpose in life, which is to be salt and light to the world. If groups are formed for one of many areas of self-improvement without including a purposeful development of a passion for reaching unchurched people for Christ through relational evangelism, it's going to fail.<br />
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3. Member-to-convert discipleship was never considered before groups were launched. I consult lots of churches who call me and say, "We have ten groups now, the leaders are burned out, and the members have lost interest. What should we do?" This is a clear sign that helping group members become self-feeding, passionate ambassadors for Christ in their neighborhoods and workplaces was not engineered into the vision for groups and not prototyped to success before groups were launched.<br />
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4. Groups are perceived by the membership as optional, and the weekend services are more important. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">If the lead pastor is unwilling to publicly say, "If you only have time for one meeting right now, go to your small group" it's a clear sign this is the case.</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
5. Leaders are appointed to leadership because they are willing to host a meeting in their home and faithful to participation, not because they see group leadership as a passion to help others discover and live out their spiritual potential.<br />
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A healthy small group-based church is characterized by:<br />
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1. Small groups are not seen as a ministry of the church, <u>but the actual church</u>. Small group participation and leadership do not compete with other ministries and volunteer positions. In fact, every ministry of the church (including the pulpit ministry) is geared to equip and release the group members for the work of their ministry.<br />
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2. Relational evangelism and discipleship were a significant part of the planning process for the launch of groups. These two things create organic growth that grows like a wildfire and takes on a life of its own.<br />
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3. Leadership in a group is earned, meaning new groups are launched as members have earned the trust of others and who become followers.<br />
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4. Group members understand their goal is to reach friends for Christ and start a group of their own sooner than later, and they're passionately pursuing it. Even very hurting people or those bound up by addiction see a leadership reason to get set free and remain free.<br />
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5. Health is most easily seen when a church has a waiting list of eager members who want to become leaders when they have completed the training and have overcome obstacles to leadership. Yes, there are many healthy small group-based churches around the world with waiting lists of people who want to become leaders!<br />
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I hope this helps you determine where your church may be failing in your small group transition or launch.Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-90261762949420838402019-02-12T19:38:00.001-08:002019-02-12T19:38:34.808-08:00Gathered then Scattered - Observations about the church of AntiochActs 8:4 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #001320; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #001320; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #001320; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Being gathered by God for strengthening, equipping and encouragement feels great. We gain a strong sense of unity from it, but it's not always designed to be a place where we remain.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #001320; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b0132; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In order for the name of God to be heard by every person on earth, scattering is required. We can do it voluntarily, knowing God will go with us and create community where we go as led by the Spirit. Or, we are scattered with persecution! Our Lord allows this so we can become salt and light to millions of people who have never heard the amazing news of our Savior.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b0132; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b0132; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So resist the devil when you're scattered and feel as if you've been torn away from your community for no good reason. What the evil one crafts to divide us, God will use to increase his reach in our world!</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b0132; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b0132; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When your small group grows and you're challenged to form a new group by planting or multiplication, rejoice in the fact that community is created by God for a purpose, and the next group will experience a strong sense of belonging and mission as well.</span>Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-52217135768091677022018-09-19T07:23:00.000-07:002018-09-19T07:25:35.645-07:00Fruits of the Spirit. Want a particular one? Sorry, it may not work that way.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/galatians/5/"><span style="color: #001ba0; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">Galatians
5:22-26</span></a></span></strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-spacing: 0px 0px; float: none; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>But the </span><strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; orphans: 2; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">fruit</span></strong><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b> </b>of </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-spacing: 0px 0px; float: none; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">gentleness
and self-control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I know a
couple of things from just buying fruit from the grocery store:</span></div>
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<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Some
fruits ripen very quickly and others take much longer on or off the vine
or tree.</span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">When you
put a piece of ripe fruit in a bag with unripe fruit it accelerates the
ripening process.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I just had a couple of revelations surrounding this verse to share:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Revelation #1: These are the fruits of the Spirit of God, not the
spirit of man or the flesh. You can bite your tongue, shield your eyes, raise
your hands in praise, and serve others selflessly in the flesh and appear to
have the fruits of the Spirit to others and maybe even yourself, but it’s a farce.
The fruits are present when we walk in God’s Spirit and allow the Spirit to
guide our hearts and minds with consistency. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Revelation #2: While a Greek scholar might argue with me, I think
I’ve stumbled upon something important. Look at the fruits. Look at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">order</i> of the fruits. And then start
looking at the fruits as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">foundational</i>
for the next fruits in the sentence. For example:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">We know God is Love. So the first fruit of the Spirit is naturally
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">When we truly experience God’s love, it produces the next fruit, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joy</i>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">When we are experiencing God’s love and joy, it produces <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peace</i>.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">When we are experiencing God’s love, joy, and peace, we gain <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patience</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">See where I’m going with this? We will see the next fruit in our
lives when we are currently enjoying all the fruits stated prior to it as a
firm foundation.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">The fruits aren’t a la carte like the grocery store. We can’t pick
and choose which one we want the most in our character at the moment. The good
thing is that the fruits of the Spirit are always in God’s grocery store if we’re
using our Spirit card with which to purchase them, and they’re given to us as a
fruit basket of sorts.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">So today, ask for God’s Spirit to permeate you to a depth where
you experience his incredible love for you. When you stop crying, you’ll
realize those are tears of joy and you’ll begin to feel at peace inside about
all the stuff you cannot control…. And in short order you’ll be revealing all
nine of the Spirit’s fruits in your life, mind, and heart.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-16206051460229504662018-08-24T13:55:00.004-07:002018-08-24T13:58:47.377-07:00"I am the potter, You are the clay" Devotional thoughts on Jeremiah 18:1-6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae2FjeAa4qLu7PKToGyck9ddv3QmtuY3WqV7kDXagUO8YimE1Jb7KIvVZ22x3qn4_OyG-bc7GNmjW0YfrlJp0fJOWQ2YwhQ-dor0eqZT1_tbYnM5P0Ou5KF_OpNckvlVGWz3vCGrp0EY/s1600/potters-wheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1412" data-original-width="1600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae2FjeAa4qLu7PKToGyck9ddv3QmtuY3WqV7kDXagUO8YimE1Jb7KIvVZ22x3qn4_OyG-bc7GNmjW0YfrlJp0fJOWQ2YwhQ-dor0eqZT1_tbYnM5P0Ou5KF_OpNckvlVGWz3vCGrp0EY/s320/potters-wheel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's a classic worship song that uses the phrase, "I am the potter, you are the clay. Mold me and make me, this is what I pray." I often sing this worship song in private and dedicate my life to God's use, no matter what he desires for me or allows me to experience in this brief time on earth.</div>
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I have a close friend who has endured nearly two decades of debilitating and painful physical issues. Kidney transplants, brittle bones breaking, a heart attack, and now pain management that keeps him in a fog most of the time. He is follower of Christ, and rightfully wonders why he was put on earth and what his purpose might be. For much of his life, it's been seemingly unproductive to him. But I disagree.</div>
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It's not much consolation for my friend, but when we truly believe that God is the Potter and we are the clay, we give him permission to do with us what he likes (or allows us to endure what no one enjoys on earth) for his glory, not our current level of comfort.</div>
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What if God has allowed my friend to go through hell on earth so that dozens of people around him would become men and women of great faith and become prayer warriors? The Lord knows I have been stirred from my sleep in the middle of the night with the need to intercede on his behalf for healing and restoration. His afflictions have made me a far more faithful follower of Christ and his ability to heal and restore.</div>
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And thinking about myself, I'm often frustrated that I have not seen my current set of unsaved friends come to Christ no matter how much I pray for them and talk to them about a relationship with Jesus. But what if my purpose on this earth was to share Christ with that girl on the bus when I was ten years old? Who knows what she went on to accomplish for God in future years. I don't think I ever saw her again after our family moved away.<br />
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So here's the challenge for all of us today. If God created you as The Potter and you agree to be submissive and be His clay, are you willing to suffer like my friend if that's what God has set out for you to accomplish for the kingdom? Are you willing to do something menial and possibly never acknowledged on earth by other men or women?<br />
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It's easy to sing, "You are the Potter, I am the clay..." but when it comes down to actually allowing God to shape you into a vessel that may only be used once; or used for something unattractive; or not used at all but just looked at for its uniqueness; or not yet used because it's not time to use the clay vessel; will you be content?<br />
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Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-72681484387195430302018-08-23T10:30:00.002-07:002018-08-23T10:44:15.442-07:00Who pastors the largest organized church in the world?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZvjvVuBP4-knEMWVasXOy9d-cqZQh8LfudVLJbKzEnQBr_D9a4Isv-0c0aiJ4azhZQa2bmtQrndJeB-SSejSwzweRGwrNTG5-K5M_RDi7clWGVMgQ9qAAZRonUsYwXMOVhgbLRkFvLQ/s1600/DION-ROBERT-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZvjvVuBP4-knEMWVasXOy9d-cqZQh8LfudVLJbKzEnQBr_D9a4Isv-0c0aiJ4azhZQa2bmtQrndJeB-SSejSwzweRGwrNTG5-K5M_RDi7clWGVMgQ9qAAZRonUsYwXMOVhgbLRkFvLQ/s320/DION-ROBERT-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Dr. Yaye Dion Robert, EPBOMI Senior Pastor</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For many years, it has been thought that the largest church in the world is found in Seoul, South Korea. Yoido Full Gospel Church claims to have 800,000 members, but only 25% of this number shows up on weekends for their services. Now don't get me wrong, 200,000 involved members in a church is no small thing ... but it doesn't make this church the largest in the world. They have a new senior pastor due to a scandal, and my prayer is that he can support this church with continued growth through the challenges they face and the fact that there are 17--count them seventeen!-- gigachurches in South Korea whose average size dwarfs megachurches in the US like Lakewood here in Houston, Texas at a "scant" 40,000 attendees on weekends (Lakewood doesn't have formal membership).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>So who's the biggest?</b><br />Currently, the largest church in the world is Eglise Protestante Baptiste Oeuvres Et Mission Internationale (EPBOMI), pastored by Dr. Yaye Dion Robert. This gigachurch is located in Ivory Coast in West Africa. Their attendance at weekend services <u>and their cell groups</u> is cresting 250,000 members from a report I just received, shared by Pastor Robert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unlike big churches found in first world countries, there's very little transfer growth. The gates of hell have been stormed, captives have been set free, and the numeric growth of churches like EPBOMI is genuine conversion and Lordship growth. Praise God!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How did they grow so large?</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">EPBOMI is a cell-based church. There's no comfortable place to sit and soak in this church. They set the bar quite high for membership, and even higher for cell group leadership. The growth of this church didn't happen by pandering to consumers and watering down the Gospel or what is required of a follower of Jesus Christ.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Does church size matter?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes. When you become this large, the church has already shifted the culture around it toward the things of God. And if it can remain godly and not fall into scandal from sinfulness and castle-building, it can bring about a lot of other changes around the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Oh how the megachurches pastors are falling like flies these days...</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Satan remains very busy, whispering in the ears of mega and gigachurch pastors, telling them it's ok to treat others poorly and cover it up or use money the way the world uses money. If you're reading this, please stop and pray for pastors of very large congregations. They've got a big bullseye on their backs and Satan is pointing everything he's got at them to get them to compromise their morals. I often stop and thank the Lord for men of God like Pastor Robert, who lives simply and doesn't draw much of a salary. May God keep him as a humble servant for the task at hand and continue to be an example for us all.</span></span></span></div>
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Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-85736534948794155212018-04-15T15:54:00.000-07:002018-04-15T15:54:08.632-07:00Is life really better together?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XHRuQd9UHzJ8nBnruf5cC3Mb-OBDox3xqnYyvHaPkEGbu7HgpkCRQt74W6xRgykVIwZhJaQYxyjRcpXn3z_Ft4ntujapIG2gfUizQPEn1onOg9HUzzDROYiQ82Cz-QioSywFw9Q9tkQ/s1600/SG%2527s+cancelled+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XHRuQd9UHzJ8nBnruf5cC3Mb-OBDox3xqnYyvHaPkEGbu7HgpkCRQt74W6xRgykVIwZhJaQYxyjRcpXn3z_Ft4ntujapIG2gfUizQPEn1onOg9HUzzDROYiQ82Cz-QioSywFw9Q9tkQ/s320/SG%2527s+cancelled+pic.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Today I visited a nearby church and saw this sign on the wall where all the small group brochures are found and a point-person usually stands. Seems a little odd to put "Life is better together" and then purposely not have groups for people to belong to and join all year long.<br />
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This church's small group program is just that. A program. It's in place to give people a sense of belonging not easily found in the large congregation's two big weekend services. Each quarter, groups are launched for 8-12 weeks and each group is doing something different, such as a book study or a topic of interest for the congregation. I asked how many groups are focused on relational evangelism and discipleship--you know, the great commission--and there haven't been any groups formed for that purpose in many, many years.<br />
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This used to be a thriving church that saw radical transformation in the lives of members and their unsaved friends. And their groups were self-sustaining and the lifeblood of the church.<br />
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What can be done for a church like this? Can it be turned around? Maybe. We'll see. A new pastor will take the helm in about a year as the existing pastor slowly moves out and into retirement. One thing is for sure: If the small groups continue to be a program to satisfy the needs of the members instead of give them an environment to become world-changers, they're not going to succeed.<br />
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<br />Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-46163264104756390052018-04-06T14:50:00.000-07:002018-04-06T14:54:07.549-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9BaFovQ1vvPSMsgJHteL6se5JblId5hTQyv5Hj2lO6QWemGMoPRYF8LXy6me9qUm9iBH62s0b5YuqC0zw9xWaT0HZatmJL8xz-XMC_wublaM478wTxQnR0lxGowYTf-EgpFeTmBQ13w/s1600/SG+Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1241" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9BaFovQ1vvPSMsgJHteL6se5JblId5hTQyv5Hj2lO6QWemGMoPRYF8LXy6me9qUm9iBH62s0b5YuqC0zw9xWaT0HZatmJL8xz-XMC_wublaM478wTxQnR0lxGowYTf-EgpFeTmBQ13w/s320/SG+Post.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I follow a Facebook page daily to see what small groups pastors and point-persons are talking about. I took a screen shot of this post not to shame the person, but to discuss the reason behind the lack of participation in his church's small group program. My thought are so "out there" for this group that I rarely post much in response to stuff like this because they simply cannot identify with my experiences and paradigm surrounding healthy small group life. </div>
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Observations:</div>
<ol>
<li>Groups that are formed around the interests or needs of the members and primarily focus on self-improvement will grow stale rather quickly, although they'll usually create a good draw from the congregation in to a group if they've not experienced group life in a church before.</li>
<li>Groups that are formed to only meet for three months don't give the members enough time with one another to discover much about the others or themselves as they relate to others.</li>
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If your church has groups like this, they were probably launched to close the back door of the congregational services, and/or give participants a sense of community and intimacy they can't easily get from the congregational gatherings. There's no nice way to state it: doing this is a bastardization of biblical community, and your church is reaping what it sowed.</div>
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My advice?</div>
<ol>
<li>Form a prototype group with those from existing groups who have a heart for reaching the lost for Christ. Make the reason the group exists to reach friends for Christ and disciple them and make it abundantly clear that the group has been formed for these purposes.</li>
<li>Spend most of your time together as a group praying for the lost, praying for yourselves, and talking about how wonderful the people are that you're hoping will come to Christ as a result of the group praying together. This is the "curriculum" for the group meetings.</li>
<li>Adopt a discipleship pathway that helps new believers learn the basics of the faith, get set free from satanic bondage, and helps them see God's values and discard their earthly values for His values over the course of a year or more. Give it to those who reach a friend for Christ and help them use it and refine it along the way.</li>
<li>When the first group is reaching people for Christ and discipling them, pray about who can be challenged to leave the group to start a group of their own. The team that is sent out will have reached friends for Christ and will be seen as leaders because they have followers.</li>
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Small groups have the potential to be powerful biblical communities that are transformative in nature and will grow on their own if they're started with the correct priorities.</div>
<br />Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-31689423361232492682016-06-05T06:51:00.001-07:002016-06-05T06:54:24.063-07:00The Group Life Conference - October 14-15, 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sA5U2VSf18E-CZoaHgmPVSKwXlKjWOSp3OXv3j80_PJtvMmxxOGmHFcD9y2BwOvs2H1y3-HpsLwJ2jqDiwjOOc0fPE8gnqNMtvIARg9JWRtgt80JDQ3Z1qhhlNu5xH5uc2R5l9mgkQI/s1600/grouplifeconferencelogo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sA5U2VSf18E-CZoaHgmPVSKwXlKjWOSp3OXv3j80_PJtvMmxxOGmHFcD9y2BwOvs2H1y3-HpsLwJ2jqDiwjOOc0fPE8gnqNMtvIARg9JWRtgt80JDQ3Z1qhhlNu5xH5uc2R5l9mgkQI/s320/grouplifeconferencelogo.jpeg" title="The Group Life Conference" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.thegrouplife.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am pleased to announce a fall conference for cell groups, geared to understanding how to better equip and release Millenials.
This two-day event is being hosted by my nephew, Nathan Neighbour and my dad and I will also be speaking at the event.
We hope you can make it. See you there!
Conference web site and registration:
www.thegrouplife.com
Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-22573339944492773492016-05-23T08:52:00.000-07:002016-05-23T08:53:40.894-07:00Spiritual Affluenza: The subtle work of darkness on our consumer-centered soulsThe typical American Christian is suffering from "affluenza"<br />
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If you're not familiar with this term, you've probably not watched US news lately (not that it's all that great and worth watching, by the way!). There's a kid whose accused of murder and his attorney's case is built on the fact that his well-to-do parents gave him everything he wanted and expected nothing from him. He is claiming that this young man is suffering from a bad case of <em>affluenza </em>and he should not be held responsible for his irresponsible behavior.<br />
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When I look at the consumer-centric model of Western church life today, it smacks of spiritual affluenza. The church leadership and the big services do all the work of ministry for the members, and all they need to do is be a faithful volunteer and keep the engine running smoothly with some money from their paycheck. <br />
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The level of ownership of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing that Gospel message is definitely something every small groups pastor and lead pastor wants the members of their small groups to do... but they don't grab the baton and run with it. After a lot of hard work and probably a corporate push with a church-wide campaign, the leaders are left scratching their heads over why every effort to educate and mobilize small group members falls short.<br />
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I know I'm harping on various aspects of the big-box church in America, but it's where a majority of people are finding a affluenza-infested relationship with a church and God that doesn't require much. This is creating a house of cards that won't stand up to persecution, which is coming.<br />
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If you're reading this, don't let your small group members think that showing up is good enough. Ask each person who they are praying for to receive Christ and how often they're praying for that person and spending quality time with them. Be the "pebble in their shoe" to do what every believer should do naturally!Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-74706833908426900422016-05-19T09:09:00.001-07:002016-05-19T09:09:23.053-07:00American Churches: Why aren't your members personally reaching friends for Christ?A few weeks back I asked a pointed question about relational evangelism on the Facebook page for small group leaders, hosted by one of the most prominent small group pastors and authors in the nation. He's not in the cell group stream, but the <em>small group</em> stream. I know this man and have a lot of respect for him and the church where he pastors. They water baptize small group members every single Sunday after services and have a solid discipleship pathway for new believers to follow. So I was hoping that this Facebook page would be filled with other small groups pastors who were replicating the health I see in his church.<br />
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I was careful to craft my question by asking if any of the 2000+ small group point persons who represent that page were seeing relational evangelism going on in their small groups and considered this "normal or ordinary" behavior (versus something that happened now and then or was extra-ordinary). <br />
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I clarified my question by stating that I was not referring "bring a friend Sunday" programs or inviting friends to big church services (not that there's anything wrong with this and I hope your church is doing it). I just wanted to get down to brass tacks: Are there any U.S. churches where relational evangelism is the way the local church is growing, verses crowd evangelism efforts?<br />
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After two days of zero responses, I replied to my own question, asking if the silence on the subject was as deafening to everyone else as it was to me. One small groups pastor replied saying they would love for this to be the norm, but it's not happening despite their best efforts on a leadership level.<br />
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<em><strong>It's not as if no one uses this Facebook page</strong></em><br />
Posts are made daily asking about campaigns that work best, training for hosts, best ways to get the visitors and congregations to sign up for a group, etc. And many others are answering them. But ask a question about relational evangelism and it's as if someone cut off the power to every small group pastor's laptop in the nation!<br />
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<em><strong>America, we have a problem!</strong></em><br />
First, we saw lots of smaller churches close their doors or become satellite locations for megachurches with a shiny lead pastor and his incredible way with words when on a mic in the pulpit. Then we saw most every megachurch look, feel, sound, smell, and taste the same no matter which denomination they belong to or where they're located as they copied what others were doing that was so attractive and retentive. <br />
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The hallmark of these big multi-site churches is being very good at pleasing the consumer Christian (if I may use this oxymoron). They've got amazing programs for children and youth and lots of self-help and self-improvement programs, which aren't bad in and of themselves. They just seem to keep people from seeing their primary purpose on earth front and center: to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ to everyone around them and anyone who will listen! <br />
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If you're reading this, for the love of God, help your small group members learn how to be a friend and reach a friend for Christ and disciple that person! This must become our driving passion in small group and cell group ministry in this country!<br />
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<br />Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-4633484063924572332016-01-22T09:28:00.001-08:002016-01-22T09:28:48.038-08:00Small Group Losers vs. Team-based Winners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I found this picture online from a sports locker room and thought it was worth sharing.</div>
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Assembling Christians into small groups where they're encouraged to love one another and love God but not challenged to become a team who reaches their world for Christ and disciples them to do the same is futile.</div>
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If group members don't make the shift from small group to team, the group will always degrade into a complacent complaining group of entitled people who say they love God but make no sacrifice to show Him they really do.</div>
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Don't let your groups become losers, and whatever you do, don't launch groups that have no choice but to become losers because they have no missional reason to be together! Be a good coach and challenge them to be winners. Will they get mad and tell you you're being pushy? Probably. But people are dying without Jesus every single minute of the day and we can do something about it as pastors over small groups of believers meeting in homes.</div>
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Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-79650267985685130862015-11-13T09:30:00.001-08:002015-11-13T09:38:44.221-08:00Understanding God: The Importance of Old Testament StudiesIn our newish house church experience, we've decided to make the Old Testament a focus of our Sunday mornings together. Most of the people in our group (including my wife and I) spent a lot of time applying NT scripture to our lives at the expense of the OT stories, so it's exciting for everyone to learn from the "left side of the Bible."
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One of our greatest take-aways from reading through Genesis and Exodus (which took about 10 months) was God's perspective on man, his most important creation on earth. Because God has the ability to see a man's existence from before birth straight through to eternity after earthly death (referring to His omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence)...
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He is able to make very just decisions such as giving followers extra grace (ie., Abraham) or raining fire down upon them and killing every man, woman, child, and animal (as in Sodom and Gomorrah).
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God hates sin, but it's a fruit issue and it's treated as such. What he seems to be even more concerned about in the heart and mind of His creation (man) is idolatry, the root of the sin problem. When man decides his idea of right and wrong is better than God's clearly articulated way of living for our best health and welfare, the aforementioned rain of fire is definitely in the weather forecast!
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He views a lot of our earthly problems in the same way a loving parent comforts a child upset that they cannot eat candy before dinner because it will spoil their appetite for healthy food. The suffering I may experience here on earth will be but a sneeze in the big picture of my eternal life in Christ, and for that, He may choose not to heal someone on earth because it's but a sneeze no matter how big of a deal we think it might be.
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The Trinity has always existed. Christ is seen throughout Genesis and Exodus!!! Lots of my house church peeps didn't fully grasp this until I showed them. Same with the Holy Spirit. All working as one to reconcile man to God.
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He has created us all, but we are not all "God's Children." That would be automatic salvation and we must request to be adopted into His family through Christ. While this is a NT thing, we saw clearly that God's chosen people needed a Messiah in the worst way and still need to recognize that God provided one! No one can keep the basic ten commandments nor the thousands of Jewish laws.
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When we start up our mid-week cell groups, it will be our New Testament focus. The Christ within me will minister to the Christ within you. This is happening ad-hoc now with time spent together, but it will be formalized in 2016.<br />
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This was an interesting thing to realize: Sunday mornings are OT and mid week groups are NT. Same God, different expression and experience!Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-68816037971954439492015-11-06T10:04:00.001-08:002015-11-06T10:05:16.514-08:00I can see clearly now!For 20 years I've served as the President of TOUCH Outreach Ministries. Through those years, some amazing people worked at and with TOUCH. Together we created resources to fill gaps in the knowledge base for cell groups and for all the discipleship needs for members and training needs for group leaders. Around 2010, I realized most everything the ministry needed to provide pastor and churches was in print from our ministry or other ministries or publishers.<br />
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This left me with a lot of time on my hands. With a lot of prayer, I decided to do some tent making and serve others in the financial services industry. I've been at it full time now for four years, and boy-howdy, do I have a better understanding of what we're asking of people when we encourage them to not only be a part of a cell group but lead one. I can see clearly now.<br />
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Just before I took on outside work, Etna and I started a house church. At this point it's not a high maintenance church plant. We're small enough to meet in our home on Sunday mornings and enjoy each other's company between meetings and minister to one another on an ad-hoc basis. When we grow a little more, we'll start gender-based cell groups that meet mid week. A group has already popped up spontaneously by a member who lives quite a ways away and has friends who aren't committed enough to make the drive in on Sundays to our place.<br />
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I visited his group this last week. After a long and somewhat frustrating day at the office, I zipped home for a quick bite to eat, played with the dogs for a few minutes and headed out the door. 45 minutes in traffic to arrive 5 minutes late. We had a great time together, applying a couple of chapters of the book of Acts and prayed for one another. Then I made the trip home and collapsed at 10 pm.<br />
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If I had kids in the house, I can only imagine how challenging it would be to attend a mid-week group, let alone lead one! If there was ever a reason to design your cell group leadership structure with multiple leadership (3-4 co-leaders in a group with one serving as the group's point person) this would be it. <br />
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Group-based ministry in major metropolitan areas like Houston is tough on the participants. Anything we can do to design holistic groups to keep the fatigue level down is going to be critical to success.<br />
<br />Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-30764684317209447932015-10-28T10:30:00.003-07:002015-10-28T10:30:29.718-07:00This week I'm blogging on a buddy's web site about our vision to create a cell-based house church network. Check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://smallgroupleadership.blogspot.com/2015/10/our-move-to-house-churchwhat-weve.html#gpluscomments">http://smallgroupleadership.blogspot.com/2015/10/our-move-to-house-churchwhat-weve.html#gpluscomments</a><br />
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RandallRandall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-77830473049809151292015-02-12T10:16:00.000-08:002015-02-12T10:16:16.668-08:00Treat your cell groups like precious bodies of Christ... because they are!This week I was visiting with a pastor who had a grand plan to use some excellent materials to "bring my congregation up to speed with cell groups (he calls them small groups, but they're really cell groups in my book!) so I can get them all in a group this spring."<br />
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If you've ever learned how to make gravy, you know that it's a process that requires some patience and a solid understanding of food science. Stick with me on this because it will make lots of sense concerning the topic at hand when I'm done...<br />
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First, you begin with some hot grease or warmed butter in a pan. Then you sprinkle flour across the surface of the protein-laden grease and cook the pasty taste out of the flour.<br />
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Then, you take just a little warm milk or warmed broth of some sort and add it to the pan. When this happens, there's a chemical reaction and the now protein-laden flour reacts to the liquid and it lumps up when you stir it.<br />
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If you put in all the liquid at once, you get watery gravy with lumps in it. The secret is to put just a little liquid in and let the greasy cooked flour absorb it. Then add more and add more and add more and voila! you have a nice gravy that just needs some salt and pepper.<br />
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{sauce making lesson is now over}<br />
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The same thing holds true for your fledgling cell groups. Let's say you've worked hard to start healthy cell groups and you have three groups up and going and the members of those groups are being the church, not attending it. They're sharing their faith with unchurched friends and you're even seeing conversion growth in the groups.<br />
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You want everyone in the church to be in one of these groups! I get that.<br />
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The problem is that if you multiply these groups to 6 or even 12 groups and then flood them with traditionally minded or consumer minded church members, the groups will fail. The healthy DNA of the original groups could only handle a few members being introduced to keep the strain healthy.<br />
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In conclusion, let me say this to you pastors who want a transition to happen quickly: stop that! You'll mess up your <strike>gravy</strike>, I mean cell groups! They're precious and quite sensitive and relationships need to be cultivated carefully so you don't lose momentum.<br />
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Advice: Just invite a handful of faithful congregational believers who are dissatisfied with church as usual to become part of a group being prepared for group life. Challenge the groups you have to reach friends for Christ and start discipling them in the midst of their group relationships. Put one or two couples from your preparation group in each group when you think everyone is ready and see if they're absorbed properly.<br />
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Oh yeah... you gotta keep stirring. That applies to group members and leaders and making gravy!Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-46960979883619585722014-11-06T14:20:00.001-08:002014-11-06T14:20:31.358-08:00Free online self-assessment tool to launch discipleship!TOUCH Outreach is proud to let you know we've created a mobile friendly version of our best-selling self-assessment tool, <em>The Journey Guide for New Christians</em> by Ralph Neighbour.<br />
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Please share this link with every pastor you know!<br />
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<a href="http://www.touchusa.org/thejourney">http://www.touchusa.org/thejourney</a><br />
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It has been said that if you don't know where you are, you can't go anywhere. That seems to be the case with discipleship as well. To that end, we've invested some ministry money and time to put this incredibly revealing and insightful tool online for anyone and everyone to use. Benefits include:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Helps the new believer see the need for discipleship and gives them some personal responsibility to become a self-feeder and move from infant to a child of Christ.</li>
<li>Gives the group leader a better understanding of how to minister to the new believer in his or her group.</li>
<li>Gives the mentor key insights into how the person they're discipling learns, what they're struggling with, and their current level of basic Bible knowledge.</li>
</ul>
So my question for you is this: why are you still reading this instead of taking the assessment yourself to see how helpful it will be in your ministry? :)<br />
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God bless, and get busy discipling!<br />
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RandallRandall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-89412755313453850052014-08-16T07:57:00.000-07:002014-08-16T07:57:37.879-07:00An expose on the culture in which we find ourselves.<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Etna and I have enjoyed watching the summer series show Suits on AMC in its first seasons. The acting is excellent and the storylines are intriguing. This season the writers—and ultimately the AMC network—have pushed the boundaries yet agai</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">n with foul language on the show using one particular phrase repeatedly that feels like a punch in my gut every time I hear it.<br /><br />This morning we watched this week’s episode. Between the recap from last week and this week’s airing, I counted at least six uses of the Lord’s name used in vain (the "GD" phrase).<br /><br />That’s the offensive phrase. Just about every other unsavory word doesn’t seem to bother me (right or wrong), but hearing "GD" pains me greatly. Why?<br /><br />It’s offensive because of my respect and love for my compassionate Creator and his incredible and sacrificial love for mankind (you, me, and every other soul on this planet throughout time… even mass murders, rapists, and self-proclaimed haters of God).<br /><br />It’s also offensive to God. Really offensive. In fact, it’s the third of the Ten Commandments (shared a couple of commandments before “Thall shall not kill” if that helps you see the seriousness of it, even though I don’t think God puts any of the commandments above the others). Using “GD” proclaims that God damns people (meaning he desires that certain people to go to hell and is purposely sending them there with prejudice and malice, two ungodly attributes he does not possess).<br /><br />God has never “damned” anyone. He created man in His own image for heaven’s sake (pun intended), and even sent His Son Christ to die for us to make a relational connection to him while we were still sitting in a self-created and separating cesspool of sin.<br /><br />Interestingly, I cannot recall an actor on broadcast TV (movies, yes, but not TV) using the N word or a slur for a homosexual and probably never will. And this exposes the root of the issue. Read the next three paragraphs slowly and ponder the much broader implication before you scroll down to the next post.<br /><br /><i>When a culture chooses to elevate its respect of man and thumb its nose at the Creator of man, God gives that culture what it wants… independence from Him. And then culture falls apart and nobody is happy with the results (if they're still around to be unhappy as history proves). A Man powered Godless culture has no foundation or stability on which to operate. It’s a house built on shifting sand.</i><br /><br />Will I write AMC and request they avoid the use of this phrase in future episodes of Suits and other shows they air? You bet. Will I send a letter to the FCC asking why they were permitted to get away with this? Absolutely.<br /><br />AMC writer's flagrant use of "GD" is the fruit. I’ll attempt to pick it off the tree with written letters. But it’s the root of that tree that motivated me to write this and share it with you in hopes you will stop and think about it for a moment. Some how, some way, our culture now thinks using a racial slur is worse than a God slur. They’re both wrong and offensive to God. Let’s work toward not denigrating one another OR our Creator.<br /><br />[If you’re reading this and you agree, please stop and pray for mankind and yourself while you’re at it.]</span>Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-90755172746796368672014-07-25T14:23:00.003-07:002014-07-25T14:27:40.434-07:00Seven Signs We Are Worshipping the Family (by Jason Helopoulos, not me!)Sometimes I read a pastor's blog and think, "Wow. I soooo agree! This belongs on my blog too."<br />
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Obviously, so did this pastor. He has a guest blogger who wrote a nice short to-the-point blog entry about family and how you know yours is not focused on Christ. Well, here's some indicators that fit not only your immediate earthly family, but your spiritual family (your cell group or small group)…<br />
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<a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/07/24/7-signs-we-are-worshipping-the-family/" target="_blank">http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/07/24/7-signs-we-are-worshipping-the-family/</a><br />
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Read it and come back here to discuss. Go!</div>
Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-62197147464225117162014-07-14T11:51:00.002-07:002014-07-14T11:55:13.161-07:00"What you draw them in with is what they'll be committed to" ... So true!In <em>Organic Church</em>, Neil Cole writes, "What you draw them with is what they'll be committed to."<br />
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Wow. Truer words have never been written, even if the sentence structure isn't the best!<br />
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I see this truth play out over and over across the USA in small group ministries. Church leaders become fatigued with the fact that the consumer Christians in their congregations aren't interested in participating in Christ-centered groups (where the members are challenged to lay down their agendas for the cause of Christ). So, they retool their small group ministry and <em>sell the sizzle</em> of "Designer small groups" where the drawing topic can be anything from emergency preparedness to scrapbooking to dealing with cancer.<br />
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My dad pioneered the use of these kinds of groups for evangelism years ago, because "Type B" unbelievers (furthest away from trusting Christ on the Engel scale) aren't drawn to the message or the messenger, but to a secular interest. He called them <em>Interest Groups</em> or <em>Share Groups</em>.<br />
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However, there were a number of differences between Dad's Interest/Share Groups and what's going on in today's small group ministries:<br />
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<li>Interest/Share Groups were subsets of a Christ-centered group and run parallel to the mother group. 3-4 mature believers in a group would form an interest group and report back each week as to how it was going and how to pray for the spiritual condition of each person in the interest group.</li>
<li>Interest/Share Groups were 8-12 weeks in length, which was the amount of time necessary for deepening friendships to form.</li>
<li>The goal of Interest/Share Groups was to relationally bridge the unbelievers to the members of the Christ-centered group... during the weeks of the interest group gathering, the unbelievers were invited to meals in the home of one of the leaders of the Interest/Share Group and members of the Christ-Centered group would also be at that meal.</li>
<li>After 8-12 weeks in an Interest/Share Group, the unbeliever would learn that Christians aren't what they initially thought they were like. A paradigm shift was the goal.</li>
<li>After the Interest/Share Group concluded, it often created an empty place in the weekly calendar and a relational void for the unbeliever. This was very good because they had made friends with the Interest/Share Group leaders and the members of the Christ-centered group, and would be far more open to visiting the Christ-centered group.</li>
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Now let's contrast this with Designer Small Groups:<br />
<ul>
<li>The goal is to get church members to meet around a topic of interest off church property between corporate gatherings. Big church meetings aren't relational, and this fills that sociological void.</li>
<li>Congregational members are far more likely to sign up to lead a Designer Group because they get to choose the focus of the meetings. They're motivated to market their idea and fill their group!</li>
<li>Church leadership usually require that prayer requests are taken and prayer or worship is present in the group to legitimize it a bit with a spiritual element.</li>
<li>The hope that God will move powerfully among the members as a result is certainly present, and I have no doubt that it does happen. But one could argue that it's not strategically intentional for the <em>members</em> of these groups. Most don't know it's anything more than a church sponsored Designer Small Group.</li>
</ul>
The church that my wife and I were a part of for nearly ten years abandoned Christ-centered groups a while back for Designer Groups. Due to a number of problems in the Christ-centered groups (no discipleship pathway, lax relationship-driven leadership development, and the groups were not the missional thrust of the church, etc.) they decided to give this a try to battle group member fatigue.<br />
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And the members of the groups were indeed fatigued. As a member, if you're not growing spiritually toward group leadership and beyond AND seeing personal transformation in yourself and others in the group and some success with evangelism and one-on-one disciple making, fatigue will set in fast!<br />
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After six months of designer group participation, I've not seen a lot of fruit from this diversion at the church. More people are in groups, but walking into a garage doesn't make you a mechanic, just a guy standing in a garage. Neil Cole was not wrong. It may not be easy, but drawing people into a small group whose sole focus is Christ makes for a powerful group experience when the members of the group shed their agendas and Christ's presence, power, and purposes are experienced.<br />
<br />
So tell me, dear blog readers... what has been your experience with Designer Groups long term? Have the members of the church seen lots of spiritual fruit from it? Has it transformed the minds and hearts of those who have participated?Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-33032501674696163792014-06-19T15:14:00.001-07:002014-06-20T05:26:40.551-07:00Victim or Victor?Each day, everyone chooses to be a victim or victor in one or more areas of life.<br />
<br />
A victim… <br />
- Is passive, feeling as if they’ve already failed. <br />
- Is highly resistant concerning personal change. <br />
- Views challenges as unsurpassable brick walls. <br />
- Does not typically set personal goals that are vigorously pursued.<br />
- Works overtime in making excuses for the current situation in which they find themselves. <br />
- Often feels entitled to special treatment and scoffs at victors who are rewarded “unfairly” or seem to get everything they want easily.<br />
- Battles loneliness. <br />
<br />
A victor… <br />
- Is active, and chooses to view failures as stepping stones to success. <br />
- Ignores fears surrounding personal change, choosing to adopt change instead of avoid it. <br />
- Views challenges as speed bumps to move over or move past. <br />
- Maintains personal growth goals with milestones for success. <br />
- Works overtime to achieve goals and remain victorious in weak areas of life. <br />
- Enjoys the hard-earned rewards of a victor. <br />
- Attracts new friends easily...because they're not a victim.<br />
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Lots of small groups play the victim it seems. They don't make goals. They don't like change. They're passive.<br />
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So is your group more a victim or more of a victor?<br />
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<br />
<br />Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-34387723459298772272013-11-13T09:06:00.000-08:002013-11-13T09:08:06.437-08:00Do you drive by multiple small groups to get to your small group meeting?A few weeks back I had the pleasure of breaking bread with a discipleship/small groups pastor in a suburb of Northwest Houston whose personal vision was kingdom-driven. He had just completed a survey of other area churches and mapped all their small group meeting locations, overlaying them on his own church's group locations. <br />
<br />
From what he gathered, five different churches in the area had small group members who were driving by 1 to 3 other small groups to get to their own group. His conclusion? "This is crazy! We're all part of the family of God. Why should we drive past CLOSER small groups in our own neighborhoods just to get to the one that belongs to our church family?" <br />
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I quickly asked a couple of question that I was sure he'd asked himself: 1) Are the other area churches similar in theology? 2) How does your lead pastor feel about the idea of his members going to a small group belonging to another church? <br />
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This staff pastor said that it was his lead pastor's idea and that he didn't mind if his members went to other small groups if a network could be established and all the pastors and the members agreed to participate. <br />
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When I discuss this concept with other pastors, they are quick to point out that they might lose members (read leadership and tithes into that concern) to other churches if they did this. Of course, they might gain new tithing lay leaders too, but they weren't as confident in this happening as they were concerned that the loss would happen! <br />
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This is some serious out-of-the-box kingdom thinking here. It's certain to kill off a castle protection mentality if it takes hold.<br />
<br />
<b>So what say you? Do you think a handful of independent churches in a geographical area could overcome their fears and do this? </b><br />
<br />Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com3Tomball, TX, USA30.0971621 -95.616054929.987261099999998 -95.777416399999993 30.2070631 -95.4546934tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-38344236286963049642013-07-24T19:55:00.002-07:002013-07-24T19:57:44.118-07:00Matthew 26:40: A recipe for an hour of small group prayerChallenge your groups to pray for an hour together sometime this summer. Spend ten minutes praying about each of the six topics below.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Praise and adoration to your Creator</span><br />
Begin your hour of prayer by praising God for his holiness and purity, which he freely shares with you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Thank him for his goodness and desire to bless you. Praise him for his patience and loyalty, even when you don’t deserve it. Give him honor for the gifts and talents you posses, and be specific! Thank him for protecting you in ways you know about and those you will not know of until you meet him in glory. Finally, thank him for the privilege of being his representative in this dark and hurting world.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pray for our federal government and its officials</span><br />
As you pray for the U.S. Congress, Federal Court Judges, the President, and his cabinet, and other government officials, <u>ask God to pour out his Spirit on each person or position</u>. Use this time to intercede on their behalf, asking God to protect them, their families, and their relationships. <u>Refrain from complaining to God about their positions on specific issues or party affiliation. </u><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pray for our city and your neighborhood</span><br />
Take a few minutes to thank the Lord for this town and the things you love about living here. Praise him for the opportunity to be a positive influence on the many who live around us. Then, ask for a fresh understanding of how you can make a difference with your time, energy, and talents to make the people of our town feel loved and appreciated. Use the balance of your time to cry out to God for the unchurched in our town, asking him to give you a great awareness of their needs so you can respond in love. Pray for safety in the schools in your area and the children that are taught there each day. Ask the Lord to bring to mind the businesses in your area and ask him to prosper each one. Then, pray for your neighbors by name, asking God for open doors to deepen relationships with them and serve them. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pray for our church, the staff members, and their families</span><br />
Pray for protection for your church. We’re working hard to reach people for Christ and Satan is never happy about that. Ask God to protect the members, family units, small groups, and leadership. Take your time and think through each family, group, and lay leader and lift them up by name. We also need pray for the missional direction of the church as it moves forward, increasing relationships with one another, the Lord, and unchurched families in our community. Pray for each staff member by name and ask God to give them encouragement and joy in their work, peace in their families and homes, and wisdom as they serve God and the congregation. (Add the names of your church’s staff members here.)<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pray for yourself </span><br />
Petition God to be the kind of fellow small group member, friend, husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, ex-husband, or ex-wife that he would want you to be: slow to anger, quick to praise, full of wisdom, and to become a person of greater patience and grace. Thank God for each person in your small group and family by name, highlighting one or two ways you see God shining through them, including skills, abilities, and talents. Then petition God to be the kind of supervisor, employee, co-worker, or student that is a ray of hope, refreshment, and encouragement to those around you. If you are willing to be specific in this area when you pray, you'll run out of time!<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pray for the lost</span><br />
Pray for deeper connections with unchurched friends, relatives, co-workers, fellow students, and neighbors. Thank the Lord for each person by name, highlighting one thing you love about that person. Then ask God for boldness with those you just prayed for and a new or stronger desire to tell them how Christ is working in you. (If you don’t have any unchurched people in your life, use this time to ask God to show you the people on the landscape who are desperately looking for a friend like you.)<br />
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<i>Tips for an hour of prayer as a group:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Invite everyone to drop to their knees and face the outside of a circle of chairs.</i><br />
<i>• Invite everyone to pray aloud and ignore everyone else around them. This way, everyone gets to pray for a whole hour instead of listening to the bold people pray while the timid ones remain silent.</i><br />
<i>• Start praying on time and end on time.</i><br />
<i>• After the hour, ask your group what God spoke to them during the hour.</i>Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791236692805683610.post-59559772640520307512013-07-24T19:51:00.002-07:002013-07-24T19:51:39.005-07:00I thought I'd post a really great blog article by my good friend Mike Mack, author of <a href="http://www.touchusa.org/resources/small-group-vital-signs.asp" target="_blank">Small Group Vital Signs</a> since I don't have time to blog at the moment.<br />
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For those of you who are "cell group" snobs, just replace the words "small group" with "cell group" and the article will still have significant meaning for you and your group!<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://www.churchleaders.com/smallgroups/small-group-articles/162548-dethrone-these-small-group-idols.html#.UemCTahhRVM.facebook" target="_blank">Small Group Idols. Do you or your group have them?</a></h3>
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Feel free to come back here and discuss the content of the article if you like. Mike will surely chime in as he's a reader of my blog...</div>
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Randall</div>
Randall Neighbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682886627547670154noreply@blogger.com0