Warner Pacific Jesus for All

produced by THE CREDO AGENCY

PRESENT QUESTIONS (good for a familiar group ‘s development) · What is a time during the week that you can relax? · What do you most like about your life’s calling? · What do you least like about your life’s calling? · What is one thing that gives you satisfaction?

BEING A SMALL GROUP LEADER

· Which household chores would you like never to have to do again? · What one thing would you like to change about your life?

Community building begins when people feel welcomed, known and supported. Part of that is allowing people to share about themselves. Here are some conversations starters that you can use in the early and late stages of group development.

· How do you work on your relationship with Christ during the day? · What is your greatest joy in your faith?

Enjoy the conversations….

· What is your greatest struggle in your faith?

PAST QUESTIONS (good for beginning group’s development)

FUTURE QUESTIONS (good for a friendly group ‘s development)

· What are your favorite childhood memories?

· Where would you live if you could move anywhere in the world, and why?

· What was Christmas like when you were a child? · Where did you live when growing up?

· How would you like to see yoru closest relationship develop in the next year?

· What was your greatest struggle as a teenager?

· What area of your faith would you like to work on in the next few years?

· What is your earliest recollection of God?

· If you have three wishes, what would they be?

· What did you want to be when you grew up?

· If you could write one new headline for the whole world to see, what would it be? · What is your greatest anticipation of the future? · How do you feel God can use you in the next few years?

Tips for Conversational Community Building · Use these categories as a guide for when it’s safe to ask what questions. Don’t ask questions that the group isn’t prepared (emotionally) to engage. · Don’t make people share if they don’t want to. · Try to integrate your conversation with the topic you’re studying. Make it part of the learning.

Be Prepared - Life gets busy but your preparation is critical.

Be familiar with your materials ahead of time. Use the manual as a guide not a map. Oh, and set yourself a reminder to send the group a reminder of how to prepare.

Pray - Leading a small group can be scary but seek God’s guidance and courage. Also, take time to prayer with your group. Be considerate of how people prefer to pray, i.e. some physical touch is awkward for some so just sincerely ask.

Ask Questions - Your primary role is to facilitate conversation. Asking open-ended questions is one of the best ways to do that. Yes/No questions often shut the conversation down. A genuine “Why?” is a great follow up question.

Don’t Be Afraid of Silence - Sometimes it takes people a little while to formulate the words they want to say or the trust they need to have to say it. Don’t be afraid to let people sit in silence. Look around, make eye contact, be easy.

Don’t Be Afraid of Going Off Topic (a little) - Sometimes in an effort to connect people will seemingly go off-topic.

That’s ok. Stay focused, listen well and steer it back to the subject at hand. The conversation are important to building your community.

Be a Good Facilitator, Not a Bad Preacher - Engage conversation with the group. You are not there to give all the answers. You’re there to help your group process. If a person says, “I don’t know” remind them this is not a class and there’s no grade so go with what you think.”

Respect All Contributions - This is about taking the opportunity to enhance relationships not count right answers. Regularly invite people to share, especially those who need a little nudge. You may not agree with everything that’s said but respect who said it and let them know. Maybe even send an encouraging text later.

People Like Snacks - Especially college student people.

Really! Do what you can even if what you can is called a “Potluck”!

And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together…

Hebrews 10:24-25

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another Proverbs 27:17

See “Who’s In My Group” pages at end of this manual.

The Mission of Campus Ministries Small Groups is to enhance FRIENDSHIPS, FAITH, and the COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

Various Purposes for Small Groups Community Encouragement Accountability Spiritual Growth Transformation Discipleship Hospitality to newcomers Biblical Study/Increase Literacy

They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teachings and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42

JESUS FOR ALL OF US

Session One Prep Leader send out a reminder of group time and any special instructions.

Group be prepared to discuss one or two things the group should know about you as you do spiritual discovery. ...

Getting to know the group Leader get contact info if needed.

Why do you want to explore Jesus at this point in your journey?

What do you hope to get out of this experience?

Chapter for discussion Luke 1:26-2:38 Read the passage together.

• • • •

What is your earliest memories of your perspective on Jesus?

How does this passage match up with the image of the baby Jesus you have from Christmas?

What can we understand from Mary’s prayer about God’s purpose for Jesus?

• What can we understand from Simeon’s encounter about God’s purpose for Jesus?

Activity For the time we are together we are going to have a set of things we agree on about how we engage one another. What sort of things should guide us? What is important for us to understand about you as you engage in spiritual discovery with us?

Everyone gets to decide on one thing that is important enough to them that everyone can agree to. Write these down, repeat, or pledge them to one another.

(Ideas include be on time, what is shared here stays here, come

prepared, let’s have fun, bring snacks, pray for each other one time per week while we do this, hang out one time per week while we do this, open with 5 minute check in, 2 minutes of silence to start our time together, etc.)

Closing Invite Jesus to be with us in our time together and while we are apart.

Explain the optional 7 day devotional plan and encourage participation. Partner up students who decide to do it for support.

Homework: Luke 3 Optional 7 day devotion plan: Matthew 1 - 2, John 1, Luke 5 - 7

JESUS FOR ALL OF US

Session Two

Prep Leader send out a reminder of group time, read Luke 3, and any special instructions.

Everyone do a quick inventory of your clothes, shoes, and technology looking for where excess shows up in your life. ...

• Opening conversation on Homework passage • How can we live into the two-tunic principle?

• Have you ever been baptized? Tell us the story and what it meant to you • Why does Luke set out Jesus’ history? Why is knowing our history important to the spiritual journey?

Activity Story telling activity – Think of a children’s playground; if your spiritual life was one of the pieces of equipment or games that kids play, what would it be and why? (ie. Swing set, 4 square boxes, monkey bars, basketball court, etc.

– feel free to bring art equipment and do some drawing instead) Luke 4 Read passage together.

• Is it kind of strange that Jesus was tempted? What kind of things was he tempted w Session Two, cont’d.

• What temptations do you face? What can we do to help with this?

• What can we understand from Jesus’ sermon about God’s • purpose for him?

• Vs. 43 what is the kingdom of God that Jesus must preach?

Closing Review the commitment activity from week one.

How did we do?

Decide on one thing that you have in excess that you could give away. Bring it next week.

Homework : Luke 6 Optional 7 day devotional plan Matthew 5-7, Luke 8, John 2-3

JESUS FOR ALL OF US

Session Three Prep Leader send out a reminder of group time, read Luke 6, and any special instructions.

Everyone remember to bring one thing that you have in excess that you could give away.

Opening Conversation on Homework passage Jesus does a good thing while breaking the religious laws of his day. In what ways have you seen or participated in rules to the detriment of what is right?

Verses 21-45 are some of Jesus most powerful words, what stuck with you as you read them this week?

Activity One of the most difficult things that Jesus asks people to do is love those they do not want to. Take a moment to name five people or types of people that are difficult for you to love right now. Then write down why. (sharing here is recommended but optional)

Luke 7 Read passage together.

• Can we identify any similarities in the Centurion, the widow, and the sinful woman that Jesus encounters in this chapter?

• How can we see Mary’s or Simeon’s vision of Jesus in these encounters?

• How can we see Jesus’ words from his sermon in Luke 4 in these encounters?

• How can we see his sermon in Luke 6 in these encounters?

• What does verse 47 mean? Have you seen this in your experiences?

Closing Pray for those that are difficult to love. Ideas include: Offer for the group to pray out loud for the people on their lists.

Offer to have each member of the group pray for another person’s list.

Group leader prays for the lists.

Homework: Luke 9 Optional 7 day devotional plan Luke 10-14, Jo

JESUS FOR ALL OF US

Session Four

Prep Leader send out a reminder of group time, read Luke 9, and any special instructions.

Leader bring some nice paper or stationary to the group for letter writing.

Everyone bring an item that represents one thing that keeps you from growing deeper in your spiritual life. ...

Opening Conversation on Homework passage Jesus asks his followers a very important question, “who do you say that I am?” Let’s all spend a moment answering that question for ourselves.

In verses 57-62 people identify some barriers to following Jesus, what are your barriers?

Activity What if we lived one week without on of our major spiritual excuses? What is one excuse we usually have in our lives for not engaging deeper with our spiritual lives? What can we all agree to do this week to combat that excuse?

Luke 15 Read passage together.

• In the parable of the Lost Sheep we are seen as the sheep.

What has lost looked like in your life?

• In the parable of the Lost Son God is seen as the father. What do you see in the father of the story that is true about who God is in your experience?

• In the parable of the Lost Coin we are seen as the coin. Why are you so valuable that God would rejoice at your being found?

• If you take all of these three together, what is the message of Luke 15?

Closing Everyone take 10 minutes in quiet to compose a letter. This letter is from God to you. You are God’s valuable lost child, coin, and sheep.

What is God saying about your life and value?

Homework: Luke 18 Optional 7 day devotional plan Luke 16-17, 20, John 8, 11, 13

JESUS FOR ALL OF US

Session Five

Prep Leader send out a reminder of group time, read Luke 18, and any special instructions.

Bring a gift you have received that was spectacular. ...

Opening Conversation on Homework passage What is the virtue of the tax-gatherer? What is the sin of the Pharisee? How do you see these things in yourself?

Jesus has some pretty harsh words for money and wealth.

Why is wealth such a big barrier to following Jesus?

Activity Was Jesus’ command to the rich young ruler for just him or is there something about radical generosity that is for all of us?

What is one act of radical generosity that we can all agree to do this week?

Luke 19 (Read passage together.)

• What is the spiritual lesson of the parable?

• Why was Jesus so upset at the end of Luke 19? Is this image of Jesus different or challenging than the other pictures we get in Luke?

• What is appropriate or inappropriate anger? How do we know?

Closing The parable indicates that we should use and not hide the gifts God has given us. Go around the circle as many times as you can and identify what those gifts are in your life?

(If people have a difficult time getting started think about the following categories: accomplishments, personality traits, good things from upbringing, life circumstances, education and the privileges of American life, support people, etc. Also don’t forget that even our trials can be used for good. This may be an opportunity to explore God’s ability to turn difficulty into beauty)

Homework Luke 23 Optional 7 day devotional plan Luke 21-22, John 14-17

JESUS FOR ALL OF US

Session Six Prep Leader send out a reminder of group time, read Luke 23, and any special instructions.

Be ready to share your act of generosity. ...

Opening Conversation on Homework passage Looking back on everything we have learned about Jesus, why do you think that there is so much anger towards him?

What emotions were evoked in you when you read this passage for homework?

Activity Central to the Christian message is Christ dying for our sin. Take a moment for confession. Read out loud verses 33-46. Depending upon the closeness of the group, have each person write or speak the things in which they have been forgiven of.

Luke 24 (Read passage together.)

• What would the resurrection have meant to those who were with Jesus?

• What does the resurrection mean to us today?

• We have done this entire study because Jesus needs to be understood in conversation with others. Like the two people on the road to Emmaus, who are you in conversation with about Jesus? Who would benefit from further exploration of Jesus with you?

Closing Thank everyone for this commitment and walking with you through this discovery process. Retell a meaningful moment from the group that has stuck with you. Affirm a discovery you made.

Affirm the discoveries that you saw in others. Give participants a chance to express their feeling about the group and study ending.

PS There is opportunity for your group to stay together and do another track of study. You can also find another group of students to lead through this. Please encourage any of the students in the group you see as potential leaders to talk to Jess Bielman or Michelle Lang.

WHO’S IN MY GROUP? Name _____________________________________________ Birthday ___________________________________________

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Hobbies ____________________________________________

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Contact ___________________________________________

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Name _____________________________________________ Name _____________________________________________ Birthday ___________________________________________ Birthday ___________________________________________ Major _____________________________________________ Major _____________________________________________ Hobbies ____________________________________________ Hobbies ____________________________________________ Phone (__) __________________ Phone (__) __________________ Contact ___________________________________________ Contact ___________________________________________ Name _____________________________________________ Name _____________________________________________ Birthday ___________________________________________ Birthday ___________________________________________ Major _____________________________________________ Major _____________________________________________ Hobbies ____________________________________________ Hobbies ____________________________________________ Phone (__) __________________ Phone (__) __________________ Contact ___________________________________________ Contact ___________________________________________