Group 101 workbook

GROUP 101 CHRIST CHAPEL’S

a 5+ week guide to launching a great home group

HOST EDITION

Group 101 1st ed.

by Michael Koiner for Christ Chapel Bible Church Copyright © 2018 by Christ Chapel Bible Church. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. For permissions, contact: 3701 Birchman Ave. | Fort Worth, TX 76107 817-731-4329 www.ccbcfamily.org Cover image by iStock Interior design by Michael Koiner Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

WELCOME TO GROUP 101 What This Is A BIT ABOUT THIS WORKBOOK

Hosts of new groups at Christ Chapel are given a “Group 101” kit which contains a Host version and several participants versions of a five-week study on community. We believe that studying about God’s purpose for biblical community will help you better connect with others at Christ Chapel and set you up for a long and fulfilling group experience that will last for years to come.

We’ve tried to make this study extremely straightforward for you to experience week to week. So just do a little reading and preparing before each week and you’ll be all set!

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to get your feet wet with a new group of people. Our hope is that by the end of these few weeks you will have a chance to evaluate your participation in the group and then move forward to the storytelling section at the back where you’ll spend a few weeks listening to life stories and telling your own during the normal group time.

Ultimately, our hope is that you continue on with this group and begin utilizing the sermon notes and discussion questions (handed out on Sundays at Christ Chapel or attached to the video/audio on our website) during your future meetings. Most of our home groups follow the sermon series, but your group can coordinate other study options with our Connect Ministry office.

We’re Here!

If you have any questions about Christ Chapel’s home group philosophy, please reach out to the staff listed below in our Connect Ministry. Our Connect Ministry helps people find new home groups and offers training and support to new home group Hosts. We would love the opportunity to get to know you and answer any questions you might have.

Place a sticker in this space for Hailee White Preston Newsome Fort Worth ConnectPreston/Hailee Director or Tyler, depending Connect Ministry Assistant upon the campus the host is PrestonN@christchapelbc.org HaileeW@christchapelbc.org connected to.

785-764-6306 817-945-2321

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

PLANNING FOR YOUR GROUP The first thing you need to know is that no two home groups are the same.

There’s no one perfect way to do a home group. This Group 101 study should be used as a guide to get your group started and help you think through some options. However, this isn’t a user manual with all the answers in it.

Christ Chapel has a Connect Ministry that helps home group leaders and also helps people connect to their home groups. The Connect Ministry staff is a resource for you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to any of them at www.ccbcfamily.org/connect to ask questions, share struggles or even to tell them something good!

SOME THINGS TO DECIDE BEFORE YOUR FIRST MEETING: 1. When and where are you going to meet?

–– Some groups meet in the same place each week, which provides consistency for new members.

–– Some groups rotate around to some or all of their group members’ homes. This is particularly helpful when there are people traveling distances much further than others or have children. It helps balance the driving commitment among the group members.

–– Most groups meet every week for most of the year. Will you? What will your schedule be and how flexible are you?

–– How late are you willing to host people in your home? You’ll want to communicate an end time to your members so that your time is budgeted well. We recommend saving at least two hours for your group meeting.

Ideal meeting day

time

location:

_______________ ________ ________________________________

2. What are YOUR expectations for this group?

You might have started this group because you wanted friends, because there wasn’t anyone else to host a group for you, because you wanted prayer partners, because you wanted to be around others who have a passion for God’s Word, because you are fleeing from a group that didn’t fit you well, or because you have a heart for gathering with people outside the walls of the church. Identifying the reason YOU are here is important because you’ll later want to ask your new group members about THEIR expectations for group, and see how well your vision aligns with theirs. © 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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HOST EDITION I am starting this group because… _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________.

3. Most groups meet in the evenings, so what about food?

You’re not required to serve anything, but a good host always has something on hand just in case. Think about having a few water bottles in the fridge, popcorn or a box of crackers in the pantry, or some warm cookies in the oven. Some folks just enjoy coffee or hot cocoa, or the joy of taking turns with snacks. Think about little ways to make your new group members feel welcome in your home, but don’t smother them with too much hospitality or accidentally make the gathering more about your homemaking than about your group’s development.

4. What about kids?

Kids are great blessings, but they present a bit of an obstacle for home groups—particularly new groups who are trying to create culture and invest a lot of time getting to know one another. Here are some options for you to consider if your group consists of parents: –– Option A: Don’t bring your kids to group. Find a sitter and prioritize this adult time every week you meet. Try pooling funds and a sharing a sitter in your home or in a nearby group member’s home.

–– Option B: Bring your kids and let them be around while your group is meeting. οο For babies and small children: Home group is inevitably going to mess with everyone’s bedtime. Most young kiddos will go to bed somewhere around 8 p.m. So you need to get out of group by around 7:15 p.m. As you think about what time you want to begin meeting, work backward from these times and possibly include dinner or allow members to bring their to-go food into your living room. οο For slightly older kids: Consider playing a movie in an adjacent room.

With kids in the house it’s going to be loud and there will be interruptions, but remember that most parents are conditioned to live in a little bit of chaos. It is possible to have a great group experience!

–– Option C: Another option is a hybrid where once a month you get a sitter, then guys meet then the ladies meet.

If your group is mixed (somewhere between Life Stages 2 and 3), remember that LS2 couples will have a higher expectation of the group experience. As a Host, help those younger couples manage their expectations for the group meeting time. It might be helpful to hold off on incorporating kids into the group time until about half of the group has children.

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

Read this before your First meeting WELCOME TO YOUR FIRST WEEK IN GROUP!

Are you nervous? Did you brush your teeth? Put on deodorant? Don’t forget your shoes!

Hopefully this study will calm your nerves over the next five weeks as you meet new friends and begin to “do life” together.

Each week you’ll find in this workbook something you will do between meetings and something to guide your time together.

Four Essentials Your time together will generally consist of four essentials: 1. Gathering – unstructured time where you can build relationships with one another and catch up on your week. Don’t skip past this part and jump into answering Bible study questions! It’s important to get to know who you’re sharing your life with.

2. Study – you may end up doing more study between the group meeting or during the front half of the group time; depending on the lesson in your workbook or how your Host(s) want(s) to spend your time together. Pay attention to your workbook directions each week between meetings.

3. Discussion – structured time where you can dig into a certain topic and talk about what excites you and/or ask questions about what confuses you.

4. Prayer – time spent sharing ways the group can remember each other before God each week. There are many ways to handle prayer as a group, and one style doesn’t fit all groups. You’ll experience several different methods of handling prayer requests during weeks two through five.

Some Ground Rules 1. Show up. You can’t be known if you aren’t around to be known. There are other people who would like to be in this home group, and if the Host of your group thinks you are coming they’re going to save that spot for you, so commit to the group!

2. Respect each other’s time. Don’t be late, and don’t be way early! If you miss out on the unstructured social time at the beginning, you won’t be © 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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able to share about things like your crazy week, the drama with your coworker, the sale on kitty litter at Walmart or the results of your mom’s surgery!

3. Talk. That may sound silly, but the truth is you can’t grow without being vulnerable around people you are supposed to trust. Share your questions, objections, thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to reveal your deepest secrets, but you may find that you’re in a group where that possibility could exist.

4. Listen. This is—roughly—the opposite of talking. Active listening will allow you to ask follow-up questions of your new friends in home group, and will show that you are a person who is interested in others.

Your First Meeting This week you’ll gather for the first time. The format of this week is different than any of the other weeks in this workbook. We want you to share a meal together. Your leader will make arrangements at a restaurant or public meeting place that’s relatively quiet where you can focus on getting to know each other and setting the foundation for your home group experience.

Plan on it…

We’re meeting at _________________________ on ______________ at _________

Before You Meet Have an open mind and pray that God would use this gathering of people to help you connect and grow in this church family.

As a personal exercise, list names from the different types of community that you’re currently a part of. This may include family, jobs, gyms, athletic teams, classes or schools, musical affinities, boards and leadership experiences, etc.

Jot them down in the appropriate columns on the next page. (Hint: there’s no wrong answer!)

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101 Communal (outside influences) i.e. shared taste in music, sports, etc.

Societal (surface-level interactions) i.e. acquaintances

Personal (closer; forged through shared experiences) i.e. friends and extended family

Intimate (real and raw) i.e. your inner circle of friends and immediate family

 In which column would you list the members of your ideal home group?

 What are some expectations you have as you walk into this new home group this week?

Save the next section for when you are meeting together with your group.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

HOST NOTES FOR MEETING #1 Make the plans for your first meeting out. We suggest going out to eat together. Why? It’s normal for people to meet at restaurants, it’s not normal to walk up to a home of people you’ve never met. Plus, you can have a good time eating together before making things seem churchy or serious.

Plan to arrive about 15 minutes early just in case others are early so you can meet them and help them feel cared for and safe. They’re in the right place!

You are not expected to treat anyone to food or beverages.* Everyone should expect to pay for their own meal. *You may find that someone is unable to attend this meeting due to a budgetary restriction. Encourage them to come anyway and order water, or share an appetizer with them. If you are able, you may find it to be a personal blessing to pay for them to have something to eat.

Take this workbook with you so you can reference it during your meeting.

Account for about an hour for people to arrive, get seated, place their orders, and for the food to come out.

In the meantime, use the following questions to spark conversation at the table. “Let’s go around the table and share a bit about ourselves with everyone.”

1. What is your name?

2. What do you fill your days with?

3. How long have you lived here?

4. Tell us about your family.

5. Add your own question(s): _______________________________________?

6. What led you to be interested in a home group?

When the meal is about finished, continue with these focusing questions: 7. What do you hope to get out of this group? What are your expectations?

8. Have any of you had a negative experience with a group in the past that you’re hoping won’t repeat with this group? (Asking this will help you be sensitive to needs and will create an environment of safety and unity for your group members.)

Host(s), overview the different types of community and their definitions on the next page. Your group members should have completed a personal exercise related to the first four types of community, but if they didn’t that’s alright since you’re about to review them. © 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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HOST EDITION

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

101 week 1 GATHER

Dinner Time!

LET’S OVERVIEW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITY:

1. Communal – a community made up of mutual outside influences such as a shared taste in music, movies, food, athletics, sports teams, etc.

2. Societal – a community comprised of primarily surface-level interactions with acquaintances; possibly limited to members of a social class or group.

3. Personal – a close-knit community defined by shared experiences; your extended family or people you would call friends.

4. Intimate – a community that’s real and raw; might be made up of your inner circle of friends and immediate family, or “framily” (the family you chose).

5. Biblical – an intimate community that is central to God’s purpose for the world and is continually pursuing growth in: love, devotion, worship, authenticity, accountability, and prayer.

The idea of community in the early church is described in the Bible in the second chapter of the book of Acts. Read the passage on the next page aloud as a group.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 1: Gather

HOSTS: If you only hear crickets, we suggest you get things started by briefly saying, “I noticed ‘devotion’ as a theme in the first line, talking about consistency in listening to the teaching of the leadership, hanging out with others, eating together and praying. Did that stick out to anyone else?

What else did you see?”

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And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

 What stood out to you in this passage about how community was formed in the early church?

Maybe this isn’t what you thought you signed up for, and that’s OK! Don’t bolt for the door just yet. There are different stages of community, and you don’t have to do something radical like sell your possessions to raise money for the poor just to belong to this group. During this study, we’re just looking to get you introduced to some people who you can do life with…whatever that looks like for you.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

VISION FOR THIS HOME GROUP

As a group, come up with 4-6 bullet points to make up the vision that this home group will be founded on. An example is on the left, but you can write whatever you decide together on the right. Be sure to talk about the definition of words you use, like “devoted” (what does that mean?)—especially if you’re into the details!

●● Love and accept one another no matter what.

●●

●● Be devoted to the community of our larger church and to the gathering of our home group.

●●

●● Strive to worship God together in every way we live life.

●● ●●

●● Be authentic. (Don’t hide the truth with one another.)

●●

●● Hold each other accountable, and be OK with being held accountable.

●●

●● Pray for one another.

Agree together on the vision and values of your home group and sign below indicating that you are participating in this biblical community and submit to the leadership of your group Host(s).

X_______________________________________________ Decide your weekly routine and where you will meet next. For the next four or more weeks, we’re meeting at: _________________________________________ on ______________ at ______p.m.

That’s it! This is the end of the “official business” of this group meeting, but you should feel free to stay as long as you are allowed.

After You Meet Each week after you meet we want you to spend some time thinking about a topic related to next week’s meeting. Some people call it homework, others call it devotions, but we just want you to think of it as something you’re doing to prepare for a good group experience next week.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

HOSTS: Close the “official business” of the night…

Give the details for the next meeting; better yet, go over what you wrote down or thought about when you read the first host section of this workbook (points 1, 2 and 3).

Remind people that there is a “After You Meet” section that everyone should work through on their own before the next meeting with the group.

Make sure everyone has each other’s contact information.

Invite people to stay as long as they want (unless you’re meeting at someone’s home).

Pray.

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week 1: Gather Think about the relationships with the people you wrote down last week. How did the ones in the columns to the right become so special? Did they start out awkwardly? Were they effortless from the start? What about the ones on the left side? What about the people you know who didn’t make it on your chart at all?

We all have relationships that feel off or uncomfortable even though we don’t want them to be. Sometimes what we have is what we have.

Just for the sake of personal reflection, write down the names of these people below.

Here we’ve identified several general reasons a relationship can be awkward or uncomfortable. Take a moment to read through them and then go back up and label each of the names above with the corresponding letter(s) showing what you would say is the main reason that person’s relationship with you is strained.

A. You can’t find a way to begin a conversation.

B. You’re not sure what they really think of you.

C. You just drifted away from each other.

D. You’ve tried to connect but you feel separated by some sort of invisible fence.

E. You did something to hurt them. / They did something to hurt you.

F. Another reason: __________________________________________________.

Did you put (or have you ever had) God in that box? A lot of people find their relationship with God to be kind of awkward or uncomfortable. Every letter above might apply to your relationship with God either now or in the past, and that’s OK. It’s part of the story of your relationship.

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

Getting Ready to Tell Your Story We’ve seen it happen time and time again. People join a home group hoping for the “life change” we so often tout as the reason for getting into a group— but life change is stunted or doesn’t happen because people get scared of showing their real selves to a room full of perfect Christians. You may have shared an experience like this during your first meeting when we asked you to share any negative experiences from your past groups. Here’s a section we’re introducing to you each week in the “After You Meet” part of this study: “Work on Your Story” We want you to work each week on discovering your own personal life story.

Since we think we know ourselves so well, we oftentimes gloss over parts of our past or subconsciously forget a moment or lesson God had revealed to us long ago. We want to help you tell your story to your group. But before we give you the floor, we want to prepare you each week by doing an exercise in developing the key points of your life story. Here’s what it will look like over the course of Group 101: Next Week

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Weeks 6 +

Make a list of the people, events and circumstances of your life.

List the painful incidents of your life.

Re-write in chronological order

Organize into chapters and summarize key lessons.

Share your story with your group.

You’ll get more info on the storytelling process during your group meeting this week.

Save the next section for when you are meeting together with your group.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

HOST(S) It’s your first meeting in a home and the second time you’ll meet together with your group! Are you excited? Nervous? Tired? It’s OK. Just remember you are here to make friends and get to know each other. This workbook provides questions to ask and a suggested flow of events, but you don’t have to do anything that seems unnatural or would work against your objective to make people feel comfortable and engaged.

Tonight you’re going to introduce the STORY exercise that everyone will see in their “After You Meet” section this coming week. Make sure you read the set-up paragraphs under the “story” heading this week (on page 15). Also, check out the video training at the below link to better familiarize yourself with this method of storytelling.

 vimeo.com/252953971 Take a moment to think through how you’ll recap some of this information during your group meeting so that they’ll be excited about doing the “Work on Your Story” section of their “Before You Meet” assignments each week.

Remember, group members will read that they’re going to get more info from you about the story component this week at group, so please watch the video so you’ll be prepared to talk about the importance of developing, understanding and sharing stories with people you are close to. This exercise will immensely bless your group and draw you closer together!

Glance ahead at the questions for tonight’s meeting. Try to answer each question for yourself, knowing that it’s OK if you never get a chance to share your own answers if the group conversation is robust. (Build this into your routine each week as you prepare for group.)

Make sure you have sticky notes and pens on hand for today’s prayer time— enough for each member of your group to have one to two. (Your sticky notes should be the standard size or larger.)

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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HOST EDITION

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

101 week 2

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Establishing Your Group’s Time Together Tonight is your second meeting, but the first time you’ll be having a more traditional home group style gathering. Your time together is going to look something like this: –– Unstructured Gathering Time (about 15 minutes) –– Structured Discussion (about 45 minutes) –– Prayer (about 20 minutes) –– Unstructured Ending (at least 10 minutes)

The First 15 Plan to arrive on time. Don’t be too early and throw your host off as they’re getting the home ready, but don’t arrive late and miss the time to get to chat with people before everyone sits down.

Let this time be unstructured, where you can build relationships with one another and catch up on your week. It’s important to get to know who you’re sharing your life with before diving into a Bible discussion. *Tip: Biblical community isn’t only about Bible study. This is a very important social time for group dynamics to develop.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 2: Getting to know you

Discussion Take a moment to read the following passage from the book of Acts, chapter 2. This passage was originally written in Greek, so it’s important to look back at the contextual meaning of some of the key words. A key word we want to focus on here is “fellowship,” which is based on the Greek root “koinos” which basically means “to hold something in common.”

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

The thing that the early church (talked about here) held in common was their belief in Jesus as Savior God. We consider this the most unifying aspect of home group community. So today, let’s spend some time sharing how we see God so that we have a better understanding of each other.

TODAY’S DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

 On the scale below, where is your current relationship with God? (When

you’re discussing this out loud, you can just give a number without providing details.)

I’m not sure about God’s existence

0

I’m mad at God

I talk to God when I need Him

I spend time with God every day

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 What does God look like to you? (Is he a father figure? A judge? Is he

domineering or hard to please? Does he look like Gandalf, or the Wizard from Oz?)

 What person or event has most influenced your picture of God?

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

 What are some things that make it difficult for people to trust God?

 What is one thing you can do to make things less awkward in your relationship with God? What can this group do to support you?

LET’S SPEND A FEW MINUTES TALKING ABOUT THE STORY YOU’RE WORKING ON BETWEEN MEETINGS...

We’re still just getting to know one another in this new home group, so for the first 5 weeks we don’t want to force anyone to talk about anything they’re not ready to talk about. Eventually (beginning week 6) you will share your story with the group. The point of the story exercise is twofold: 1. To recognize God’s sovereign, shaping work throughout your lifetime, and how this unique story paints a larger picture that gives your life an eternal purpose.

2. To practice vulnerability as you are truly known and accepted by the home group community around you.

Bristling at the thought? You may get to the end of our 5-week study and decide you’re not ready for the kind of vulnerable, authentic community that the rest of the group is headed for. That’s OK—because you may truly not be ready.

However, we don’t want you to stay in that state of mind. If there’s any chance you are ready but just hesitant, we encourage you to go for it and see how God blesses your honesty. But if at the end of the fifth week of this study you don’t feel any level of connection with this particular group of people, you have the ability to opt out of the group. This is part of the reason why we save the storytelling for the sixth week. It gives you some time to test the waters before hearing people’s honest stories (or telling your own) and then ghosting.

If you have any questions about the story-building and storytelling process, your Host(s) will answer those questions now.

Notes:

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 2: Getting to know you

Prayer Oftentimes, groups struggle in two ways with prayer time: 1. People do not ask for prayer for themselves. Instead, people will talk about others. For example: “Please pray for my coworker. She is driving me crazy. Pray that she would xyz.” This should be re-phrased as: “Please pray for my heart to have patience. It’s hard to have patience at work when my coworker is frustrating me.” Prayer time in your home group should allow your friends to know you in a deep and meaningful way by exposing your personal struggle(s) so they can lift you up. (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) 2. Groups run out of time to actually close in prayer because people use the prayer time to catch everyone up with everything going on in their life.

(This is why we suggest the first 15 minutes of group be unstructured, catch-up/social time.) Try to keep your requests for prayer focused on one major theme so everyone can remember yours and actually intercede for you this week.

Over the next five weeks this study will walk you through five different ways to approach the roughly 20 minutes your group will have to share prayer needs and pray together. Here’s what we’re doing today:

POST-IT PRAYER ●● Pass around a pad of sticky notes and pens. Each person should take one sticky note and one pen. ●● Go around the room and share “one word” prayer requests out loud.

Everyone should write down the person’s name with a word or characteristic beside it. Such as: “Michael – patience” and so on.

TIP: This means that when you share a prayer request, keep it focused on yourself and try to share a characteristic (like patience, trust, faith, love, humility, etc.) instead of making your prayer request about your health, your Aunt Myrtle’s hip, etc. If you have a health concern, there’s nothing wrong with asking the group to pray for healing, but also include a way that the group can pray for your spirit/attitude while you’re going through this challenge. ●● Have the Host close the group in prayer.

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

Place your sticky note here, or put it in your car, at your desk, by your coffee maker–wherever you’ll remember to think about and pray for your home group friends.

That’s it! This is the end of the “official business” of this group meeting, but you should feel free to stay as long as your Host allows.

HOSTS: Remind your group to look at the “After You Meet” section and continue to work on their stories before the next meeting.

After You Meet Our church is a good church, but it’s not a perfect church. Have you ever been to a church that boasted perfection? Does it have something to do with why you are no longer there? The reality is it’s impossible to be perfect. Even with Jesus’ help, we still slip up a lot. Since we can’t do it as individuals, a collection of us under one roof doesn’t make things any less flawed (it actually provides a lot of opportunities for it to get worse!) That’s why on week one we looked at Acts 2:42-47. It’s amazing how the unity of the Spirit of God can bring people from so many backgrounds together!

We’re going to look at another passage this week that talks about God’s ideal for the people in His Church. Read the below passage from the Bible and then answer the following questions.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

(John 13:34-35)

This commandment was given by Jesus to His followers. It is “new” because it’s different than the legalism of old Jewish Law that generally demanded niceness and generosity in certain circumstances. (How’s that for heart-felt?)

The new love of Jesus was the kind of love that went beyond what was required—to the point of being extremely sacrificial. Jesus died for the sins of © 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 2: Getting to know you the world (see 1 Peter 2:21-25). People who have experienced and accepted the love of Christ understand a deeper sense of responsibility to love others as Christ loves them. This is such an important commandment of Jesus that He even uses it to define who His true followers (disciples) are.

 How has love (perfect or imperfect love) made you who you are today?

 Is it easy or difficult for you to accept love from others?

 Are there any people in your life (right now or in the past) whom you find it difficult to accept love from? Why?

 If you were open and transparent, how do you think it would change your relationships with the people in this group? What are some things that could make this group safe enough for you to be open and transparent?

 Do you think the church should foster community like the type we’re

studying? Or should we just rely on casual connections we make during church events and services? Why?

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

Work on Your Story Remember what we went over last week? We’re working on telling your story.

Last week we laid out how we’re going to spend the next 4 weeks discovering the main themes of your life and the story God is telling through you. This week you’re actually going to put pen to paper and do step one. Ready?

Ready or not, here we go! All we’re going to do today is make a list of the people, events and circumstances of your life. Take as long as you need.

Also, you won’t be asked to share these things you’ve listed with your group next week, so you can write whatever you want—no filter.

Using the space below and on the next page, list people who have influenced your life and development. This could be people you have had personal relationships with or people you only know from afar (like in stories, books, movies, the Internet, news, etc.) You don’t have to use all of the blanks, or you can add more! ●● _________________________

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(There are two more charts to complete on the next pages.)

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 2: Getting to know you Keep going. Now list the events of your life that have had an impact on who you are today.

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CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101 Finally, list circumstances that have affected your life’s direction.

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Good job! How do you feel? Want to keep going? Don’t worry, we’re going to take three more steps together over the next three weeks. This is all you need to do this week.

Save the next section for when you are meeting together with your group.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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101 week 3

IMPERFECT LOVE If you’re familiar with any 70’s pop music, chances are you’ve heard “Love Will Keep Us Together,” recorded by Captain & Tennille. As the title suggests, the song argues that the force of human love is strong enough to withstand anything. Perhaps the song’s popularity has something to do with our desire to find something or someone we can place our hope in. Unfortunately, reality has proven human love is not the answer. However, God’s love is different, and we really can count on Him to “keep us together.” At group this week we’re going to talk about love—both perfect and imperfect—and how it has kept us together or pushed us apart in various areas of our lives.

WHAT GROUP THIS WEEK LOOKS LIKE: ●● First 15 – catch up with each other! ●● Discussion ●● Prayer

Today’s Discussion Read the passages on the following page aloud as a group. Your group Host can lead the way, or various group members can volunteer to read, or you can take turns going around in a circle reading one verse each.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 3: Imperfect Love A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

(John 13:34-35)

Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

(Romans 15:7, NLT)

HOSTS: This week’s discussion offers six question sections, which is more than normal.

Your group may not resonate with all of these. For the sake of time, and so you can get to the rest of the content, skip forward if no one wants to talk about a particular question today.

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You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?

(Matthew 5:38–46a)

 Think about the questions you answered in the “After You Meet” section this past week. Is there anything that you processed that you want to share with the group? Refer back to page 18 and share your thoughts.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

 What stood out to you in the passages we just read? (Underline those

parts for your own reference.) Which passages teach us God’s desired perspective for us to have for people inside the Church versus those outside the Church? Why would God reveal two different ways to react to imperfect love?

 How is it difficult for you to live up to the ideal that God is calling His peo-

ple to in these passages? What opportunities have you had to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39 and following)? What did you do? Did you turn the other cheek or did you try to get your own vengeance?

HOSTS: The John 12 and Romans 15 passages are meant to encourage unity among believers (the Church), and the Matthew 5 passage is meant to encourage believers to pray for their “enemies” or those against the faith (outside the Church).

 How might a small group community like this one help you better follow these commandments and desires of God? Is it OK to make mistakes sometimes?

 People have likely made mistakes and treated you poorly in your lifetime.

Some of those people may even be Christians or prominent personalities at a church. Even though those offenders may be in the wrong, based on the passages we just read, how does God want us to handle those disappointments?

 Should these offenses affect our relationship with God? If they’ve affected yours, how so?

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 3: Imperfect Love

Prayer Today we’re going to try a second option for how your home group can do prayer.

TO THE RIGHT ●● Pass around a pad of sticky notes and pens again. Each person should take one sticky note and one pen. ●● Today, you’ll hear everyone’s prayer requests, but you’ll pay extra special attention to the person sitting to your right because that’s the person you will commit to praying for this week. Use your sticky note to jot down info that will help you remember this person’s prayer needs. *HOSTS: We encourage you to try this at least once during this study because guys and ladies will share deeper things when they are not with their counterparts or worried about members of the opposite sex judging them for what they say or how they say it.

Heads up! HOSTS: There’s a serve project coming up that’s a vital part of this study.

You might want to ask the group to keep the Saturday after next week’s meeting open.

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●● Go around in a circle and have each person share a BRIEF update for what you asked for last week, along with a prayer request for this week.

Do this in the same fashion as we encouraged you to last time, stating a characteristic you are needing help with rather than asking people to merely pray for your circumstances to change. (God might be allowing some difficulty to grow or challenge you in some way, and we want this group to encourage you toward that end as much as possible.) ●● Once everyone has shared, go around the circle again and pray out loud for the person to your right. Your Host(s) may choose to close or begin the prayer time. Don’t worry about the length of your prayer, but do keep in mind what time it is and try not to take away time from others. *OPTION: If your group consists of both men and women, consider splitting men/women at the beginning of the prayer time.

Place your sticky note here, or put it in your car, at your desk, by your coffee maker–wherever you’ll remember to think about and pray for your home group friend.

That’s it! This is the end of the “official business” of this group meeting, but you should feel free to stay as long as your Host allows. © 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

After You Meet The next group discussion is about how we are called to be part of a “family.” Your definition of family might not be the same as everyone else’s in your group. Before we dig into what God’s design is for us, let’s take a moment to establish where your perspective on this word is.

Growing up, I knew family as... (circle as many definitions as apply to your understanding) A. The Cleavers (Leave it to Beaver TV sitcom) - Dad and Mom were both in the picture, had clear roles as parents, and everyday challenges brought about opportunities to learn important life lessons.

B. The Barones (Everybody Loves Raymond TV sitcom) - Parents were overinvolved, overbearing at times, and family life was highly dysfunctional, but there was an underlying current of lasting love and deep care.

C. The Tanners (Full House TV sitcom) - one parent passed away and left us with only dad or mom and possibly other family members who took part in raising me and became our new “immediate family.”

D. The Pritchetts (Modern Family TV sitcom) - divorce, re-marriage, and alternative lifestyles are a part of what my immediate/extended family has come to accept and celebrate.

E. Annie (Annie movies and comic strip) - parents were totally out of the picture, leaving me to be raised by a destructive foster system.

F. People I seldom spent time with.

G. An anchor during rough waters.

H. Life-sucking.

I. A burden (financial, relational or otherwise).

J. Physically and/or emotionally abusive.

K. I got lucky. My family was really healthy and I enjoyed my childhood and young adult years.

L. None of the above. ______________________________________________.

 Was this exercise uncomfortable? Did it reveal anything new about your

definition of family? Write your definition of family in the space below, and then turn the page.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 3: Imperfect Love Regardless of what your definition of family is, or how sin destroyed God’s perfect design for the household you were intended to grow up in, there’s a new type of family we want to introduce you to. It’s the family of God. Unfortunately, as we learned last week, this family is not perfect either. Just because we go to church doesn’t mean we have perfection figured out—or even so, live it out!

Jesus Christ saved people of all races and backgrounds in order to bring them into His Church. This gives us a spirit of unity that makes us members of the household (or family) of God. Here is a passage from the Bible that was written to some of the first people to experience the freedom of Jesus Christ:

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19)

The writer is encouraging the “members of the household” to function in unity as brothers and sisters. So this week and the next group meeting is going to be focused on how we can best function like this as a home group community.

 Using the space below, list your fears and concerns about becoming

part of a new family. You might bring some baggage into your answer because of a poor family experience, or you just might not want to mess with something good. Or you may even have learned a form of self-preservation that makes this idea extremely difficult and unnatural to you. You won’t have to share anything from this list with the group unless you want to, so be as honest as possible about your fears.

Spend a moment in prayer asking God to help you sort through any hesitations regarding this home group community, and ask Him to help you find the right words to express them at the right time. Ask for Him to guide you toward healthy growth.

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

Working on Your Story This week we’re going to work on the painful or negative pieces of your life story. Using the space below, list one incident, event or person per bullet. If something is too personal to write down, just give it a symbol or mark that is recognizable only by you. If things you listed in the exercise last week were negative experiences, re-list them here and strike through them in the prior section. You don’t have to use all the bullets and you can add more if needed. ●● _________________________

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Save the next section for when you are meeting together with your group.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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101 week 4

PART OF A FAMILY Last week we talked about how Christians are not perfect at loving others, which is a perfect segue into the topic of family. Family isn’t all that perfect either. You may have had great parents, but they are guaranteed to have felt like failures at one point or another. The same goes for the family of faith. There are various definitions for christian family, and one of them is Church.

What is the Church? Ever wonder why some mid-sentence words in this workbook start with a capital letter? It’s not an editorial slip up. You’ve probably already caught on to the way “He” is capitalized when it’s in reference to God. Well, we also capitalize “Church” when referring to the universal Church.

That is, the community of all true believers in Jesus, spanning all time. Whereas lowercase “church” is the local church, which can mean this church right here or the church down the street from us, etc.

WHAT GROUP THIS WEEK LOOKS LIKE: ●● First 15 – catch up with each other! ●● Discussion ●● Talk about serve project ●● Prayer

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 4: Part of a Family

Today’s Discussion

 Define “church.” What was your experience of church like in the past? Did church bring you closer to God, or drive you further away?

 We all have attributes, quirks or flaws that we cannot see. (If you don’t

think you do, then someone else just hasn’t helped you see them yet!)

Share a personal experience where someone pointed out a blind spot in your life. They may have done it lovingly and nicely, or they may have chosen the wrong words, tone or timing.

Read the following words of Jesus aloud as a group:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)

 Have you ever read this passage before? What stood out to you this time?

A summary word about this passage is “accountability.” Let’s spend some time understanding that word and how it can be helpful to our lives.

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101 First of all, let’s put your mind at ease a bit. Accountability isn’t all about sharing your sin and hearing hard words of rebuke. Good accountability consists of the following things: ●

Friendship that’s transformed into brotherhood or sisterhood (look up Romans 12:10) where needs are being lifted up to God in prayer—not just each other (look up Galatians 6:2 and 1 Peter 5:7).

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A balance of grace and truth (look up Romans 14:13 and Ephesians 4:25).

–– Grace: God’s judgment is satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We must exercise grace for one another because of the grace God has shown us. However, He wants us to live lives that are striving to be like Him (although this perfection is impossible).

–– Truth: We need people in our lives to help point out blind spots.

Sometimes true friendship leads to hurting one another with the intention of ultimately strengthening one another and coming back together as even better friends (look up Colossians 3:13 and Romans 12:16).

 Why might it be difficult for you to have this type of relationship with

someone? What scares you the most about being vulnerable with someone about your past, your struggles and problems, your story, your inner-most feelings, etc.?

HOSTS: Have people look up these passages in their Bible and be ready to read them aloud. It would be a good idea to have a few extra Bibles on hand in case people in your group don’t tend to bring theirs with them. Go the extra mile and place a sticky note on the pages where these references can be found!

If you don’t have any extra Bibles, feel free to take home one or two of the pew Bibles from church.

 If you were to take a step toward better accountability in your life right now, what would that look like?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND?

We’re not only in each other’s lives to provide biblical accountability for one another, but we’re also designed to serve each other practically.

Between now and the next group meeting, plan some way to serve one another. This might be helping to repair a broken fence, doing yard work, helping © 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 4: Part of a Family

HOSTS: Eventually we want home groups to serve the city outside of the church, but while you are still fostering community within your group, our hope is that this week you focus on someone in your home group who needs help.

someone move, deep-cleaning their home, freshening up flower beds, power washing, painting a room, throwing a party, etc. Let this be an experiment in service to one another in the group.

You may be aware of a specific need someone has based on the weekly prayer time and doing life together over the past three weeks. This is a great place to start discussing what you’re going to do this weekend. Before you discuss, here are two things to think about: 1. Sometimes it’s difficult to receive help. Be patient with any group members who aren’t ready for the rest of the group to be in their home or are not inclined to share a need.

2. If you’re someone who easily puts up barriers when others try to help you out, practice transparency and vulnerability with your group and allow them to help you. It may be difficult, but it’s well worth it—not just for the purpose of getting some extra help, but for the purpose of bringing your community closer together outside of your weekly group time.

(And hey, we could all honestly use a little help with our yards and home maintenance, so don’t let that embarrass you!)

Consult your calendars, save a Saturday (maybe this one won’t work and you need to find another date), and get pumped up to serve each other! You may want to meet up for breakfast together the morning of and then go to the location of your project.

We’re meeting at: _________________________________________ on ______________ at __________

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

Prayer Today we’re going to try a third option for how your home group can do prayer.

POPCORN PRAYER Similar to how a serving of popcorn is made up of many popped kernels, this style of group prayer is an accumulation of small, individual prayers. People voice short prayers at random (like the random popping of popcorn). You can “pop” several times, and there is no particular order to who goes next. Just jump in and talk to God out loud. For example: “God, you are so loving.” Or, “Thank you, Lord, for friends.” Or, “God, help me to be strong this week.” The point of doing prayer like this is that it allows the group to voice a lot of different things without each person having to form full paragraphs or sort through all of their thoughts during their turn.

Briefly go around the room in order or at random and get an update from everyone about what we prayed for last week. Did God do something? Voice your prayer requests, and then when the everyone is ready to pray, begin the “popcorn prayer.” Your Host will close the time after 8 seconds of silence, so if you have something to add, say it before 8 seconds pass.

HOSTS: Reinforce to your group that the prayers should be short, like the way a popcorn kernel pops quickly and then falls into the bowl.

Whenever you hear 8 seconds of silence, go ahead and close the group prayer time with a final sentence and an “amen” so they know it’s done.

That’s it! This is the end of the “official business” of this group meeting, but you should feel free to stay as long as your Host allows.

After You Meet Complete the group serve project together.

Working on Your Story This week you’re going to flip back to pages 19-21 and page 29 to reference all four charts that you’ve been working on. Go through each bullet point and organize them in chronological order, re-writing them on the blank chart that’s on the following pages. List the earliest memory on the top left and go down until about two inches from the bottom edge of the page. Then continue in the next column over until you have several columns across the page. Consider using different colors to indicate negative memories so you can track this later.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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101 week 5

LIVING BEYOND YOURSELF For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14)

The original language this letter was written in uses a word for “serve” that’s the same as the root of the word “doula,” which is what we call people who assist mothers and families in the child-birthing process. Interesting tidbit, huh? What that means to us is the type of service we are being called to might get messy or stressful, and might take a lot of time and patience!

WHAT GROUP THIS WEEK LOOKS LIKE: ●● First 15 – catch up with each other! ●● Discussion ●● Prayer

Discussion

 What was it like seeing each other in a different context this past week?

How did this experience change the relationships in the group?

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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week 5: Living Beyond Yourself

 Is there a connection between serving others and growing in your relationship with God? What is it and why do you think God would use service for our growth?

 Serving others can change people’s perceptions of Christians and the

Church. Do you agree? What tends to keep you from investing in or serving others?

HOSTS: We encourage you to go first so you can set the bar and model how you want this time to go for everyone else. Most likely, people will follow suit and format their storytelling like yours.

PREP FOR STORYTELLING NEXT WEEK

Talk about the order in which people should expect to tell their stories, beginning next week. It should take approximately 50 minutes per person to complete the storytelling process (which includes questions and prayer). If your group would like to add time to your meetings during these storytelling weeks, you could fit in more than two people per week.

You may decide you’re not ready for the kind of vulnerable, authentic community that the rest of the group is headed for in the ensuing weeks. That’s OK—because you may truly not be ready. However, we don’t want you to stay in that state of mind. If there’s any chance you are ready but just hesitant, we encourage you to go for it and see how God blesses your honesty. But if you still don’t feel any level of connection with this particular group of people, you may wish to opt out of the group. This is part of the reason why we save the storytelling for the sixth week. It gives you some time to test the waters before hearing people’s honest stories (or telling your own) and then ghosting.

Let your Host know if this is what you’re thinking of doing.

Prayer Today we’re going to try a fourth option for how your home group can do prayer.

SINGLE FOCUS

As a group, discuss an area of interest or need that could use prayer. This may be something broad like human rights issues, evangelism, hunger, etc. or it could be something specific to a group member like single parenthood, 40

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101 infertility, an illness, depression, etc. Decide what your single focus will be tonight and spend 15 minutes in prayer over this.

That’s it! This is the end of the “official business” of this group meeting, but you should feel free to stay as long as your Host allows.

After You Meet

 Reflect on the biggest takeaway from the experience from the past five weeks. What would you say yours is?

HOSTS: Want to pray quietly or out loud? We might suggest that everyone pray out loud so that you can be further unified over this prayer need. Your group may choose to go around in a circle or out of order, but try to include everyone.

You also may want to be the person to say the last prayer so that you can conclude the session on your time.

Working on Your Story We’re in the home stretch! You’ll be preparing to tell your story in the upcoming weeks by organizing your life events into chapters and then summarizing lessons that you learned during each chapter.

CHAPTERS

Divide your timeline from last week into three to five key phases or chapters.

Try to have no fewer than three and no more than five. Re-write these onto the new chart on the following page. (This is the last time you’ll have to re-write anything!)

At the top row of the chart, give each chapter a name that sums up what you feel was occurring in your life during that chapter. Be creative and choose titles that have meaning to you.

SUMMARY LESSONS

Final Step. Answer the following question for each chapter: What was God trying to teach me during this chapter of my life? Record each lesson underneath the corresponding chapter.

You’re done with your timeline!

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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101 weeks 6+

STORYTELLING

You did it! You completed the five-week study on community and have successfully launched a new Christ Chapel home group!

Week 6 is the first week of storytelling, where we give you a break from the regular rhythm of completing the “After You Meet” section and doing discussion questions during your time together. This week (and however many it takes for every group member to share their story) will be all about dialing in and listening to your friends tell their stories that they’ve been working on.

You’ll use this template for the next few weeks.

WHAT GROUP THIS WEEK LOOKS LIKE: ●● First 15 – catch up with each other! ●● Storytelling – allow for at least 2 people per group meeting to share.

–– 25 minutes to share timeline –– 15 minutes to share insights –– 10 minutes for prayer –– Repeat, as time allows ●● On the final week of storytelling: have a group discussion about the format of future meetings (see page 49).

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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weeks 6+: Storytelling

Storytelling *If your group has both men and women, you may wish to poll the room and see if there is a desire to split the group into men/women. Be sensitive to people who vote to split because they may not feel comfortable sharing with the whole group.

SOME GUIDELINES: ●● Commit to each other to keep these stories confidential. What’s said in the group stays in the group! ●● Let the person sharing tell his or her story uninterrupted. ●● Feel free to omit certain incidents or moments of your story if you are not ready to share that with the group. ●● Try to stick to 50 minutes (total time) per person.

SHARE TIMELINE

Take 25 minutes, going back to the last “After You Meet” section where you completed your timeline with chapter titles and summaries of God’s teaching, and share your whole chart with the group.

SHARE INSIGHTS

Once the storyteller is finished with their story, allow them to answer as many of the following questions as they will/can. (They may have addressed one or more of these during their storytelling, in which case they can skip them.)

 Where are you seeing God’s perfect love show up in your life that you did not notice before?

 What are some important lessons and insights that God has taught you from the painful moments and experiences of your life?

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

 Did this process bring up any times where you felt more aligned with the values of the world than the knowledge of God’s goodness, sovereignty, love and grace? If so, what were they?

 What is God teaching you about your character?

 What is God teaching you about your uniqueness as a child of God?

PRAYER

In Mark 10:16 Jesus (in a very appropriate manner) put His hands on others as he prayed blessings over them. In the context of a close-knit home group, we want you to practice this blessing as a holy reaction to a person vulnerably sharing their story.

Gather around the person who just shared and pray over them, each person getting a turn, for God to continue to reveal His purposes for the story he has given them and that they’d be open to receiving what he wants them to continue learning. Spend about 10 minutes total.

Repeat this whole “storytelling” section with another storyteller, as time allows.

That’s it! This is the end of the “official business” of this group meeting, but you should feel free to stay as long as your Host allows.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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weeks 6+: Storytelling

After You Meet If you told your story at group this week, reflect upon the whole story-building and storytelling experience by answering the following questions. This will be kept private unless you want to bring it up and share it with the group at a later date.

 How was the storytelling process helpful to you?

 Were there any similar experiences shared between you and another

member of your home group? How might God be using your story to help others in your group?

 Has remembering the bigger picture of your life given you any insight into how you might view a current situation differently?

 How might God be uniquely shaping you to use your life going forward?

Save the next section for when you are meeting together with your group.

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

101 transition WEEK

MOVING TO A CCBC SERMON-BASED HOME GROUP

We’ve given you a section after each group meeting called “After You Meet” which essentially functioned as a way to prepare you for the next group meeting. Since the first five weeks of this home group study was not based on a sermon, you needed something to think about prior to your group discussion.

After all, what would you talk about when you got together?

The sermons at Christ Chapel function in the same way. They’re messages to a broad audience that every week our staff prays will help you wrestle with something God wants you to engage further. Home group is the perfect follow-up.

Each week, Christ Chapel provides sermon notes for the main Sunday services. The Pulpit Ministry also writes some home group or personal reflection questions on the backside of the notes. These questions can provide a place for discussion to start at your home group.

Other ministries at Christ Chapel might also provide some group questions that would be useful if your entire home group participates in that particular ministry or is willing to listen to the audio Online or via Podcast before the group meets.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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transition: week

MAKE SOME DECISIONS... ●● What content will your group take in each week to replace the “After You Meet” section? Will you be a Christ Chapel sermon-based home group?

If so, expect everyone to attend a Sunday worship service or listen online before group each week.

 www.ccbcfamily.org/sermons  Christ Chapel Bible Church ●● Did you like meeting in the same place each week? Would you like to switch it up and rotate to other houses each week? ●● What prayer time did you enjoy most? Will you commit to one method, or continue to mix it up? Maybe you want to use your group’s favorite method for most meetings but will change it up from time to time. Or would you like to invent/try something different? Here’s what we tried during this study: ࢚​࢚ “Post-it Prayer” - one characteristic written for each person on one sticky note. ࢚​࢚ “To the Right’ - commitment to pray for the person seated to your right. ࢚​࢚ “Popcorn” - short group prayers for various topics in no particular order ࢚​࢚ “Single Focus” - intense prayer on one topic by the whole group ●● If you’re a group of men and women, you should decide how often you like splitting men/women for prayer time, using any of the above methods.

WHAT YOUR WEEKS MIGHT LOOK LIKE... ●● Sundays before you meet: Attend a Christ Chapel worship service ●● Continue meeting with your home group –– First 15 – catch up with each other!

–– Discussion –– Prayer

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© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

CHRIST CHAPEL’S GROUP 101

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

We’re interested in how you enjoyed this new home group study on community! We’d love to give you the opportunity to share feedback for things you wished were different, or how you think a future version could better facilitate the forming of new groups at Christ Chapel.

Send your thoughts to Michael at MichaelK@christchapelbc.org within a week of completing this study with your group.

© 2018 Christ Chapel Bible Church | Fort Worth, TX | Willow Park, TX

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Connect Ministry

3701 Birchman Ave. | Fort Worth, TX 76107 817-731-4329 www.ccbcfamily.org/connect