Facilitator’s Manual
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First published 2025.
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Welcome
All for Jesus, Jesus for All Key verse: Matthew 28:16-20
“16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Welcome to the “All for Jesus, Jesus for All” course. Some two thousand years ago Jesus sent his followers to go and share His message of love and salvation (John 3:16) and to make disciples (apprentices) who would do the same. Today this mandate or mission hasn’t changed;
Love God and love your neighbour as yourself, and believe in the One whom God sent, Jesus Christ. However, it turns out it is not as simple as it sounds… humans have a way of complicating things. So, when we talk about disciples and mission, for many of us it can sometimes feel more like “Mission Impossible”. Take heart!
Jesus also said, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth”. What does this actually mean for us in the 21st century? And why then, another course on discipleship when there are already so many out there?
The answer is simple; this resource is not just another “how to” course. To start with it is essentially Congregational in its ethos and funded by the Council for World Mission (CWM) as a Partner in Mission. Furthermore, we have chosen to use the alternative word “apprentice/s” alongside the word disciple/s for the following reasons. The word “disciple” has changed over the hundreds of years and does not always mean what it did originally i.e. apprentice. This has impacted the way we live out our faith as Christians and together as Christian communities in our churches. “Going out” to make disciples as expressed in Matthew 28, is no longer a priority for many of us. It feels too hard. Living in what many scholars have termed the “post-Christian
era”, many of us are in survival mode, or at least, we think we are. The truth might be different however, if we look a little deeper at where we are at as individuals and as churches. Therefore, this resource is about giving space to reflect on your journey as a disciple (apprentice) of Jesus, a practicing Christian who puts their faith into action. It is also an opportunity to reignite your faith and reengage with what it truly means to be a disciple (apprentice) of Jesus. By allowing the power of God to transform our own hearts we will reflect more of Christ and respond to His call.
It is interesting to note that in the last census (2021), 46,2% of the population of England and Wales identified as Christian, however, we also know from studies done that only 4.7% of people in England and Wales attend any type of church group on a regular basis. Furthermore, of those attending church, how many are committed to the call given by Jesus to “go and make disciples”? The population census is an example of those who identify as Christian, however, are not necessarily active followers of Jesus who continue to learn from Him and follow Him into action. This is not to judge those who for whatever reason have chosen to interpret their Christian identity in response to Matthew 28, differently.
This course is for those who want to deepen their understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus today in the 21st century. It is an exciting new resource that we hope will inspire Congregational churches to go deeper with God, encouraging them to step out in faith and resource churches as they respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We pray that as your church engages with this new resource, you will be strengthened and encouraged in your walk and witness for Christ. Our vision for the course is for it to reignite passion and commitment to follow Jesus.
So, without further ado, welcome to All for Jesus, Jesus for All.
Clemy Gilmore Project Manager
Introduction
Yvonne Campbell General Secretary
All for Jesus, Jesus for All aims to be a modern, relevant, contextual and interactive course.
The focus of the course is to encourage active learning, looking at our own hearts first, and then to step out and do something new in proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God, address injustice, connect with our communities with kindness and empathy, loving others as the Good Samaritan did, and to heal all manner of sickness. The course is primarily aimed at churches within the Congregational way of being church. This means that, apart from other scriptures there will also be an emphasis on the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). We are all called to minister and serve in love, and therefore all called to mission, ministry and outreach through prayer and action. To love, pray for and serve others however and wherever we can in the wisdom, grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.
To this end, the course offers a practical way to step out into our communities with courage and faith. As part of the course there are podcasts in which various Congregational Federation members tell their stories. We have included an active listening workshop and webinar which aims to enable course participants to take steps towards listening to their communities and to see where God is already at work. Furthermore, we are aiming to produce a resource pack for
those churches that are called into Holy Spirit led action to either help meet the needs in local communities or to support and partner with others already working to meet those needs, whether Christian or not.
All for Jesus, Jesus for All is more than a Bible study resource. It could be used as a preaching resource or for personal devotions. However, the greatest benefit would be to use the course in a small group. The main aim for the course is to enable a greater depth of relationship with Jesus through hearing personal stories, learning together, looking at relevant biblical passages, reflecting, discussing, and praying together. There is throughout the resource an emphasis on listening to the Spirit of God to hear what the Lord is saying to the churches. So, you’ll be pleased to know that there is a session on prayer which covers how we can hear God speak.
For this reason, it is important that study groups undertaking the course create a space where it feels safe to explore various aspects of scripture. A space to enable discussions that challenge and deepen faith. This means having an attitude of respect and acceptance without judgement when others share their stories and thoughts confidentially. Maybe you would like to make your own group agreement together before you begin
the course. The agreement could include things like start and finish times, confidentiality, how you would like to be treated etc. See below for further information and example group agreement.
In summary, All for Jesus, Jesus for All proposes an ethos of inclusivity and diversity. We want it to enable you, the course leader, to meet people where they are at and to help you to take your context into account in each session. Our intention is to enable flexibility in how the course can be used in a variety of settings (e.g. youth groups, Bible/fellowship groups, personal devotions or Sunday worship). For this reason we have included more rather than less material which you will be able to tweak for your own circumstance. We hope that you will find its flexibility useful for what you have in mind for your church’s spiritual nurture and growth.
Guidelines
Preparing to Run the Course
The course is designed as a resource; therefore, it can be used flexibly to suit your own context and contains an abundance of material and thought-provoking questions for you to choose from. This is to enable inclusivity and diversity to flourish by using as much or as little of the material as you wish.
1. Consider: When setting aside time to do the course, whether during the day or in the evening, you will need to plan for at least an hour and a half for each session. This doesn’t include any fellowship time and people want to talk so keep an eye on the time. However, the course is flexible enough for you to leave some sections out if the time you have available is less than what is recommended.
2. Before starting the course, or when you promote the course in your church, you may want to send out the pre-course invitation cards to all participants. You will find these at the back of this manual, and you can order more by ringing or emailing the CF office.
3. Download the Congregational Federation App as this has all the sessions and audio files for you and your group to be able to access easily.
4. Decide: The course has an introductory session called “The Hungry Community”, followed by 6 core sessions (Sessions 1 – 6). There are two more sessions (Sessions 7 and 8) that focus on what mission is. You may find that your group is not ready to look at those immediately after completing Session 6. You may want to take a break and do 7 and 8 at a later date, or you may decide not to do them at all. Either way, we suggest you make it a collaborative decision with the whole group.
5. Promote: There are also on the CF website, downloadable leaflets and other resources to promote your course and to support facilitators as they prepare sessions as well as mugs for all to enjoy a cup of tea.
6. Group size: We suggest that the group size not exceed around 12 participants, unless you increase the time spent on the sessions i.e. increase it from one and a half hours to two hours if you have more than 12 participants so everyone can contribute.
7. Purpose: It is advisable to keep the aims, objectives and ethos of this resource, as described above, at the forefront of your mind as you prepare each session. This is to
honour the purpose for which the resource was created:
• To go deeper with God –
Personal and congregational growth in faith.
• To step out in faith –
Personal and congregational faith in action.
• To respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit –Holy Spirit led mission and outreach.
8. Adapt: This resource is designed to be used mainly for small group studies, however it can be adapted to be used as a preaching series and would suggest you run a study group alongside the preaching series in order to offer the opportunity for exploring any of the “Going Deeper” questions. The way you adapt it is up to you, however, as explained, it will work best if the above aims are kept at the forefront of your agenda for doing the course.
9. Facilitator’s Notes: At the end of this manual there are session notes to help you prepare for each session’s teaching should you wish to present the teaching section instead of reading it out. These are also useful if you need to shorten the teaching section due to time constraints.
10. Extra: The course is about growth and transformation, with the aim of reigniting our faith into action. You will need to share with the participants that some reading will need to be done in their own time to get the best from the resource.
Before
each session
• Revise the suggested plan to suit your own context and situation.
• Spend time reflecting on the content and in particular the Bible passages.
• Decide on whether you will use your own prayers, hymns and Session Activity, or the suggested ones.
• Encourage participants to read through and digest the session before attending, so that the teaching can be kept brief and the focus is on discussion and learning from one another.
• Note that the icebreakers/group activities reflect the theme of each session. The group activities bring people together at the beginning of the session, however, this is just a suggestion and as group facilitator you may feel that it isn’t necessary.
Session Structure and Content
How to Run the
Course
Welcome your group participants to the course. You may want to include refreshments here or at a later point in the session for example if you are using the course as a preaching series, you may want to offer refreshments in your usual manner for Sunday service. Either way we would recommend a short time of fellowship before or after each session even if just ten minutes. Don’t forget to use the All for Jesus mugs.
Summary – This is a short overview. You may find it helpful to read the summary out loud or use its content to introduce the topic/theme of the session before you make a start.
A. Introduction
Key Verse, Opening Prayer and Hymn –
Read the key verse slowly and with a sense of meaning, then open the session with prayer. You may want to use the prayer provided or pray your own. Sing the hymn or use a recording as able. The CF app and the CF website will have links to the hymns provided.
Activity – This enables you to help the group to connect well within the context of this course and relax together, even if you already know each other. The suggested activities also
connect with the topics which you might find helpful. However, you are very welcome to use your own.
Group Agreement (usually done at the first session) – This is optional; however, it is recommended if the participants don’t know each other very well or to pre-empt and create a safe space for challenging discussions. There is an example group agreement in note “J” below. We also recommend that you revisit the agreement from time to time especially if discussions become challenging. You might want to read this to the group when someone new joins. And/or
Share Testimonies: You might want to ask participants to share any thoughts, actions or steps taken, that have come about as a direct result of the previous week’s session or from the Going Deeper Challenge.
B. Teaching and Podcast – You will find the podcast on the Congregational Federation’s website or on the CF App. Please note that the podcasts do not necessarily address the session topic directly but rather provide another facet to the session topic. During the session encourage participants to write notes in the spaces provided. Depending on the size
of your group the teaching could be read out loud and include different voices from within the group. You may of course present the material yourself using the session notes at the end of this manual.
C. Quiet Reflection Time – It may be helpful to give the group an opportunity to take time to reflect quietly to themselves for a few minutes on completion of the teaching section and to make some personal notes in the space provided, before the discussion time.
D. Discussion Time – There are some specific questions in each section that you might want to consider and put to the group. You need not use all of the questions. Also, below are a few generic questions which may help as conversation starters:
• What was your first reaction as you listened?
• Imagine you were able to time-travel, and you were there in the Bible story. How do you think you might you have responded?
• You travel back to the present day, and you can’t wait to tell your friends and family. How would you go about that?
E. Conclude and Pray – There is a reference to Matthew 5:6 at this point in each
session. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be satisfied. In view of this, a good way to conclude discussions is to ask participants to share in turn, in just a few words, what inspired them or challenged them that they want to find out more they are hungry to learn more about. Alternatively, it may feel more appropriate to give them a quiet moment to reflect and write a few more notes. Then close in prayer. Feel free to pray your own prayers or the prayer provided as part of the session ending.
F. Going Deeper Challenge (practical application) – You may want to explain to or remind participants that each week there is an optional Going Deeper Challenge. Participants might want to consider acting on one or more of the suggestions. If that feels too challenging, then to think about what they have gotten out of each session and who they might share it with in the coming week e.g. a trusted friend or family member. Then at the next session they can share with the group how that went.
G. The Resources are suggested by the authors of each particular session and are certainly not comprehensive. We hope that each will connect you to further resources and other study materials.
Example Group Agreement
Creating a safe space for honest conversations
1. We will commit to praying for one another during the course.
2. Anything that is shared in the group of a personal nature will not be shared outside of the group. If what is shared is a safeguarding issue, then it will be shared with the appropriate safeguarding officer.
3. All are free to express their opinions in an appropriate manner.
4. We will not deny another their view or perspective on any matter including faith.
5. We will listen to each other in a way that is affirming so that the person speaking knows they have been heard.
6. We will aim to begin at the advertised time and agree the end time together.
7. We commit to not speaking about others in a derogatory way.
8. Anything else e.g. we won’t talk about each other’s views to others outside of the group without their permission first.
Suggested Timings
Example Session Plan
The recommended time for the whole session is a minimum of 1½ hours. You may want to include a 5-minute comfort break halfway through. We advise the time of fellowship is not included in the overall session time.
Timing for each section are approximate. The suggested running time will be different in different scenarios and depending on whether the group are chatty or quieter.
Welcome & Fellowship: 10 - 15 minutes (not included in time allocated to the session).
Opening Summary of the session: 2 minutes
A. Introduction:
Key Verse, Opening Prayer and Hymn: 10 minutes
Session Activity: 10 minutes
Group agreement/review or share testimonies: 10 minutes
B. Teaching and Podcast: 15 minutes
C. Quiet Reflection Time: 2-3 minutes
D. Discussion: 20 minutes
E. Conclude and Close in prayer: 10 minutes
F. Mention Going Deeper Challenge for the session: 2 – 3 minutes
G. Encourage extra resources and any others they might know: 5 minutes
Total: 90 minutes
Suggested Starter Activities
Interactive ideas to begin each session
(You may of course use your own ideas)
Introductory Session – The Hungry Community
1. Group members introduce themselves (if not known to each other) and explain what made them decide to do the course.
Or
2. Group members introduce themselves and explain what they hope to achieve by the end of the course.
Session 1 – The Divine Community
1. Ask each person to explain the variety of roles in life they have.
The question leads the participants into exploring who they are as people with multiple identities (e.g. Parent/spouse/neighbour/ member of a church/volunteer/professional employment now or in the past).
This exercise will allow participants to appreciate the two natures contained in the one person of Jesus, Incarnate Jesus and the Divine Christ.
2. Place a Cross on the table and allow participants a few moments of contemplation.
Let them know that you will ask each person to say or write in a maximum of 3 words what the Cross represents for them.
Session 2 – The Learning Community
1. Each participant pairs up with someone they don’t know well.
They take turns teaching each other a simple skill in 60 seconds (e.g., how to fold a paper airplane, a fun fact, a useful shortcut on a phone/computer).
After both people teach, they share what they learned with the larger group. Or
2. One person is the “leader” and describes how to draw a simple object (like a house, tree, or abstract shape) without saying what it is.
Everyone else follows the verbal instructions and draws without looking at their neighbours picture.
At the end, everyone reveals their drawing and compares them to see how closely they followed the instructions.
It is also interesting to note and to point out to the group that everyone’s drawings are different. It illustrates diversity of views and that there is no single way to discipleship. Disciples of Jesus have access to God’s infinite creativity.
Session 3 – The Gathered Community
1. Some people are happy to pray a little or a lot in public, but some may be too nervous about what others may think. To give everyone a chance to join in, get everyone to write a short one or two sentence prayer on a slip of paper, then put them all in a “pot” and mix them up. Now each person can take a slip and read a prayer to the group, so they can practice praying out loud with more confidence.
Or
2. Spread out some pages from a newspaper and let people find a particular story they feel led to pray about or whatever touches their heart. Encourage people to pray briefly out loud in the group.
Session 4 – The Wise Community
1. Do you have a favourite memory from school? Did a particular teacher inspire you or even guide your life choices? Share and discuss.
Or
2. Take part in the Congregational Quiz:
What date do we associate Congregational churches starting in England?
a) 1805
b) 1420
c) 1662
What is the date the CF was started?
a) 1972
b) 1965
c) 1975
Which is a principle of the Congregational tradition?
a) Church for adult baptism
b) Jesus at the head
c) Central control
Which of these is a well-known congregationalist?
a) The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury
b) Elsie Chamberlain
c) John Wycliffe
Session 5 – The Caring Community
1. Give everyone in the group a few post-it notes and ask them to write different kindness sentences starting with the words “You are…”
e.g. “You are important to me” or “You are in my prayers”. When all the notes have been posted encourage everyone to choose a note and give it to someone else in the group. These can be read out openly (optional).
Or
2. Go round the room each saying what they are thankful for and why?
Session 6 – The Witnessing Community
1. What three things that you love would you take to a desert Island and why?
Or
2. Think of a time when you felt that God was prompting you to do or say something in a particular situation. Briefly describe what you felt guided to do and what effect or outcome this appeared to have on the situation.
Session 7 – The Courageous Community
1. Ask the group to write down on a post-it note a very brief description of their most embarrassing moment without anyone else seeing. These are passed to the group facilitator who mixes them up and spreads them out on a table for everyone to see. The group then discusses which story belongs to which member of the group. Or
2.
so?
Session 8 – The Transformational Community
1. What stories of transformation do participants have that they could share with the group. It could be about a derelict area that was transformed into a park or a broken item they upcycled or a career path that changed over time as they became more skilled.
2. Each participants takes a moment to share how the course has transformed their thinking, strengthened their faith or enabled them to do something new.