Group Connect Event Dates

Here are the dates for Group Connect through 2016.

Feb 27, 2016
Aug 20, 2016

Feb 18, 2017
Aug 26, 2017

Feb 24, 2018
Aug 25, 2018

Timeline for Life Group Cycle

•  Attend Group Connect (where you will either add more members into your group or you will create a new group)
•  At Group Connect we will ask for everyone to give their group a trial run for 8 weeks (Date 4 Eight).  At the end of 8 weeks they will know if this is the group for them.  Please encourage your members to let you or Xene or Tina know if they want to try another group before the night you bring out the Life Group Agreement for everyone to sign. And make sure to reassure them that if they want to try another group that it is completely fine and that we know that not every group is for everyone. Otherwise they may think they will hurt the leader’s or the group’s feelings by leaving and choose to stay as a result. So it is our job to make sure they know that we want them to be in a group that fits them best so they can have the best life group experience.
• You will need to come up with an end date for your group which should be 18 -24 months out from your launch date and correspond with a Group Connect event date.  You can find Group Connect Dates here.
• At the end of the 8 weeks and once you know everyone wants to commit, then bring out the Agreement and read through it and have everyone sign it. You can print off your Agreement here.
• Send a copy of your Group Agreement to the office, 14906 Main Street, Alachua, FL.  This way we can plug in your people and your end date to help us know who is in a group and when we can expect you to attend the next Group Connect.
• Begin identifying a Co-Leader to train. Click here to read how to identify Co-Leaders. And click here to read how to train Co-Leaders.  Make sure Tina and Xene know who you would like to be your new co-leader so they can approve them before you ask the potential person(s) to be your co-leader.
• Meet 2-3 times a month for the time span you have set.
• When your End Date is drawing near, remind your group of it and direct them to the next Group Connect.  At that point half of your group can stay with you (the Life Group Leader) and half can stay with the Co-Leader and at Group Connect you can add in more people to the two groups.  Or the group can come to Group Connect and find different groups to join if they desire to do so.
•  We will need all your group members to fill out the Group Connect Registration here before coming to the Group Connect Event. Again, this will be after the 18-24 months of meeting.

My Life Group Timeline

At the end of your first 8 weeks of meeting, you will discuss the My Life Group Timeline. Read through it, and list everyone who will be joining your group for the next 18-24 months.

How well do you know your Candy?

Either have your group couple up or play individually.  You can print out the slogans below or just call them out have have paper for everyone to write their answers down.  The answers are found below. 

A great gift for the one who gets the most right would be one of the candies listed in the answer section.

Slogan Candy

1. Melts in your mouth, not in your hand
2. Taste the rainbow
3. Makes mouths happy
4. Two for me, none for you
5. Hungry? Why wait?
6. Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t
7. Crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery
8. A lighter way to enjoy chocolate
9. Get the sensation
10. It’s more than a mouthful...
11. Gimme a break
12. Share Something Juicy
13. Do you eat the red ones last?
14. Comfort in every bar
15. For the Kid in You
16. That's Rich!
17. The Fresh Maker
18. Perfect
19. The Great American Chocolate Bar
20. How many licks does it take to get to the center of... 

Answers

1. M&M's
2. Skittles
3. Twizzlers
4. Twix
5. Snickers
6. Mounds of Almond Joy
7. Butterfinger
8. Three Musketeers
9. York Peppermint Patty
10. Whatchamacallit
11. Kit-Kat
12. Starburst
13. Smarties
14. Milkyway
15. Nestle Crunch
16. 1000 Grand
17. Mentos
18. Recee's Peanut Butter Cups
19. Hershey Bar
20. Tootsie Pop

Character Chaos, Setting Group Boundaries

Every group leader deals with a strong character in their group at one time or another.  We all agree that setting boundaries for group members is necessary for maintaining group health. But how do we approach a group member that refuses to live within those boundaries? How do we manage the tension between extending needy members grace and delivering truth?

Here are some ideas to help you manage the chaos that may come from this character:

Be Ready.

Start your next group meeting reviewing the some of the guidelines that are in the Group Agreement.  Respect. Group members should never say anything that will embarrass or undermine another group member.  Relationships.  The driving force behind Life Groups is the building of relationships.  Authenticity. The atmosphere should create openness and transparency among members. This is an environment where others feel free to be themselves.  Confidentiality.  For authenticity to occur, members must be able to trust that the issues discussed within the group will not be shared outside the group.  

 

Be compassionate.
Start with compassion. At first, it may be difficult to discern real need from “real needy.” If you enter into the fray with compassion, your heart will be ready to respond appropriately.  Try to be aware that there may be underlying insecurities that can be dealt with when compassion and grace are offered.  

Be aware.
Watch how the other members of the group respond to a potentially needy member. Look for signs that your other group members are growing tired or detached from the group. Look for rolling eyes, sidebar conversations, or even reduced attendance.

Be prepared.
Needy group members tend to dominate group discussion. Look for an opening to draw the conversation from the needy member and back to the group. You can do this by simply saying to another group member, “What do you think about that?” Always keep your ears open for a pause where you have the opportunity to bring the group back on task.

Be assertive.
You’ll probably have to address the needy member. Because of low self-awareness, needy members rarely resolves issues on their own. Be willing and prepared to address the issue when the time is right.

Be quick.
Address the issue as quickly as possible. The longer it continues, the harder it is to rein in and the more potential for damaging relationships inside the group increases. Waiting also increases the likelihood that someone else in the group will address the needy member in a less than ideal way.

Be discreet.

After you have reviewed to Group Guidelines you may have to have a private discussion.  Addressing needy people in a public forum isn’t best. It drives them away and potentially causes more damage. It’s best to address the issue outside of the regular group meeting. If it’s helpful, you can bring your co-leader along for the confrontation. This lets the needy member know that it’s not just one person’s opinion.

Be humble.
You want to balance speaking truth with a humble spirit. People tend to discount what they hear from someone they consider self-righteous or arrogant.

Be accepting.
Communicate acceptance. It’s easier to accept a difficult truth when you’re confident that they accept you as a person. If you’re not, then what they say comes across as rejection.

Be sound.
Focus on adding truth rather than pointing out errors. People don’t abandon what they think or believe just because someone presents a good argument.

Be thorough.
One conversation probably won’t resolve all issues. Be ready to have follow-up conversations. Encourage needy members to go down a road of self-discovery. Let them know you’re on their side and want to help them grow.

Be a leader.
Lead needy members to self-discovery. Preaching to them puts them in a position to defend their beliefs or behaviors. Asking good questions positions them to discover truth on their own.

Not every situation will be resolved in a desirable way. But if you use some of these ideas, they’ll give your group a greater chance of success. In the end, God is responsible for the outcome. We’re responsible for our attitude and actions when helping lead our groups.

Foundations Session 4

Session 4 Questions

Stages of a Growing Christian

If you are using Apple TV to view the session, here is the link to it online

https://vimeo.com/126848405

1) Mark defined spiritual maturity as true Christlikeness: reflecting Christ in our attitude, our conduct, our  speech, our thinking and in our lifestyle in general. Who is someone in your life (past or present) who represented spiritual maturity to you?  What was one thing in their life that stood out the most to you?

2) Read 1 John 2:12-14. What are the 6 reasons John is writing to them?

3) 3 stages spiritual of maturity:

• Little Children
• Young Men
• Fathers

In the three stages of maturity listed above, what are some of the problems or challenges someone may face in each stage?

4) Where do you feel you are in the three different stages?  Are you encouraged by where you are, or are you discouraged?

5) What do you think you should do, or what should you change in your life so that you will continue the spiritual maturity process?

6) Who is someone in your life who is not a follower of Christ that you have been praying for them accept Jesus as their savior?

End your time praying for those mentioned in above question and for the continued spiritual maturity of those in your group.