2 Ways To Thrive Spiritually While Group is On Break

Our Community Group season is coming to an end next week. But just because your group is not meeting, that doesn't mean that community needs to stop.

Right at the beginning of the Bible, we read "It is not good for man to be alone." - Gen. 2:18

We do not do well when we live in isolation.

We are in a spiritual battle for our souls! And we can't survive alone.

If we are going to thrive instead of die spiritually this summer, here are 2 things I would encourage you and your group to do.

2 Ways To Thrive Spiritually While Group is On Break.

1. Set Summer Growth Goals for the Summer

You may not be seeing each other on a weekly basis, but in your last 2 weeks of group, talk with each other about one step you can each take to grow in your faith this summer.

Then touch base with each other throughout the summer on your progress:

  • You could assign Growth Goal Accountability Partners for the Summer.

  • Send a weekly text to check in with the guys or girls.

  • Schedule coffee or a bite one-on-one.

  • Set up a monthly, bi-weekly, accountability breakfast with the guys or girls.

  • Set a regular reminder on your phone to ask your group members about their progress.

2. Decide on Summer Plans To Connect by May 26th.

Enjoy the summer break. We all need to rest. And don't feel guilty about not meeting each week. This is a season of sabbath for Community Groups to replenish and hit the ground running this fall.

But Community Group is more than meetings.

What regular patterns can you establish with your group to stay connected throughout the summer when you are not meeting?

  • Pick a shared Bible Reading Plan

  • Text a Scripture each day to each other

  • Pick a book to read and discuss

  • Sit together Sundays

  • Decide after which Sunday service you'll visit together in the lobby

Check out these 10 ideas for summer connections.

Get some dates or plans on the calendar now, or your summer is likely to pass you by without your group connecting.

Questions?

If you have any questions about groups or anything else at Northridge, reach out to your coach.

We'd love to support you in anyway that we can.

Upcoming Dates

Additional Resources That May Be Helpful

What's Next For Your Group? - 4 Steps To Finishing Well

Hi Group Leaders,

Our Community Group season is winding down. 4 more weeks of group.

With the end in sight, here are 4 things we can do to finish our group well.

1. Decide Summer Plans

Summer is an amazing opportunity to get outside with your group, do a BBQ, go to a park, grab ice cream, watch an outdoor movie, etc.

If you don't get dates on your calendar before the trimester ends, you are less likely to connect over the summer.

Try to set 1 monthly gathering on the calendar for June, July, and August.

One of the best ways to do this is to just schedule a meeting on the same week of every month, on the night you normally meet for group.

For example, the 3rd Tuesday of every month (6/20, 7/18, 8/15).

Even if you don't have the social activity decided yet, you at least have the date reserved on your calendar.

2. Talk with Future Leaders

One of the best ways to ensure group health and prevent leader burn-out, is to share the load. The more the merrier. Who in your group has leadership potential?

If you haven't broached the conversation with them yet, now is the time. Invite them over for dinner or chat with them on Sunday and drop the idea in their mind.

If you have already talked with them about the role, invite them to help you plan or host a summer social.

If they are not yet members of Northridge, invite them to attend the next Membership Class on May 21st.

3. Invite Feedback

What we don't know, CAN hurt us. We may assume everyone is loving group, or that someone is struggling with group, but we won't know for sure until we ask.

Send out an email or hand out 3x5 cards in one of your upcoming meetings and ask 2 questions:

  1. What do you love most about our group?

  2. What is one idea you have to improve our group?

Ask them now before the group season is over, that will give you time to discuss their feedback together, and make adjustments for the fall.

4. Discuss The Future

  • What is next for your group?

  • Do you need new leaders?

  • Do you need to change up your group night?

  • Do you need to figure out different childcare plans?

  • Do you need to create room for new people?

  • Is the group too large to effectively care for each other?

  • Is now the time to make plans for multiplication?

These can be difficult decisions to make. Don't just wait until August to decide, begin the conversation now.

Not sure what's next, or how to make these changes?

Include your group coach in the conversation. We'd love to help you figure out what is best for you and your group.

4 more weeks until Summer. Let's finish strong!

Upcoming Dates

Questions?

If you have any questions about groups or anything else at Northridge, please reply to the email or reach out to your coach.

We'd love to support you in anyway that we can.

Additional Resources That May Be Helpful

When & How Should Your Group Multiply?

10 Simple Ideas To Connect With Your Group This Summer

The Top 2 Things Group Members Wish Were Different About Your Group

4 Sure Ways To Burn Out As A Group Leader

How To Find and Keep New People

Only Half Of My Group Showed Up Last Night

Northridge Group Leader Podcast

Do This At Your Group This Week

Hi Group Leaders,

This week we begin the final Community Groups trimester of the year.

As we get ready for the last 6 weeks of the group, here are few details you should know to help you finish strong.

Upcoming Sermon Series

Who is This Jesus? (On Location Israel Series)

Most Americans have heard the name of Jesus. Maybe they’ve even heard a few things He said or did. But who is Jesus really? What was He like? Where did He live? What did He really care about? We’ll explore these questions and more while on location in Israel, where Jesus walked and spent His days on earth.

  • 4/16 - Jesus invitation for Nicodemus to believe (John 3)

  • 4/23 - Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

  • 4/30 - Jesus cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-17

  • 5/6 - Jesus Transfiguration (Matthew 16-17)

Seven Subtle Sins of Society

What if there were things in our life that we had no idea were destroying us? Like a frog in a kettle who doesn’t know he’s about to be boiled, Christians in the 21st century often fail to notice the pieces of our society that are causing havoc to our souls. In this series, we want to expose accepted, overlooked, and subtle sins of society, so we can avoid their pitfalls and instead follow the path that leads to life. 

  • 5/13 - Comfort (Matthew 16:21-26)

  • 5/20 - Gossip (James 3)

- Spring Trimester Ends -

  • 5/27 - Control (James 4:13-17)

  • 6/4 - Comparison (Luke 18:9-14)

  • 6/11 - Complacency (Amos 6:1-7)

  • 6/18 - Consumerism (Haggai 1:2-8)

  • 6/25 - Gluttony (Philippians 3:18-20)

This Weeks Group Discussion

This week Drew is teaching on the story of Nicodemus from John 3. We see Nicodemus considering faith in Jesus, but not sure if he believes.

This is a great week to ask the people in your group where they are at in their faith journey. If you have people on the front end of faith or considering Christianity, this could be a good opportunity to encourage them to cross the line of faith, and potentially pray to receive Christ right in your prayer time.

If that may be too intimidating, perhaps you could setup a time after your group meeting to grab coffee or a meal with them and talk with them about placing their faith in Christ.

Inconsistent Attendance

I see this every year, after a long Rochester winter, group attendance tends to drop off in the spring. It may be the Sunday holidays, kids sports schedules, or it could be that when the days are longer and warmer, people would rather be outside doing something else.

While you can't make people show up, one of the ways to push against the trend of drifting at the end of the groups year, is to set Growth Goals together as a group.

It doesn't take long when we are disconnected from Christian Community to make decisions we regret or grow distant in our relationship with Christ.

Take some time in group this week to set goals together.

Upcoming Dates

Questions?

If you have any questions about groups or anything else at Northridge, please reply to the email or reach out to your coach.

We'd love to support you in anyway that we can.

Additional Resources That May Be Helpful

How To Find and Keep New People

How Do You Get People To Show Up To Group?

Only Half Of My Group Showed Up Last Night

Why Group Relationships Are Ineffective

5 Reasons We Need Group Relationships In Addition To Our Existing Relationships

When & How Should Your Group Multiply?

Northridge Group Leader Podcast

I'm Not Very Good At This - Measuring Success

Hi Group Leaders,

This is the last week of our Winter Community Group trimester. We'll take a 2 week break and meet for 6 more weeks beginning April 16th.

Have you ever gotten to the end or a group trimester and wrestled with how group is going and how you are doing as a leader?

Maybe you've found yourself thinking, "I'm not a very good group leader."

It is easy to get lost in our shortcomings or the list of things that we could be doing that we are not doing, that we miss what God is doing.

So, how do you know if you are succeeding as a leader? How do you measure whether or not your group is successful?

Remember the goal: Apply the Bible, Build Relationships, and Care for Each Other.

Are the people in your group:

  • Reading the Bible together and wrestling with its implications for their lives?

  • Sharing their joys and hurts together?

  • Praying for and with each other?

  • Sharing stories at group meetings?

  • Texting each other outside of group?

  • Sitting or serving together on Sundays?

  • Hanging out at a restaurant, playground, or in each others homes?

If any of these is happening, celebrate it!! God is using you to help build Biblical community that is leading each other grow more like Christ.

It's been said, "Spiritual growth doesn't happen in a day, but it does happen daily." We grow day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, and year-by-year as we share our lives together.

Thanks for helping create a safe place where people can belong, believe, and become more like Christ!

3 Great Ways To End Your Group Trimester

With this being the last week of the Community Group trimester, here are 3 things you might consider doing in your final meeting:

  1. Share a meal together

  2. Celebrate communion over the meal (Communion Instructions)

  3. Spend time praying for and celebrating what God is doing through the Mountain Mover series and the future launch of the Brighton Campus. Use the Mountain Mover Prayer cards (Found HERE)

Upcoming Dates

Questions?

If you have any questions about groups or anything else at Northridge, please reply to the email or reach out to your coach.

We'd love to support you in anyway that we can.

Additional Resources That May Be Helpful

Mountain Mover Website

Maximizing Prayer Time

When & How Should Your Group Multiply?

Northridge Group Leader Podcast

What You Need To Know About Leading During the Mountain Mover Series in March

This Sunday (3/5) we begin our 4-week Mountain Mover sermon series. In this series we'll take a look through the Gospels at the 4 times Jesus said, "You of little faith."

As we mentioned before this group trimester began, we would like every Community Group to discuss this sermon series together over the next 4 weeks. It is an important series for the life of our church as we stretch our faith and share vision for our Brighton Campus.

Here are a few details you should know about as you prepare to lead your Community Group through this series:

Mountain Mover Booklets

This Sunday (3/5), everyone will receive a Mountain Mover booklet with details about our Brighton Campus as well as sermon notes and sermon discussion questions. Make sure to remind your group to bring this booklet with them on Sundays and to group.

Prayer

This week we are beginning a 28-Day Prayer Challenge. Set aside time each day to pray for life change within yourself, others at Northridge, and the people of our city. There are prayer cards available in the church lobbies on Sunday and anyone can turn on daily prayer notifications on the Northridge app.

Prayer Night

On Sunday, March 12th, 5:30pm-7:30pm, we'll have an open house prayer night at our Brighton Campus. Invite your group members to join you, walk through the building, and pray for what God may do to build His kingdom in the days ahead!

Mountain Mover Website

As you or group members have questions about the Brighton Campus and all that is happening at our church during this series, this is the best place place to go. Before group this week, we'd encourage you to take a look at the website so you can be prepared to answer any questions in your group.

www.NorthridgeRochester.com/MountainMover

Influence

One of our staff values is "influence". We say it this way, "We will lead the way, not just point the way."

As Community Group Leaders, the best way to lead our group members is by first being lead by God.

Take some time to pray for what God may do in your heart during this series as we pray for God to stretch our faith and move mountains we never thought could move.

"He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20

Upcoming Dates

Questions?

If you have any questions about groups or anything else at Northridge, reach out to your coach.

We'd love to support you in anyway that we can.

Additional Resources That May Be Helpful

Why Group Relationships Are Ineffective

Maximizing Prayer Time

Sharing Caring

When & How Should Your Group Multiply?

Northridge Group Leader Podcast

2 Opportunities For Your Group To Serve Our Community

This past Sunday we preached on being a church that cares beyond its walls.

But we don't just want to preach about it, we want to take action.

We want to move as a church toward those who are hurting, in need, struggling with poverty, addictions, and broken relationships with God and others.

Community Groups provide an incredible opportunity for us to learn about and move to meet those needs together.

In order to move our church toward caring beyond our walls, here are 2 things we are asking all groups to do.

1. Group Discussion about Hope International in Malawi The Week of November 6th.

In place of sermon discussion on the week of November 6th, our Beyond team put together a discussion guide and videos for your group to watch and discuss.

To make sure this discussion goes smoothly as a group, we suggest you test out playing these videos on a TV ahead of time.

We are working on additional options for video playback.

2. Find a Beyond Partner to Serve With As A Group

There are numerous ways for your group to get involved in serving our Community.

Here are 2 opportunities for your group to serve together shared with us from our partners:

Trunk Or Treat

  • Saturday, October 29th

  • 10:00-11:30am

  • Northridge Rochester Campus

Northridge Church is hosting our annual Trunk or Treat to help strengthen the families of our Beyond Partners David's Refuge & RISE Community School 106! The premise is simple... A bunch of us band together, deck out our trunks with creative themes, and are ready with candy and fun interactive activities for kids! Families will move from car to car, collecting candy and playing games at each stop. Costumes are encouraged!

Compass Care Monthly Mailing Teams

Here are the days and times are available for groups to come in or pick-up mailings:

  • In-person groups: A 3-4 hour block between the hours of 9AM-9PM

    • Monday, October 24th through Thursday, November 3rd (except Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays)

    • Thursday, November 17th through Thursday, December 8th (except Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays)

  • Pick-up: M-F from 9am-5pm

    • Friday, October 21st through Tuesday, November 1st

    • Thursday, November 17th through Thursday, December 8th

CompassCare is educating the community on the equal value of all human life, from the womb to the tomb, and what it means to be human under God. The Production Team is a critical component to delivering these resources through monthly mailings. Groups interested in participating in prepping mailings can contact Dan Prouty at (585) 559-0241 and dan.prouty@compasscare.info.

If you have further questions about opportunities to serve with our Beyond Partners, check out the link below or contact Michelle Gerringer mgerringer@NorthridgeRochester.com. 

3 Things To Do Before Group Ends and Summer Begins

We have 2 weeks left of our Community Group season. As you wrap up your final few weeks, here are 3 things to do to set your group up for success this summer and fall.

1. Set Summer Growth Goals

Community Groups are about spiritual growth. If we don't set goals for spiritual growth, we are not likely to make progress.

As you review your growth goals from this past semester, make sure to take time to set a goal for this summer:

  • Read a book

  • Memorizing scripture

  • Invite an unbeliever over for a BBQ

  • Replace TV time with reading time or devotions with family or friends

  • Listen to the A Little Better Podcast weekly

  • Etc.

Text each other throughout the summer, or connect for coffee or a bite and ask each other about your progress.

2. Get Feedback From Your Group

Do you know what your group members actually think about your group? Are there things they love or things they are frustrated about that you are unaware of? You won't know until you ask.

In a few weeks we'll be surveying all Group Leaders and Group Members to learn about what we can do better as a church to have a more effective groups ministry. We value your feedback as we seek to improve.

In fact, here are the top 2 things we usually hear from Group Members:

  • I wish my group started and ended on time.

  • I wish my group did more gatherings outside of weekly meetings.

Here is the top thing we usually hear from Group Leaders:

  • I wish people showed up more consistently! (We always survey you at the end of the year when attendance is most spotty, so that is usually at the top of our minds as leaders.)

What do your group members think about your group?

Hand out a 3x5 card the last week of group and ask people to answer two questions:

  1. What do you like most about our group?

  2. What do you wish was different about our group? What would you change?

If people miss that meeting, email them those questions.

That feedback will be invaluable as you seek to create a group environment where people can experience community and grow in their faith.

3. Plan Summer Gatherings

Summer is almost here and groups will be on break. While we encourage you to take advantage of that break to refresh yourself, don't completely disconnect.

If you don't put gatherings on your calendar now, they probably are not going to happen.

A good goal could be to have 1 gathering each month throughout the summer.

Here are some ideas:

What summer gatherings have worked well for your group?

I'd love to hear your ideas so we can pass them along to other leaders! Email me HERE.

How Can We Help?

How are you doing? Is there anything we can help with? Reach out to your coach.

If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach about how your group is doing and what's next for your group, we'd love to connect.

Upcoming Community Group Dates

  • Spring Community Group Trimester: April 3 - May 28th (8 Weeks)

  • Red Wings Baseball Game (Group Leader Thank You): Friday, June 3, 7:05pm (RSVP HERE)

Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Group Leader's Website, Facebook Group, and Podcast.

Additional Resources

9 Tips To Finishing Your Group Well

Why Summer Is Dangerous For You And You Group

5 Reasons We Need Group Relationships In Addition To Existing Relationships

Only Half of My Group Showed Up Last Night

8 Simple Steps To Raise Up New Leaders

5 Reasons We Need Group Relationships In Addition To Our Existing Relationships

5 Reasons We Need Group Relationships In Addition To Our Existing Relationships

Over the last few weeks, I've raised the question, "Do Community Group Relationships Really Make a Difference?"

As I talked about last time, the more time we spend with someone, the more of an impact they will have in our lives.

Group relationships do make a difference, but they are limited by the time we give to them.

Which raises the question, is it worth my time to attend or lead a group when I already have good relationships outside of group?

Here are a few thoughts to address that question:

1. We are called to build up the faith of others.

Community Groups are not only about us.

Sometimes group is community for you, and sometimes it is community through you.

But we don't just attend group for what we can get, we attend group for what we can give.

As Paul shares in Ephesians 4:11-16, the body of Christ is called to build each other up!

If we don't, our church will be filled with people who are spiritual infants and deceived by harmful and unbiblical ideas.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part. - Ephesians 4:14-16

2. The Church is full of people with a deficit of God-centered relationships.

You may have great relationships outside of group but there are many at Northridge who have little or no relationships with mature Christians in their life.

Who are they going to learn from?

Who is going to model for them what it looks like to follow Christ?

3. Our church can't make better disciples without you.

In order for our church to make not just more but better disciples, we need mature disciples investing in new disciples.

If we only spend time with the people we already know, there are a lot of people who will never be surrounded by the relationships they need to grow in their faith.

4. "Mature" disciples without intentional relationships with "Immature" disciples are NOT mature disciples.

To call someone mature in their faith, who is not investing in the immature, is an oxymoron.

It is similar to what the Apostle John said...that you can't claim to love God if you don't love your brother.

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well. - 1 John 4:20-21

5. Mature disciples need immature disciples to grow spiritually.

No matter how far down the road we are in our faith, God uses people from all maturity levels in their faith to teach and challenge us in our own faith.

Paul reminds us that we need every member of the body of Christ:

18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body...24 But God has put the body together, ... 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. - 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, 24-25

God often uses the questions and life circumstances of others, even the most immature, to help us better see and understand His grace.

Final Thoughts

So, when we ask the question, "Why should I invest my time attending or leading a group when I've already got good relationships outside of group?,"

Remember that our own spiritual growth is limited, and our churches ability to make disciples is limited, when we only focus on existing relationships and neglect group relationships.

God grows his church when everyone plays their part in the body of Christ together.

God grows our faith as we engage the scriptures together in community with people in every stage of their spiritual journey.

What do you think? Do Community Group relationships make a difference? Are they worth our time and investment? What would you say?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Email me HERE.

How Can We Help?

How are you doing? Is there anything we can help with? Contact your coach.

If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach about how your group is doing and what's next for your group, we'd love to connect.

Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Group Leader's Website, Facebook Group, and Podcast.

Additional Resources

Only Half of My Group Showed Up Last Night

How Do You Get People To Show Up To Group?

9 Ideas To Change Up Group This Week

8 Simple Steps To Raise Up New Leaders

Communion In-Group (Instructions)

Do Community Group Relationships Make A Difference?

Why Group Relationships Are Ineffective

How COVID Has Affected Our Friendships—and What to Do About It

Why Group Relationships Are Ineffective

Hi Group Leaders,

Thanks for taking a minute to stay-up-to date on what's happening in Community Groups at Northridge!

Communion Reminder

We would love all groups to pick a week to celebrate communion together the 1st or 2nd week of May.

We have a supply of communion elements for any group that would like some. Just reply to this email if you'd like some for your group and we'll get them to you. First come, first serve.

Do Community Group Relationships Really Make a Difference?

A few weeks ago I raised this question, "Do Community Group Relationships Really Make a Difference?". Maybe you've found yourself wondering whether it is worth your time to attend or lead a Community Group, especially when you already have other good relationships in your life outside of group.

In my first post, I talked about 1 reason Community Groups relationships are not very effective: We focus on meetings over relationships.

Read Part 1 HERE. In the article I emphasize the importance of connecting relationally both inside and outside of group meetings.

I think we would all agree, the more time we spend with someone, the more of an impact they will have in our lives, positively or negatively.

"We can impress people from a distance, but we can only impact them up close." - Howard Hendricks

We see the impact of close relationships throughout scripture:

  • The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. - Proverbs 12:26

  • As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.- Proverbs 27:17

  • Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. - Proverbs 13:20

The difference your group relationships will make is going to be limited if:

So, when we ask the question, "Do Community Group relationships make a difference?," much of the answer to that question depends upon how much time we are spending with each other!

If you are seeing limited fruit and life change inside your group, it could be do to the lack of relational connection outside of group.

But here you may be raising the tension:

"I get it, if I don't spend much time with my group members, our relationships are not going to be as impactful, but who has that much time? I've already got other good relationships with family and friends. Why shouldn't I just focus on those relationships instead of trying to spend more time with the people in my group?"

That's what we'll discuss next time.

What do you think? Do Community Group relationships make a difference? Are they worth our time and investment? What would you say?

I'd love to hear your thoughts as I attempt to answer those questions. Email me HERE.

How Can We Help?

How are you doing? Is there anything we can help with? Reply to this email or reach out to your coach.

If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach about how your group is doing and what's next for your group, we'd love to connect.

Upcoming Community Group Dates

  • Spring Community Group Trimester: April 3 - May 28th (8 Weeks)

  • Red Wings Baseball Game (Group Leader Thank You): Friday, June 3, 7:05pm (RSVP HERE)

Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Group Leader's Website, Facebook Group, and Podcast.

Additional Resources

How COVID Has Affected Our Friendships—and What to Do About It

Only Half of My Group Showed Up Last Night

9 Ideas To Change Up Group This Week

How Do You Get People To Show Up To Group?

Do Community Group Relationships Make A Difference?

Communion In-Group (Instructions)

8 Simple Steps To Raise Up New Leaders

8 Simple Steps To Raise Up New Leaders

At Re:Group on February 6th, we talked about the importance of Replacing Yourself as a Group Leader. (Miss Re:Group? Watch or Listen)

Here are 8 simple steps you can take to raise up potential leaders in your group as look forward to the next groups year:

1. Identify them

2. Pray for them

3. Have them over for dinner or a hangout outside of group

4. Assign them to facilitate discussion

5. Ask them to lead prayer time

6. Ask their advice about group planning

7. Ask them to help with weekly touches with group members

8. Invite them to consider becoming an Group Leader in the Fall

Which of these steps can you take this trimester to raise up leaders in your group?

Do Community Group Relationships Really Make a Difference?

Hi Group Leaders,

Thanks for taking a minute to read this email and to stay-up-to date on what's happening in Community Groups at Northridge!

Spring Trimester

We are 2/3rds of the way through the Community Group year. Our Winter Trimester wraps up this week and our Spring Trimester begins April 3rd (for 8 weeks).

45-Day Reminder To Replace Yourself

At Re:Group on February 6th, we talked about the importance of Replacing Yourself as a Group Leader. (Miss Re:Group? Watch or Listen)

We gave everyone a toothbrush as a reminder that, just like a toothbrush needs to be replaced every 90 days, we also need to replace ourselves.

We set a goal as Group Leaders to invest in and develop a potential leader in our group before the Community Group year is over. It's been 45 days. We have 45 days to go.

Who in your group are you intentionally investing in to raise up into Group Leadership? What steps can you take in the next 45 days?

Do Community Group Relationships Really Make a Difference?

Have you ever asked that question?

Maybe you've been meeting with the same group of people for several years, and yet it's hard to see much progress in the growth of your group members, spiritually or relationally.

Maybe you'd say, "I like most of the people in my group, but I'm not really friends with them. My closest relationships are people from my school, work, old group, or friendships I have from another context."

If it's the weekend and you want to invite a friend or a couple over to hang out, the first people you'd like to invite are not the people in your group.

Maybe you wonder, "If I've known these people for 2 years and we are still not close, then what is the point of continuing to meet with these people every week? I'm busy enough, do I really need to keep meeting with this group? Do I really need to keep leading?"

If you've ever wrestled with these questions, you are not alone. So, why should we go through the trouble of continuing to meet with our group? Why give of your time to lead a group?

Do Community Group relationships really make a difference?

Over the next several weeks I'd like to explore this question together.

Today, I want to start with one thought.

If you focus on meetings over building relationships, your group won't work.

Group Leader Essential #2 is to Cultivate Relationships.

The goal of Community Group is not to hold good meetings. The goal of Community Groups is to create authentic Biblical community.

  • Does your group prioritize content over connection? (These don't need to be at odds with each other.)

  • Do your group members connect with each other outside of your weekly meetings?

In my experience from 13 years of leading and coaching groups, the best sign of a healthy group is when your group members get together outside of your weekly meetings.

If we want to foster relationships in our group that make a difference, it happens best when we do life with each other.

But how do we cultivate relationships? How do we create community?

HERE are 6 ideas I've shared in my article 2 Reasons Why Community Groups Don't Work.

As we approach our 2 week break and our upcoming Spring Trimester, I wanted to shared 3 ideas to cultivate relationships with your group members over the next few weeks:

1. Attend Night of Worship Together.

Sunday, March 27th (5:00pm or 6:30pm) at our Rochester Campus.

2. Attend an Equip Class Together.

The Book of Ephesians class is beginning the week of April 3rd at all 3 campuses. This is a great chance to connect with a group member as well as help each other grow together as you study and ask questions about one of the most foundational books in the Bible.

3. Grab Pancakes Together.

These next 2 weekends (March 19-27th) are known in the northeast as Maple Syrup Weekend. Check out a maple syrup farm, see how it's made, and eat some tasty pancakes with your group. HERE is a map of locations near you.

You might say, okay, you've given me ideas on how to form better relationships in my group, but you still haven't answered if those relationships really make a difference, or if it is worth my time to invest in these relationships instead of the good relationships I already have.

We'll explore that more in our next Group Leader post.

What do you think? Do Community Group relationships make a difference? Are they worth our time and investment? What would you say?

I'd love to hear your thoughts as I attempt to answer those questions. Email me HERE.

Thanks for leading this trimester! Enjoy the 2-week break as we prepare for the final 8 weeks of our Community Group year.

How Can We Help?

How are you doing? Is there anything we can help with? Reach out to your coach.

If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach yet this winter, we'd love to connect in-person or online.

Upcoming Community Group Dates

  • Spring Community Group Trimester: April 3 - May 28th (8 Weeks)

  • Red Wings Baseball Game (Group Leader Thank You): Friday, June 3, 7:05pm

Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Group Leader's Website, Facebook Group, and Podcast.

Additional Resources

14 Outdoor Social Ideas For Your Group

Finding Future Leaders

Why and How To Share Facilitation

2 Reasons Why Community Groups Don't Work

What Can We Expect From Group?

 
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Northridge Church Office | 2052 Saint Paul St. Rochester, NY 14621 | (585) 338-7810