LifeGroup Leader Essentials: Introduction
We are always looking for ways to improve and equip our GroupLeaders. You guys are standing in the gap for us and ministering life to our people in an intimate way that we can never do from the pulpit or on Sundays. With that in mind, it is my desire to get the necessary tools and training sent your way to help you be the very best GroupLeader possible.
I’ve been looking for some core teachings that could help us achieve this goal. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Drive Conference at North Point Community Church in Atlanta. Our LifeGroups are based largely on their model. While attending a breakout session on group life, I believe the very thing I was looking for was dropped in my lap. Why reinvent the wheel, right?
So for the next few weeks, I’m going to start presenting these to you. I’m going to be calling these our LifeGroup Leader Essentials. Each week I will be sharing on each one through our blog and through email for those that can’t access the site.
Here’s the complete list. I encourage you to write these down and get them deep inside you.
1. Cultivate relationships
2. Promote participation
3. Serve together
4. Celebrate change
5. Provide Care
6. Replace Yourself
7. End well
Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on how to achieve these essentials. It is my great desire to create a community of leaders that are helping our people connect with God and each other.
Eddie
GroupLink…Looking Back
Well, it was that time again. Time to join people to the experience of being in a LifeGroup in a setting we call GroupLink. As awkward as it seems sometimes to be a participant in this event, I have to believe every person leaves feeling better connected to each other and to the body of Open Door, and excited about the upcoming meetings with their very own group. It has been said of many that their LifeGroup holds a very special place in their heart as well as allowing them to have intimate relationships with friends and a place of safe harbor when discussing issues of everyday life.
This past GroupLink consisted of an opening ice breaker of the game “Minute to Win It”. While stacking Ding Dongs on one’s forehead may not be appealing to everyone, some find that “all or nothing” attitude quite intriguing and it’s always a joy to watch others make a fool of themselves. This definitely helped everyone to begin mingling around group sections they were interested in, and the food and fellowship were just perfect for the occasion. Finally, when groups were seated as people found times and dates acceptable to their own schedule, then there was a time of just getting to know the people in the group you selected. It just seemed to flow really well, and I believe people felt comfortable in the choices they made.
The experience of attending a GroupLink is just the beginning of a wonderful part of being at Open Door–LifeGroups. It has changed my life over the past few years, and I know it has done the same for many others. Being in a LifeGroup is just what the word implies; it’s all about everyday life and having a group of people alongside you to encourage and support you, make you accountable, and help you live your life to the fullest as God desires.
Announcing our New “Apprenticeship Program”
Hard to believe but we have our next GroupLink coming up at the end of January and because of the amazing growth we have seen here at ODM, we have lots of people that are interested in being a part of our GroupLife. As it stands now, most of our groups are full. In fact, some are over-flowing! So as our group members grow, our leadership must grow as well.
Here is what I need you as a leader to do to help. Effective immediately (that makes it sound super important) I am asking you to begin looking for leaders in your group that you feel would make a great LifeGroup Leader. We would begin training and hopefully be ready to launch new groups at GroupLink. In order to help them be successful, we would give them a couple of members from their current group to move with them at startup. This way, they are starting with a group already in place. That will also allow you space to add new people in your group. Obviously some groups will not be in a position to do this.
Over the next few day please pray about this and ask direction. I will be contacting you at the first of January to offer my assistance to help with training and implementation.
2011 is going to be our greatest year ever in our LifeGroup ministry. I am so glad you are at the heart of it all!
Eddie
Community Opportunity
Moyewood Outreach Event
On Saturday, November 20th at 9am we will be delivering complete meals to every household in the Moyewood Community (about 240 families). For the past several years, we have taken the gospel to the streets and shown this community the love of God by blessing them on this day of Thanksgiving.
This event has been successful largely because of the support of our LifeGroups. Once again, we are calling for your help. Here are the details….
- Trucks arrive at 8am to load meals at ODM
- Our teams arrive at 8:45 at the corner of Moyewood Dr (just off 5th Street) for prayer, team assignments and instructions
- Meal delivery begins at 9am and takes about 2 hrs
What a great opportunity to share the love of God with this community. We are believing for our greatest turnout in volunteers yet! If you can help, please click on the link below and sign up.
See ya there!
Night of Worship for GroupLeaders
Hey all! Very pleased to announce that we are having a night of soaking in God’s presence for our GroupLeaders. Gonna meet on Wednesday, November 3rd from 7:00 to 8:15pm. Miriam will be leading us as we practice one of our core values together. So please make every effort to join us.
Miriam has made herself available to minister to your LifeGroup if you are interested in using her for a time of worship with your members. We can bring a couple of groups together if needed. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. I can’t think of a better way to help your guys experience worship on an intimate level. Nothing weird or spooky. Just soaking in His presence together. Your group will thank you!
Eddie
Coming Soon!
Hey all! We’re working on a new system that will help us promote, train and equip new GroupLeaders. Once I get the details finalized, I’ll be contacting our current leaders to break it down. Right now, my wife and I are about to leave for Charleston for a few days.
Don’t forget to visit the FORUMS (then PRAYER MINISTRY) for this weeks prayer directives for our groups. They are listed by date.
Eddie
How To Use Our Forums
It’s easy. Really. A forum is basically a message board or a place to post discussions and ask questions. To access ours, simply click on the FORUM icon in the Menu area of our main page. Once you are in, you can read the THREADS/POSTS but in order to add to them you will have to register. Do this by clicking the REGISTER icon on the top right of the page.
Ok, once in, you will see 5 main categories (Say Hello, LifeGroups, Prayer Ministry, Messages and General). Click on Prayer Ministry and it opens and lists all THREADS (topics for discussion). You can then click on any THREAD and it will open and list all discussion on that topic. You can add to the discussion by clicking on REPLY TO THREAD. All replies will be sent to our moderator for approval. Security reasons of course!
That’s really it. Check back often to see if others have responded to your questions or posts and to see what others are saying. Good stuff!
Prayer Shift to LifeGroups
Scripture talks about “one putting a thousand to flight and two ten thousand” (Deut. 32:30). Obviously, in God’s eyes, our multiplication rules don’t always apply in the same way. Read more
LifeGroup Community….Up and Running!
Hey gang! I’m really excited to announce our newest connection for LifeGroups at ODM! Here you can catch our LifeGroup blogs, join in our discussion forums and even enter our new chat room and talk, talk, talk!
Read more
GroupLink…Huge Success!
What a great time we had at our last GroupLink. We saw many new people “get connected” into LifeGroups and we also added several new groups putting our LifeGroup membership at around 300. That’s pretty incredible! Several new groups formed and our new season of groups kicks off this week. Thanks to all our group leaders, volunteers and staff.
You guys are the best!
Eddie