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Think of a greeting activity to help people feel comfortable and get to know one another.
I am looking forward to what God is going do to in and through our lives.
Here is a powerpoint you can adapt.
Our goal is to help your team establish multiplying spiritual communities (churches) by following the model that Jesus showed us.
When you study the life a Christ in chronological order you will see five distinct phases in the way Jesus built his movement of multiplying faith communities.
In Explore we will focus on the first two phases.
As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another. ( Proverbs 27:17 )
From time to time we will get together for peer coaching.
Coach assists leaders grow in:
Celebrate allows you to record what God has done so you can celebrate with others.
How long will it take for you to start a church or spiritual community that multiplies?
Generations has 2 years of content if you need it.
Churches and spiritual communities can take many forms.
We define a church as 10 or more followers of Christ practicing Acts 2:42-47.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
It is going to be a lot of work. There are going to be great joys and great sorrows along the way. Our hope is that you will draw closer to God and people during this time. That He will transform your character and increase your skill as you depend on him.
Many people start the journey. Those who continue and see it through have a firm conviction of why they started and what they want to see accomplished.
When Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them to pray he said: "This then is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
What would it be like if all the people in your community God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?
Have participants get into groups of 3-4 people, to introduce themselves and discuss the following. They will return to the same groups for prayer at the end of this session.
Get into groups of 3-4 people, introduce yourselves and discuss the following:
What would it look like if all the people in your community wanted God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?
Ask one person from each group to give a summary.
It would be wonderful if God's will was being done on earth as it is in heaven. But the reality is that there a lot of brokenness and suffering in our communities. Open the tab labeled "The Gap".
The Gap between Reality and our Vision gives us our Reason. What are we going to do to narrow the Gap between Reality and our Vision?
How did Nehemiah respond when he heard about the reality in Jerusalem?
Reveal passage and read.
1:1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.5 Then I said:
“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbearer to the king.
Have participants return to the same small groups as before and use Nehemiah 1 as their basis for prayer.
Return to your small group and pray using Nehemiah 1 as a prompt.
Write down anything God tells you during this prayer time.
1) What is a good way for you to capture your vision, the current reality and the gap? Is it a:
Be prepared to share this the next time we get together.
2) Share with 5 friends about the gap you see and what you believe God wants you to do about it. Ask you friends to pray that you will be able to build multiplying spiritual communites (churches).
At our next meeting we will celebrate the prayer team that God is raising up to move your vision into reality.
Version 2.10
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