We're off and running!

Preparation for Launch

     Training leaders can be a challenge, that's one lesson I've learned over the past couple of years.  You all are an interesting bunch!  Some leaders love to be taught and poured into.  They attend training meetings, meet with other leaders, and constantly look for ways they can be a better leader. 
     Others like to go to the leadership buffet line and only take what they need.  They will go to the web and find resources, they might pick up a leadership book, and they too want to be a better leader, but they seem to like the more hands off approach.  "I'll come to you for help when I need help" is more of their mantra.  It's kind of the doctor mentality.  If your doctor called you every week to ask if you had any ailments it would get annoying.  But if you get sick or injured, you know who to call.
     That is more of the approach we've taken with our leadership training here at FCC.  We let you know the expectations of a leader, we let you know what should be in the DNA of every group, then we let you go minister. 
     Next week we launch into a new season.  We're praying that God does great things through our groups this season as we study God's word and minister to God's people. 

I'm praying for each of you
- mt

Challenge

 I wanted to pass on a note that I received this morning:

Matt,
I can't even begin to express how incredible it was to see God working through our life group and everyone involved with the Stone Canyon project this weekend. It was amazing to see His church unfold right in front of us and the range of emotions that came over me once the service started on Sunday is indescribable. Your message in regards to how much God loves us was very fitting as well as you could see it on the faces of everyone involved at Stone Canyon.

That leads into the reason for this email. The Stone Canyon set up team is obviously going to need some help every weekend to set up and tear down. As you know, our group has committed to helping out on the 2nd Sunday of each month and will be assisting this month to learn the program. I would like to throw out a challenge to the other life group leaders to get their groups to step up and fill in the gaps to serve the other available Sundays. It would be a great way to show God how much we love Him…….

Would you please send this email out to the other leaders and let them know that they can contact me with any questions in regards to the set up to take some of the burden off of Bobby.

Thanks and have a blessed week!

Mike Loewe
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
National Account Executive - C&G

When you're finished changing, you're finished.
Benjamin Franklin
If you would like to talk to Mike, let me know and I'll get you his info.  I didn't want to post it on the blog...

Keep Leading!

We can't do this alone

Last week at Youth Quake we had the opportunity once again to see God stir in the hearts of our students and adults.  As we would gather for Youth Group Time around the fire students were encouraged to share what God had done in their life that day.  Students would confess, rejoice, cry, hurt, and heal.  It's an awesome moment to see these young lives be drawn near to God.  Jared, our leader, was quick to ask "who's going to be there for them?"  Students around the circle would raise their hands and pledge to help. The message they heard was that they can't do this alone.

I had a young man in my office this morning that is struggling in life.  Bad influences, bad decisions, and past hurts have left him in confusion.  My question for him was, "who is speaking truth into your life?"  At this point there is no one he is engaged in an intentional relationship with to help him through life.  His next step is to get in a group because he's quickly learning that he can't do this alone.

Leaders, understand that you carry out an important role.  You provide a place for people to come who have been trying to do life alone.  A place for couples to come who have been trying to make it alone.  They are struggling, hurting, and looking for help and healing.  By leading a group you provide a place.  You provide intentional relationships where tough questions can be asked and truth can be found.

Thank you leaders for leading!

Do you have a safety net?

Below is a devotional thought by Rick Warren on the importance of groups.  It's a good image to put in our minds that as leaders we're net builders and menders.  Creating communities of people who are there for one another.



Do you have a safety net?
by Rick Warren

 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

As a pastor, I see situations daily that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy. Nobody should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when their spouse has just walked out.

Life's tough times and tragedies are inevitable - each of us will face them. But we don't need to go through them alone. We need God's safety net to help hold us up through these difficult times.

What is God's safety net? It is a group of other believers - a handful of people who are really committed to you. We call this kind of group a community. Here's God's plan for community: "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV). Community is God's answer to despair.

Romans 12:15 expresses a similar idea: "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (NIV).

The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it's often easy to join in on the party.

But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But, really, it's simple. When you're going through a crisis, you don't want advice; you just want somebody to be there - to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you.

As Paul tells us, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). Encouraging someone else doesn't always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence - waiting and weeping with a friend.

Do you have a safety net - a group of fellow Christians you know you can count on in life's toughest times? If not, go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable, and only a fool would go into them unprepared.

Accountability

     Accountability is a word that many in our culture run from.  We are a people who don't want to be accountable to anyone.  We want to live life our way.  We don't want others pointing fingers at us.  We don't like the idea of being watched.  Yet, if we want to grow and become the person God wants us to be, we have to have someone who can hold us accountable.

     Those who want to get healthy find a trainer.  Those who want to get smarter find a teacher.  Those who want to mature spiritually find a fellow believer or group of believers to help them grow.  As leaders of our groups and classes we have a responsibility to challenge our people.

     In our Sunday Morning bulletins at the end of the Group Study there is a new section labeled "Accountability".  I encourage you as leaders to use these questions of accountability in your group.  Whether you use the sermon study or not, you can still use the accountability questions. 

Here are the questions:

Accountability: (Have group members answer on a scale from 1 to 10)

1. How is your relationship with God right now?
2. Did you spend time with God by reading your Bible this past week?
3. Have you spent time with God in prayer this past week?
4. Have you treated others around you as you would want to be treated?

What's next???

Summer groups are off and running!  This is our first time to do a Summer Season.  Numbers are lower, as we had predicted, since everyone is out and about over the summer.  We have seen a good number of first timers jump in though, so that's really cool! 
If your group isn't meeting over the summer, be sure to keep in touch with your groupies. 

What's next?  That's a good question.  Here's the answer: FALL!
The Fall season will be here soon and that means we need to prepare by raising up some leaders.  We still have close to 300 adults who have not plugged into a group.  (Remember, when I say "Group" I'm referring to both Life Groups and Classes)  But, honestly, if they all signed up we would have nowhere to put them.  We need more leaders!  We are striving to create a culture of Leaders raising up Leaders.

One of the first things Jesus did in his public ministry was to identify and develop future leaders who would advance his kingdom and mission (Mark 1:16-20; John 1:35-51). Paul modeled this as well, investing in emerging leaders like Timothy and Titus, among others.

Who is ready to get off the bottle?
Who in your group are you raising up to take the Lead?