Greetings one and all. I have received questions about when and how D-Groups (our discipleship/small groups) are forming so I wanted to send this to you. As a leadership team, we decided sometime ago to get out of the way of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead our 'small group formation'. Admittedly, this can make things appear unorganized. But that is the GLORIOUS MESS we have decided to embrace to avoid the man-centered models we have followed in the past.
We let groups form RELATIONALLY and as the Spirit leads. But this means that WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO RISK LEANING INTO RELATIONSHIPS!
Just say to someone(s),
"Come and see with me what Jesus is saying."
As excited as I am for the Training Center— and I hope you will ALL consider being part of it— D-Groups are really the most vital thing we will do to make disciples that make disciples.
If we cannot meet with Jesus in the Word, respond to what He is saying, and then share what He is doing in their lives, we need to question what we mean by being a disciple of Christ. This is what the Apostles did, it is what the disciples of Jesus have done throughout history, and it is WHAT IS LACKING IN THE CHURCH TODAY. We have made discipleship synonymous with a ‘book study’ or ‘Bible study’. Discipleship is about letting the Bible (Jesus who is the Word) study you by the power of the Holy Spirit, and reveal to you what His desire for you is, and then to share that with others. THAT’S DISCIPLESHIP. The Word matters most!
The Gospel is the word of the cross… AND
Jesus is the Word on the cross.
Remember, D-Groups don’t need to look like the ’traditional small group.’ They CAN, but they don’t HAVE to. A D-Group simply requires and handful of people willing to pray for one another, read the same things in the Word each day, respond to them, and then gather in some way to share what they are seeing— and let the Spirit lead! The Spirit matters much!
SO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX for you, your family, the church family, and those disconnected to Christ and His Kingdom.
We are letting these shape up as the Spirit forms them. But lets to do our part to meet Him where He is working.
MUCH love. Live the blessing! TOGETHER!!!
–doug
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