7 Proposals for Discipleship Growth

The small groups of the church provide contextual missions to reach out to your community while practicing the spiritual gifting of each member furthering their spiritual growth. As events are planned, organized, and managed, each part of the body of Christ is needed to work in their purpose for God’s passion. Consider the following seven proposals for discipleship groups to grow in their gifting, sharpen their gospel presentation, and live in their God given purpose. (Each event is of my own formation through 25 years of global mission and ministry.)

Fasting at Congregational Tables: Instead of home cooked potlucks, church members gather to share & receive prayer after bringing some canned goods to fill the outreach pantry/food bank. The hunger experienced during this hour of meal-time fasting gives focus to the compassion and empathy encouraged as the church seeks to hurt with those who are hurting. Meal-time sessions of focused fasting are intentionally organized with guided table groups (depending on facilities, table size, & number of seats—6 to 12 persons per group) following prompts to discuss felt needs, anxieties, and prayer points for themselves, their families, and their communities. A desired goal is for each person or family present to feel authentically heard, valued, and spiritually cared for even as physical needs (i.e. hunger) are shared and lifted up to God together in prayer.

Real Estate Outreach: Through seasonal outreach events (perhaps once or twice per quarter depending upon sale frequency), regional small group teams may offer welcome baskets from the church in area residential neighborhoods divided into provinces with recently sold homes where church members live. Using an urban community map, it may be sectioned off into areas preferentially represented by the location of small group meeting spaces. As a low pressure method, a basket with church data including area information, vendor coupons, or gift cards may be brought by a group of two or more members to a new home. In practice, the interaction should be brief (under two minutes) with a stated welcome, presentation of the no-obligation gift, and a hopeful invitation to see them again. Records of the interaction may be passed to the church pastor/leader responsible for outreach for further follow up.

Block Parties: These events are envisioned as directed regional outreach to build neighborhood awareness and positive word of mouth for the church. They are scheduled as bi-annual seasonal church picnic/events in front lawns, driveways, or neighborhood parks where church discipleship group leaders live. These may fall on expected holidays (bank holidays, four day weekends, etc.). Formatted to provide small group info packets, snacks, baked goods, community games, and informal conversations, the hope is to build connections in a low pressure setting. Resources of the church and volunteer schedules may require calendaring staggered events so that availability is ensured and overburdening is avoided. If budgets allow, bounce house rentals might be included. Volunteers need to be prepared to reach out to new comers and report whatever data on the visitors the event may provide—number and description of families meet, event costs, number of volunteers attended, recommendations for next time, etc.

Groups Promotional Potluck Meals: Fellowship is encouraged by honoring specific groups in a large setting as facilities allow. This gives a chance to promote and advertise which groups are in the church, where they meet, how they function, and what is open for new people/families to explore. Food with social mixing is especially focused on the groups who are planting, birthing, or starting anew. Seating can be arranged with tables divided up into the Discipleship groups of the church. Schedules can be arranged during weeks of the year possibly in connection with academic schedules, new semesters, or when limited run Discipleship and Equipping Groups will go through specific material—such as a 6 to 8 week teaching series/book. Leaders may prepare info sheets describing the demographics of their group, their stated mission, vision, and goals, etc. This data may  be mirrored on the church Discipleship Groups web page.

Stated goals include the communication of God’s love for you as you are in your embodied life while we all participate in living out healthier practices together. Care is given to not imply judgement or condemnation.

POSITIVE BODY IMAGE FOR IMAGO DEI

H.A.P.P.Y. Neighborhood Walks: Helping Apply Positive Perceptions Yourself. Positive body image results in higher life satisfaction, as studies have found. (https://studyfinds.org/body-image-life-satisfaction/). Walks may be organized through public spaces in the community with church groups affirming a positive body image and prayerful evangelism with multigenerational participation. Various options exist for the organization of such events, yet each must be intentionally designed and communicated in advance for the accomplishment of said purpose. A possible option could include, frequent walks that might better reach the goals of discipleship and peer evangelism by organizing small group walks with specific unchurched people invited to join, receive affirmation, and grow in welcomed edification. Stated goals include the communication of God’s love for you as you are in your embodied life while we all participate in living out healthier practices together. Care is given to not imply judgement or condemnation. The walk is paced for listening, conversation, and all abilities participation; it is not a power walk that prohibits talking. As a second option, walks may be scheduled less frequently (perhaps twice a year as resources allow) as neighborhood outreach events with programmed routes, distance stages, and a completion celebration fellowship event. This allows the church to build positive word of mouth in the area through a positive body image message. (A celebration of the Imago Dei in each person.) This ministry sponsored event should be prayerfully designed to bring awareness of the church to new people who are unchurched or unserved. Through the issuance of certificates of completion, data is collected with the consent of each person for the church to conduct follow up outreach.

Gen Next Insider Track: Research data on emerging generations, such as Gen Z, suggests Gospel needs that experienced church members may meet. Opportunities to build trust, speak to God’s life purpose, and give hope may come through offering classes/training on relevant topics such as mental health for life balance, financial management (preparation for life goals), time and resource management, personal organization, communication in a professional and multigenerational context, and basic maintenance of home and auto. Research from Go Bank Rates surveys reveals the struggles facing organizations as this generation comes into adulthood. (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gen-z-most-challenging-generation-190008042.html) In summary, this generation lacks professional experience due to its young age–15-24 at 34% of global workforce. Described as entitled and not loyal, they challenge traditional viewpoints, norms have to be defined for them which slows efficiency. They are difficult to integrate into teams. They are easily distracted. They have poor communication skills and require online training to show them how to communicate with coworkers. They need to learn how to provide feedback. They feel threatened by a perceived lack of control over their destinies. They have the shortest attention span of any generation pushing them to demand immediate answers. They seek personal values in work environments. They are looking for some work that they believe in. They want work-life balance so as to not be focused on completing work or following deadlines. As such, they really need to believe in the company mission. This gives an open door to a church experiencing God, providing community, and revealing purpose.

Car Care Spiritual Service: As the church has talented mechanics or certified auto engineers that can supervise the work, volunteers may sign up to provide basic repairs and inspections to a needy community. These workshops may be scheduled on a cyclical basis as resources and garage space allows. Once inspections are complete, persons may be directed where to buy parts so that church volunteers may offer free labor. In addition to mechanics, trained volunteers are needed to extend friendship, listening, compassion, and prayer to those coming for help. Here too data may be kept on the demographics of visitors, information they willingly provide for outreach follow up, which volunteers serve in the ministry, associated costs, and anything else of relevance. Yet remember that most of American life is very “car centered” as a source of anxiety for those God called the church to compassionately care for—the single parent, the widow, and those near to desperation in our society. Restoring a car to safety can restore a heart to hope in God again.