Growth Through New Groups .ppt

Growth Through New Groups! Bruce Raley Director Church Education Ministry LifeWay Christian Resources

Commonalities…and Distinct Differences

FADS

If Churches desire:

More people reached for Christ More people matured in Christ

Start New Groups

What Types of Groups? Connecting people through Bible study groups living and sharing the Gospel.

Realities

1. Discipleship takes places best in the context of relationships (group)

What is discipleship? 1.Discipleship is not information. 2.Discipleship is not behavior modification.

3.Discipleship is transformation.

A disciple is being transformed into Christlikeness so that he/she thinks and acts like Christ.

Realities

2. The Word of God is the focal point of life transformational groups

Realities

3.Barriers must be overcome 4.Time and location no longer define groups 5.Need for Sunday and weekday groups

Realities

6.Catalysts are essential for the creation of new groups 7.New groups are created proactively

Realities

8. Organization attendance will increase approximately 10 for every new adult groups properly started.

New groups are offensive!

HOPE!

What are the possibilities of uniting in a vision to Grow through Groups? • More people accepting Christ and being baptized • More people maturing in Christ • More people engaged in ministry • More people giving to kingdom causes

A dream of State/National Sunday School Directors… 200,000 new groups in 5 years Resulting in 2 million more people in ongoing Bible study and Hundreds of thousands of new church leaders

and thousands accepting Christ and following him in Baptism.

A dream fulfilled…

Every church begins at least one new Sunday School class each year … one group for every hundred people in attendance.

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