Community Examen, Part 3: Resilient Discipleship (08.17.20)
A Series of Guides for Groups Reassessing & Realigning on Community as Followers of Jesus
Leader’s Note
We encourage groups to abide by local ordinances for public health and safety. Continue to meet via video calls, or if meeting in person outside, abide by SF safety guidelines for outdoor, in-person gatherings.
Opening Prayer
After the group welcomes one another, have one person open in prayer and then take 2-3 minutes of silence. As you sit in silence, ask the Holy Spirit to help you recall important moments in your relationship with Jesus.
Checking In
Set a timer for 1-2 minutes for each person to respond to these two questions:
What is one word you would use to describe your relationship with Jesus at the moment? What has been going well, and what has been challenging?
Community Examen
During this series, we are taking a simple inventory of our communities in order to set them up for connection, health, and discipleship to Jesus. Last week’s focus was on compassionate curiosity, welcoming the curious questions of our community, and intentionally inquiring about one another’s lives in a spirit of compassion. This week is about resilient discipleship.
When we talk about discipleship to Jesus, it’s easy to focus exclusively on a few core practices and disciplines, like mentorship or Bible reading and prayer. While these are important parts of Christian discipleship, they are not a comprehensive picture.
Here’s a working definition: a Christian disciple is a follower of Jesus who aims to know and connect intimately with Him, learn and implement His teachings by the power of the Holy Spirit, and increasingly glorify God in all dimensions of life, such as community, family, work, finances, and leisure.
Practicing Resilient Discipleship
Read Jesus’ call to discipleship in Mark 8:34-37. Discuss the following questions:
- From this passage, how does Jesus call people into a life of discipleship?
- What are ways that Jesus may be inviting you to take up your cross and follow Him into deeper intimacy and discipleship?
- How can your CG encourage one another’s discipleship?
Have one person take note of any ideas or practices that might be helpful to encourage discipleship in your group, and as a group, prayerfully consider how best to integrate them into the rhythms of your CG. Be sure to remain realistic about what’s doable for your group versus good ideas for individuals.
Some examples:
- Asking one another about their relationship with God in a spirit of encouragement on a regular basis.
- Cultivating a culture of openness about faith struggles in order to help one another.
- Encouraging one another to keep daily times of prayer and Bible study and checking in about it regularly.
Closing Intercession
Pray for your group, our church, our city, and our world.