Community Restart (08.02.21)
A quick guide for restarting CG after the July sabbatical
Leader’s Note
- We’re back from July CG soft sabbatical!
- Next week (the week of August 9), there will be no CG practice guide. Instead, we encourage you and your CG to attend Fasting & Prayer Nights together in our new building. See more info here.
- Feel free to use this simple Community Restart guide anytime your group takes an extended break and then begins meeting again.
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 be aware of what you’re bringing back into meeting as a CG after sabbatical.
Checking In
After a time of not meeting, there are bound to be some big or little shifts in our lives to report on. Set a timer for 1-2 minutes for each person to respond to this question:
- What would you like the group to know?
Community Restart
At our church, we are “A community following Jesus, seeking renewal in our city.” This is our vision statement the directs how we interact as a church community.
It’s important for communities to periodically assess with one another how the community is doing. What is going well? What’s not? How might we grow and adapt? How might we better live out our vision?
As followers of Jesus, we also get curious about if our community is helping us relate to and live in alignment with Christ. How is our community doing in growing us as disciples of Jesus?
Practice: A Vision For Your CG
Pause for a few minutes of silence, and prayerfully reflect on these questions:
- How do you want to see yourself and your group grow in unity and maturity as disciples of Jesus?
- What do you hope to contribute to your group going into this new season?
After silently reflecting, openly share with one another your hopes and aspirations for this group. Allow this to be an organic conversation where everyone is permitted space to dream out loud with the group.
Finish this time by praying into this collective vision for your group. Offer these hopes to Jesus. If helpful, write down the hopes and vision that seem particularly noteworthy for your group.
Closing Intercession
Pray for your group, our church, our city, and our world.