Ending Season, Part 4 (03.28.22)
In order to make space to rebuild our culture and structure for community as a church, Community Groups will walk through an ending season now through Easter. This guide will lead CGs through helpful biblical perspectives and discussion prompts around the theme of endings—such as sabbath rest, God’s calling into transitions, testifying to God’s work, and reflecting on learned wisdom.
Outline of Weeks to Come:
- Learning and Wisdom (3.7.22)
- Gratitude and Appreciation (3.14.22)
- Testifying to the Work of God (3.21.22)
- Sabbath and Resting the Ground (3.28.22)
- God’s Call to Move (4.4.22)
- Holy Week & Seder Passover Meal – Remembering God’s Faithfulness (4.11.22)
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 open your heart in love toward Jesus and your group mates.
Now & Next
Each week we’ll give some information to help your group know how the church is transitioning our CGs and revamping our approach to community ministry. This will be in the format of Now (how CGs currently function in our church) and Next (where we are headed in our community ministry).
Now:
Currently in our CG structure, CG Leaders sign on to serve their groups, and the length of the commitment is undefined, which makes it effectively endless. Some are able to manage this fine. But over time, we have observed a pattern of burnout among Leaders as they maintain a commitment with no end. Many Leaders finish leading on fumes rather than ending and passing the baton well, with negative consequences for CGs.
Sometimes Leaders receive special training in group dynamics or other leadership topics, but often Leaders step in without being formally invested in and supported by the church—which can lead to difficulties down the road. We can create a better, more supportive leadership experience!
Next:
We are revamping our leadership experience by making it more communal—and also including a clear time commitment for serving. We will launch our Leadership Cohort later this year so stay tuned for when that is announced!
During the cohort, leadership training will happen upfront before a person starts leading a group so they’re fully equipped and confident to lead! Additionally, Leaders will have the ongoing support of the leadership community to tap into to better lead their groups.
We believe investing in the health of group Leaders in this way will ultimately benefit all our groups as well.
Sabbath and Resting the Ground
Read Exodus 23:10-12 and Hebrews 4:1-11 and then silently reflect on rest in your life:
- These scriptures spell out the ways God encourages rest for his people. How do you see sabbath and rest playing out in your personal life?
- Resting the ground is a picture of not only refraining from work, but also allowing the means or structures of work to rest. What connections do you see between resting the ground and endings?
Discuss:
- What are some ways you are longing for rest?
- What would it look like to rest this group well in preparation for the growth to come?
Closing Intercession
Thank God for the creation of the Sabbath and instituting a time of rest for His people and creation. Pray for your group, our church, our city, and our world.
Coming Up
God’s Call to Move — Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Paul: always on the move to follow God’s calling on their lives. How might God be calling us to move forward?
And a further heads up, Holy Week is coming up, which includes the option of hosting a Seder/Passover Meal. More details here and the Seder meal guide is here.