GRACE Group Leaders
Building followers of Jesus
Christ…
4/24/08
So now I am giving you a new
commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each
other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my
disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT)
GRACE – Relationships - Actively
engaging in community with other believers where we learn to love each other,
pray for each other, care for each other, be there for each other, and together
seek God’s will for our lives. We believe this happens best in the context of a
small group of people who are meeting often and are learning to do life
together.
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There’s a New ‘Girl’ in Town |
May 2nd - Servant Volunteer Celebration
That’s right, the world famous “Cheer for You Cheerleaders” have signed a new star to their team
and ‘she’ will be making her public debut on May 2nd at the
2nd Annual Servant
Volunteer Celebration
Friday, May 2nd
– 7:30-9:30pm
You don't want
to miss this years' celebration. On Friday, May 2nd, we desire to say
thank you to all of our GRACE Group leaders and co-leaders and coaches who
have served this year. We have been planning and working on this night of
celebration for a few months - I think we have an absolutely awesome program
planned. We are going to have a night of fun, laughter
and celebrating. I sure hope everyone who is serving in the GRACE Groups
ministry can join us and share in the opportunity to be cheered and
celebrated. All of you are so special to us and we want to make sure you
know how valued you are.
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Group Leader Essential #5 |
GRACE Group
leaders are charged with an incredible responsibility. Because they are
involved in the day-to-day lives of their group members, they have tremendous
influence on the spiritual lives of the people in their groups. With this in
mind, we encourage them to prioritize their own relationship with God. From
there, we ask them to focus on six key aspects of group leadership - six
essentials that are critical to the success of their groups.
Provide Care
This essential reminds us that the primary way
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The
Forgotten Gift |
“But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My
witnesses in
*** *** ***
***
One day a
disciple of Jesus receives one million dollars as a gift, designated to help
the poor. The disciple is thankful for the gift and begins making plans for a
ministry to those in need.
A year goes
by, and the gift-giver returns, joyfully asking, “Tell me how you used the gift
to serve God. Have people come to know Jesus through the ministry you were able
to start with the money?”
Confused, the
disciple of Jesus asks, “What gift?”
But as the
words tumble off his lips, the disciple remembers the gift of one million
dollars. He’d placed it in a bank account, and then, due to the tyranny of the
urgent, he’d completely forgotten about the gift.
Disappointed,
the gift-giver gently says, “I gave you the gift to help other people. When you
received the gift, you also accepted the responsibility for sharing the gift
with others. The gift is still there; go use it for ministry, my friend!”
When we
become believers, we’re filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1, 4) God places
this gift – this Holy Spirit power – within us so we can be his witnesses in “
God gives us
the gift of the Holy Spirit to energize our faith-walk and to allow God to work
through us to love and serve others. If we don’t lean on the Holy Spirit, it is
like receiving a gift we never use, or that we hide away.
What does
this mean?
· God sees to
your success – God didn’t just give you an assignment and then leave you to
figure it out on your own. He sent the Holy Spirit to empower you. Jesus said,
“And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the
city until you are empowered from on high.” (Luke 24:49, HCSB)
· This
Holy Spirit is Jesus in you – “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It
is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor
will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you…. He will glorify Me,
because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:7, 14,
HCSB)
by Jon
Walker
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New in the Small Groups Library |
|
Author: Henry
Blackaby & Claude King
Length:
12 sessions This is a
study for those who really want to take a deeper step in their relationship
with God. God is not simply the subject of our Bible study. Rather, he is a
person who loves and longs to enter into relationship with us. In this
contemporary classic you will learn how God longs to share Himself, His
purpose and His ways with you so you can more fully share in His mission to
this broken world. |
Check
out other small group studies in the Leaders Tools at www.gracegroups,net
Thanks for all you do!
Information, questions, comments.
240-553-1090 ext. 111
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G.R.A.C.E. Group.