Small Groups

Sometimes small group prayer time becomes routine, predictable, and stale. Reid Smith, Community Life Pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and the founder of the 2orMore small-group leadership training and resource ministry, offers 20 ideas for incorportating prayer into your small group. While each meeting should include prayer, I encourage you to implement some of his strategies to keep things fresh by changing how your group prays.

Prayer Ideas

1. Ask a small-group participant to open your gathering in prayer.

2. If you begin your meeting with a meal, pray for your small-group meeting when you pray for the food.

3. When you welcome the last person, officially open the meeting with a brief prayer.

4. Begin your study and discussion time with prayers of thanksgiving and praise.

5. Pray through our church’s weekly program.

6. Pray immediately after a concern is raised—don’t wait for the official prayer time.

7. Be as specific as possible when you pray. Say the names of those you’re praying for.

8. Regularly pray for one another with the laying on of hands, especially when someone is ill (Luke 4:40; Acts 8:17, 28:8b).

9. Integrate prayer into your worship time. Spend time in thanksgiving, intercession, adoration, and confession.

10. Designate prayer partners. One way to do this is to have each participant pray for the person on his or her right throughout the week. Ask everyone to touch base with the person he or she is praying for before the next meeting.

11. Share answers to prayer with your small group. This encourages those praying to continue to pray (Acts 4:23-31).

12. Pray Scripture over a person or the entire small group. You could use Colossians 1:9-14 or Ephesians 3:14-19.

13. Pray a psalm over a person or the small group. Commit an entire meeting to reading Psalm 119 together.

14. Designate someone to be the prayer coordinator for your small group. As this person records requests and tracks answers, he or she will be empowered to lead and use his or her gifts to build up the body of Christ. The record of prayer requests will also be an encouragement to small-group participants as they see how God has been working in and through the group.

15. Set aside a gathering to do a Bible study focused on prayer. Consider using Ephesians 6:10-20 or Colossians 1:9-14.

16. Confess your shortcomings and pray for one another (1 John 1:9).

17. Have each person write his or her prayer request on an index card. Then exchange cards. Each participant should pray for the person on the card he or she has.

18. Fast and pray together. You could set aside a day to do this together, or you could choose to do this separately but at the same time. For instance, small-group members could agree to fast and pray over the lunch hour on Tuesday, wherever they’re at.

19. Encourage group participants to pray with their bodies. Have them stand with arms raised for praises and kneel for requests.

20. Close each meeting in prayer.

—Copyright by the author. Used with permission.

One of our small groups is leading the way on providing a carnival for the kids at Harvard Park Elementary again this year on Friday, April 27. The carnival will include 10 game stations, face painting, popcorn, lemondae, and about 430 students! However, this project is bigger than just one small group. We’ll need about 25-30 volunteers during each shift to help make this event a success. If you or some members of your group would like to participate, please contact Tari Butler (217-741-7856, butlertari@hotmail.com). Also, if your group is unable to give their time but would still like to help, financial contributions are quite welcome.

Shift times for Harvard Park Carnival, April 27th:

7:45am-8:45am

8:45am-9:45am

9:30am-noon

12:30pm-3:00pm

On Easter Sunday we’re launching a powerful new sermon series, titled “Plan B.”  There’s no time like the present to ask someone to join you at church. Many people feel a draw to church during the Christmas and Easter seasons. For some, it’s a tinge of guilt because they aren’t consistently attending church. For others, there’s a sense of nastalgia, remembering the family activities surrounding these days in their childhood. But whatever the reason, many people are poised to accept an invitation to join you at church this Sunday – all you need to do is simply ask. Check out the video below to get a feel for our “Plan B” series. You might even consider posting it on FaceBook and sharing it with your friends as part of your invitation for them to join you at West Side this Sunday. And, of course, don’t forget to encourage your group members to be inviters, also.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a superhero – somebody with extraordinary powers like Superman or Spiderman. I think somehow Mr. T also qualified as a superhero in my mind back then. As I got older and a little more mature, I still retained the desire to be a hero, but it morphed into a more realistic vision: I wanted to be a police officer or fireman – someone who would risk their life to save others.

Then I realized that being a hero didn’t necessitate me being in a particular role where I’d have to risk my life. It just requires me to use my ordinary strength in extra-ordinary ways, and to be willing to risk my reputation and comfort. When I do that I can be a life saver.

 Here are a couple ways to be a Life-Saving Hero in the coming weeks:

• Lead your small group through the How to Save a Life small group curriculum. Help them wrestle with applying the lessons and challenges they encounter during the Sunday mornings messages. Accept the challenges yourself and model the lessons and for your group. Encourage your group to join you on the journey. Contact RubyS@wschurch.org to request copies of the curriculum for your group.
• Use your ordinary financial strength to purchase some medicines for our WSCC Domincan Missions Team. Simple drugs like Children’s Tylenol, children’s chewable vitamins, ibuprofen, topical ointments/antiseptics, and anti-diarrheal medicines are literally life-saving drugs in the poverty-stricken areas of the Domincan Republic. Consider challenging your group to purchase some items on their own or raise funds as a group to donate for the purchase of the medicines. Maybe you’ll want to have some fun and make a scavenger hunt social night for your small group that includes purchasing these items. Medicine can be brought to the deposit area in the foyer on Sundays. Monetary contributions may be earmarked for the Dominican mission trip and given to the church office (medicines will then be purchased through a wholesaler). 

During the three Sundays prior to Easter ( March 18, 25, & April 1), West Side’s Lead Minister Eddie Lowen, will lead us through a challenging sermon series titled, How to Save a Life: Break the Rules. In this series we’ll explore how some seemingly good rules need to be bent or broken in order to engage and assist people who are far from God.  In reality, we are going to learn how to obey a far more important instruction:  seek and save the lost.     

In conjunction with this sermon series we’re offering a shorter, three-week curriculum for our small groups. If you don’t already have plans for your group during that time, please consider utilizing this curriculum. If you are in the midst of a series, we encourage you to pause and use this curriculum to help your group reflect on the life-changing and spiritually formative concepts that will be presented on Sunday mornings.

To obtain copies of this SG curriculum for your group, simply contact Ruby (RubyS@wschurch.org), call the church office (793-2800), or stop by the SG table in the concourse beginning March 11.

Love Costs Everything is a collection of stories from the persecuted church around the world, produced by Christ in Youth, in association with The Voice of the Martyrs. This feature-length film promises to be a powerful experience for all who view it. This film has the potential to be a catalyst for greater levels of discipleship in your group, sparking a deeper level of concern and compassion among your group members for those who are far from God. 

On Sunday, March 11 at 6:00pm, we’ll be hosting a simulcast of Love Costs Everything in Studios 1 & 2 at WSCC.

Please consider inviting your group to join you in attending the simulcast of the film on March 11…and take a look at the trailer here. To RSVP for this event, go to www.wschurch.org/lovecostseverything.  Small Group discussion guides will be provided following this event. Childcare is not provided for this event, and due to the intense subject matter, we suggest those attending be no younger than Jr. High age.

Often times the physical world we inhabit offers windows into spiritual realities. Because all truth is God’s truth we repeatedly find that concepts in science transfer to principles of faith. God’s world is consistent with His Word, and all of creation points to Him as Designer.

On Thursday, February 23, from 6:00pm-8:30pm we’ll be investigating the Physics of Small Groups at our annual Small Group Leader Spring Training. Whether you are a seasoned small group leader or you are just getting started in that role, you’ll want to attend this event. We’ll offer strategies to help you refine your leadership skills while equipping you with practical methods to lead your small group into deeper waters of spiritual maturity and spiritual enthusiasm. We’ll also cast vision for our ministry, set some goals for our groups, and group up with our huddles for discussion and prayer.  

As usual, dinner and childcare are provided with RSVP to Ruby (RubyR@wschurch.org) by February 17.

Our worship and technical arts teams have been hard at work creating a powerful and moving Christmas Eve experience this year: SHINE (http://www.wschurch.org/arena/default.aspx?page=3379&promotionId=809). Through a dramatic and interactive experience, SHINE will tell the Christmas story in a way that moves us to worship and celebrate our awesome God.

You may want to consider inviting your Small Group to join you at one of the Christmas Eve services at the church. Participating in a worship experience like SHINE can be a great bonding moment for your group. Consider inviting them to join you for snacks and drinks in Fireside Café before or after the service. You might also challenge your group members to each invite someone to join them at SHINE, and plan to all attend the same service and get together afterwards for a time of fellowship where you can introduce your guests to one another and the group.

Service times:

Thursday, December 22nd – 7:00pm

Friday, December 23rd – 7:00pm

Saturday, December 24th – 2:00pm and 4:00pm

I pray that you and your group have a very merry Christmas, recognizing the incredible gift we recieved at the first Christmas.

Maybe your group would like to provide dozens of cookies for this outreach.

• If so, consider hosting a cookie making and baking party with your group.

Would your group like to provide pairs of boots for kids at Harvard Park.

• Consider shopping together for the boots as a group.

Is your group interested in packaging and distributing the boots and/or food collected for this project?

• Then you may want to consider signing your group up in advance for one of the shifts. Space is limited in the packaging and delivery areas, but volunteers are needed. So, we’re providing an advanced sign-up for small groups to better provide your group with the chance to serve together.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Contact your group and decide which of the shifts (listed below) work best for your group.
• Contact Michelle Engle (mengle@illinicc.net) to request that shift.( All-church sign-ups for these serving opportunities are this weekend, so you may want to contact her prior to Sunday morning to ensure the best chance of getting your preferred shift.)
• Enjoy serving together

Volunteer Shifts:

Sunday   12/4,     2:00–4:00PM at West Side to check in boots

Monday  12/5,      6:00–8:00PM at West Side to check in boots

Sunday  12/11,     2:00–4:00PM at West Side to check in boots

Monday  12/12,     6:00–8:00PM at West Side to check in boots

Thursday 12/15,    8:00AM-? meet atWest Side, load boots and take to HP to distribute to classrooms

Saturday  12/17,   9:00– 11:00AM, 12:00–2:00PM and 2:00–4:00PM at County Market

Sunday    12/18,   1:00–3:00PM and 3:00–5:00PM at County Market

Monday   12/19,    8:00–10:00AM, 10:00AM–Noon, Noon –2:00PM, 2:00–3:30PM and 3:30–5:00PM at Harvard Park

Tuesday   12/20,   same as Monday 12/19

*Children 5 and up are welcome to participate; parents are responsible for keeping their children safe and on task.

The holiday season is upon us. In a few days many of us will be overstuffed with turkey and pumpkin pie. Stores have sent out their ads in preparation for Black Friday. Small catalogs of toys have mysteriously made their way into my children’s hands. Christmas decorations have been on sale in most department stores for over a month now. The weather is turning colder. And the nights are getting longer. During this time of year you may experience a nudge to do something kind for others. During the holiday season I find myself reflecting more on the blessings in my life. And during this time of year we may feel a heightened sensitivity for those in need.

In the spirit of our current series, generoUS, I want to encourage you to lead your groups in the path of generosity and service. Schedule a time for your group to serve together (maybe even in place of a Christmas party).  Challenge your group members to serve with their families or on their own.  And here are a few great ways to reflect God’s generosity and serve this season:

Celebrating Christmas by Feeding Springfield Families

• 300 low-income families from Harvard Park Elementary School
• 420+ children, spending two weeks at home during Christmas break with bare cupboards
• Hundreds of kids without winter boots to keep their feet warm and dry
• 1 generous church determined to feed and clothe them

When asked to identify the two greatest needs of Harvard Park families during the winter season, school leaders suggested food and winter boots.  This Christmas, West Side Christian Church will bring help and hope to our community by providing two-weeks of groceries for all Harvard Park families and winter boots for every Harvard Park child. 

Choose one or more ways to bring help and hope this Christmas:

• Donate money for food.

To ensure consistency among the meals and recipes provided for each family and to secure the most significant bulk discount possible, only monetary donations will be collected for the grocery portion of this project.  Approximately $30,000 worth of groceries are needed to make this goal a reality. 

• Bake Cookies.

Each Harvard Park family will receive two-dozen homemade cookies.  Willing to bake with love?  Let us know!

• Purchase snow boots for a specific child.

Select a specific child (name, age and gender provided) and have fun shopping for snow boots with them in mind.

• Assist with packaging and distribution

A variety of volunteer roles are available for people of all ages during distribution week:  Wednesday, December 13- Tuesday, December 20.

 To Register

Receive more info, register to participate or donate funds at the HOPE table in the concourse on Sundays at West Side, or at the church office during the week.

 Tell others!

Spread the word about Hope for the Holidays in your workplace or neighborhood. 

St. John’s Breadline

One small group recently assembled over 250 zip lock bags of toiletry items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, soap, wash cloths, hand wipes, lotion, band aids, etc.). Then then distributed those bags at the Breadline, which is a good place to gain awareness of and access to the homeless in Springfield.  The Breadline is also in need of people to assemble and distribute gloves or mittens, stocking caps, or especially socks (which are good because they can also be used as mittens).

Inner City Mission

One small group has adopted Inner City Mission as their place of service throughout 2011, and will continue to serve there during 2012. They provide meals, coffee, and fellowship for the residents. They also serve meals to the residents.  Simply interacting with the residents there by doing things like reading to the children and sharing a cup of coffee while encouraging the moms provides a needed ministry.

Want to serve with other groups?

If your group would like to serve in one of these areas, but is unsure of going at it alone, don’t worry – we have groups who would love to partner with your groupsin these serving options. If you’d like to find a partner or mentor group, please contact fitz@wschurch.org.