Small Groups

Hey Group Leaders,
Last spring we showed you the small group leader toolbox and some of the ways you’d be able to use it to stay in touch with your group and with West Side about your group. We’re excited to roll that out to you. Below you will find some training videos we’ve created to show you how to use some of the functions of the group leader toolbox. You’ll be receiving an email that has your username and password to access the toolbox. If you haven’t received this, please email fitz@wschurch.org

Accessing the Small Group Leader Toolbox

Emailing your group from the Small Group Leader Toolbox

Adding a person to your group from the Small Group Leader Toolbox

Posting attendance from the Small Group Leader Toolbox

Have you ever been really, really thirsty? The kind of thirst when your mouth feels like it’s stuffed with cotton and your whole body aches? You’ve possibly felt this if you’ve exerted yourself too much on some of our hotter days this summer. As a distance runner, I’ve had moments on long runs when my fingers tingled (and then went numb) and I my vision got blurry. That’s a bad thing. It’s a pretty clear sign of dehydration and heat exhaustion, and something I always warned my athletes about when I was coaching. And what’s the remedy? Rest and water.

It’s not much different for us in our faith. We can get so busy running around doing all the things that life demands of us that we suddenly find ourselves dehydrated with blurry vision. We can run so hard and fast that our body aches for rest and our soul is parched. And what’s the remedy? You guessed it – rest and water. Jesus invites us to come to him and find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). He invited the thirsty to come to him and drink, and taste of the living water he offers (John 7:37-38). As leaders, it’s essential that we keep our tanks full and stay well rested for the journey.

Be careful, be certain, to take time from the busyness of life to rest in Christ and drink of His well. Otherwise, when your well runs dry you’ll have nothing to offer those who follow. Spend some time reading a book from the church library, meditating on a favorite scripture, working your way through a commentary. Do whatever it takes to guard some time to rest in the Lord and allow Him to quench your thirst. Your health, and the health of those you lead, depends on it.

Fall Emphasis:

Big things are coming our way this fall. We’re working hard on plans for this year’s Fall Emphasis, and though I can’t release all the information to you just yet, I want to fill you in on some of the details.

The Dates:

As you examine your calendar and prepare your Fall Schedule for your small group, you’ll want to plan to participate in the Fall Emphasis from October 10 through November 14.

Leader Training:

The leader training for the fall is scheduled for Sunday evening, August 29. Save that date and guard it. It’s essential that you do all that you can to make it to this very special training event. We’ll provide food, childcare, team building, and other surprises.

I’m excited to continue sharing in the small group adventure with you as we look ahead to the next season of ministry here at West Side Christian Church.

I’m looking forward to Sunday night’s SG Leaders Training Session (6:30-8:00 in the All Purpose Room).  We’ll enjoy some yummy cheesecake as we explore The Church as THE Covenant Community.

We had a great gathering at Tuesday night’s training session, and I’ve already heard some positive feedback from those who attended. I’m convinced that you’ll find the material presented both applicable and beneficial to your group. I also think you’ll enjoy the special team building experience included in the evening. Whether you’re a seasoned SG leader or new to this ministry, you won’t want to miss out on this special training event.

If you’re unable to attend, please let us know ASAP. Otherwise, please RSVP to Tracy Scarlette at TracyS@wschurch.org.

Tuesday June 22 and Sunday June 27, 6:30-8:00 pm in the All Purpose Room

I hope you’ve registered for one of the upcoming Small Group Leaders’ Training sessions. If not, you can register here.

I’m excited about what we’ve got planned for those nights as we discuss ”The Church as THE Covenant Community.”

We’ll be focusing our attention those nights on what the Bible says about covenant as an essential element of the Christ Community. We’ll look at how this informs all aspects of our Small Group Ministry, and how covenant language can be an essential part of a healthy and thriving small group. We’ll also share in a special covenant celebration.

I look forward to seeing you there.

It seems like much of the literature I read on Small Groups these days has a lot to say about community, and for good reason. The foundation of a healthy, thriving small group is a deep sense of shared community. As I mentioned before, here at WSCC we focus on three aspects of community: God, one another, and the outside world. But these are not separate communities; rather, they are all part of a grander picture. Think of it as variations on a theme, to borrow a concept from the world of music. We desire to share in deep, rich community with God, which leads us into a fuller sense of community with one another, and propels us to take the redemption message to those outside of the Christian community.

And God himself is the picture of this (John 17.20-26). True community looks like God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all exist and share in perfect community. Three distinct persons, but one marvelous community. And the richness of that shared community propelled God to extend the glorious invitation to us to enter into community with Himself and with one another. And when man broke that community, God took the initiative and provided a way to restore us, inviting us back into that community.

We see a reflection of this (though not perfectly) in the most intimate of human relationships. That’s why scripture uses the metaphor of marriage to describe Christ’s relationship to the church. Ten years ago today my wife and I got married. We desired to share in a fuller sense of community, a union of oneness. And then, after a few years of marriage, we desired to extend the community to others, so we had kids. Now, ten years, three kids, and two minivans later, we have seen our “community” grow, and we’ve experienced joy beyond what we knew possible.

So how does this impact our groups? If we know and experience rich community with one another and with God, we need to celebrate that community. Maybe we need to give some thought on how to extend an invitation to someone outside the community we share? Definitely, when thinking about our community, we need to quit asking so much what true community looks like, and start asking who true community looks like.

I’d like to introduce you to Tracy Scarlette, the new Administrative Assistant for Small Groups here at WSCC.

Here’s a brief interview with Tracy to give you a glimpse into who she is:

Tracy, tell us a little bit about your family:  ”I have been happily married for ten years to Ken Scarlette. We have two daughters, Addison and Sterling.”

How long have you attended WSCC?  “I’ve attended West Side since 1993. I became a member and was baptized November 9, 2009.”

What are you looking forward to most about working at WSCC?  “I think it will be a great place to work. The staff and the members of West Side are great.”

What’s your favorite snack?  ”I’d have to say French fries.”

What are your hobbies?  “I don’t have many hobbies. I have two little girls that keep me very busy. If I had to name one, though, it would be working in my flower or vegetable gardens.”

What makes you laugh?  “My husband and my girls.”

What are some of your loves?  “I love summer. I love being outside on warm summer days playing with my girls or just watching them play.”

Do you have a pet peeve?  “CLUTTER”

What’s your greatest fear?  “Public speaking. Can I say that???”

Based on her answer to the last question, you can expect to see Tracy doing some of the teaching at future training sessions. (Just kidding, Tracy.) We’re excited to welcome her as part of the team, and look forward to working with her as we continually take the Small Groups Ministry to new levels. Please don’t hesitate to contact Tracy with any questions regarding Small Groups curriculum and resources. Her desk is located on the third level, in the corner of the library. We’ve also relocated the SGs resources to the library, right next to Tracy’s cubicle.

Small Groups at West Side center around three important relational connections: connecting people to Christ, connecting people to the Christ community, and connecting people to the world through service and outreach. The first two connections come easier for most groups than the third one. At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, if a group spends time in a lesson from the Bible and shares some time catching up on life each time they meet, then the first two bases are covered. But service and outreach don’t come as naturally to most groups. It can be difficult to organize events with the intention of connecting to the world. This often requires aligning group members’ already busy schedules. But what if that other time to serve was already scheduled for the group and they just weren’t aware of it?

Here’s a WILD idea…challenge your small group to step up, step out, and serve in the WILD this summer. The WILD is WSCC’s primary Sunday morning program for grades K-5. Your group could try a new challenge, allowing God to stretch you, by:

Adopting a class during the WILD this summer OR serving one hour each Sunday, guiding a small group of students. How awesome would it be for the youth of WSCC to see the power and impact of small groups firsthand and adult small groups help them along in their journey of faith?!

 What might it do for your group to attend the worship service together, as a group, and serve together, as a group, each Sunday this summer? If you want to take your group to the next level, then please consider this WILD idea.

 If your group wants to explore this opportunity for service, please contact me soon as the identical training sessions for this service area will be held on 5/30 and 6/3.

 PS – If your group would like to get involved, but isn’t confident about their availability each week or their ability to serve in the mentioned capacities, we have other roles that you will want to explore.

Tuesday June 22 and Sunday June 27, 6:30-8:00 pm in the All Purpose Room

The next Small Group Leader’s Training event is just around the corner. We wanted to offer you a little flexibility in your summertime schedule, so we’re providing two identical training sessions: Tuesday June 22 and Sunday June 27. We’ll meet from 6:30-8:00 pm in the All Purpose Room both nights. You can come to whichever session best fits your schedule.

(Please note the change in dates from my communication about this event earlier this year. This change in date was needed in order to be able to introduce to you the new Administrative Assistant for Small Groups and Men’s Ministry.)

 Training Topic: The Church as THE Covenant Community

We’ll be focusing our attention those nights on what the Bible says about covenant as an essential element of the Christ Community. We’ll look at how this informs all aspects of our Small Group Ministry, and how covenant language can be an essential part of a healthy and thriving small group.

 New Team Member:

I’m happy to announce that Tracy Scarlette is the new Administrative Assistant for the Small Groups and Men’s Ministries. Please join me in welcoming Tracy to the team. You can reach her at TracyS@wschurch.org. I’m confident that Tracy will increase the impact of these ministries. I also want to say a big thank you to Becky Minick who served as my administrative assistant during my first year here, and to Elizabeth Wenzel who served as the interim administrative assistant for these ministries during the last several months. Both Becky and Elizabeth have gone above and beyond in their work and service to these ministries.

Dessert and Childcare will be provided by RSVP. If you plan on attending the June 22 training session, you’ll need to RSVP by June 17. If you plan on attending the June 27 training session, you’ll need to RSVP by June 25.
Please contact Tracy Scarlette to confirm your RSVP:  TracyS@wschurch.org

I hope you were able to join us the other night at the Volunteer Celebration. Though I was able to interact with many of you, with so many volunteers in attendance I know that I missed seeing some of you. What a great night. I especially enjoyed our time with comedian Tim Hawkins. I was fortunate to sit between my sister and my wife and laugh hysterically with them as Tim helped us view life from a different perspective for just a few moments.

One of the best parts of the night for me was being able to touch base with Tim backstage before the show to see if he needed anything. When I poked my head into his room about ten minutes before the show, he was laying back in a chair with a guitar on his lap, intermittently making up a song with his young son Levi and playing catch with a Twinkie. Tim was at ease with a huge smile on his face, and Levi was having the time of his life. I saw in that moment that this guy’s ministry is born from a spirit of joy.

I was reminded during the show how healthy it is to laugh. We can get so caught up in the busyness of life, the frustrations of our days, the troubles of this world. But Scripture repeatedly talks of a joy that is to be experienced for those whose trust is in Christ. Both the Old and New Testaments speak of the joy of the Lord as something more than a feeling, as an attitude of life that supersedes emotion, as a way of being. (Is. 35.10; Gal. 5.22) Those who follow Christ are to live in joy, regardless of situation or circumstance. This isn’t a dismissal of the reality of the difficulties and trials of life, but rather a means of viewing them with proper perspective with our gaze set toward eternity. I appreciate how Habakkuk states this: though the world around me is dismal, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Hab. 3.18)

Tim’s message of laughter reminded me of this. If we know the joy of the Lord, then we can be at ease and allow ourselves to laugh. How great it was to see and hear the church laughing together the other night, sharing in the joy of the Lord. I’m convinced that what we were a part of Friday night in our worship center was just as much a foretaste of heaven as what we do in that space on Sunday mornings. So here’s the application for your small group: laugh together? Make some time in group to share the lighter side of life together. Watch some funny videos or share some stories or play a game that gets everyone laughing. And then celebrate the joy of the Lord together.