ONWARD with Soul Care in 2016

Here is some information about Soul Care and the ONWARD study.

GENERAL INFO ABOUT SOUL CARE:

It is my prayer that each of you would understand that Soul Care groups are   

a small part of this churches ministry.  God wants to do so much more in your life then just have you sign up to get together with a group of people. 

At the same time our Soul Care groups play a MAJOR part in Emmanuel’s ministry.  We genuinely believe that being in a smaller group than this here, discussing with others how to live out God’s word individually and together and praying with others will help you treasure Jesus and encourage others to do the same.  

GOAL for the Fall of 2016 

• 30 groups.  This past year we had 24 groups.

SPECIFIC INFO ABOUT THE ONWARD STUDY:

• Title:  ONWARD;  Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel
• Click HERE for information and several videos about this study.
• Click HERE for a post containing 20 quotes from the book.
• Think about this quote below for your Soul Care group and our church this year.  You can share it on facebook by clicking below.

Training Email from 08.19.15

Here is the email I sent out with additional thoughts in red

First of all, this week:
The last summer training times are Tonight, August 19, (7:00 in Room 201) and Sunday morning, August 23, (9:00 am in Room 201).

Tonight's training is #4:  Praying for and with Your Group.  Information about this topic will be posted later. 

Sunday morning we will be talking about
#3 Leading your Group (Another way to think of this is Discipling Disciplemakers.)

#4 Praying for and with Your Group

This Sunday's Bulletin Insert:
Here is some of the Information that will be on this Sunday's Bulletin Insert.   (I wanted to give you a heads up about what is going to be in the bulletin this Sunday)

NEXT STEP through SOUL CARE GROUPS
Meeting at different places and different times

What is Soul Care?
A Biblical Command:  See 1st Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:24, 25, 1 Pt 4:8-10

Soul Care groups?   
What EBC uses to promote Soul Care.
Not the only place this happens but is a great NEXT STEP

What are Family Friendly Groups?  
Groups that connect families with children.  (Here is a resource from another church to help you understand what a Family Friendly Group is http://tinyurl.com/soulcarechildren1  It is my hope that every group LOVES families and would be friendly TOWARDS families but a Family Friendly Soul Care Group is determined to help families with kids connect with others in our church.   They will help families develop a plan to meet together.)

Sunday, August 30th @ 9:00:  NEXT STEP info meeting in room 201.

For more go to blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/nextstep 

This Summer's Bible Teaching Hour Study

Our Summer study "A Christ Centered Church" is a great Bible training time for everyone at EBC.  

The lessons have focused on not only what we believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible and the Church but also these truths should impact our lives.  

You can get the notes from the lessons at  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6weakwuh0uckg5y/AAAzAAJHfufp4o5AwNVWQarKa?dl=0

(One of the chapters in Christ Centered Biblical Counseling is about Transformational Small Group.  You can read a summary of this chapter at http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/blogs/2013/08/05/transformational-small-group-ministry-and-biblical-counseling/)

How to use Soul Care blog resources

Click on the picture for a pdf version of this.

Resource for you

I have used the following sermon in several training times.

While the whole sermon is great, 

the section from 21:30 to 31:17 is particularly challenging 

in light of our series on Romans

http://www.sermonconnect.com/mediapreview.php?id=20150414120431898F5C

You need to think about this illustration in preparing for leading your group.

You can play that section in your group.

or

You can read the illustration

at

http://tinyurl.com/moreheinoussin

If you use this in your group, let me know you used it.

Thanks!

First 3 Weeks of February = Disciple Making Emphasis.

At the top of this week's Soul Care notes is a brief explanation of the what we will be doing in Soul Care the next three weeks and why we are doing it.
See the notes section in italics below.  
Over these next three weeks you will be definitely want to come back and check to see what has been posted here.
Even easier than that is to subscribe by email to this blog.  To do this enter your email below the church logo.

Here are three resources that would be helpful to you and your group members:

• a post on the church blog (blog.emmanuelbaptist.com) that will be going up later today (01.30) that has and explanation and these other two resources for the whole church.  Be sure to check this blog out.
• the pdf of this section to read through.  http://s3.amazonaws.com/multiply/material/p1-s1.pdf
• the summary video with David Platt and Francis Chan:  http://vimeo.com/51355116

Here are this week's questions and some helps:

Over the next 3 weeks our Soul Care questions are going to focus on being a disciple and making disciples.  This theme is designed to equip each of us for this year's theme and next month's missions emphasis.

What are the marks of a disciple found in Matthew 16:13—26?  Up to this point in your life, would you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ? Why do you say that?  Think Matthew 16:13 –26 answers.

• Profession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 

• Setting your mind on the things of God not on the things of man. 

• Denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Jesus.

 Read Ephesians 2:1 - 10 and note important truths found.  (Do you ever struggle with believing these truths? you need to do something to save yourself?

• We were dead in our sin.   

• God showed mercy and love

• This mercy, love and kindness was evidenced in Jesus Christ.

• Through Jesus Christ, God saved us FROM sin and FOR good works.

As you look at your life, how would you say that your love for God is shown? (If you’re having trouble coming up with an answer, take some time to think through some changes you may need to make in your lifestyle.)

• Bring your group back to the idea of trusting in the faithful work of Christ and not our own works

If you obey Jesus’s call to follow, what might or has it cost you? (Avoid being vague. If following Jesus would/has/will cost you specific possessions, comforts, or relationships, list them below.)

• Bring this question back to the idea of denying yourself and following Jesus.

• Challenge those who are followers of Jesus Christ to give testimony of the victories and struggles in this denying process. 

• Challenge those who are not followers of Jesus Christ to truly consider the cost of choosing to follow Jesus.

At the bottom of the notes pages is a link to a video.  This is the video which would be a help to the leader and other group members.

Soul Care Leader Note 1/28

Remember:

Soul Care is not about sharing MORE information.
Soul Care is about APPLYING God's Word to life.

A number of you have entered your attendance online.
Thanks for doing that.
An even bigger number of you have not entered your attendance.
Please do that.

One correction to the direction sheet.  On step 11, you can click on any link to save your attendance.

We have a number of new people coming to Emmanuel each Sunday.  What are you and your Soul Care group doing to to help welcome these guests?
Please be inviting people to your groups and praying about how this ministry can grow (new leaders, group changes).

This Sunday morning, we are going to have a CONNECTION time at 9:00 am.   So if you know of someone who need more info about Soul Care, needs to connect with a group or wants to start a new group let them know about this meeting.

The Soul Care notes for the first three weeks in February are going to focus on growing as a disciple and helping others grow as a disciple.
More information will be posted at http://soulcare-disciplemaking.blogspot.com/ Thursday afternoon.

Just a reminder to check out the soul care resource page  http://soulcare-disciplemaking.blogspot.com/
There are some helps for this week's questions.
Please let me know if these help posts are useful.  If I don't hear they are then I will stop posting them.

Thanks for your ministry through Soul Care.  

Pressing on,
David Rodgers
Acts 20:24

Always Make the Bible Your Centerpiece

Recently, I have been putting a passage of scripture for your group to read at the beginning of your meeting time.
If you haven't been doing this, start this week.

It helps remind you and your group what the first and final authority is in your group.
GOD'S WORD.

Not the opinions and impressions of the group members.
GOD'S WORD

Not the latest quote or book you saw.
GOD'S WORD

Read the article here: 
http://www.lifeway.com/groupministry/2014/09/29/always-make-the-bible-your-centerpiece/

The Illusion of Control

There are a lot of challenging elements involved with leading a small group. For example, few leaders have much fun when it comes to choosing curriculum. It’s also tough to serve group members with strong personalities, and even finding enough group members to launch a group can be a difficult task right off the bat.

But for many people, one of the most difficult obstacles in leading a small group is giving up the illusion of control.

Let me explain. Most of us who lead groups put a lot of pressure on our own shoulders when it comes to the ultimate success or failure of that group. We set high goals for both ourselves and our group members—goals that usually involve spiritual transformation, spiritual growth, and a march toward spiritual maturity. We want our groups to be an important event in the lives of those who participate. We want people to experience God and experience authentic community.

In other words, we want our groups to succeed.

Unfortunately, many group leaders feel like the success of their group is entirely dependent on their own qualities and decisions as a leader...

Please email soulcare@hotmail.com, if you have read this.

For the rest of the article go to http://blog.lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife/small-group-monday-the-illusion-of-control/

10 ways to Avoid Awkward Silence in Your Small Group

www.pastoralized.com/2014/03/10/10-ways-to-avoid-the-awkward-silence-in-your-small-group/

Here are the main points.  If you want to read more about each one check the blog.

1. Come to your small group prepared to share.
2. Provide a “break the ice” time.
3. When you hit an awkward silence moment, wait…
4. Follow the ground rules for asking questions in a group discussion. 
5. Deflect questions from the group back to the group.
6. Ask if people disagree.
7. Model vulnerability. 
8. Just once, call on a shy person by name to share what they are thinking.
9. Politely ask the talkative people to let others weigh in.
10. Encourage discussion on the interpretation of the passage.

Soul Care covenants

Nine P's for Uncommon Community DVD:
Proper Priority; Prepared; Place God First; Place of Redemption; Prudent and Discrete; Personal Accountability; Promote Vulnerability; Prayerful; Purposeful Multiplication

9 P's covenant PDF
From www.smallgroups.com/articles/2009/howtousebsg48.html

Here are a couple tips that I'll pass along after using covenants in my own small groups for several years.

• Early is better. Many group leaders prefer to wait until the group has "settled in" before they introduce a covenant. They feel that it's better to wait until a group is "serious" before requiring such a commitment. I disagree, mainly because this can lead to unhealthy patterns of behavior within the group that then need to be corrected once the covenant is in place.
  
  In my mind, it's much better to introduce a covenant as one of the first things you do in your first group meeting. This will clarify for everyone right off the bat what the group will be about and what will be expected of them. It helps the group get started on the right foot.
  
  
• Get signatures. I encourage group leaders to sign the group's covenant, and to have each member do the same. This officially announces that everyone is now on the same team—that we are starting something meaningful together. It's also very helpful to have a signature as witness if a group member begins violating the covenant and needs to be corrected.

Sample Covenant #1
Sample Covenant #2
Sample Covenant #3

Biblical counseling resources

Soul care is about helping us encourage one another in godliness.

The biblical counseling coalition is a good online resource for Biblical counseling videos and articles.
http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/resources/video/

There is a 14 session online Biblical counseling training.
http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/resources/authors/deepak-reju

REDEMPTIVE RELATIONSHIPS

In How People Change Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp provide an interesting, challenging description of a man.  "He had the theological dexterity of a gymnast, but he lived like a relational paraplegic." (1) 

They also list some common obstacles that "hinder redemptive relationships from developing in our lives."
Here is the list found on page 71:
1.  the busyness of life, keeping relationships distant and casual.
2.  a total immersion in friendships that are activity- and happiness-based
3.  a conscious avoidance of close relationships as too scary or messy.
4.  one-way, ministry-driven friendships in which you always minister to others, but never allow others to minister to you.
5.  self-centered, "meet my felt needs" relationships that keep you always receiving but seldom giving.
6.  a private, independent, "just me and God" approach to the Christian life.
7.  theology as a replacement for relationship.  Knowing God as a life of study, rather than the pursuit of God and His people.

Let us help people build redemptive relationships (investing oneself in the life of another in such a way that he is drawn more closely to Jesus Christ.