Life Groups Model

What is a Life Group?rnThere are many types of ‘groups’ around within our church. There are Bible Study Groups, Small Groups, and even Cell Groups! So what sets Life Groups apart from all other groups? It’s all about PURPOSE. It’s right in the name: Life Groups. When we say ‘Bible Study Group’, what’s the purpose of that group? It’s about studying the Bible, right? Even when we say ‘Small Groups’ we imply that the main focus of the group is Bible Study or some kind of study.rnrnSo when we say, ‘Life Groups’, we put a focus on doing life together. Life Groups then, are not specifically about a certain topic, study or activity. Instead, Life Groups are an intentional way that we do life together with other people. Real relationships are built out of shared experiences: meals together, conversations, adventures, discovering God together, serving others together, being there for each other when a need arises, and creating memories together.  This is exactly what ‘ekklesia’ (Greek: ἐκκλησία) – church is all about. It is what Jesus had in mind for a community of believers who would do life together as they supported each other, discovered God and deepened their relationship with Him.rnrnIn Life Groups, the focus is not so much on meeting for a study to share ideas and opinions and learn something new. It’s about sharing our lives with each other as we journey with God. It doesn’t mean that we won’t read the Bible or study it. It means that whatever we do together acts to serve us all in very practical ways that make our life’s journey with God and others more fulfilling.rnrnThere three main dimensions that make Life Groups appealing to individuals over and above many other ‘study groups’ that often fizzle out.rnrnrnrnIt’s about Community: people develop trust in one another, they know they are accepted and that they belong. It’s within a community that people can be themselves knowing that they won’t be judged if they mess up. It’s within a community where differences are welcome and where love binds people together even if and when there is a conflict within the group.rnrnIt’s a place where everybody can Participate equally and have a sense of meaningful contribution – the feeling that they add value to the group. As human beings, we not only want to belong but also have a sense of appreciation and know that we are significant in some way. We love it when we know that we add value and make a difference.rnrnIt’s about making Discoveries together. People thrive when they learn something new and see how those discoveries and experiences change their lives. There is no better place to make spiritual discoveries than in a Life Group. The power of these discoveries is not so much in theological subjects but in spiritual and practical life changing topics where people see how these discoveries transform their lives.rnThe Format of a Life GrouprnAlthough there is no one ideal (one-size-fits-all) format of for a Life Group, there are key elements that can make a Life Group more effective.rnrnThe below is a simple example of a format that could be used for a Life Group:rnrn Meet & GreetrnrnIt doesn’t need to be a formal greeting. This is the time when people come and naturally start their own conversations about topics they are comfortable to talk about. It’s a natural flow. The critical key here is for all to be mindful of each other and make sure that no one is left out of a conversation or dominating the conversation. With time every group will grow more in this area and become more inclusive.rnrn Warm uprnrnDuring this time, people could be invited to share something very simple about themselves which doesn’t require them to share anything too personal. This can be facilitated by one member of the group. A good example would be to ask everyone to rate their day on the scale from 0-5 an say why they chose this rating.rnrn SharingrnrnAt this point the group can go a bit deeper in sharing. A participant can introduce one ‘ice-breaker’ question where everyone who wants can share or answer that question. For example, “what is one thing you really want to do in the next 5 years?”rnrn DiscoveryrnrnThere are many ways to facilitate this segment. It can be a topic everybody is interested in and they discuss it. One great way to introduce the Bible, especially if that group has one or more non-Christian participants, is to have a Bible Discovery Reading. It’s simple, everybody can equally participate, and it’s spiritual. Note that it’s not a Bible Study as such. It’s Bible Discovery Reading. The Bible and especially the Gospels were written to be read in the first place, not studied. There is a huge difference between the two approaches – reading and studying. Reading is for the purpose of discovery, while studying is for the purpose of going deeper in your knowledge of a given topic. ...read morernrn NetworkrnrnThis is also a significant element of a life group because people can share their life experiences, work connections and see how they can help each other out in their everyday life. They can share their connections, refer to their preferred service providers, and share their trip experiences, just to name a few.rnrn PrayerrnrnThis segment is totally dependent on the spiritual level of the group. If all people are Christian, this segment can take more time and can be longer and more meaningful. If there are a number of people in the group who are new to spiritual concepts, a shorter prayer might be a good way to start.rnrnWhen it comes to any format and especially the format of a Life Group, it’s critically important to recognise that it cannot be handled in a rigid fashion. The ‘format’ can be likened to the skeleton of a human body – it’s there but you can’t see it. It’s vitally important to allow a natural flow rather than to tick each element off the listing showing everyone that the group is following some prescribed track.rnrnIn fact, you don’t even need to stick to this format by following it one segment after another. In most cases, a group can meet and have all of these or similar elements even without mentioning them or having a transition from one to another. After a groups meeting, facilitators can sit down and see if their meeting had most of these elements.rnrnrnDifferent Types of Life GroupsrnAs we mentioned before, there is no one perfect format that will work for everyone when it comes to Life Groups. Here are some examples of different types of Life Groups to encourage your imagination.rnrn Bible Discovery ReadingrnrnPeople meet to read the Gospel and share their discoveries.rnrn Basketball Life GrouprnrnYoung people or adults (or a mixture of the two) can meet to play basketball and then they can share, read the word, and pray.rnrn Mountain Biking Life GrouprnrnPeople into mountain biking meet for a ride, sharing and enjoying a discovery reading at the end.rnrn Walking Life GrouprnrnMeet together to have a walk in a park or nature reserve, share and leave time for discovery reading.rnrn Mothers Life GrouprnrnMothers meet together to share with each other, read the word or just support each other.rnrn Men’s Life GrouprnrnYes, men like to talk too! Often, it’s more about cars, fixing things and projects. This is a perfect opportunity to be intentional about other segments of a Life Group and try to incorporate some in their time for catch ups.rnrn Garage Life GrouprnrnMen love meetings in garages. That’s where they can spend hours. Let them have fun there and then they can share their life stories, read the word and even pray. God is with them even in the garage.rnrn Adventure Life GrouprnrnThis might incorporate several planned adventure activities throughout the year that are intentional in including Life Group segments. For example, a multi-day hike, a long weekend of cross country cycling or off road motorbiking or horse trekking.