3 Things Every Group Should Do To Set Your Group Up For Future Success

As of tomorrow, we only have 2 more weeks until the winter break begins (November 18).

As you wind down your fall trimester, here are 3 things every group should do to set your group up for future success.

1. Next Trimester Plan

What is next for your group?

Do you need new leaders? Are you planning to multiply?

Multiplication/Leadership Plan:

As we talked about at Re:Group in September, if your group plans to multiply, it is vital to talk about it early and often. If you plan to multiply, you'll want to communicate those details to your group the last 2 weeks of group.

• Who is going to lead?

• What will the new groups look like?

• When is the first date of your new group?

Discussion Plan:

What are the spiritual needs of your group? What would be most healthy for your group to discuss together in January?

Our Upcoming Teaching Series:

In January - March our church will be doing a teaching series on saturating our hearts, our church, and our community with the Gospel. We'll be doing an open baptism service on February 11th, and we'll be doing a 6 week series on prayer after that.

If you have questions about multiplication or need ideas of what to discuss with your group, reach out to your coach and review the materials below.

2. Growth Goals Review

Did you set growth goals 7 weeks ago? How are those going?

As you wrap up the trimester, make sure to checkin on everyone's progress.

We can always use another boost, accountability, encouragement, and prayer as we seek to grow in our walk with Christ.

Make sure to discuss this with your group this week in prayer time.

3. Holiday Plans

We have a rather long break between our fall and winter trimester. Almost 2 months. The Winter Trimester begins January 14. That can be a long time to be disconnected from community.

What can your group do to stay connected?

Add a date to your calendar this week for a social:

• Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving Dinner

• Football and chili hangout on a Sunday afternoon

• A Christmas party (gingerbread house decorating, white elephant gift, etc.)

You may also consider setting up prayer partners for the break, that way everyone has at least one person checking in with them regularly until your next meeting.

How Can We Help You?

How is your group going? Are there any challenges or issues you or your group are struggling with? Reach out to your coach to setup a meeting. We'd love to help!

Additional Resources You May Find Helpful

When and How To Multiply Your Group

3 Ideas To Help Your Group Grow Relationally and Spiritually

7 Ways To Build Relationships During The Holiday Break

10 Christmas Social and Serving Ideas

Video Curriculum Streaming Options

Book Of The Bible Curriculum & Discussion Ideas

1 Easy Way For Your Group To Serve and Connect

Hi Group Leaders,

One of the most frequent comments we get from our end-of-the-year Community Groups survey, is that people wish that they could have more connections together outside of their group meetings.

Well, here is one opportunity for your group to connect together and impact others; an opportunity to be missional with your group.

Our Brighton Campus Launch is just 1 month away, but there is a lot that needs to happen before then.

Would your group be willing to do a Brighton Campus serving project?

If so, reach out to our Brighton NYM Resident Josh Myles to coordinate: jmyles@NorthridgeRochester.com

Below is a list of some of the things we are working on and groups may be able to help with, including a meal train for the workers who are doing the finishing touches on the building.

• Hanging all the TV's and connecting them to Chromecast and Network

• Vacuuming every room

• Vacuum brown furniture for the green room

• Cleaning the gym floor

• Setup and lint roll all of the auditorium chairs

• Clean the bathrooms

• Assemble furniture

• Assemble cubby units for kids ministry areas

• Set up tables and chairs in classrooms

• Go room by room and clean/dust/set things up appropriately

• Wipe down the kids playland with clorox wipes

• Move toy bins from closet into appropriate rooms (wipe down bins)

• Setup cubicles and desks in the office spaces

• Build the shelves for the cafe prep area and set them in place

• Check on the gas attached to the stove in the kitchen and make it work

• Find high top tables for the kids min check ins, connect and gathering room

• Setup the connect space, t-shirt racks or something for drip to sit on

• Fully clean kitchen, wipe down everything

• Wash windows inside and out

• Stretch fabric on 6 acoustic panels for the auditorium

• Dust or wipe down the ceiling in the auditorium

• Inventory cleaning closet 

How Can We Help You?

How are your first few weeks of group going? Are there any challenges or issues you or your group are struggling with?

Reach out to your coach to setup a meeting. We'd love to help!

2 Ways To Thrive Spiritually While Group is On Break

Our Community Group season is coming to an end next week. But just because your group is not meeting, that doesn't mean that community needs to stop.

Right at the beginning of the Bible, we read "It is not good for man to be alone." - Gen. 2:18

We do not do well when we live in isolation.

We are in a spiritual battle for our souls! And we can't survive alone.

If we are going to thrive instead of die spiritually this summer, here are 2 things I would encourage you and your group to do.

2 Ways To Thrive Spiritually While Group is On Break.

1. Set Summer Growth Goals for the Summer

You may not be seeing each other on a weekly basis, but in your last 2 weeks of group, talk with each other about one step you can each take to grow in your faith this summer.

Then touch base with each other throughout the summer on your progress:

• You could assign Growth Goal Accountability Partners for the Summer.

• Send a weekly text to check in with the guys or girls.

• Schedule coffee or a bite one-on-one.

• Set up a monthly, bi-weekly, accountability breakfast with the guys or girls.

• Set a regular reminder on your phone to ask your group members about their progress.

2. Decide on Summer Plans To Connect by May 26th.

Enjoy the summer break. We all need to rest. And don't feel guilty about not meeting each week. This is a season of sabbath for Community Groups to replenish and hit the ground running this fall.

But Community Group is more than meetings.

What regular patterns can you establish with your group to stay connected throughout the summer when you are not meeting?

• Pick a shared Bible Reading Plan

• Text a Scripture each day to each other

• Pick a book to read and discuss

• Sit together Sundays

• Decide after which Sunday service you'll visit together in the lobby

Check out these 10 ideas for summer connections.

Get some dates or plans on the calendar now, or your summer is likely to pass you by without your group connecting.

Questions?

If you have any questions about groups or anything else at Northridge, reach out to your coach.

We'd love to support you in anyway that we can.

Upcoming Dates

• April 16th - May 27th Spring Community Group Trimester (6 weeks)

• Friday, June 2nd, 7:05pm Group Leader Red Wings Game

Additional Resources That May Be Helpful

• What's Next For Your Group? - 4 Steps To Finish Well

• When & How Should Your Group Multiply?

• 10 Simple Ideas To Connect With Your Group This Summer

• The Top 2 Things Group Members Wish Were Different About Your Group

• 4 Sure Ways To Burn Out As A Group Leader

• How To Find and Keep New People

• Only Half Of My Group Showed Up Last Night

• Northridge Group Leader Podcast

14 Outdoor Social Ideas For Your Group

While not overlooking the depth of community we can experience in an online setting, it is not healthy to live in a world limited exclusively to online interactions.

We were created to walk side-by-side, face-to-face, in the presence of others physically and not just digitally.

But, it's the middle of winter in Rochester and we are still in the middle of a pandemic.

55% of Northridgers are attending in-person at our Rochester and Webster Campuses, while 45% of Northridge is attending the Online Campus.

Gathering in-person with other's is still a challenge, but many people are willing to meet in-person in an outdoor context.

So, as you look to create community with those in your group, here are some ideas for you to meet in-person, outside, where you can do life side-by-side with each other.

14 Outdoor Social Ideas For Your Group

1. Go for a Walk

   • 30 Winter Walks Around Rochester

2. Go for a Hike

   • 71 Hiking Trails Around Rochester

3. Go Snow Shoeing

   • 11 Best Places To Rent Snow Shoes Around Rochester

4. Go Sledding

   • 15 of the Best Sledding Hills Around Rochester

5. Go Skiing

   • The 16 Best Places for Downhill and Cross-Country Skiing Around Rochester

6. Go Snow Tubing

   • 3 Places to Go Snow Tubing Around Rochester

7. Go Ice Skating

   • 20 Outdoor and Indoor Ice Skating Rinks Around Rochester

8. Visit A Nature Center

   • 52 Nature Centers, Preserves, Refuges, and Observatories Around Rochester

9. Visit the Zoo

   • Seneca Park Zoo

10. Go Fishing

    • Places to Fish

    • Ice Fishing in Monroe County

11. Go Hunting

    • 10 Hunting Places Near Rochester

12. Celebrate Maple Syrup Weekend

    • Places to Celebrate Maple Syrup Weekend in 2021

13. Grab a Hot Drink and Go to A Park or Playground

    • Coffee Houses in and around Rochester

    • Top 20 Playgrounds in and around Rochester

14. Visit A Garden and Enjoy The Flowers in the Spring

    • 40 Public Gardens Around Rochester

Have you tried any of these? What would you add to the list?

Share your ideas on the Northridge Leaders Facebook Group.

Upcoming Sermon Series

• How to Be Rich (February 7-21)

• Amazing Grace (February 28-March 7)

• The Courtroom (March 14-April 4)

Trimester Dates

• Winter: January 17 - March 27 (10 weeks)

• Spring: April 11 - May 29 (7 weeks)

Additional Resources

• 8 Ideas To Help Your Group Engage The Bible

• Recharging Your Groups Momentum

• 8 Ways To Find Mature Christians Who Will Help You Grow

• Leading Great Discussions

• 10 Games You Can Play Online With Your Group

• Group Leader Podcast

6 Ideas To Make The Most of The Spring Group Trimester...While Social Distancing

Are you ready for this?

Our last trimester of the Community Group year is about to begin (April 12 - May 23). At the beginning of the groups year, none of us could have predicted it would end like this.

While Community Group members often begin to check-out near the end of the group year, this season feels different. Actually, it doesn't just feel different, this season of social distancing restrictions is different. It is hard to predict the future, so as we look for the best ways to care for and connect with our groups under COVID-19 restrictions, we are taking it one week at a time, one day at a time.

As we prepare for the next 6 weeks of group, here are:

6 Ideas To Make The Most of The Spring Group Trimester

1. Continue to meet...online.

Many of you have already been connecting with your group online with a variety of video platforms and have worked through some of the kinks. If you still have questions about how meet with your group online, contact your coach, or check out our "How To Lead An Online Group" page. We want to help every group figure this out!

2. Meet for a shorter amount of time.

A typical in-person community group meeting usually lasts for 90 minutes to 2 hours. That is long for an online group meeting. The sweet spot for an online group is somewhere between 45-60 minutes.

3. Continue to discuss the sermon.

You may be wondering, what should my group meeting look like online? We would suggest your group continues to use the same format of an in-person meeting. Spend 10-15 minutes catching up, spend about 30 minutes discussing the sermon, and then wrap up by sharing prayer requests and having someone pray.

Some of you have asked, "Where are the sermon discussion questions?" 

Our Northridge website has been updated with pertinent info in this COVID season, so the way you may normally navigate to find the questions has changed a bit. You can always find the sermon discussion questions in the same place right here on our Group Leaders website. They are posted each Sunday morning at 8:00am.

4. Update Your Group Description.

As people look for a group on the online Group Finder, please make sure to update your Group description on Group Vitals to let people know you are meeting online instead of in-person.

How do you update your description? Watch THIS short video. 

5. Include your kids.

Say what? How is that supposed to work? 

While Community Group meetings are designed for adults to experience Biblical Community, those with kids at home also develop relationships with the other kids in group. 

With groups unable to meet together in-person, your kids may actually be missing group more than you!

Here is one way some groups have helped their kids connect with each other during this season:

Instead of having the men and women meet all-together in one online meeting, they have separate men's and women's nights. At the beginning of those meetings, you can take the first 5-15 minutes for the kids to connect, be silly, see each other's faces, and talk, and then have either the man or the woman in the house watch the kids while the other connects in their meeting.

6. Change it up.

While we are encouraging groups to function as normal with a typical community group schedule of connecting, sermon discussion, and prayer; taking a week or two to change it up will keep your group from growing weary or stale. 

This may be especially true if you met for all 3 weeks of the trimester break.

Here are several ways we have seen groups try something new to connect during this season:

• Playing games together online with the website: https://jackbox.tv/.

• Doing a Netflix Watch Party: www.netflixparty.com/.

• Delivering/Hiding Easter eggs in different family's yards (w/ their approval).

• Doing separate video chats with the men and women to dive a little deeper.

• Sharing short video messages together with apps like the Marco Polo app. 

What would you add to the list? What has your group tried? Email me and share your ideas. I'd love to pass them along to other groups!

We are praying for you as we begin a new group trimester! Please let us know if you have any questions or there is anything you need!

Thanks for helping people still experience Biblical Community in these unique times!

10 Christmas Social and Serving Ideas

Does your group have anything planned for the holidays? If not, this may help.

10 GROUP CHRISTMAS IDEAS

• Have a gingerbread house building contest with hot cocoa and Christmas music.

• Watch a Christmas movie like "Elf," "It's A Wonderful Life," or "The Nativity."

• Make and give away Christmas cookies.

• Go caroling.

• Get outdoors - skiing, sledding, hiking, or have a snowball fight.

• Go ice skating downtown.

• Bring your kids to see Santa at the mall and grab a meal together.

• Attend a Christmas concert.

• Sit together at the Christmas Eve service

• Serve together (See ideas below).

Connect with your co-leaders and set a date on your calendar this week; then you can start brainstorming with your group what your Christmas celebrations might look like.

Looking for a Service Opportunity for your group?

Group Social Media Contest Reminder + Christmas-Gram From Your Coaches

Don't forget the Community Group Christmas Contest

Post a Christmas picture on Facebook or Instagram with your Community Group between December 10th-23rd using hashtag #ChristmasWithMyGroup and tagging @NorthridgeRoc.

We will have 3 prizes. Your group can win one of the following categories by being the group with the: 

1. Most Creative Post

2. Most People Included in a Picture

3. Most Liked Post

So, start planning now for how your group can win.

Looking for ways to connect or serve together?

Check out our last Group Leader blog HERE for 10 Christmas Gathering ideas and 7 Serving Ideas.

Jason DeGraaff

Community Groups Pastor

Life is Better Connected

Christmas Contest + Christmas Social and Serving Ideas

As we move into our winter Community Group break, we would encourage your group to stay connected before our new group trimester begins on January 14th. 

The holiday season can be a challenging time as many of us interact with broken families, as we are reminded of friends and family that are no longer with us, as we face unique temptations, and as we deal with the anxiety that comes along with this season.

Group may be on break, but our relationships shouldn't. In fact, we may need each other during the holidays more than ever. 

As you celebrate the holidays, we'd love for your group to participate in our Community Group Christmas Contest by sharing your group experience with us and your friends.

Community Group Christmas Contest

Post a Christmas picture on Facebook or Instagram with your Community Group between December 10th-23rd using hashtag #ChristmasWithMyGroup and tagging @NorthridgeRoc.

We will have 3 prizes. Your group can win one of the following categories by being the group with the: 

1. Most Creative Post

2. Most People Included in a Picture

3. Most Liked Post

So, start planning now for how your group can win.

What are some Christmas ideas for your group to connect together?

10 Group Christmas Ideas

• Have a gingerbread house building contest with hot cocoa and Christmas music.

• Watch a Christmas movie like "Elf," "It's A Wonderful Life," or "The Nativity."

• Make and give away Christmas cookies.

• Go caroling.

• Get outdoors - skiing, sledding, hiking, or have a snowball fight.

• Go ice skating downtown.

• Bring your kids to see Santa at the mall and grab a meal together.

• Attend a Christmas concert.

• Sit together at the Christmas Eve service (see times HERE).

• Serve together (See ideas below).

Connect with your co-leaders and set a date on your calendar this week; then you can start brainstorming with your group what your Christmas celebrations might look like.

Looking for a serving Idea?

7 Group Serving Opportunities

• Open Door Mission

  Fill out a volunteer inquiry form for Open Door Mission to find out more about their seasonal serving opportunities. https://opendoormission.com/getinvolved/

• Basketball Tournament

  Youth For Christ is hosting a Christmas basketball tournament and can use volunteers to help run the event and participate. www.northridgeserves.com/blog/trunk-or-treat-and-a-christmas-basketball-tournament

• Christmas Basket Giveaway

  Mission Share has Christmas related service opportunities such as their Christmas basket giveaways and their Christmas Hope Gifts Program. Northridger Patrick can help you find out more details and connect: www.northridgeserves.com/our-team/patrick

• Pack Hygiene Kits

  Pack hygiene bags for Supports on the Streets or hygiene/cleaning kits for Genesis House with a Christmas themed twist (such as including Christmas cards for those receiving the bags). Contact Allie for Supports on the Streets (http://www.northridgeserves.com/our-team/homelessness) and Leanne for Genesis House (http://www.northridgeserves.com/our-team/youth).

• Christmas Carols and Cookies for neighbors

  You can put together some cookies or other goodies as a group and pass them out to your neighbors and optionally sing Christmas carols too.

• Kids Care For Northridge Youth Ministry

  NYM provides childcare each week on Wednesday nights for our volunteer youth leaders. You and your group can take care of a group of children from infant to 6 years old. Contact Justin Laskowski for more info: jlaskowski@NorthridgeRochester.com 

• Serve at Northridge

  Contact your Campus Pastor or the Ministry Leader in the area you already serve to find out what opportunities Northridge has for Christmas Eve or the holidays.

Enjoy the break. Get some rest. Have fun connecting. I look forward to seeing your Christmas posts! #ChristmasWithMyGroups

See you January 7th at 5PM for our Group Leader Mid-Year Kickoff and some Outlaw Baked Potatoes!

Jason DeGraaff

Community Groups Pastor

Life Is Better Connected

The Top 2 Things Group Members Wish Were Different About Your Group

Every June we send out an end-of-the-year Community Group survey to all of our Community Group members and leaders.  You have probably filled out one of these surveys. This survey provides valuable feedback so we can improve our group environments.

We take all of the results of the survey and summarize the comments to look for trends we should address.

I wanted to share with you the top 2 issues group attendees wished were different about their group.

#1 - More Social Gatherings

This was the number one thing group members wished was different about their group. 

One of the most significant ways to increase our influence in another person's life is by developing a closer friendship with them.  

We can't be best friends with everyone in group, but the more opportunities we take as a group to connect with each other, the more people will feel like they belong. When belonging grows people are more likely to participate and share what is really happening in their lives.

What is one thing your group can do to develop deeper connections outside of group?

- A guys or girls night or breakfast
- A Thanksgiving dinner
- A Christmas party
- Serving together (www.NorthridgeServes.com)
- Grabbing lunch after Sunday services
- Checking out a local venue like Radio Social

Put a date on your calendar now before the your holiday calendar fills up.

#2 - Starting and Ending On Time

This is the second most common issue that group members wish was different about their group. 

When someone shows up to group and they are unsure when it is going to end, they may be less likely to attend the following week. They may have to get up early for work or school, the kids need to get to bed, they have homework they need to finish up, or maybe they just want to get home to watch their favorite show. Whatever the case, this is a frequent frustration group members feel.

What can you do to better ensure your group starts and ends on time?

- Agree on the starting and ending time and remind your group regularly throughout the trimester.
- Set a schedule for group: When should everyone show up, and when to start and end the icebreaker, group discussion, and prayer time.
- Ask a group member to be a time keeper with the agreed upon schedule.
- Break into smaller prayer groups so you don't need to get through as many prayer requests.
- Try using prayer cards to keep group prayer time focused.

What does your group need to work on? 
What have you found helpful for your group to connect together or start and end on time?  
We'd love to learn from you!  

Jason DeGraaff

Community Groups Pastor

Life is Better Connected

More Resources You May Find Helpful