Starting and Ending

10 Ideas To Change Up Your Group This Week

Our Spring Community Group Trimester ends in 4 weeks, on May 25th.

It can be easy this time of year to grow a bit weary of the weekly routine and just look forward to the break.

The goal of Community Groups is not meetings, its relationships.

If we are not careful, we turn Community Groups into a meeting to show up to while missing out on the meaningful relationships God has designed us to share.

One of the best ways to get our heads and our hearts refocused, is to change up our weekly routine.

Here are 10 ideas to change up your group this week:

1. Bring extra snacks for more intentional/extended social time.

2. Do a weekly dinner and communion together.

3. Skip sermon discussion and take turns sharing your faith story (1 person, 1 place, 1 event that shaped your faith)

4. Do “Show and Tell” with your group, sharing about 5-10 items.

5. Have everyone in the group answer a list of questions to get to know each other better.

6. Go to the Lilac Festival together (May 10-19)

7. Have a game night.

8. Help a group member in need (moving, yard work, meal cooking night together)

9. Attend a sporting event, play, or concert of a group member or their child.

10. Have one gender watch kids together while the other gender goes out together.

Instead of a typical group meeting, pick one of these ideas, and change up your group this week.

What is 1 idea you can try to engage in a more meaningful way?

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

3 Things To Do Before Group Ends and Summer Begins

We have 2 weeks left of our Community Group season. As you wrap up your final few weeks, here are 3 things to do to set your group up for success this summer and fall.

1. Set Summer Growth Goals

Community Groups are about spiritual growth. If we don't set goals for spiritual growth, we are not likely to make progress.

As you review your growth goals from this past semester, make sure to take time to set a goal for this summer:

  • Read a book

  • Memorizing scripture

  • Invite an unbeliever over for a BBQ

  • Replace TV time with reading time or devotions with family or friends

  • Listen to the A Little Better Podcast weekly

  • Etc.

Text each other throughout the summer, or connect for coffee or a bite and ask each other about your progress.

2. Get Feedback From Your Group

Do you know what your group members actually think about your group? Are there things they love or things they are frustrated about that you are unaware of? You won't know until you ask.

In a few weeks we'll be surveying all Group Leaders and Group Members to learn about what we can do better as a church to have a more effective groups ministry. We value your feedback as we seek to improve.

In fact, here are the top 2 things we usually hear from Group Members:

  • I wish my group started and ended on time.

  • I wish my group did more gatherings outside of weekly meetings.

Here is the top thing we usually hear from Group Leaders:

  • I wish people showed up more consistently! (We always survey you at the end of the year when attendance is most spotty, so that is usually at the top of our minds as leaders.)

What do your group members think about your group?

Hand out a 3x5 card the last week of group and ask people to answer two questions:

  1. What do you like most about our group?

  2. What do you wish was different about our group? What would you change?

If people miss that meeting, email them those questions.

That feedback will be invaluable as you seek to create a group environment where people can experience community and grow in their faith.

3. Plan Summer Gatherings

Summer is almost here and groups will be on break. While we encourage you to take advantage of that break to refresh yourself, don't completely disconnect.

If you don't put gatherings on your calendar now, they probably are not going to happen.

A good goal could be to have 1 gathering each month throughout the summer.

Here are some ideas:

What summer gatherings have worked well for your group?

I'd love to hear your ideas so we can pass them along to other leaders! Email me HERE.

How Can We Help?

How are you doing? Is there anything we can help with? Reach out to your coach.

If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach about how your group is doing and what's next for your group, we'd love to connect.

Upcoming Community Group Dates

  • Spring Community Group Trimester: April 3 - May 28th (8 Weeks)

  • Red Wings Baseball Game (Group Leader Thank You): Friday, June 3, 7:05pm (RSVP HERE)

Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Group Leader's Website, Facebook Group, and Podcast.

Additional Resources

9 Tips To Finishing Your Group Well

Why Summer Is Dangerous For You And You Group

5 Reasons We Need Group Relationships In Addition To Existing Relationships

Only Half of My Group Showed Up Last Night

8 Simple Steps To Raise Up New Leaders

3 Important Community Group Updates

As we near the end of our winter Community Group trimester (March 17th) here are a few details to help you plan ahead.

Communion

At the beginning of the trimester we shared that we'd like all Community Groups to celebrate communion in their group at the end of our trimester.  As you plan ahead for which week works best for you, we wanted to let you know we will also be celebrating communion in our Night of Worship service on Sunday night, March 4th at 6:00PM.  

Communion Supplies: 

If you would be interested in using the same Prefilled Communion Cups

we use in our services, we purchased a limited supply.  They will be available at the info center at your campus the next few Sundays.

Communion Instructions: 

HERE is our communion instructions guide to help you prepare for communion in your group.

Baptism

As we mentioned last Sunday, we will be hosting an Open Baptism service at Northridge on Sunday, March 11th. This will be a great opportunity for those who have been putting off baptism to take that step. Those getting baptized won't be required to record a baptism video.

As a Leader, we would encourage you to ask everyone in your group if they have been baptized, and if not, encourage them to take that step. This may also be a great opportunity to find out if you have any group members who have yet to cross the line of faith.

If you as a Group Leader have not yet been baptized, then this is your opportunity to lead by example for your Community Group.

You and your group members can preregister for the baptism service HERE.

Membership Class

One of the requirements of Community Group Leadership is membership. The way we talk about it in our Leader Application and New Leader Orientation is that you either need to be a member, or on your way to membership in the next 6 months.

If you are Group Leader but not yet a member, this is your next step. 

Our next Membership Class for each campus is on Sunday, March 25th from 12-2PM.

You can preregister for the Membership Class HERE.

Here are a few additional resources you may find helpful:

9 Ideas To Change Up Group This Week

Is your group in a rut? Here are 9 ideas to mix things up and reengage your group.

7 Reasons Community Groups Lose Momentum

How do you keep your group from losing momentum? Here are 7 group momentum killers to avoid.

Help With Timing Issues

We can demonstrate a respect for the people in our group by showing respect for their time in a tangible way: by starting and ending on time.

Do You Have A Question?

We would love to be of assistance to you.  Contact Your Coach or search this website to find group trimester dates, curriculum options, leader tips, group forms, sermon discussion questions, past leader training content, and much more!

 

Jason DeGraaff

Community Groups Pastor

Life is better connected!

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Northridge Church Office | 2052 Saint Paul St. Rochester, NY 14621 | (585) 338-7810