Next week is the last week of our Spring Community Group trimester.
Normally we'd be heading into our summer break encouraging groups to occasionally gather for BBQ's, picnics, beach days, baseball games, movie nights, or sitting together at a Night of Worship service.
But this summer isn't normal.
Here are our thoughts at this point:
Many of our groups have been meeting every week since January 13th. Usually by this time of year, everyone is looking forward to a break.
While COVID-19 has left us all feeling more isolated and craving community, virtual group meetings week-after-week can get old. For many, if not most groups, the summer break is much needed.
We often say, the purpose of Community Groups isn't meetings, it's to provide Biblical Community.
Weekly meetings are only one avenue to develop community.
Call each other, share pics on social media or via text messages, use an app like Marco Polo to share quick videos together, or do a shared Bible reading plan on YouVersion. These are just a few of countless ways to stay connected and experience community.
Just because you aren't meeting, it doesn't mean your relationships need to stop.
Every group has unique needs and different capacities. For some, taking a break from weekly meetings until the fall may be best. But for others, that is too long, especially with our Stay-At-Home guidelines.
If your group would be interested in meeting for a 3 or 4 week summer trimester, let us know. We'd love to resource you and potentially pass people along to your group who are looking for community.
Northridge will also be offering several new Summer Groups for people who have not been part of a group. This helps us make sure anyone new to Northridge doesn't have to wait too long to connect into Biblical community.
With a lot of talk about re-opening in our nation and community, there are so many questions about what that will look like, including how this might impact Community Groups.
Can we still do BBQ's together? Can we go to a park together? Can we have some kind of in-person gathering?
Honestly, there is still a lot of uncertainty at this point. Our staff team is continually monitoring the recommendations of our state and local authorities and strategizing next steps for our church as we learn more.
At this point, we would encourage groups to follow the suggested federal, state, and regional guidelines.
While this may allow for some groups to gather for some kind of in-person gatherings, we would encourage you to exercise caution and do what is most loving and caring for those in your group.
Though much of our future is uncertain, we can be certain of our calling as Christ followers.
We were created know God and make Him known. We were created to make disciples!
That calling is still true.
While this summer may look different, let's make the most of it by continuing to pursue Christ ourselves in addition to helping our group members feel loved, cared for, and grow to look like Jesus.
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:
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Our Community Group Trimester just wrapped up. We have a 3-week break scheduled until April 12th.
While Community Group breaks offer a needed respite from the weekly grind of leading and meeting with your group, we are at the beginning of season where people are more isolated than ever, especially those who live alone.
So, how should we handle the Community Group break in light of the COVID-19 situation?
Here are a few ideas:
Consider continuing to meet with your group online.
Just because a break is scheduled doesn't mean your group has to stop meeting. Though a typical group break is needed and replenishes you and your group, this may be a season where continued meetings may actually strengthen your group.
If you are not sure how to get your group online together, our coaches would love to walk through the technology together with you to help you get setup to succeed. Let us know. You can also reference our online group guide.
There is also a phone-in option where you group can all talk on the phone together at the same time. This is especially helpful if your group doesn't have the technology to meet online or isn't as tech savvy.
I know this is a crazy time for all of us as we readjust to a new normal, so for some groups, this may be more of a challenge, but if possible, continuing to meet online may be helpful.
Stay in touch.
Whether or not you are able to continue meeting online, one-on-one connections with your group through phone, text, or facetime may have the highest impact as you care for your group.
GroupMe is a helpful texting tool many groups have used to stay connected.
You can also share short video updates with each other on the Marco Polo app. Aaron Hixson shared how this has been a fun tool he has used to stay connected with his group and friends. Watch how it works HERE.
If you have group members living alone, they may especially appreciate and be helped by additional connections.
Make sure to ask if they have any needs that you and your group can help with. This can be a challenging time both physically and emotionally.
Begin a YouVersion Bible reading plan together.
Help your group refocus their mind on truths from the Bible instead of focusing on worries and fears.
Here is a plan on How To Stop Worrying.
Share prayer requests on YouVersion.
You can now easily share prayer requests with group members and friends who use the YouVersion Bible app.
Pair up group members.
It can be hard to keep up with all of your group members consistently, but if you can pair up group members into groups of 2 or 3, they can keep in touch with each other more consistently.
Pool resources to meet a need.
Check out the Northridge COVID-19 Response page for a list of ideas to serve our church and local community.
Is your group continuing to meet online during the break?
Please click the button below to update us on your group plans.
We would love to help those who are looking for a group find community without having to wait until April 12th.
What other ideas do you have for connecting with your group?
What questions do you have? Let us know, we'd love to be of help!
3/16/20
As the Covid-19 situation continues to develop, we'd like to encourage all groups to meet online instead of in-person.
As Community Groups Coaches we'd love to help you figure out how to do this well.
Our coaches will be in touch with you, and if you'd like to practice using the technology with us we'll be available.
This is our last official week of the Winter Trimester, March 15-21. After that groups are on a 3-week break until our Spring Trimester begins April 12th.
While this is a planned break, we'd encourage you to stay connected with your group members. You might consider still meeting together online during this break, or staying connected through a group text throughout the week. At a time where we are facing more isolation, this is an opportunity for us to still experience community and encouragement from other Christ followers.
One group text platform many groups have found helpful is GroupMe.
If your group decides you still plan to meet in-person, we would encourage you to use discretion and follow the recommendations of the CDC, including:
Washing your hands often
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
Staying home if you're sick
Covering coughs and sneezes
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
This page covers which technology to use, best practices for an online meeting, what to communicate with your group, and a typical schedule.
Let me or your groups coach know if you have any further questions.
While this is a time of fear and anxiety for many, we have an opportunity to encourage and offer support to our group members, and remind them of the truths from Sunday's message, that our God not only controls the wind and the waves, but He is in control of any storm we face, and we can put our faith and trust in HIm.
Thanks for loving on and caring for the people in your group!
Jason
3/12/20
As Sunday services are moved online you may be asking the question, should I still meet with my Community Group?
Our last official week of the Winter Trimester is March 15-21. After that groups are on a 3-week break until our Spring Trimester begins April 12th.
While large gatherings across the state have been banned, we are still able to meet in smaller gatherings.
We would like to give each group the option to decide if they would prefer to meet in-person or online.
If your group would like to meet online, you can find the details below for how to host an online group, which technology to use, what to communicate to your group, and what the meeting will look like.
If your group decides to meet in-person, we would encourage you to use discretion and follow the recommendations of the CDC, including:
Washing your hands often
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
Staying home if you're sick
Covering coughs and sneezes
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
While we planned to have groups celebrate communion together the last week of the trimester, your group is free to pass on communion or serving food to each other.
This is a page I put together for anyone wanting to host an online group. It covers which technology to use, best practices for an online meeting, what to communicate with your group, and a typical schedule.
Let me or your groups coach know if you have any further questions.
As the leaders of our church, we have the opportunity to bring hope, encouragement, and trust in God in this time of uncertainty.
Thanks for loving on and caring for the people in your group!
This fall I started a series of posts to address a tension many of us feel in leading a group; "How do I grow spiritually if I'm the most mature person in my group?"
I wanted to write one final post to conclude my thoughts and give some potential next steps for you as you wrestle with that question.
The first post defined the end goal of spiritual growth as "looking like Christ."
The second post shared how relationships are 1 of 5 things that God uses to help us grow to "look like Christ".
The point of the second post was to highlight that relationships are part of what grows our faith, but that our spiritual growth is not contingent solely on the people we are surrounded by.
The third post talked about how God uses both more and less mature Christians to help us grow in our faith.
The point of the third post was to highlight that there is no one person we will have in our life that will lead us to full maturity...we grow in our faith in community.
All that being said, you may still be saying, "I've got plenty of spiritually immature people I can learn and grow from, and I need to be more humble about learning from them, but I'd love to also have some more spiritually mature people in my life who can help me grow. How can I find that? If there are not many or any in my group, what do I do?"
That's what we want to talk about in this final post.
While each Community Group would ideally have a good number of mature Christians in addition to immature, groups are not the only pool for finding mature Christ followers to rub shoulders with.
So, if you find yourself hungering for connection with other Christians who are serious about growing in the faith, here are some ideas.
You have “potentially mature” Christians already in your group. Don't look past them too quickly.
Yes, this takes effort, but you may be surprised that some of the people in your group will welcome additional connections to grow their faith:
a weekly accountability breakfast
memorizing Scripture together
reading a book together
discussing theology together
We'd love to share with you what we are learning as we seek to grow in our own faith. We're all in process!
Some of you have requested help to find another mature Christian you can connect with.
While we are not match-makers, your Group Coach or a staff member may be able to help you make a connection with another mature Christ follower.
In fact, if you respond to this post it may give us a list of people we can pair together who are seeking mutually beneficial connections.
The most mature Christians are already investing their lives in serving others.
If you want to learn from them, find out what they are doing and serve alongside of them.
Join the Care Portal Team or find a role to serve at your campus.
Those attending a class are taking an intentional step to grow. Get to know them and grow with them by participating in an a class together.
Just because you are not in a group with them anymore doesn't mean you can't do life with them.
Some of my closest friendships are with previous group members and leaders.
Not only will you increase your knowledge but you'll be able to build relationships with Godly classmates and professors.
I've heard it said that books are like good friends who help guide and counsel us.
When we read, we get to know the author and hear their thoughts. The more we read, the more their ideas and their lives begin to influence our own.
This may be a one-sided friendship, but a friendship with a book/author in addition to our other friendships can help.
Need a recommendation? Check out our staff suggestions: www.northridgeequip.com/books
Our spiritual growth is a process, but He who began a good work in us will complete His perfect work (Philippians 1:6).
I'm looking forward to the day when the process of becoming like Christ will be complete.
What did I miss in these posts? What questions do you still have? How have these posts helped you? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Email me HERE.
Let's keep learning and growing together.
Have you ever wrestled with the question, "How do I grow spiritually if I'm the most mature person in my group?"
What do you do if as a Group Leader, you are continually pouring yourself into the people in your group, but you don't have anyone in your group who is ahead of you spiritually?
What do you do if you find your Community Group tends to be community through you, but not community for you?
This is a tension that comes with leadership. Who leads the leader? Who mentors the mentor? Who pastors the pastor?
If you have not experienced this tension yet, you'll likely wrestle with it at some point as you continue to grow in your faith.
So what's the answer?
There is more I'd like to say than you probably have time or would like to read in 1 post.
We've got lives to live, work to be done, and enough emails to get through. So instead of writing 1 long essay for you to read today, I'd like to take a few weeks to wrestle with this tension with you.
Today I just want to raise the tension and define what we are pursuing.
In the next posts we'll talk about practical answers.
Before we answer how we can grow spiritually, we need to define what growing looks like.
Spiritual growth can simply be defined as "becoming more like Christ".
Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 4:13 when he prays that Christians will "become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
As a Group Leader and a follower of Christ, this means that the end goal of our spiritual growth must move beyond simply learning more information about God to living like Him.
Some of the signs that we are growing spiritually include:
Love for God and love for people (Matthew 22:27-39)
Displaying the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Looking like Christ is the essence of spiritual growth and the end goal of becoming mature.
So that's the goal, but how do we get there? How do you grow when there are a lack of spiritually mature people in your group? How do you grow when you are the most mature member of your group?
We'll talk about that next time.
What do you think? I'd love to hear how you've wrestled with this tension. What questions or thoughts do you have? Just email me HERE.
Contact your Group Coach or search this website. We'd love to be a resource to you!
Hooray, you did it!!! This is the last week of the Community Group season!
As a Group Leader right now you may be thinking, "The group season is over, bummer, we were just beginning to gain traction and connection with our group, I'm sad to see it end."
For others you may be thinking, "This couldn't have come soon enough! I'm exhausted, no one even texts me when they are not showing up to group, and the people in my group are driving me crazy."
Each group has it seasons. And this group season is at its end.
As we wrap up this group year, as Coaches we want to say thanks for your prayers, sacrifice, investment, diligence, love and care for the people God has brought into your group this year.
We also wanted to leave you with a couple last reminders to finish strong:
It's a great way to cap off the group year.
Print and handout End of Trimester feedback forms or just hand out 3x5 cards so you can hear from your group members what adjustments you might consider making for next season.
Share which dates you plan to get together as a group this Summer. You don't have to decide what you'll do on those dates yet, just give them the dates.
You deserve it!
See you at the Redwings Game on May 31st!
Contact your Group Coach or search this website. We'd love to be a resource to you!
Jason DeGraaff
Community Groups Pastor
Life is better connected!
Northridge Church Office | 2052 Saint Paul St. Rochester, NY 14621 | (585) 338-7810
