Leader Training Teaching

2024 Winter Re:Group Leader Training - Connected

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN February OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER?

WATCH OR LISTEN To The Talks Below

Talk 1 - The Need For Friendships and Why Building Relationships Is So Hard (Jason DeGraaff)

We were created for deep relationships with others, and yet our world is lonelier than ever. This is a problem the church must address.

But can we expect to experience deep relationships or genuine friendships in group?

Leaders can't be close to everyone in group, so how do we help our group connect?

How can we create an environment where each member of our group can be truly known?

Talk 2 - How To Help Your Group Connect - 6 Ideas To Cultivate Relationships In Your Group (Jason DeGraaff)

While you are honored by the opportunity to be a group leader, you may feel overwhelmed with the thought of connecting with everyone in your group.

Who has capacity for that?

Your goal as group leader is not to have everyone connected to you, but connected to each other.

So how do we do that?

Inside Scoop With Drew Karschner

Drew Karschner shared updates and info about what God has been up to at Northridge in 2023-2024 and some of the new things we are rolling out this year, including sermon series, Northridge's growth.

Watch All Talks Here

2023 Fall Re:Group Leader Training - No Vacancy

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN SEPTEMBER OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER?

WATCH OR LISTEN TO DREW’S TALK AS HE SHARES UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTHRIDGE and Our Vision For The Year.

WATCH OR LISTEN TO JASON’s Talk About How We As A Church Must Provide Community For Everyone.

Listen To the Breakouts You Missed.

No Vacancy - Community For Everyone - Jason DeGraaff

What is better, groups open to new people or closed?

Should groups multiply or is that bad for us? Does multiplication hurt community and kill relationships, or is the opposite true?

Multiplication is hard and most of us don't want to do it.

As Northridge Church has experienced growth, we need to create room for more people in groups.

Jason DeGraaff shares the vision for why we need to provide Community For Everyone by opening our groups to new people, developing leaders, starting new groups, and multiplying existing groups.

Inside Scoop With Drew Karschner

Drew Karschner shared updates about what God has been up to at Northridge in 2023 and some of the new things we are rolling out this year, including sermon series, Northridge's growth, and the details of our Brighton Campus Launch.

Miss the Breakouts?

YOU CAN FIND THE AUDIO, NOTES, AND PRESENTATION SLIDES BELOW.

Is your group considering multiplication, but not sure you are ready? Are you ready, but are not sure how? Have you been through a bad group multiplication? In this breakout we'll discuss what we've learned from 150+ group multiplications and consider best practices to prepare your current group, and your next group to thrive after multiplication

Maybe you feel like you have been leading alone for a while? Or maybe you would like to multiply someday but never seem to have enough leaders to pull it off? This breakout provides practical information on how to find the next great leaders for your community group! Most leaders try to develop the best strategy while the best leaders are obsessed with empowering the right people.

How do you find new people for your group? How do you get them to attend? If they do attend, how do you get them to stick? We'll attempt to answer those questions in this breakout.

We've been married for 44 years and mentoring couples for the past 18, including leading the Art of Marriage courses at Northridge. We know from experience that marriage is hard and we've walked alongside many struggling couples in group. Not sure where to start in helping the marriages in your group? We'll explore that in our breakout.

If you are a new leader or have never attended a Northridge Group Leader Training, you should listen to this breakout. We'll go over the responsibilities and requirements of leading as well as the practical nitty gritty of leading your group each week.

2022 Fall Re:Group Leader Training - Full

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN FEBRUARY OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER? WATCH OR LISTEN TO DREW’S TALK AS HE SHARES UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTHRIDGE, AND WATCH OR LISTEN TO JASON’S TALK ON OUR FIRST GROUP LEADER ESSENTIAL: PURSUE CHRIST.

Watch Brad Files and Nate Miller hit up 5 of the most well known Garbage Plate stops in Rochester, NY as they rate them and encourage our Group Leaders to be Full!

Nate and Brad also share comments from group members celebrating the impact of their Group Leaders in their own lives this past year.

How do you lead a Group when you feel empty instead of full?

Maybe it's been a while since your relationship with God has felt vibrant and exciting.

Maybe you've been in a long season of stagnation instead of growth.

How do you lead others when your own faith is a struggle?

Jason DeGraaff (Pastor of Spiritual Formation) addressed these questions at our Fall Group Leader Kickoff while focusing on Group Leader Essential #1 - Pursue Christ

At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on September 11, 2022, Drew Karschner shared updates and info about what God has been up to at Northridge and vision for our future as we look at launching new campuses and spreading the Gospel across our city and region.

2022 Winter Re:Group Leader Training - Irreplaceable

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN FEBRUARY OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER? WATCH OR LISTEN TO DREW’S TALK AS HE SHARES UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTHRIDGE AND IN OUR GROUPS MINISTRY, AND WATCH OR LISTEN TO JASON AND NOAH’S TALK ON OUR SIXTH GROUP LEADER ESSENTIAL: REPLACE YOURSELF

At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on February 6th, 2022, Drew Karschner shared updates and info about what God has been up to at Northridge in the past few years, and some of the opportunities and challenges we face as we seek to fulfill our mission of making more and better disciples.

- What do you do if you are leading alone and you don't see anyone in your group who has potential to lead?

- How long can you lead your group without having co-leaders?

- How do you find and develop new leaders in your group?

- Whether your group multiplies or your circumstances change, there will be a day when you are no longer able to be part of your group. Who will lead when you are no longer there?

Jason DeGraaff (Pastor of Spiritual Formation) and Noah Bixby (NYA Director and Groups Coach) address these questions and share ideas on how to effectively replace yourself.

2021 Fall Re:Group Leader Training

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN SEPTEMBER OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER? WATCH OR LISTEN TO DREW’S TALK AS HE SHARES UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTHRIDGE AND IN OUR GROUPS MINISTRY, AND WATCH OR LISTEN TO JASON AND ADAM’S TALK ON OUR FIfTH GROUP LEADER ESSENTIAL: PROVIDING CARE.

At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on September 12th 2021, Drew Karschner shared updates and info about what God has been up to at Northridge in 2021, and addressed a tension we all may experience in our mission to make both More and Better disciples.

- What level of care can you and your group realistically be expected to provide?

- How do you provide care without burning yourself out?

- What do you do when care issues go way past what you feel capable of handling?

Jason DeGraaff (Pastor of Spiritual Formation) and Adam Congdon (Counseling Pastor) address these questions and share ideas on how to effectively provide care for your group.

Miss the Breakouts?

YOU CAN FIND THE AUDIO, NOTES, AND PRESENTATION SLIDES BELOW.

What do you do when someone in your group makes a bad relationship decision? Whether it is dating an unbeliever, living with their boyfriend, sleeping with their girlfriend, or dating while in the process of getting a divorce. This breakout will give you a Biblical framework for how to think about these issues and practical steps on how to carefully address them with the members of your group.

Have you ever experienced group members who are not only spiritually immature, but who also have very little desire to grow spiritually? How do you lead your group members from spiritual infancy to a growing faith?

Anxiety and depression are not just common struggles of our group members, they are an epidemic. In fact, you may put yourself in this category. Whether or not you've experienced this yourself, how do you help those in your group who are going through a season of darkness?

How do you care for the people in your group who's needs go beyond what anyone seems capable of providing?

Whether or not you have any formal training, education, or experience in counseling, this breakout will help you build a framework that anyone can use to provide Biblical care and counsel as we aim to lovingly walk side by side with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you are a new leader, considering leadership, or you've never attended at Group Leader Training at Northridge, this breakout is for you. We'll go over the responsibilities and requirements of leading as well as the practical nitty gritty of leading your group each week.

2021 Winter Re:Group Leader Training

Miss the Group Leader Training in January or would you like a fresher? Watch or listen to this conversation with Drew, Jason, and Aaron about what happened in 2020 in our church and in our groups, and best practices for groups as we move into the winter of 2021.

Northridge hosted an online Group Leader kickoff on Tuesday, January 5th and Thursday, January 7th. Drew Karschner, Jason DeGraaff, and Aaron Hixson discussed what happened and what we learned in 2020 at Northridge and in our Community Groups, and talked through where we are headed in 2021. We hope this conversation will widen your perspective and give you fresh ideas as you plan ahead for leading groups in 2021.

2020 Fall Re:Group Leader Training

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN SEPTEMBER OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER? WATCH OR LISTEN TO DREW’S & JASON’S TALK AS EACH SHARE UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTHRIDGE AND IN OUR GROUPS MINISTRY THIS Fall.

At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on September 1 & 3, 2020, Drew Karschner shared updates and info about what God has been up to at Northridge in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic and some of the changes for Northridge Church this fall.
At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on September 1st and 3rd, 2020, Jason DeGraaff talked through how to plan a Community Group amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In this talk Jason addresses what has happened with Community Groups since the pandemic began, talks about what success looks like for groups during this unique season, and shares some practical ideas for what your group might look like this fall.

2020 Winter Re:Group Leader Training - Modeling Authenticity "Real"

MISS THE GROUP LEADER TRAINING IN JANUARY OR WOULD YOU LIKE A REFRESHER? WATCH OR LISTEN TO DREW’S TALK AS HE SHARES UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTHRIDGE AND IN OUR GROUPS MINISTRY, AND WATCH OR LISTEN TO JASON AND BRAD’S TALK ON OUR FOURTH GROUP LEADER ESSENTIAL: MODELING AUTHENTICITY.

In this video Drew Karschner shares Northridge updates and vision for 2020 with the Community Group Leaders of Northridge Church. This teaching happened at our Re:Group Leader Training event on Sunday night, January 5, 2020
- How open should we expect our group members to actually be with each other? - Where is the line between sharing openly and sharing too much? - What barriers keep us from being real? - How do we create an atmosphere where people feel safe enough to share what is really going on? In this video Jason DeGraaff and Brad Files address these questions and share how as group leaders we can live out Group Leader Essential #4 - Modeling Authenticity. This teaching is from our Re:Group Leader Training, January 5, 2020 at Northridge Church, Rochester NY.

2019 Fall Re:Group Leader Training - Promoting Participation "In"

Miss the Group Leader Training in September or would you like a refresher? Watch or listen to Drew’s talk as he shares updates on what’s happening at Northridge and in our Groups ministry, and watch or listen to Jason’s talk on our third Group Leader Essential: Promoting Participation.

At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on September 8, 2019, Drew Karschner shared updates and info about what God has been up to at Northridge in 2019 and some of the new things we are rolling out this fall. Drew also addressed a tension that we may have experienced in leading our groups.
At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on September 8th, 2019, Jason DeGraaff talks about Group Leader Essential #3: Promoting Participation. In this talk we address the challenge of moving group members from simply showing up to full participants in Biblical community.

Miss the Breakouts?

You can find the audio, notes, and presentation slides below.

It’s hard enough to keep up consistently with the people in your group, let alone provide care for them. What level of care can you and your group realistically be expected to provide? And what do you do when the care issues go way past what you feel capable of handling? In this breakout we will address this tension and share with you a clear plan for how you and your group can provide care without burning yourself out.

Are you making the most of your prayer time in group? Need a few ideas to increase participation and transparency? In this breakout we will answer these questions and more to help you maximize your group prayer time.

Facilitation is probably the hardest Community Group role to give away - Isn't facilitating discussion what a Community Group Leader does? In this breakout we'll talk about some of the best reasons to allow others to facilitate, and we'll discover the best practices in that tricky process.

Leading alone is hard but finding coleaders can be even harder. How do you find leaders when no one in your group is ready to lead?!? In this breakout we will share a few practical ideas to address this challenge and share why there is hope that you’ll eventually have all the leaders you need.

What if sharing participation is less about delegating and more about the heart of the delegator? What if leadership-level spiritual transformation is dependent upon stewardship of equipping group members more than "doing" for group members? Join us for an interactive time of studying the ministry of Christ and learning how our Redeemer can reorient the worship of our hearts to transform how and why we share participation.

If you are a new leader or if this is the first Group Leader Training event you've attended, you should attend this breakout. We'll go over the responsibilities and requirements of leading as well as the practical nitty gritty of leading your group each week.

2019 Winter Re:Group Leader Training - Cultivate

Miss the Group Leader Training in January or would you like a refresher?  Catch the updates on what’s happening at Northridge and in our Groups ministry, and watch Drew’s talk on our 2nd Group Leader Essential: Cultivating Relationships, and watch Nate Miller and Nancy Simmonds talk as address tensions and give practical ideas for how to do this well.

At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on January 6th, 2019, Jason DeGraaff and Scott Bixby shared updates and info about what God did at Northridge in 2018 and some of the things we have planned as a church in 2019.
At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on January 6th, 2019, Drew Karschner talks about Group Leader Essential #2: Cultivating Relationships.
At the Re:Group Leader Training for our Community Group Leaders on January 6th, 2019, Nate Miller and Nancy Simmonds shared how to address tensions we feel in cultivating relationships and practical ideas for how to do that well.
Here is the content from our Re:Group Community Group Leader Training event at Northridge Church on Sunday night, January 6th. (0:00) In this training Jason DeGraaff and Scott Bixby shared updates and info about what God did at Northridge in 2018 and some of the things we have planned as a church in 2019. (12:55) Drew Karschner shared a talk about Group Leader Essential #2 - Cultivating Relationships (23:57) Then 2 of our Group Coaches, Nate Miller and Nancy Simmonds, shared how to address tensions we feel in cultivating relationships and practical ideas for how to do that well. (38:40) Jason DeGraaff wrapped up the night with some closing thoughts on our theme.

2018 Fall Re:Group Leader Training - Me First

Miss the Group Leader Training in September or would you like a refresher?  Catch the updates on what’s happening at Northridge and in our Groups ministry, and watch Drew’s talk on our first and most important Group Leader Essential: Pursue Christ.

Jason DeGraaff and Scott Bixby share some updates on what God has been doing at Northridge, some stories of how God is at work, and some ideas and tools for you to use in your Community Group this year.
In this video Lead Pastor Drew Karschner talks with our group leaders about our first and most important Group Leader Essential: to Pursue Christ. As we lead others, we must first lead ourselves.

2018 Winter Group Leader Training - Essentials: What Group Leader's Can't Go Without

Miss the Group Leader Training in January or would you like a refresher?  You can watch Drew's Northridge updates and hear from our Community Groups coaches as we roll out the 6 Group Leader Essentials that will be a new part of the DNA of Group Leadership at Northridge.

Lead Pastor Drew Karschner shares with our Group Leaders about some of the stories about what God has been doing at Northridge as well as sharing upcoming sermon series and events that would be helpful for Group Leaders as they plan ahead for the Community Group Trimester.
How do you know if you are succeeding as a Group Leader? In this talk, our Community Group Pastor Jason DeGraaff answers how to know if we are succeeding as a leader and introduces the Group Leader Essentials we as a Group Leaders can't go without if we are going to be successful.
In this video Andy Woodall talks about the importance of Pursuing Christ as our #1 Group Leader Essential. This is 1 of 6 Group Leader Essentials that we believe Group Leaders can't go without.
In this video Nate Miller talks about the importance of Cultivating Relationship as our 2nd Group Leader Essential. This is 1 of 6 Group Leader Essentials that we believe Group Leaders can't go without.
In this video Nancy Simmonds talks about the importance of Promoting Participation as our 3rd Group Leader Essential. This is 1 of 6 Group Leader Essentials that we believe Group Leaders can't go without.
In this video Aaron Hixson talks about the importance of Modeling Authenticity as our 4th Group Leader Essential. This is 1 of 6 Group Leader Essentials that we believe Group Leaders can't go without.
In this video Brad Files talks about the importance of Providing Care as our 5th Group Leader Essential. This is 1 of 6 Group Leader Essentials that we believe Group Leaders can't go without.
In this video Mark Nelson talks about the importance of Replacing Yourself as our 6th Group Leader Essential. This is 1 of 6 Group Leader Essentials that we believe Group Leaders can't go without.

Miss the training and want to experience what it was like to be there? Watch the uncut version here:

In this training Drew Karschner shares some updates about what God is doing at Northridge and insider info about a few things happening at Northridge that will better help Group Leaders to plan for the trimester. Jason DeGraaff and the Community Groups Coaches roll our 6 Group Leader Essentials group leaders can't go without. These essentials will be part of the DNA and culture of Community Group Leadership going forward at Northridge. Click on the timecodes here to access each part of the talk: 1:53 - Northridge Updates 6:21 - Group Leader Essentials Introduction 14:36 - Essential #1 Pursue Christ 17:38 - Essential #2 Cultivate Relationships 22:37 - Essential #3 Promote Participation 25:36 - Essential #4 Model Authenticity 30:35 - Essential #5 Provide Care 34:33 - Essential #6 Replace Yourself

2017 Fall Group Leader Training - One: Focus for Impact

Jason DeGraaff and Mark Nelson share with our Group Leaders at our 2017 Fall Group Leader Training about the importance of focusing our attention on 1 person. To do for one what we wish we could do for everyone. As we focus our attention on one, we are able to increase our impact.
Aaron Hixson shares with our Group Leaders at our 2017 Fall Group Leader Training about what he is looking forward to or not looking forward to as he joins the Community Group Coach team.
Drew Karschner and Scott Bixby share with our Group Leaders at our 2017 Fall Group Leader Training about the importance of their role at Northridge and share news of what God has been doing and what is happening this fall at Northridge.

2016 Fall Group Leader Training - Heros

If you missed our Group Leader Kick-off for 2016, you missed the food but you can still enjoy the content. Here are the time codes for each part of our night: 0:00 Hero Feud 13:51 Drew Karschner & Scott Bixby - Why Groups Matter, Why Leaders Matter, What does Success Look like? 21:13 Jason DeGraaff & Brad Files - How to Be A Super Leader 31:52 Group Stories
 
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Northridge Church Office | 2052 Saint Paul St. Rochester, NY 14621 | (585) 338-7810