Year: 2018

Dear Small Group Leaders,

Attached is the sermon based discussion guide for our small groups this week on “Do You Accept The Freedom and Power That God Gives You?”  Please send the guide to your group members in a friendly email that would remind them of your meeting time and location as well as where they can hear the sermon if they missed it- www.christchurchsl.org/sermons. Remember to print out copies for your meetings this week and to have a Bible available for the “A Related Scripture” section.

9-16-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- baptism- do you accept the power and freedom god gives

Leader Tips:

#1 Discipleship Leader’s Breakfast- Tuesday at 8am

Last Tuesday, a group of us enjoyed bible study, prayer and fellowship with other discipleship group leaders over breakfast.  You are invited to join us again this week Tuesday at 8am in Jacob’s Well.  We are discussing the life and ministry of Jesus in the gospels which teach us as his disciples how and where to find life and strength in Christian ministry.   Since most of us had already eaten breakfast by 8am, we decided to go lighter on the breakfast fare- not tacos, but just pastries, fruit and coffee or tea from Jacob’s Well.  Any who are in a serving role in a discipleship ministry of Christ Church are welcome!

#2  New Small Groups

Jorge Font offered a testimony about the nature and value of small groups in the 9:30 and 10:55 worship services today.  Thank you Jorge, it was spot on!  We received 14 sign up cards today!  Over this week and next I will be trying to correspond with people who filled out a card to form new small groups at times and locations they have in common.  Please pray for the new groups and encourage those you know who may be interested to fill out a small group card while the groups are still being organized.  I am hoping to have 1-2 completely new groups to draw from in my doctoral thesis project work.

#3  The New Sermon Notes Papers

Need more space than your bulletin allows to write notes about the sermons on Sundays in worship?  There are sermon notes pages on the round table outside the sanctuary which you can pick up on your way in that have plenty of room for your notes on the inside.  Please share about this new resource with your group members.

 

If you have any questions or would like some help from me about this important small group ministry, please email or call me so that we can schedule a conversation.  I will be out of the office later this week to a Wesleyan discipleship conference in Tennessee called The New Room Conference (https://newroomconference.com/), but will be checking email and voicemail.  I am very excited about this conference but even more excited about God has in store for us in discipleship at Christ Church this fall!

Blessings!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders,

   Attached is this week’s discussion guide for the first message in our new series on Remembering Our Baptism: Questions For A Disciple, “Do you renounce evil?”  Please forward the guide and usual link to the sermon videos to your small group members- www.christchurchsl.org/sermons.  Please also include the full services video link http://christchurch.yourstreamlive.com as the sermon videos are not yet posted on the church website at this time, hopefully soon 😉.   Remember to bring printouts for everyone for the meeting and at least one Bible to read from for the “A Related Scripture” section.

Here is the discussion guide- 9-9-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- baptism- do you renounce evil

Leader Tips:

#1  If it is more convenient for you for viewing or printing, the attached discussion guide and Leader Tips presented below are also available at www.smallgroupleaders.net.  There you can also fill out the email subscription to have it sent directly from the website to your inbox whenever a new post is made as well.

#2  Discipleship Leader’s Breakfast This Tuesday at 8am in Jacob’s Well in the Gathering Hall.  This is for leaders in discipleship ministries of Christ Church (yes that’s you!) who are interested in ongoing spiritual learning, fellowship and prayer with a pastor and other discipleship ministry leaders.  Initially, I will be offering devotional messages on approaches to ministry which Jesus modeled for us in the gospels.  This is primarily to support you in your personal walk with Christ but also to provide support or guidance for your ongoing discipleship ministry as well.  We’ll have Jacob’s Well coffee and tea available as well as breakfast tacos which I am planning to bring in.  Whether you are able to attend or not, please RSVP at the evite link for food planning purposes- http://evite.me/CVSutP9mBj.  If you have trouble with the evite- you can just email me.  FYI- even if you don’t choose to start a free evite account after responding, I will still receive your evite event response.

#3 New Small Groups– This week and next we are encouraging anyone at Christ Church not yet connected to a small group, Bible study or Sunday school class to fill out a small groups card and get in a group!  I received cards in the basket today and we will have the cards in the bulletin again next Sunday.  If there are participants in your small groups whom you believe would serve well in the role of leader or co-leader in a new group this semester, please email your suggestions.  We may need some new small group leaders soon and usually the place to find the best prospective leaders are in existing small groups that are functioning well!  If they are nervous about the idea of leading, please share with them announcement #4 below- God does not call the equipped, He equips the called!

#4  I will be leading the first of five sessions of the Small Group Leader’s Equipping Track course this Wednesday at 6:30pm in Faith Corner in the Gathering Hall.  If you have not done the course in the past, please consider joining us as we review the most important base of skills and knowledge for small group leaders for successful meetings.  Leaders of other discipleship groups such as Sunday school classes and Bible studies are also welcome.  We will be discussing small group best practices, unique characteristics of the Methodist tradition, the meaning of the gospel, discerning our own faith stories, spiritual gifts and an overview of the Word of God.  Potential leaders are welcome too!  Please email me if you are planning on coming.

#5 It is time to invite others to small group!  Remember, the fall semester is about 8-10 weeks which ends the week before Thanksgiving week.  If you have some friends or neighbors you have been thinking about inviting to small group, now is the time!  You may wish to emphasize the limited timeframe of commitment of one semester to encourage them to give it a try!   

I am praying for you all and for your small group meetings this week!  

Blessings!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders,

Attached is the sermon based discussion guide for this week.  Since it is a little later than usual, do not feel the need to forward it to your group members if your group is not meeting this week.

Discussion Guide– 9-2-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- when your work is killing you

Leader Tips-

#1  A New Sermon Series – Remember Your Baptism: Questions For A Disciple

This Sunday we begin a new 6 part series on the vows taken in the church ritual of baptism, beginning with “Do you renounce evil?”  Over these weeks we will look deeper into what is meant by these vows as they pertain to our ongoing life of discipleship as individuals and as a community. The series will culminate on October 14^th with one combined worship service at 10am in the sanctuary in celebration of the church’s 35^th anniversary.  If there is someone in your group who has not been baptized before, please encourage them to talk to a pastor, that day may be their day!

#2 Signs Ups for New Small Groups

Over the next two Sunday, we will have sign up cards inserted into the bulletins for people who would like to participate or serve in new small groups that will be forming later in September.  I invite you to join me in praying for at least two new small groups to form this fall.  Please pray that people respond with filling out the interest cards, both participants and potential small group leaders and home hosts.  While the small groups will continue to be defined primarily by their location and meeting times, we may also have groups of people that fit a particular life stage.  I am praying for a new young adult and/or young families group!

Also, please be prepared to receive new people into your group over the next few weeks.  Some of the cards received may not merge well into newly forming groups because of conflicting schedules.  In such cases, schedule permitting, I will try to steer these new people to join your groups.  However, please do invite new people into your group on your own as well.  No need to wait to see what the cards bring us!

#3  Discipleship Leader’s Breakfasts- Tuesday 8-9am, Jacob’s Well

As leaders of a discipleship ministry of Christ Church, you are invited to join me this Tuesday (Sept 11), from 8-9am in Jacob’s Well for spiritual encouragement through a devotional message by me about the example Jesus’ life in ministry, prayer together and fellowship over breakfast tacos.  Please rsvp via email by 10pm the night before for planning purposes.  This is intended to be primarily a source of spiritual support for you as a leader in your personal walk of faith, but also to be available to you to discuss any questions or issues you would like to address that would help you in your ministry.  If you can’t make it this Tuesday, please give the next week a try!

#4  Small Group Leaders Equipping Track- starts Weds Sept 12^th at 6:30pm

This is a five session course that Pastor Temple and I developed and have offered before.  If you have not done it in the past, please considering joining us as we review the most important base of skills and knowledge for small group leaders for successful meetings.  Leader’s of other discipleship groups such as Sunday school classes and Bible studies are also welcome.  We will be discussing small group best practices, unique characteristics of the Methodist tradition, the meaning of the gospel and discerning our own faith stories, spiritual gifts and an overview of the Word of God.  Potential leaders are welcome too!

Blessings!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders,

Attached is the sermon-based discussion guide for this week’s message, “Put On Your Armor” based on the scripture Ephesians 6:10-18.  As usual, the sermon videos are available at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons .   If your group has not been meeting yet, please email them let them know the time and location of your meeting times so they can already be holding that time in their schedules as they quickly fill up in this Fall season.

Sermon Discussion Guide- 8-26-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- Put On Your Armor

Leader Tips:

1.  In your first meeting back together, it is ok to spend time at the beginning catching up with life updates from the summer time.  That is part of sharing in community together and also writing the concerns brought conversations on the discussion guide in the prayer box for later in the meeting.  This is one of the reasons why having copies of the guide available for each person at the meeting is helpful- they can carry them home and remember one another in prayer during the week as well!
2. Remember to email out the discussion guide to your group members in advance during the week.  This helps them know what to expect and may open up opportunities for invitations to be extended to friends as well.  Please remember to include a link to the online sermons so they will be encouraged to come even if they missed worship this week.
3. In regrouping this fall, if you have needs of additional support- a host home to meet in, a co-leader to help cover leading discussions, please let me know and I can help recruit help for you.
4. A few Save The Dates:
   1. The Small Group Leader’s Equipping track starting Wednesday Sept 12^th at 6:30pm (5 sessions on the most valuable knowledge and skills for great small group experiences)
   2. The Discipleship Leaders’ Breakfasts starting Tuesday Sept 11^th at 8am (any leaders of any Christ Church discipleship groups are welcome to join me for prayer, a devotional, fellowship and breakfast tacos!  Taco Tuesdays with Timely Teachings!)

I am praying for a great new fall semester of discipleship within our church family. Thanks for being a part of the team and helping others grow in the faith!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders of Christ Church,

            Here we go in this new fall semester friends!  The sermon-based discussion guide is below for your personal use or group use if you have resumed meeting after the summer break.  Even if your group is not yet meeting, you may wish to forward the discussion guide to them for their personal use as well and to begin getting back into our discipleship rhythm.  As usual, please include the sermon videos link as well- www.christchurchsl.org/sermons. Remember also to bring a Bible with you if you are meeting as the new format has “A Related Scripture” category in which a volunteer will need to read an extra Bible passage out loud.

Sermon Based Discussion Guide:

8-19-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- buy up the time

Leader Tips:

1- If you did not read the last post, please note the two announcements below about resources for Small Group leader’s this semester-

1. The Small Group Leader’s Equipping track starting Wednesday Sept 12^th at 6:30pm and
2. The Discipleship Leaders’ Breakfasts starting Tuesday Sept 11^th at 8am (I know, I neglected to mention the start date below)

2- Also, remember now is the best time to extend invitations to friends or neighbors to join you in your weekly small group meetings this fall semester.  It helps to mention that the first few visits are on a trial “come and see” basis with no commitments to continue necessary and that the fall semester will end the week before thanksgiving. 

I am happy to talk with you or meet with you about getting restarted this fall or exploring new ideas for small group ministry support.  Just email or call/text 832-360-8295 to connect with me.  Thanks for being a part of this exciting discipleship ministry at Christ Church with me.  I believe there are some terrific “Kairos” ministry moments in store for us all as we offer ourselves to Him in service this semester!

Blessings!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders of Christ Church,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!  I hope you all have enjoyed a break from leading the weekly meetings and are rested up for a new exciting fall season at Christ Church!  Personally, I have been busy with my doctoral program in discipleship and outreach with the study and residency experiences in Seoul, South Korea and Singapore.  I have attached a pdf page of a few pictures from the trip if you would like to see them.  I believe the insights and experiences gained through this program will prove to be extremely valuable in shaping the discipleship programs of Christ Church in the months to come.  I am excited to be writing my doctoral dissertation over the course of this year on the topic which we have been involved in together here at Christ Church, sermon-based small groups!   In fact, in mid-September I will need to begin at least two new small groups for the purposes of my thesis project this year.  Therefore, we will be highlighting both existing groups and new small groups in August and September with the intent of involving new people in this life giving ministry you are all such a vital part of.

Beginning this Sunday, the sermon based discussion guides will be made available again at smallgroupleaders.net and in a weekly email.  It is up to you and your group to determine when the best time is to begin meeting again.  Some may choose not to begin until after labor day weekend, and others of you may wish to start again right away.  For the purposes of inviting new people into a limited timeframe of commitment to a small group experience, its best to define a fall “semester.”  To keep it 8-13 weeks, I suggest ending the semester the week before thanksgiving week.  You can still choose to meet after that time frame as the group determines for regular meetings or fellowship meals, but the upfront time commitment for invitations should probably be no longer than that.  You may want to start inviting new people to your group right now.

There are two resources available to you to support you in your service as a small group leader at Christ Church this fall.  The first is the five session Small Group Leader’s Equipping Track on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm, starting Sept 12^th.  If you have done one of the prior courses before, there is no need to do it again.  But if you missed the previous courses and are available, please join me this fall semester to review topics such as how to lead spiritual conversations, tools for understanding and sharing the gospel of Christ, what is the Bible, and what is my story to name a few.  This group is open to current and new leaders and those who are considering serving as leaders in a discipleship group of some kind.

*New this year- Discipleship Leader’s Breakfast, Tuesdays at 8am with me, Pastor Dan, at Jacob’s Well in the Gathering Hall.   This is for small group, Bible study, home group, and Sunday school class leaders or teachers.  It is also for those who are attending the Small Group Leaders Equipping Track with the intent to be leaders in new discipleship ministry groups.  The purpose of this experience is primarily to support leaders in their personal discipleship and small group evangelism and secondarily to offer opportunity for the informal review of the sermon themes from the previous Sunday and next Sunday.  Each Tuesday will offer a time of a devotional message which I will bring, a time of prayer as a group and the chance to have some good coffee from Jacob’s Well and breakfast tacos that will be brought in.  We will need to RSVP for quantity planning and donations will be accepted for reimbursement.

Welcome back everyone!  I’m so glad to be getting back to our small group community life and growing together in Christ!

Blessings!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders of Christ Church,

I hope you all are having a great Memorial Day Weekend!  Summer is here!  At this time the various small groups have transitioned into “summer mode.”  This means that the sermon based discussion guides will not be sent out again until mid-August when the weekly small groups meetings resume.  Most groups are now choosing to either wait until August to regroup, or are gathering for occasional fellowship meals in the summer months.

If by chance there are enough of you who would like to meet in the summer for a short-term Bible study, there is one I would recommend.  If you have done the Epic of Eden course, an overview of the Old Testament, then you already know that the author and presenter, Dr. Richter, is a very knowledgeable and engaging teacher. Her newest Bible study release is on the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.  We have one copy in circulation among our small groups and home groups now and it is getting good reviews.  Additional copies can be found at the seedbed.com site- https://store.seedbed.com/products/the-epic-of-eden-ruth.  It is a six week study with 20-30 minute teaching videos.  After viewing the you can discuss the questions presented in the participant manuals.

There is also another great option, if your group would like to do some bible study this summer.  Just invite everybody to the Pastor’s study on Sunday nights this summer at 5pm, beginning next Sunday in Jacob’s Well.  Pastor Andrew will begin the series with a study on the book of Jonah, and coffee and iced drinks will be served at Jacob’s Well in the Gathering Hall as well.  In July, Pastor DeAndre will begin a new pastor led study at the same time with a study on the hymns of the faith.  Here’s the great new about this- it is an open group with no sign ups required and someone else is leading it!  Just come and enjoy!

I will be emailing you all now and again just to keep you updated on summer/fall plans and on my study travels to Singapore and Korea and a possibly a new pastor’s blog site.  Well, I am off to Annual Conference for the Methodist Church until Wednesday.  Please pray for the United Methodist Church as potential legislation is discussed and voted upon at annual conference.  There is a chance that some of the legislation from our conference, if passed, might also go toward the called General Conference session of the denomination which meets in St. Louis in February.

Peace and Grace,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders of Christ Church,

It is Pentecost!  The Holy Spirit of God is with us energizing the church with divine power and love and grace!  Attached is the sermon based discussion guide for the message “Can These Dry Bones Live?”  The sermons are available as usual on www.christchurchsl.org/sermons.  If your group is meeting this week, please include the guide and sermon link in a friendly meeting reminder email.

Below is the link to the sermon discussion guide and the leader tips for this week in the video, audio and text formats.

5-20-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- Can These Bones Live

Video-

Leader tip #1- scheduling summer and fall

If you haven’t already, please try scheduling your summer fellowship gatherings and your fall start up date as well.

Leadership tip #2- summer pastor led studies

Pastor’s Bible studies begin June 3^rd at 5pm in the Jacob’s Well coffee area, child care is provided.  In June Pastor Andrew will be leading a study on the book of Jonah and in July Pastor DeAndre will be leading a study on the hymns of the faith.  Jacob’s Well will be open and serving iced drinks as well!  No sign ups are necessary, and it is an open group every week!

Also, a good source of information for upcoming programs is “upcoming events” on the church website under the drop down menu under “events.”  The weekly bulletin is also available under the “media” drop down as well.

Please email me questions or issues you would like to see covered to dan@christchurchsl.org.  Also, I still have a few more weeks yet before the Korea/Singapore study trip on June 14^th.

Blessings!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Small Group Leaders of Christ Church,

On Sunday, our community lifted up the first miraculous sign of Jesus’ ministry in the gospel of John, turning water into wine, John 2:1-12.  Jesus’ unique relationship with his mother Mary and the meaning behind this great miracle are worth exploring in your group discussions this week as we strive to apply God’s word to our daily living in community.   The discussion guide is in the link below so that you can provide print outs for your group members at the meeting as well as send it out to them in advance via email. Please also be sure to include the link to the online sermon videos at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons as well.

Discussion Guide- 5-13-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- A Mothers Request

Weekly Leader Tips in video, audio and text formats-

Audio-

Text- Read more 5-13-18 Small Group Discussion Guide & Leader Tips

Dear Small Group Leaders of Christ Church,

         This week, our groups will be discussing John chapter 6 in which Jesus tells us, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…”  The discussion guide link is below so that you can provide print outs for your group members at the meeting as well as send it out to them in advance via email.  Please also be sure to include the link the online sermon videos at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons as well. 

5-6-18 Sermon Discussion Guide- True Bread of Heaven

Leader Tips:

Video Format-

Audio Format –

Read more 5-6-18 Small Group Discussion Guide & Leader Tips