1.  Thank You!

Thank you for leading a City Group.  We all know it is more than opening your home once a week for an hour.  There is cleaning, rescheduling, preparation, and connecting throughout the week.  Thank you for your time and commitment to help our church experience community and grow spiritually.

2.  We celebrated some of the wins that are taking place in City Groups.

Ted Baer and Bruce Downard, along with their group host paintball nights

for outside groups and then end the night with food and sharing the Word of God.

 

Jim Bridge  shares what’s going on with his group by using social media.

  

Mark and Bambi Fox’s group celebrated one of the couples anniversary together.

3.  We discussed struggles that seem to be consistent when it comes to leading a City Group.

• Disappointment when those in our group seem to not want to grow. (Check out the post: Understanding Spiritual Growth)
• How to balance the length of time that a group should meet. (Check out the post: When Small Group Feels Boring | 10 Ways To Change It Up)
• When should a group multiply? (Check out the post: Why Multiplication Matters)

4.  We examined the importance of Reliability over Qualifications.

2 Timothy 2:1-7  You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. ³Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. ⁵Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. ⁷ Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Notice that the Apostle Paul instructs to empower people who are first reliable and ALSO qualified to teach.  It’s one thing to be able to teach, it’s another to be reliable.

Are you reliable?  Can you be reliable?

Faithfulness is the qualifier in the Kingdom of God.  God uses those who are/will be faithful.

In the above scripture, the soldier, the athlete, & the farmer only reap the rewards after the work has been put in.

Think about this, Jesus chose twelve disciples in a day and then spent the next three years with them.

Evangelism comes quick.  Discipleship can be a slow process.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9  ⁵What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Be encouraged and know that God will not ask anything of you that He is not willing to empower you to accomplish.

God bless,

Pastor Evan

If you would like to respond to any of the questions that were asked during the meeting or if you have questions that not have been answered feel free to comment below or send me a message.