Tagged: leadership
How To Ensure Your Best Is Possible
Recently, Joel Stockstill shared with the CFM staff after preaching at our weekend services. His focus was essentially increasing our leadership potential. Below you will find a link to the teaching if you’d like to watch it, I’ve also included a few of his main points from the session on Giving Your Best.
*Influencing others begins with managing yourself well first!
- Evaluate your day. How are you using your time? For more help concerning this area check out the post, The Importance Of Your Schedule
*Be a strategic reader!
- The Bible is priority.
- Read books that will speak to the area’s you serve and work in.
- Finish books that you start.
*Differentiate between your ministry and mission!
- Ministry is what you do. Mission is why you do it.
*If you’re only maintaining you’re moving backwards!
- Develop a willingness and desire to always learn.
*Connectivity is key to creativity!
- Connecting with God and other people will inspire the best possible ideas!
- When you connect, do a lot of listening and make the other person feel important.
*The team is greater than the members!
- Every team member has the potential to add value but their contribution is never more valuable than the sum total of everyone.
If you would like to watch the full teaching, including a Q & A time, click HERE.
GROUP LEADERS, Don’t forget:
Harrison Campus Leadership Meeting: Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 pm
Batesville Campus Leadership Meeting: Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 pm
Who’s in your group that you can invite to attend with you?
I will see you there!
Group Night Review – September 2015
Group Night at CFM took place August 27. Group Night is a time for group leaders and those who are interested in learning more about groups. It was a great night of feedback, discussion, and getting to know each other! Below is a review of the night and some of the need to knows.
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.
- Dan Martin’s City Group Multiplied of out Steve Heinen’s Group!
- A group member (Brian) baptized another group member (Dave) at the river baptism! (This is cool because it is testimony of the friendship and the spiritual growth that has taken place in a group context!)
- New offering of groups called LEAD groups that are pastoral-led.
- Group Discussion Guides based upon Pastor Doug’s sermon series are being created for group leaders! If you’d like to check it out click HERE.
3. Questions and Feedback
Question #1: What do you think keeps people from joining/leading groups?
The top three responses were: Time, Feeling Inadequate, Commitment
To address those three issues we suggested:
Rather than joining a group with people that you don’t know or offering a group to people you don’t know, who’s in your life that you can circle up with? Who do you already know? Who do you serve with? Who do you sit next to at church? Who are your friends?
Here’s Why:
We are more prone to make time for people that we know.
We are more comfortable around people that we know.
We are more willing to be in it for the long haul with people that we know.
Question #2: What has been the hardest part about leading a group?
People had a lot to say in response. Which is ok! The thing is, we’re in this together and discipling people is not easy, but through Christ we can do what He calls us to do! (IF YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW OR EMAIL ME AT e.doyle@mycfm.org)
Question #3: How can we improve City Groups as a whole?
Below are a few of the suggestions:
*Share more of the stories that happen in groups
*Provide groups more exposure
*Have a group representative at the City Group wall
If you shared a suggestion or have a new one please comment on the City Group Facebook Page or email me at e.doyle@mycfm.org
4. Please send applicable information concerning group members (difficult life events such as: critical illness, surgery, hospitalization, death) to pastoralcare@mycfm.org.
5. CFM Mission Statement
Win The Lost
Disciple Believers
Freedom Of Worship
6. City Group’s Purpose
Experience Community. Grow Spiritually.
Share Life, God, and Prayer together.
7. The Need For Those Who Lead By Example
You can check out the notes from this teaching, Leading By Example | Three Traits Of Good Leaders, by clicking HERE!
God bless you!
Pastor Evan
Free eBook | Intentional Small Groups
A few years back we began to throw around the idea of doing small groups at CFM.
We tried quite a few different ways of doing groups which eventually led us to settle on forming our groups based around some key principles rather than a certain method or exact way of doing them.
Our groups have begun to be beneficial to the health of the overall church and especially to the individuals involved in City Groups.
One of the ways that we share training, stories, and resources is through this blog. Along the way some really useful content has been created because of the examples and feedback that has been shared by you, the group leaders.
I thought compiling this information into a book format would be helpful. This eBook is a not a system or methodology for doing groups, it is a guide that is divided into six parts that are specific to small group leadership.
- *Leadership Essentials
- *Understanding Spiritual Growth
- *Multiplication
- *Keys To A Successful Small Group
- *Navigating Conversations
- *Final Encouragement
I named the book Intentional Small Groups because great groups do not happen by accident. They are formed and forged by leaders who lead with purpose and great intentionality, I hope this eBook helps you to continue doing what you’ve already been doing… Leading others in and towards Christian community and spiritual growth.
If you would like a FREE copy of Intentional Small Groups: A Complete Guide For Leaders click HERE.
To download, right click on the link above and choose “save as” or “save target”. If you are using a smartphone click the link and save accordingly.
Text Version (with color, you may have to wait a few minutes to download)
Please note that the text file is in a PDF format, so you will need Adobe PDF Reader to view it and print it. You can get the reader for free at Adobe.com.
God bless!
Helping Others To Grow Spiritually
In the last post, Are You Responsible For The Spiritual Growth Of Others? it was pointed out that discipleship is a multi-faceted process that involves God, leaders, and individuals. A leader who desires to disciple others is responsible “to cultivate, encourage, and prepare opportunity for spiritual growth to take place.”
But what about those who attend your group? What steps should they personally take to receive the most benefit from a small group setting and from those who care about their spiritual growth?
City Group Leaders Night 2014 Review
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.
City Group Leader 2014
All City Group Leaders and those interested in leading:
Come celebrate on year of City Groups at CFM Wednesday, September 17 at 7:00 pm. This event will take place at CFM.
This will be a night to regroup, encourage, & prepare.
How To Ask Questions That Lead To Great Conversations
Nothing will leave you wanting to learn how to ask great questions more than an awkward, short exchange of boring inquiries that result in simple answers.
We’ve all been there, wanting to take the conversation deeper or to a more interesting level but unsure how to go about it.
Below are three quick tips that will breathe new life into your discussions as you learn to ask better questions that promote even better conversation. Continue reading
Owning CFM
A Benefit of City Groups | Part Two
Just one of the many benefits of participating in City Groups at CFM is the dimension of shepherding that it brings to our lives. Every one of us needs an under-shepherd to tend to us. Of course Jesus is the Good Shepherd:
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. NIV
Celebrate The Wins
WINNING IS FUN!
Recently I witnessed this first hand as my oldest son’s baseball team was crowned the champions of a weekend tournament. It was awesome for them to experience the reward of practicing and not giving up even when the game became difficult. At some points it even appeared as if his team might lose, it was an emotional game for them and even for the spectators (especially the parents).
Winning is the desired culmination of all the effort that is put towards achieving a goal. For a small group leader the win will look a little different than what it will for a baseball team but nevertheless the victory is just as sweet.
One of the keys to success for a City Group Leader is to Celebrate Victories.
This key reminds us to focus on the reason for the group by placing value on the life change God brings about in people. It’s important to take time to celebrate these within your group.
A victory in a small group setting may be any of the following among lots of others:
– someone sharing for the first time
– answered prayer requests
– deeper friendship within the group
– approaching a circumstance with a scriptural perspective
– a godly change in attitude or priorities
Would you take a minute to share a victory that your group has recently experienced? Whether you write a sentence or a page I’d love to hear how about a win in your group!
Daily Christian Help 