Go Groups: How to Engage non-Christians in Your Community

Gary DeLashmutt

Part of the problem in our churches may be that we are not abundantly sowing. If we never go out and surround ourselves with people who do not know Christ, our evangelism may dry up and wither. We need to invade secular space, to shift the emphasis from gathering people inside the church to dispersing ourselves out into the city. There are two main avenues through which we can create these "Go-Groups," through recreation and volunteering. Provided here are different examples, potential failures, and needed actions to make these groups fruitful.

The Art of Leadership (Part 1)

Jill Briscoe

Philippians 1:12-20

To understand the art of leadership, it is imperative to understand yourself and God. You can only lead people as far as you have gone yourself with the Lord. Opening up the book of Philippians we see Paul write down the art of the Christian life. Like Paul, we too can bring people along with us as we understand and relate to God in deeper ways.

A Leadership Crisis in the Church

Jim Leffel

Romans 1:16

Christian leadership is all about facilitating and having vision for the work that God is doing. For the church to move forward in God's work, their knowledge of what is going on in culture needs to be understood. Leaders must be able to maintain and spur the church on with the biblical mission, the biblical message, and the biblical means of communication.

The God Who Leads (Part 2)

Jim Leffel

Exodus 13:20-22

As the Israelites traveled through the wilderness, they were totally dependent on God's leading. God also desires to lead us. When we choose to let Him lead our life, we will inevitably be more satisfied than if we were to shut Him out. We can detect God's leadership for us through Scripture, listening in prayer, and through considering counsel from godly Christians.

Give us a king

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 20:25-28

Because Samuel was aging and his sons were not genuinely pursuing God, the Israelites demanded a king be appointed to govern and judge them just as the nations around them had. God had predicted this many years before, and Samuel warned the Israelites of the negative ways a king would treat them. They persisted in their demand, ignoring his warnings, so God chose Saul to be king over them.

Leading Home Group Evangelism

Doug Patch

2 Timothy 2:2

In this XSI teaching the teacher explains principles to leading home church evangelism. Evangelism is a lifestyle and not a hobby and it is done by all members. The leaders need to invest in the Christians in order to help them evangelize. It is a priority to win consensus of God's perspective of the mission of the church; to disciple and to reach the lost. This can take time and isn't automatic. God causes the growth and the leaders need to stay engaged in leading their groups through the six principles taught in this teaching.

Praying for your Home Group

Joel Comiskey

2 Timothy 2:2

Successful home groups are the result of diligence, which shows itself through prayer, evangelism, and community. Explore the different forms that diligence can take in several church examples and the ways that it will consistently be the same.

Making the Transition, Traditional to Home Group-Centered Ministry

Gilbert Lennox

2 Timothy 2:2

Transitions from traditional to group-centered ministry are gradual and intentional. Looking at a church who has attempted this kind of environment several times, consider the steps that a church needs to take in order to create a revolution like this. Some of the steps include support, vision, leadership training, and fighting disappointment.

Facing the Brutal Facts and Mobilizing the Church

Dennis McCallum

Nehemiah 1:3-15

Motivating church growth through evangelism involves: facing the problem, defining it for your people creating discrepancies, and raising the appropriate level of tension. These lessons are learned from Nehemiah as he faced the ruin of the wall and sought to rebuild it. Examples are given of how Xenos has gone from a lack of growth in evangelism to seeing substantial growth. Bad news has to be faced and vision needs given for where the church should be. People are motivated when they see discrepancy and experience discontent with the present.\r\n