WAYMAKER, LEADERS Study Guide for the week of October 4, 2020 PDF VERSION
Leaders_Guide_to_Covenant_2020 PDF Version
ANNOUNCEMENTS – PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR GROUP OR SIGN UP AS A GROUP
Fall Festival Volunteer Registration
STF’s annual Fall Festival is coming up Sunday evening, October 25, and it will look a little different this year. We are having a drive-through Fall Festival!
Guests will stay in their cars and drive around the Ballast Point Campus parking lot to experience the fun and excitement of the festival. We will have Trunk-or-Treat, various games, entertainment, and characters along the route. Limited contact, face coverings, and social-distancing guidelines will help make the event safe as well as fun.
In order for our Fall Festival to be successful, we need your help! Here are the opportunities to serve:
Trunk-or-Treat Vehicles – 50 vehicles
Check-in Team – volunteers to check-in cars and hand out bags
Candy Team – volunteers to restock candy at the various trunks
Game Team – volunteers to assist guests playing the various games and collect game cards
Welcome Team – volunteers to make guests feel welcomed and connected around the parking lot
To volunteer for this year’s Fall Festival go to stfchurch.com/events. On the registration page, indicate where you would like to serve. We will contact you soon with further instructions.
LEADER INFO
⇨ COMMUNITY GROUP COVENANT FORM
Go over the Covenant Form with anyone who missed the first week. If anyone did not sign the Covenant Form, remind them to do so.
⇨ SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT WEEK #2
Remember we’re on week #2 with your group. People are still acclimating, especially any new people. Lead your group through the questions according to how well everyone knows each other. There are plenty of questions in this guide to take you deeper. And remember, as a leader, your goal each night is to lead your group in such a way that you hear from everyone and use the Bible as your guide. Know that if you do this each week, the people in your group will grow! Remember you don’t need to cover all of the questions. Great conversation and connection are far more important than covering all of the questions.
⇨ PRAYER NOTE
Check out the Tips on Group Prayer at the end of this Leader’s Guide. If you have new people in your group, please make sure you go over this. And NEVER make someone pray. Group prayer is similar to public speaking, which is the #1 fear people have. More than once, we’ve had people tell us they quit a Community Group because a well-intentioned person required everyone to pray.
⇨ ATTENDANCE
Submit your group’s attendance by replying to the email you received the night of your group.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Have fun with the first question below. It’s meant to be light-hearted and engaging for everyone. It’s recommended to definitely ask the Quick Review question.
Group Discussion Tip: Go around the circle and have everyone answer, or open it up to the group and ask someone who doesn’t talk much to answer. Remember, giving the group time limits helps keep one person from dominating the discussion.
1. Would you rather:
… always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?
… have unlimited, international, first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at a restaurant?
… be without your phone for a week or without transportation for a month?
2. What room in your house best reflects your personality? Why?
QUICK REVIEW
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or something that caught your attention, challenged or confused you?
Make sure you ask this question this week. It gives people the opportunity to discuss questions or issues that come up beyond the written questions. People’s responses can often lead into one of the questions in the “Digging Deeper” section. Some weeks, this question will result in a lot of discussion, other weeks, there can be very little.
DIGGING DEEPER
1. This week, we were reminded in seemingly hopeless situations where we can’t see any way out, God’s power has the opportunity to shine the greatest. The most important thing we can do in our times of trouble, is abide. Read John 15:1-8 and jot down the roles each of the main characters (God, Jesus and the believer) play and the responsibility each of them has in the spiritual growth process.
John 15:1-8 New International Version (NIV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
How could understanding these differing roles and responsibilities affect your spiritual growth?
What are some challenges for you to consistently remain in Christ?
2. Another one of the marks of being a disciple is to pursue Jesus’ character. In 2 Peter 1:3-9, the Apostle Peter gives a list of character qualities he calls us to develop so we can be more like Jesus. As you look at the list, are there any that you’ve specifically worked on in the past or been challenged to put into action?
2 Peter 1:3-9 New International Version (NIV) 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Is there one quality you think you need to be more intentional at putting into action?
Can you think of any potential roadblocks that keep you from developing godly character?
TAKING IT HOME
Looking back at this week’s teaching and study, what is most important for you to remember and why?
PRAYER REQUESTS
Prayer Transition and Optional Question: The #1 fear most people have is speaking in public. Group prayer would fall into this category. If you have new people in your group, going over “Tips on Group Prayer” (below) is crucial. In most cases, it’s also a good reminder for returning group members. More than once, we’ve had people tell us they quit a Community Group or didn’t join a group because they had to pray out loud.
Additional Question (An important one for new groups): Prayer is an amazing avenue God has given us to communicate with Him and He with us, but we also come to it with a lot of different thoughts and feelings. Which of the following statements are most true for you?
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TIPS ON GROUP PRAYER – READ ALOUD |
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Prayer is an important part of being in Community Group. Over the years we’ve found that group prayer goes better when we follow three simple guidelines.
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