My guest blogger today is Steve Yarrow. I had the privilege of meeting Steve through the Willow Creek Association. He is the is the small group pastor at Northridge Church in Plymouth, Michigan (Detroit Metro Area). I recently spoke at a leader training event at Northridge and heard Steve talk about something that struck me as incredibly practical. I asked him if he’d be willing to write about it on my blog and he said, “Yes”. So today Steve’s here to tell you about a simple and achievable method for getting your small group to become more intentional about mission.
Thanks for doing this, Steve!
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It doesn’t matter if I’m wearing my Small Group Leader hat or my Small Group Pastor hat, it is a privilege to model and move people to become the hands, feet and voice of Jesus. As I’ve journeyed the successes and failures of leading groups to move beyond themselves, I’ve found that there are three steps that ultimately change the people in my circle to live out loud God’s heart for our world.
First, explore the scope of becoming missional. What are the needs that surround all of us that are close to the heart of God? Why not circle up with your group, armed with some java and your laptops. Explore the simple things your group can do close to home. Talk about the spiritual gifts, skills and experiences that your group can leverage for kingdom stuff.
Next, engage the possibilities. Start with simple things. Help the widow down the street. Serve at a soup kitchen, help some veterans, or love on some widows or orphans. Also, jump into a small group curriculum ( www.juststart.org) so you can overlay God’s truth into everyday possibilities.
Last, be sure to evaluate your experiences. What are you learning about yourself and what is your group “good” at doing? Don’t get stuck in a rut. Attempt various projects and see what doors God will open for you.
So go ahead, take these three E’s, do them, and repeat. God wants to grow your heart in loving people and pointing them to Jesus. Be bold and act!
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Steve’s Links:
http://twitter.com/steveyarrow