Building community and connection

Ecc 4:9-12 “9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Intresting fact I find out when studying for this. Ecclesiastes means one who assembled people.

Widely agreed that it was written by Solomon.

He is writing here in chapter 4 about the importance of people being together.

If they fall, they can pick one another up. If they lie together they have heat.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

This principle o this passage is that two or more are better than one. There is great reason given and then also proof in our own lives.

I believe that through life groups we will see connections made with people that last a lifetime.

The purpose of life groups is to help people grow closer to God and each other.

I beleive that growing closer to God is not just knowing more about God. If people want to learn more about God from LBC they should attend our Bible study hour. It is during that time we examine scripture for the purpose of educating those who attend about God.

Life groups help people grow closer to God by providing them the opportunity to learn how to take action in a particular area with the support of fellow believers.

It was in this most recent life group I lead that a woman said “This is like my therapy session.” and a man in the group agreed.

Why? They had found a place where they felt comfortable and felt community.

Tonight I want to take some time to let you know how I expect our life groups to operate so that you can create that community and connection.

Why? Why do we need this?

We all have more to learn

The more continuity in the programming we provide the more confidence people will have in all of the programming.

Our church is growing and it is my job to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. At the beginning of the year we said we need to invest in our foundation, this is it.

As we go through the content for tonight I’d like for this to be a discussion more than a lecture. I’m going to ask you for ideas and comments.

Title: Building Community and Connection in Your Life Group

Objective: To equip life group leaders and members with practical tools and strategies to build community and connection within their groups.

Materials Needed:

Whiteboard and markersHandouts (optional)Small group discussion questionsBible (optional)

Outline:

Introduction (5 minutes)

Greet participants and introduce yourself.Explain the purpose of the training session.Share your personal experience with building community and connection within a life group.

Practical Strategies for Building Community and Connection (30 minutes)

Creating an environment for connection:

What did you notice when you walked in here tonight?

Bright, open, circles not rows

When you were in school, where did you get connected to your classmates?

Why? The teacher was teaching. No talking, questions that most likely related only to the regurgitation of facts they had put out. There is a time and place for that.

Leading a group means facilitating.

Asking more questions than giving answers.

Guiding discussions, digging deeper,

Brainstorm with participants on practical ways to build community and connection within a life group, such as:

Setting aside time for sharing and prayer

Planning social events outside of regular meetings

Rotating leadership and responsibility among group members

-This is something I have done minimally. However, if you can get someone to be your group coordinator, that’s a huge help. What other roles my people fulfill in group? (pryer warrior)

Serving together in the community

-This year our church is being very strategic and reserrved with finances. We need more serving opportunities however making that a church wide thing can be a little complex. However, on a smaller scale, you all could pick a service projeect, whether it’s related to your life group topic or not and do that. It doesn’t have to be on a Wednesday night.

What are some serving opporunitites you think you could set up for your group?

Encourage participants to share their own experiences and best practices for building community and connection.

Small Group Discussion (15 minutes)

Divide participants into small groups of 3-4 people.Provide discussion questions related to the training topic (e.g., "What are some challenges you've faced in building community within your life group?" "What are some strategies that have worked well for you?")

Encourage participants to share their thoughts and insights with each other.

Conclusion (5 minutes)

Recap the main points of the training session.Encourage participants to apply what they've learned in their own life groups.Pray together as a group.