LifeGroups Leaders
As a LifeGroup Leaders you share the incredible privilege of ministering to the individuals who make up Calvary Church. Following are resources that may be helpful to you whether you are a novice or seasoned leader.
Included in this section are ideas to help you lead your LifeGroup to CONNECT, GROW and REACH individually or together, curriculum and study ideas to consider for the coming months, updated leadership emails to encourage and inspire you to Christ-like leadership and a current calendar of upcoming LifeGroup Leader Training Lunches.
In addition, we are working to finalize a LifeGroup blog that will be a fluid forum to receive ongoing input. We want to hear from you. What are you doing that works? What are you studying and what is your LifeGroup learning? We’ll ask regular questions and hope to get answers from those of you who are actively engaged in the leadership of our church through LifeGroups. Check the blog regularly to give your input or see what new input has been posted.
How to CONNECT in your LifeGroup
CONNECTING happens in LifeGroups over time; it cannot be forced. Consider the following as you help your LifeGroup CONNECT over these next few months:
- Have fun together: go to the beach, have a picnic, play games, invite friends or another LG to join.
- Pray for one another. Keep a list of those prayers that have been answered so you can return to it at the end of the year and praise the Lord for what He has done in your LG.
- Discourage gossip, reminding participants to keep information shared confidential.
- Share a meal together.
- Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and what is happening in the lives of your LG participants. If someone is struggling and needs prayer, stop and pray for them at that time. Be flexible to change your LG schedule to meet the real needs of people in your LG.
- Emphasize love and grace while relying on Scripture for truth.
- Attend the How to Grow LifeLab together: October 10, 17, 24, 31 at 8:45 or 10:45 am in WC 211 or the How to Reach LifeLab: November 7, 14, 21, and December 5 at 8:45 or 10:45am in WC 211.
- Involve different participants in decisions for the LG. Invite different participants to plan a social than those who planned the last one.
- REACH together. Plan to serve together by attending the monthly Treasure Box distribution Saturday or by joining other LGs on Serve Day. Make sure to call ahead if need be to make arrangements. Click here to find more ideas and current opportunities to reach.
- Have an informal Starbucks day/time for participants to meet informally together. Who knows? You just may attract new people to your LifeGroupJ
- Support one another during a time of need (illness, hospitalization, new baby, a move, job transition).
- The next How to Connect LifeLab will be held on Sundays in September at 8:45 or 10:45 am in W-211
How to GROW in your LifeGroup
GROWTH in faith can take place in a variety of ways: Bible studies, spiritual discussions, prayer together, everyday life, etc. The following themes and curricula may be helpful in planning your time of growth this year.
CONNECT
- ReGroup: training groups to be groups by Cloud, Donahue and Townsend (DVD-7 weeks)
- Beginning Life Together by Brett Eastman (6 weeks)
- God is Closer than You Think by John Ortberg (DVD—6 weeks)
- Connecting in Christ Together by Brett Eastman (6 weeks)
- Book Studies from the writings of Paul: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Corinthians (various workbooks and series available)
- Having a Real Relationship with God by Kay Arthur (40 minute Bible Studies)
- The Chronological One Year Bible
- Connecting: Healing Ourselves and Our Relationships (with discussion and study guide) by Larry Crabb
GROW
- Pastor Dave’s Digging Deeper provided weekly to LG leaders and on the back of each Sunday’s message outline.
- Lessons on Christian Living, aka Growing in Christ (8 weeks)
- Take it to the Limit: How to Get the Most Out of Life by Andy Stanley (DVD-6 weeks)
- Life Lessons by Max Lucado (various books of the Bible; both old and new testaments)
- John: 90 days with the Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore (12 weeks)
- The Truth Project-DVD and Workbook(12 weeks)
- Crown Ministries Studies on Stewardship (10 weeks)
- The One Year Bible with God Sightings Companion Workbook (52 weeks)
- MacArthur Bible Studies of most OT and NT books
- Lord, Teach Me to Study in 28 Days by Kay Arthur (4 weeks)
- Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days by Kay Arthur (4 weeks)
REACH
- Crazy Love by Francis Chan (with online support videos at www.crazylove.org)
- Crown Ministries Studies on Stewardship (10 weeks)
- God Space: where spiritual conversations happen naturally by Doug Pollock
- The Hole in our Gospel and practical study guide (free and downloadable at www.theholeinourgospel.org)
- Go Fish: Because of What’s on the Line by Andy Stanley (DVD-6 weeks)
The next How to Grow LifeLab will be held on Sundays in October at 8:45 or 10:45 am in W-211
How to REACH in your LifeGroup
One of the best ways to both connect and grow individually and collectively as a LifeGroup family is to reach out. Whether that is done alone or as a group, a LifeGroup is one of the best places to share what is learned through these experiences. The following are upcoming and ongoing opportunities for your LifeGroup to step into the community together:
Weekly
- Call homebound individuals once a week for a month
- Tutor children after school at KidWorks in Santa Ana (training required)
- Attend Calvary’s All Church Prayer time together on Wednesday nights at 7pm in D-108
Monthly
- Treasure Box Distribution on campus the fourth Saturday of each month (8:30am-noon)
- Make a meal for the Single Moms Fellowship Group meeting on Wednesday nights
- Visit some of Calvary’s homebound seniors in pairs
- Pick up trash or help remove graffiti as part of Calvary’s Cabrillo Park Renewal Project
Annually
- Clean Released Time’s Chapel on Wheels as a LifeGroup one Saturday
- Attend the annual Serve Day and choose one of the many projects that you can do together
For even more information on local Reach opportunities, click here.
The next How to Reach LifeLab will be held Sundays in November at 8:45 or 10:45 am in W-211.