Growth Groups
What is a Growth Group? Growth Groups are about friends sharing their lives with
each other. It's where you learn how to serve others in practical ways. Growth Groups
consist of 6 to 10 members (3 to 5 married couples) that meet twice per month outside
of their Life Group (LG). There are four ultimate goals of a Growth Group: Fellowship,
Care, Discipleship and Encouragement.
Fellowship:
Fellowship is the first step in establishing a Growth Group. Your group will begin meeting together for refreshments or a meal. During these fellowships, your members will be getting to know each other in order to establish Christian friendships that will last a lifetime.
Care:
After your group has met several times for fellowship, you will then begin the second step in the Growth Group process - Care. Follow the steps on the Growth Groups System Chart to begin organizing your group for the needs that will arise.
Discipleship:
Discipleship happens when we pour out into each other's lives what God has placed into our own. Are you growing stronger in your relationship with the Lord? Are you being used by God to nurture the faith of other believers? Are you helping others to know and love the Lord more fully? Do you seize opportunities to be taught by other believers?
Encouragement:
This final step in the Growth Group process usually takes many months to achieve. Encouragement in a Growth Group should be same-gender groups: 5 men/5 ladies. These same-gender groups can meet anytime and just about anywhere. For best results, they should meet weekly.
Resources
Click one of the four resource categories below for a description and recommended reading.
View System Chart
Download System Chart
FAQs
Click one of the FAQs below for the answer.
One single with five singles or one couple with four couples meeting outside of their Life Group for: fellowship, care, discipleship and encouragement.
God’s Word tells us to “love one another” to “build one another up.” Actually, there are over 50 “one another’s” in scriptures and they all begin with an action word. Growth Groups offer us the opportunity to fulfill these “one another’s” as we form close relationships with each other, pray for one another’s needs and ultimately help each other to become fully developing followers of Christ.
The Life Group Coordinator with input from the Life Group Teacher and Growth Group leaders.
First, recruit a person or couples to lead the group.
Second, ask them to attend a Growth Group Coordinator training session.
Third, announce to your Life Group about Growth Groups. Cast vision about Growth Groups and let people know how they can become part of a group.
Fourth, you can organize the group by:
1. Couples who know each other.
2. Placing two active couples with two less active couples.
3. Place members together by geographic location from where the couples live.
4. Have those interested in a Growth Group fill out a survey, then use the insights from the surveys to place people in Growth Groups.
1. Have snacks or a meal.
2. Do a “get-to-know-you” game.
3. Exchange vital info (birthday, anniversary, address, phone number, etc.)
4. Review the Growth Group values.
5. Discuss childcare issues.
6. Plan when the group will regularly meet. (Be sure to ask everyone to bring their calendar with them to the first meeting.)
Affirmation: Create an atmosphere where group members build each other up and encourage each other in Christ.
Prayer: Pray every time you meet together.
Availability: Members are available to each other. Phone and email are used to stay in touch. It’s a seven-day commitment. Make Growth Group meetings a priority.
Honesty: Speaking the truth in love is critical as members come clean before each other…not covering up their innermost feelings.
Confidentiality: Whatever is shared in the group, stays in the group.
Sensitivity: Be sensitive to peoples past and present feelings.
1. Fellowship: Plan to meet as a group twice per month.
2. Care: Pray for one another, celebrate/recognize special occasions of members.
3. Discipleship: Choose a study to do as a Growth Group. This will enhance your regular meetings.
4. Encouragement: Organize Growth Groups into Accountability Groups. These should be same-gender groups.
Most groups meet twice per month. One time could be for fellowship, and the other time for a discipleship study.
Start as soon as everyone arrives.
Ice Breaker: 5-10 minutes
Bible Study: 30 minutes
Caring Time: 20-50 minutes (great time to move men to the kitchen and ladies to the living room for prayer/accountability time)
Growth Groups select their own studies. For information about possible studies, check the "Resources" section on this page. Also check out the Growth Group section at the Lake Pointe Church Bookstore.
Rotation: People in your group could rotate, taking turns watching the children.
Babysitter: The group could pool their money together and hire a babysitter.
Include the children: The group could include the children in the Growth Group meeting and study.
Ask another Life Group: The group could recruit another Life Group to watch the children during their meetings.
Each Growth Group determines when and where their group will meet. While most groups meet in a consistent location (the home of a group member), some groups prefer to take turns meeting in different members homes.
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