LEADER'S NOTES PDF

NOTES FOR THE FACILITATOR

The following are sessions with Bible stories that we suggest you use in follow-up of new believers in the order given. The goal of these sessions is to help people gain a solid foundation of growth and obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit as they learn to follow Christ. The process is not to teach, but to facilitate a group discussion that helps each person understand and apply the message in their own life.

These sessions are also intended to help you form a group that will eventually become a multiplying church or fellowship. Members should be encouraged to invite new people every week so the group will grow. Those that come in after other sessions have been completed can catch up by asking other group members to meet with them after the session or at other times to go over the sessions they missed.

Welcome new people each week by quickly introducing each other. Introduce yourself as the group facilitator that asks questions and keeps the meeting on topic.  Remind people that the purpose of the time is to discover more about God and His purposes, using the Bible as a guide because of what God says about it in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, „All Scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Each meeting is divided into three parts that have their own purpose.

CARING FOR EACH OTHER 

The first part is to hear how each person is doing, and pray for one another. 

The two questions to initiate this sharing time are:

• Share one highlight and explain one challenge you experienced this week.

• What do you want Jesus to do for you this week?

Make sure everyone has a chance to respond. Spend time praying for one-another’s requests specifically. You may need to explain how to pray in a group since some people may not know how to talk with God in this way. It is good to take note of the prayer requests so that you can follow up with them how things are going.

If there are ways the group can help with issues and problems people share, let people offer. Do not do everything for the group members – let other group members step up and show tangible concern for their co-members.

CELEBRATE FAITHFULNESS

The group should be reminded each week that the most important thing about your time together is what they do with what they learn. Jesus told His disciples to make disciples who obey everything He commanded them. We want to help them to become real disciples of Jesus. That is why we ask about how they did with what they learned the previous week.

Each person should be asked the two questions:

• How did you apply the lesson from last week?

• Who did you share the story with, and what was their response?

Do not proceed to the session until you have allowed each person to respond. If the group is too large, these questions can be asked in subgroups. But it is important that everyone is held accountable for their “I will statements” and sharing the story with another person.

STORY

Each story has been chosen specifically for new believers. They help a new believer to get started in their new relationship with Christ, and to take steps of faith in following Him. The process of learning and applying the story is as follows:

PURPOSE – the facilitator shares with the group the main purpose of the session

CONTEXT – the facilitator gives a very brief background of the story so that the story is understood in the broader context of the Bible.

READ THE STORY – the story should be read out loud at least twice. The first time people can read along in the Bible. The second time they should listen without looking at the words in the Bible. 

The story can also be viewed in video format.

The facilitator can read once, and assign another member to read. Or members can be assigned rather than the facilitator reading. If the passage is fairly short, it can be read several times.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND CLARIFICATION – Each story has a number of questions that can be asked to the group to help them understand and apply the lesson of the story. The facilitator should ask those questions that will help lead to better understanding and application. It is not necessary to ask all of the questions.

The facilitator can also ask his or her own questions, providing they help the group understand and apply the story, and they relate to the primary purpose of the story. The facilitator should not teach or dominate the discussion. The participants should learn from their own answers, not from the teaching of the facilitator.

RETELL THE STORY – Other members of the group may add to or correct the retelling as needed. The facilitator should ask questions to help understand why the story is retold as it was.

PREPARING FOR MISSION

The most important part of the session is the application. In this section, there are two important parts:

“I will” statement – At the conclusion of the discussion, each participant should share a personal application.

The application should be Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Significant and Time-bound (SMART). It should be clear enough that the following week, when the group meets together again, you can ask if they were able to do what they said they would do.

Who will you share this story with? In addition to making their “I will” statement, they should also commit to share the story with someone else. This gets them into the habit of passing on what they learn to others. It helps them remember what they learned. It makes them accountable to another person. It opens doors to spiritual conversations that may lead to others coming to Christ.

PRAYING FOR THE MISSION 

At the conclusion, summarize the lesson. Then end in prayer for one another, that they would apply what they have learned, and be able to share the story with someone else. Set the time and place for the next meeting, and remind them to feel free to invite others to join the group. Encourage them to invite the person they share the story with to join the group for the next meeting.

Prepare for next group meeting. Ask the group to read the next story before the next meeting and write a summary in their own words. Suggest they pray and ask God to speak to them personally through this story. This preparation will greatly improve the quality of the discussion as well as their spiritual growth.