“Beyond the Nod” Home Groups at South Hill Christian Church
By David Scheiman (with input from many HG members/this is a draft document that will keep changing)
Key verses
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and the apostles did many wonders and miraculous signs. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42 – 47)
Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrew 10:25)
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. (Acts 20:20)
Vision for South Hill Home Groups
Going to the church sanctuary each Sunday is only half of what church is to be. Our home groups are to be a safe place for people to meet and share their lives with one another. In other words, we are a community of believers who support one another in good times and hard times. This will include studying the Word, prayer, sharing, fellowship, worship and reaching out to others. In addition, the home groups are designed to develop leaders who will help to shepherd the Body.
My personal goal is for SHCC to become a church “of” Home Groups instead of being a church “with” Home Groups. In other words, HGs will be a core part of SHCC instead of only being a side program and the majority of active church members will attend a group. We hope that everyone at SHCC will be connected. As we reach out to the community, our church should be getting “bigger yet smaller.” The only way to become smaller is through the one-on-one interaction that you get through small groups.
Reasons to Join a Home Group
1) To get “beyond the nod” and develop a sense of community.Unfortunately, this is often lacking in today’s cold and impersonal society. In normal church services, people are often rushed or distracted. It’s easy to get lost in the crowd. HGs are a great way to get to know and connect with people on a personal basis.
2) To grow spiritually through studying the sermon questions and through learning from the Word and one another.
3) To minister to one another. This includes having your needs met and meeting the needs of others. We are a Body and need one another. Being a “Solo Christian” is not only lonely, it’s unbiblical.
4) To develop leaders. The church desperately needs leaders to help shepherd the flock. HGs are a great way to develop leadership for the church and to become better spiritual leaders at home.
5) To get a mid-week boost. We live in a non-Christian culture and it’s great to meet during the week to be encouraged and strengthened.
6) To take some of the load off the church staff & elders. Everyone needs to jump in to support the ministry and HGs are a great way to do this.
7) To have fun. Christians have much to celebrate and should be filled with joy. HGs are a relaxed setting to get to know and enjoy one another.
Best Practices
1) Generally, the core of each HG will be comprised of three families: those of the HG Leader, the Assistant HG leader, and the Host Family. These 3 families will divide up responsibilities so that no one is overly burdened. Where possible and fitting, the host family responsibility should be rotated among the members of the group. Childcare should be addressed when children are present.
2) The goal is to have HGs on several nights a week so that members can find one that fits their schedule. We also hope to spread them throughout the greater Puyallup area. A map of the different HG locations with contact info should be placed in the church foyer. Each group should come up with its own name so that we can distinguish between them easily.
3) The easiest way to disseminate the questions is by e-mail. Hard copies will be provided to those who don’t have e-mail. E-mail is also a great way for the group to stay in contact with prayer requests and when people are traveling.
4) Each HG should be under the authority of a specific elder. The elder will provide guidance on subjects that can’t be handled at the HG level as well as prayer support. The HGs will use the delegation principles outlined in Exodus 18: 13 – 27 to work through challenges in their groups. Thus, HGs are to be the “first line of defense” for dealing with challenges. Defer to the elders after attempting to address challenges at a HG level. If someone asked the pastor for help with a problem in the former church I attended, he would say, “Have you already discussed this in HG?” The message was clear that everyone needed to be in a HG and hash out their problems in this setting first.
5) In addition to dealing with spiritual issues, HG should be a place where people can receive support and practical help. Problems commonly encountered in HGs are: marital problems, sicknesses, loss of employment, challenges with children, etc. HGs need to be there for members going though tough times. We should not hesitate to pray for and lay hands on people, as this is a biblical practice.
6) The HG Leaders and Assistant Leaders must be official members of the church. The HG movement must always be under the authority of the church leadership and we need to set a good example to others in the flock.
7) The normal HG season will be from September to May. Cook outs, camping, and other fellowship activities will be encouraged during the summer months. Some groups might choose to meet over the summer months, which is also an option. In addition some groups might want to merge during the summer.
8) The Church Leadership will provide training and prayer support for the HG Leaders and Assistant Leaders.
9) Assistant Leaders will be trained and groomed to start their own group after they have assisted leading a group for one season. Home Group leaders are encouraged to take turns leading the group with the Assistant Leaders so that they will get plenty of practice.
10) All people attending Home Groups should be encouraged to share their testimonies. This will not only be about how they were saved but also what the Lord is doing in their lives now. This helps us to know one another better and encourages the Body. The HG Leader should ask people to prepare for giving their testimonies the previous week to give people a chance to reflect.
11) A real blessing of all the groups studying the same questions is that people can attend different groups when necessary. Thus when a HG meeting is cancelled or people are sick, they should be encouraged to visit another group that week.
12) A suggested HG meeting program is: worship (with music if possible), sharing praises and prayer requests, prayer, read the sermon passage and discussion of questions (with emphasis on application), and close with prayer. This program can be modified as is appropriate for individual groups.
13) While HGs will always study the Bible, they are not a Bible Study in the traditional sense of the word. An emphasis will be placed on sharing needs with one another and prayer. In addition, the HG leader’s role will be more of facilitating (drawing people out) and shepherding than simply teaching the Word. In addition, HGs will concentrate on how to apply the principles that they are learning in scripture.
14) The HGs must be a safe environment for sharing. Things that are shared inside of the group will only be shared with others with permission of those involved. Some issues should only be shared with the same gender or to individuals according to the need. The bottom line is that everyone needs to have people that they are comfortable sharing with and who will pray for them.
15) In order to be healthy like human cells, the groups should keep multiplying. The recommended size for home groups is 6-12 individuals. New people should constantly be invited. HGs are also an excellent place to bring nonbelievers who might not feel comfortable going to church.
16) Many groups do practical projects that meet specific needs such as helping with the homeless, supporting CareNet, and helping people repair their houses/cars etc.
17) The HGs will be organized for “Fellowship Sunday”, and “Presentation Sunday” once a month.
Membership Growth
“Presentation Sunday” is an opportunity to share five minutes with the congregation each month about what home groups are about. The target audience is members of the congregation that don’t currently attend a home group so the presentation should:
1) Include as many members of your group as possible – people join groups when they see faces they recognize
2) Describe the make up of your members and/or the focus of your group – people join groups because they feel like they belong in certain categories
3) Cover specific high points from your group’s history – people join groups when they see relevancy through personal anecdotes
4) Preview upcoming studies or events (especially if your group is able to increase your membership)
5) Be as creative and unique as possible in format and content (skits, videos, etc.)
Personal Growth
Challenge your members to visit at least one other home group at least once during the next year – learn how others “do” home group and share in the insight from people you might not ordinarily come in contact with. (If your group is especially sensitive to change, invite someone to come in to your group – the more opposite the guest is from your normal target group the better.)
Leadership Growth - Ideas for Independent Study
Leaders, challenge your groups to complete at least one independent study together this year. The group should set the topic and the duration. If you are open to gaining new members, you may want to use your independent study as a teaser during “Presentation Sunday” and share the start date of your study with the congregation.
It’s important for the leader to develop a plan prior to the start of the study and to publish some type of roadmap or study plan for the group.
Below are some thoughts to get you started. Also, be sure to utilize your elders – they’re there to guide and mentor you and to relieve some of the burden from the pastor and staff!
o Word origin studies
o Comparisons in various Bible versions
o OT pictures of NT principles
o Study of geographic, historic, scientific discoveries that support Biblical claims in a specific book (esp. the books of the prophets)
o Sponsorship of a food shelter or already organized charity
o Volunteering as a group to support an already organized charity (Relay/ACS, CareNet, Friends & Servants, new?)
o Neighborhood prayer walks
o “Way of the Master”
o Hard question night or series of nights
o Comparative religion studies
o Objections to Christianity (search the web for Athiesm and Christianity)
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. ~ Ps 77:12
