2.25.18 Small Group Guide

The vision of Student Ministry is to partner with parents to launch students into a lifetime of pursuing Christ and making disciples who saturate where they live, work and play with the gospel.

LEADER TIP:Practice “I.C.N.U.” with your students this week via conversation, text, or a hand written note. Example: “I see in you… a servant heart.” “I see in you… a great friend to those around you.” “I see in you… a great leader.”

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THIS MEETING: Toaster, Bread, “Toppings” for ICE BREAKER

ICE BREAKER/CONNECT – 10 Min

Toaster Game

Before explaining the game, give students a few minutes to gather as many random facts about each other as possible.

To begin playing, have everyone sit in a circle. Put a piece of bread into the toaster and push it down. Starting with a selected person, players must share a fact about the person to their right. Once they do so, the person to their right shares, etc. Play continues around the circle until the toast pops up. If a player can’t say anything new about the person to their right, play does not pass from them. Whoever’s turn it is when the toast pops up gets to eat it with non-traditional toppings selected by the leader/group (use discretion here based on the student and their personality).

Students have to mix up the circle between rounds so they are sitting be new people each round. No facts may be repeated for a person for the entirety of the game. Play for your allotted amount of time.

ROOTS RECAP – 10 Min

Our intention here is not to belabor the ROOTS talk/discussion, but to provide an opportunity for students to ask clarifying questions once they’ve had some time to process a bit. Feel free to address anything ROOTS brought to mind for you as a leader, but the time devoted to this should remain brief.

1)Can anyone give us a quick ROOTS recap from this morning?

2)Did ROOTS raise any questions for anyone, or was there something you don’t feel like you had enough time to discuss?

3)Did you have any application or takeaways from the talk?

DISCIPLESHIP – 15 Min

Each week we’ll be giving you a tool to help you grow each student as a fully formed follower of Jesus who is a Worshiper, Witness, Servant and Disciple Maker. Every week we will give you an Identity Statement and a Life Pattern Statement from our Fully Formed Follower document to share with your student, along with a practical application to teach them.

MY IDENTITY

Witness – I am a witness compelled to share Christ’s love and sacrifice for me.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20

MY LIFE PATTERN

I am intentionally developing relationships with people far from God and sharing Christ in my neighborhood, city, nation, and world.

Ask:

1)We’ve discussed this before, but someone remind us what it means to be an “ambassador”. Specifically, an ambassador of Christ?

2)What is God’s “appeal” and how does He make it through us?

3)What does it mean to “implore” people to be “reconciled” to God?

4)How does being an “ambassador” who “implores” other make you feel? How can we take joy in this role?

WORD – 15 Min

Remember, we’ll be going through the Gospel of John this semester! Each week we’ll move on to the subsequent chapter. This week we’ll cover John 8.

Read John 8 outload. Have students visually follow along and select a verse that stands out to them as they listen.

Ask students to think about the following:

1)Why did your verse stand out to you?

2)What observations can you make about that verse? What can we learn from it?

3)What is a piece of instruction for your life based on that verse?

Allow students a couple minutes to think, then have each student share their responses.

CHALLENGE – 5 Min

Who can you “implore” to be “reconciled to God” this week? What is your plan? When will you take the next step by?

PRAYER – 5 Min

Take a few minutes to follow up on previous prayer requests that have been answered. Spend a few minutes verbally praising God for answered prayer!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BOOT CAMP Registration Opens Late March– Dates: June 17th – 22nd*, Price: $ 215

*All students who register for Boot Camp are also committing to lead Backyard Bible Clubs the week of July 19th-22nd