G2 Group Leader
Defined:
Someone committed to the mission and vision of The Dwelling who is leading a gospel centered community of people in a G2 group. This community is a group of people who are coming as they are and are growing as disciples of Jesus. They are doing life with each other, growing in their relationship with God and with each other. G2 group leaders desire new leaders to emerge and they help disciple them so we can reach even more disconnected people and help them become disciples as well.
Resources for G2 Group Leaders:
“Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“The Other Half of Church” Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks
Purpose of our G2 Groups
“The reason this group gathers is to reach more disconnected people and help them become disciples of Jesus who then help to make even more disciples. This is a safe place where people can come as they are, grow in their relationship with God, and grow in their relationship with other people. Our group is meant to do life together with joy, have a group identity in Jesus, care for each other’s needs, and provide healthy correction as God’s Word shapes each of us. The hope is that one day some of those in this group would start other groups so we can reach even more disconnected people and help them become disciples of Jesus as well.”
Your group specific:
(This could be a bit different from group to group)
“Tonight we are going to spend just 10 minutes in God’s Word together and then we will take some prayer requests and text those out so we can be praying for these all week long.”
SMALL GROUP GUIDELINES
Confidentiality:
Keeping things that are shared in the group confidential builds trust and shows to the person. What is said in the group stays in the group.
LISTEN:
Let’s value one another during the discussions by really listening to what is being shared. Try to avoid thinking about how you are going to respond or what you are going to say next.
PAUSE:
Allowing a pause in conversation after someone shares gives the person sharing the chance to finish and the group the opportunity to consider what was just shared before responding.
SILENCE:
Allowing silence in the group provides opportunity for someone to share and for members in the group to process the topic or question being considered.
CROSS TALK:
Be considerate of others as they are sharing – no cross talking/side conversations.
RESCUING:
Resist the temptation to rescue people. When people are sharing something deeply personal, there can be a tendency to try to make them feel better about themselves or the situation by providing immediate condolences. This will often cause them to stop sharing.
FIXING:
Try to hear what people are sharing without trying to fix them. If they want your advice, they will ask for it. You may want to take time later to ask if you may offer some advice.
SHARING:
Be sensitive to the amount of time you share. If someone is sharing and makes a point that really connects with you, resist telling a story that makes the same point.
SELF-AWARE:
Be self-aware of how you are personally affecting the environment through your
words, actions, and nonverbal communication.
“I” STATEMENTS:
During small group, we want to hear your personal thoughts and perspectives.
Using”I” statements to answer discussion questions allows you to speak for yourself rather than generalizing by using terms such as “you”, “they” “them”, “the church”, “us” or “we”.
Team is observation. I is conviction.
PERSPECTIVE:
During our discussions, you will be hearing from a variety of people on a variety of topics with a variety of perspectives. We want to encourage you to be aware that the topic is what’s on the table, not your opinion. If someone gives a different perspective than your own, that’s ok. Don’t try to convince them of your perspective. Be aware of what is going on inside of you if someone shares a different perspective than your own on any given topic.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
It’s important that we all use this time to consider where we are on any given subject or issue and what God would have us do. How am I walking this out in my personal life?
What changes does God want me to make?
FIGHT FOR RELATIONSHIP:
Relationship reaches a whole new level when conflict is resolved in a healthy manner. When conflict or sin issues arise between group members, commit to fight for the relationship and discuss the struggle with the person you are in conflict with or seek wise counsel.
