WELCOME ICEBREAKER

Prior to the home group evening you should:

1. Phone or email your existing members.

 

2. If you had names passed on to you by the church office please call and invite them.
3. Watch the Host Tips on the DVD/video and preview the lesson. If you have someone else hosting the group try and arrange for them to watch the Help For Host and lesson beforehand. If this is not possible, review the lesson with them, let them know how the evening will go and pray with them.
   1. The session you need to watch is session #3 called Belonging Together, and it is just over 20 minutes long. Have it ready to go.
   2. Make sure you show the group the lesson not the Host Tips.
4. Review the discussion questions and lesson.
5. Pray for everyone who will be attending by name. This is SO IMPORTANT!

Welcome:

Welcome new guests and regular attendees. Give the group an overview of the evening:

• a few minutes praising God for His goodness
• watching a 20 minute video by Rick Warren, well known author of the book, The Purpose Driven Life
• discuss how his talk applies to our group
• spend some time praying for any needs in the group
• hang out and visit for awhile but feel free to go (having people stay and visit after the pray time is optional – don’t go too late, the number one reason people don’t come back is the meeting going too long)

WORSHIP

It is important we come and give God honor before we start the meeting. It is an intentional act of taking ourselves off the throne and putting God first. If the group can sing that is great. Other options are having a few people share a praise report or read a Psalm. Ask if anyone would like to share an answer to prayer.

WORD

ICEBREAKER QUESTION:

In the upcoming video Rick talks about some of his favorite cop shows growing up. What was your favorite TV show growing up?

Tell your group prior to watching the DVD/video:

1. We are going to watch some teachings by Rick Warren, the well-known author of The Purpose Driven Life, as he taught 40 Days Of Community from his church in Saddleback California. Our church is not doing the full 40 Days of Community but we are using some of the messages to help us build community in our home groups.
2. He will mention that we need to do a group project. We will talk about this after our discussion.
3. We don’t have study guides so I encourage you to take notes as Pastor Rick talks and write down the four key points.

Discussion questions: (For this week’s lesson please break into separate groups of men and women. Groups of 4 or 5 work best. Take about 20 minutes for this part.)

1. What were the four things Pastor Rick said love always does?
• Love always protects.
• Love always trust.
• Love always hopes.
• Love always perseveres.
2. Which of the four statements about love in 1 Cor. 13:7 spoke to you most powerfully?
3. Share briefly about a time when you needed the faith of your friends to lift you in prayer?
4. What role did friends play in your life in coming to faith in Christ?

WORK

Have the small groups pray for each other’s prayer requests. Pray especially for the people you are inviting to come to your small group or church with you.

1. The progress on your community reach out project. Please note we are not confined to 40 days for our group projects but our goal is finish before Christmas.
2. Is there anyone sick in your group or the church that you could go and visit?
3. Who can we invite to church next week as we continue the study of doing life together?
4. If someone was missing from your group ask for a volunteer from the group to call or email them to let them know they were missed. It is very important for people to know they are cared for.
Love requires us to believe in each other and for each other. Pair up with a spiritual partner until Christmas. A spiritual partner is someone we can talk to about our spiritual growth and call for back-up when we need prayer support. It is best that men partner with men and women with women.