Life Group Cohort Training Materials

Hello Leaders,

Welcome to Life Groups! The purpose of our Life Groups is discipleship. Lives are transformed when we study Scripture, allow God to shape our heart for Him & His people and then live it out through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all areas of our life. As a leader you are an integral part of the process of making disciples within our church family.

Why are Life Groups so important for the health and growth of our church? Our natural tendency is to focus on inward change through studying Scripture and having relationship with those we are comfortable with. If we stop there though we are missing out on seeing what God is doing all around us and what He calls us to do with sharing the Good News with those who don’t yet follow Him. We believe that God calls us to be bold and trust His plan as we study His word and then allow it to transform our lives as it is lived out with those around us.

We have clear guidance on what we need to do & why we need to do it with our church Mission, Vision and Values. Our Life Groups are a key part of how we will make Disciples. we can involve our whole church in this process of becoming mature disciples of Jesus who make disciples. Our Mission, Leading People to Pursue A Jesus-First Life, is about making disciples who make disciples. Part of our Vision states that “We see a church where every person is a missionary, equipped and unafraid to live and share the gospel around the dinner table, in the breakroom, and with neighbors at a front porch BBQ.” This bold confidence in who Jesus is doesn’t come naturally for most of us so we need to be intentional about looking outward to how we can live and share our lives for Jesus with those around us.

The Value of Missional Living (We live centered on the call to make disciples, so we will be contributors, rather than consumers of church. We won’t just bring people to church, we will bring Jesus to our community.) compels us to break out of comfortable habits and allow God to bring us to greater maturity as we share Him with people around us. The Value of Cultural Relevance (We will build bridges and break down barriers to bring timeless, unchanging truths in ways others can understand.) is caring enough about those who don’t know Jesus that we’ll do whatever God calls us to do in order to reach them.

We are taking a journey of adding the new dimensions of outreach and missional living to the core of our study of Scripture & community among ourselves, I want to make sure no one feels guilt, shame or condemnation for things we haven’t been doing. This is a new understanding of who God is calling us to be so we will learn and grow together. It is a fresh start, and a clean slate to follow the Lord! We will stumble & fall and then get back up, we will learn and grow as God leads us together. Myself, and our church staff are so thankful for you and the way you care for people.

Thanks for being part of what God is doing! All praise and glory to Him!

Jared Boltman

Session 1

• Sheep Among Wolves: Volume II (just watch the first hour and 10 mins) 
• Up/In/Out triangle video //