Dude, where's my friend?

Small Group Leaders,

Well, this week begins a new series titled: “Dude, where’s my friend?”  This is going to be a fun way to have students examine their existing friendships and where those friendships may be headed.  Remember: “He who lies with dogs gets fleas.”  OR as Proverbs 13:20 puts it:  “He who walks with the wise, grows wise.  But a companion of fools suffers harm.”  

Let me be clear.  We are not asking students to “dump” friends who may not believe in God.  We absolutely do not want to give that impression.  Instead, we want students to ask this question:  “Am I being influential in this friendship or am I being influenced?”  Our desire is to have students who are influencing their peers and their friends for Christ.  Removing them from those friendships doesn’t allow them to be influential.  It simply allows them to become outsiders with no chance of reaching their lost friends.  As I read the teachings and practices of Jesus…he was a part of culture in a major way…and made friendships with people who weren’t followers (yet), but he stayed committed to his standards, priorities, disciplines and his God.  That’s how we want to lead these students over the next few weeks.  

In the mean time, if you want to read up on some friendship principals, check out 1 Samuel 20.  This is a great story about an amazing friendship between David and Jonathan.  It should give you some good fuel in the weeks to come.  Also, begin to examine some of your own friendships and friendships from your past so you’ll have some lessons and examples to pass on.  

Have a great week off if we don’t see you this weekend.  We’ll be back at small groups on the 6th of November.

In Christ,
Scott

Things are happening

Things are happening.

It is so cool to see what is going down with your groups. I am hearing good stories…even though groups are still quite large. Any progress at this point is a win. I think this phase will last a few more weeks and then students are really going to start to settle into a great place with you and your group. Thanks for your continued patience as we work out the kinks. I am really excited about the future. Thanks for making a huge contribution to these student’s lives!

We are seeing some cool answers to prayer. Specifically, more SGL’s are continuing to show up on the radar. Several people checked things out this last week and we will be splitting two very large groups several ways over the next few weeks. Please continue to pray for more group leaders. God is providing and we still are needing more.

Lastly, I am excited about our tailgate party on Thursday. This is going to be a great time for us to gather and discuss some critical information.
Two main topics:

1. Practical helps for leading small group discussion.


2. Child protection Guidelines (What to do when we suspect a student is in danger?)

Our tailgate party will be from 7-9pm at the WCC Main Campus. Plan on having a great time and hopefully learning a ton at the same time. Please let Jen know if you WILL NOT be at the meeting. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll assume you are planning on attending.

Small Group Questions (10/23/05) will be posted here.

Keep up the good work

Hey guys. I hope that you are having a good day. I can't tell you what a difference you are already making in the lives of these students. I know it may not feel like it yet, (especially with a group of 25...or a group of middle school boys who don't trust each other yet) but these students are getting to know you and are in the very early stages of trusting you. If you ever doubt that you are making a difference, look back into your past and think of a couple of adults you trusted to give you wisdom, counsel and time. They all started the same way you are starting out with these students. Think of the difference they made in you. You get to do the same for these kids. Thanks for making this commitment. I am excited about what God is doing through you already.

Scott

This may be fun...leave a comment on this blog of the name of a person (or small group leader) who made a difference in your teen years.

Questions: Disciplines of Addition questions (10-16-05) can be picked up here.

The Week After!

Can I just say....WOW...I am glad to have that first night behind us. What a night! Over 200 students gathered for worship. And then, they began their connection with you through small (or not so small) groups. I want to emphasize the BEGAN part. This is a marathon we are running here. And last night was just the beginning. I'm not exactly sure how the start of the race went for you...but know that it only gets better from here.

We are, right now, looking, scanning and praying for more leaders so we can very quickly get your group size to the point where we can move beyond conversation and get more into relationship. Thank you for your patience. Please let us know of ANYONE you know who might make a good small group leader. Talk with them, call them, invite them to come and stand in the back on some Sunday, send them flowers...let them know that you think they would be a great group leader...and let them know that we NEED the help. Our hope is that we can have your groups to their "optimal" size in the next thirty days. Thanks for hanging in there till we can make that happen.

Questions for this week. Here are your questions for this week. (or click here) Don't feel bad if you only get to a few of these. We understand! We'll have copies for you on Sunday night.

If you have questions or concerns about your group this week, please contact Matt or Jen and they will be able to help you out. I am excited about what God is going to do through you. Let's just all hold on tight for a few weeks here until we get through the rough part. This journey is worth it! For both you and these students. Thanks for serving!

I'm out all week at a conference, but I hope to keep my blog updated. Check it out at:
http://scottiegreene.blogspot.com.

Scott