Empower Others

2009 SUMMER SEMESTER

WEEK 2

Leader Challenge: Empower others to serve

God has gifted each person in the body of Christ to serve. We find that in I Corinthians 12, as well as in other places. I believe one of the best places to serve is in the context of a small group. A small group is really a highly relational microcosm of the body of Christ.

So your job as a leader is not to do everything to make the group happen. Did you hear me? The best leaders discover what each individual is gifted to do, and then EMPOWERS them to do it in the context of a small group.

Look at I Peter 4:8-11 with me:

⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

Notice that when gifts are exercised in relationships (love), the end result is that Jesus is PRAISED!

Look for things those in your group are gifted at, and then encourage and empower them to use them.

• Empower someone gifted in communication to handle that for the group.
• Empower someone gifted in hospitality to plan your food/snacks.
• Empower someone gifted in mercy to encourage someone who is hurting.
• Empower someone gifted in “partying” to plan a party.
• Empower someone who is organized to coordinate the calendar.
• Empower someone gifted in prayer to keep track of prayer requests and answers.

They will experience joy in the process, and your burden will be lighter.

Communication

This past Sunday, we started 8 new Life Groups at RCC. When starting a new group, the first thing necessary is COMMUNICATION. You cannot overcommunicate.

By the way, this is not important only for new groups, it is important for a group in any stage.

So why is communication from the leader so important?

• It lets people know the obvious things "when" and "where".
• It helps to establish expectations and ease fears.
• It helps the group get to know the leader.
• It affirms that someone is valuable--someone took the time to tell them something.
  
• It can establish the sense of belonging to a group.

What should a leader communicate to the group?

• Time and place.
• What is happening with food or snacks.
• What are we doing with children.
• Do they need to prepare in any way (bring Bible or curriculum, homework, reading, etc.)
• Starting time and ending time.

How should a leader communicate?

A leader should communicate in any way that is effectively received by each individual. Remember, communciate is not just saying--it is not complete until the "receiver" has understood what the "speaker" intended them to hear. Some methods of communication are:

• Face to face
• telephone
• email
• social networking sites like Facebook
• Twitter
• Smoke signals

(the value of the last two is yet to be determined)

Seriously, I have seen all of the above used to communciate in our Life Groups (the smoke signal is a stretch). You have to find out what works for your group. And don't be afraid to try something different. Communication in an unexpected way can yield the greatest benefit. There are some definite advantages of each one, and that might be the subject of another blog entry. But make sure that you communicate.

What is a LIFE Group?

A friend and I were talking the other day, and he asked, "What is a LIFE Group?" He had heard several people say what a LIFE Group is , and it seemed that their perspective is skewed. It made me realize that we so often resort to "insider" language and can get caught up in assumptions. Our perception is based on our first experiences of something, our cultural background, the perceptions of others around us, and our own personal needs. The longer we are involved in something, the more we succumb to thinking in our own box.

So I know all the pat answers, but what is a LIFE Group? Is it Bible Study, a curriculum, a weekly MEETING, serving together, FOOD?

No, all those things are components, but they do not define what a LIFE Group is. A LIFE Group is RELATIONSHIPS. Intentionally velcro-ing ourselves to individuals for the purpose of life change.