YOU 2.0- Why You Can't be YOU 2.0

BELONG
Open tonight with a game of some sort. Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary- something that gets everyone involved. It is a good way for people to get used to talking and sharing in a group setting.

Optional Fun question: If you had to live alone for a year in a cabin in the woods, what would you spend your time doing?

If someone can lead in singing, and if the group desires, open with a song or two. Take time at the start of the meeting to go over the church announcements and upcoming events. Don’t forget to plan a fun event, and maybe a service event for your group. Please talk about the importance of Connection Cards for our ministry.

GROW
The sermon opened with the question - what words would you use to describe your walk with God? Would anyone mind sharing what they answered?

Read Romans 7:15, 21-23

• Have you ever felt like Paul did in this chapter? What were the circumstances?
• Why is it that we struggle so much to follow God?
• Do you ever feel like David did (Psalm 40) that you are somehow bent towards doing wrong? Would anyone mind sharing what that is like for them?

Read Galatians 5:16-25

• If someone asked you, ‘who is the Holy Spirit’, what would you say? Reference passages: Matt 28:18-20, John 14:16,25; John 16:7-15
• What do you think it means to walk in step with the Spirit?
• What is the difference between the fruit (singular) of the spirit, instead of the fruits of the Spirit? Why is the distinction important?
• Ben talked about the fruit the Spirit and the counterfeit of each - how have you struggled against the counterfeits in your life? Are there any in particular that you struggle with?
• What does it look like practically to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires?
• How do you see this teaching on the Holy Spirit impacting your life? (Does anything need to change in your life after understanding this?)

REACH OUT
Close in a time of prayer with one another. Challenge one another other to pray for 2 people you might invite to a worship service, the Connection Group, or a service event this February.

YOU 2.0: Spiritual Suffering

BELONG
After everyone has had a chance to grab a snack or drink, briefly review the purpose of our Groups using the “Group Commitment.” Are there any questions? Did you make plans yet for a “play time?” May we suggest a Superbowl party or an evening of ice-skating at Victoria Park? Start a sign up sheet for sharing snacks and contact information.

At this time your facilitators we go over our church announcements and explain the purpose of our Connection Cards. You may be surprised to find out why it is so important that our regulars fill out a Card every week!

GROW
If anyone in the group has the gift of leading worship, and if the group wants to, we encourage you to start this time with a song or two. This can be the perfect way to bless the group and grow someone’s gift.

After an opening prayer jump right into our discussion with this conversation: Please share, to the degree that you are comfortable, a time in your life when you “crashed” or experienced great suffering. This could be an experience in your past, or something you are currently navigating. Would you go so far as to call this experience, “A dark night of the soul?”

Review some of the different kinds ways we might suffer:
Through disobedience, bad choices, the choices of others, or just the pain of a broken world. Have you experienced suffering in any or all of these ways?

Read 1 Peter 4: 12-16
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

Now talk about suffering as part of God’s plan for your life.

• Do you feel you’ve ever suffered for being a Christian?
• How has God has used your suffering for your own growth?
• How has God used your suffering as a ministry to others?
• How might God use your suffering if you are still in the midst of the pain?

Can you really rejoice as you suffer? If someone is in the midst of suffering be very sensitive to their needs, and what God is doing in their life. This is an emotional topic. Do not feel the need to bring closure to the questions raised in this study. Invite God to meet you in your suffering, and to use that suffering for the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20).

For further study: read Romans 5:1-11; review of the life of Joseph, Genesis 37-50; or review on the experience of Job.

REACH
Pray for one another and how you or your group might reach out to those who suffer.

Updated Catalog

Here is the updated Winter 2010 Catalog.

The only notable changes:
Southeast has moved to Sunday nights and POLO will continue Thursday at McDonald's by the Masonville Mall.

Byron
Sundays 6-7:30pm, 736 Griffith St

Hyde Park
Mondays 7:30-9pm, 19 Ardsley Rd

Masonville
Sundays 6:30-8:30pm, 1326 Hastings Dr

North Central
Wednesdays 7-8:30pm, 15 Wakefield Cres

Southeast
Sundays 8-9:30pm, 111 Kipling Ave

White Hills
Wednesdays 6:30-8pm, 106 Barrydale Cres
__________

P.O.L.O. (Parents Of Little Ones)
Thursdays 10-11am, McDonald's at Masonville

“Power to Parent”
Mondays 9:30-11am, 513 Talbot St.
Open to all parents with children living at home.

You 2.9: It's You, Only Youier

The majority of your first meeting of the winter semester will be spent getting to know what Connection Groups are all about, and all about each other! Your facilitators will walk you through our three major movements of each gathering:
Belong- Grow- Reach

Following some time introducing one another, you will review the Connection Group Commitment (attached below on the blog). This will clarify what you can expect from your group, and what the group can expect from you.

If this takes the whole meeting, that’s fine. Just make sure to take time at the end to pray with one another, makes arrangements for childcare, start a “snack sign-up,” and make plans for a group “social” and a group “service” event.
____

If you have time, or want to get a “preview “ of a normal group meeting, here’s a bible study:
Read Ephesians 1:1-14

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Circle the words “in Christ” and “in Him” in this passage.
Discuss what it means to put one’s life in Jesus-
Why does this seem so important to the writer?
How do you put your life in Jesus?
What difference does it make? List all the spiritual blessing of life “in Him.”
Feel free to focus on one or two blessings that really stand out.

How does life in Jesus make you the you that God intended “before the creation of the world”?

Winter Catalog 2010

Byron
Sundays 6-7:30pm, 736 Griffith St

Hyde Park
 Mondays 7:30-9pm, 19 Ardsley Rd

Masonville
Sundays 6:30-8:30pm, 1326 Hastings Dr

North Central
Wednesdays 7-8:30pm, 15 Wakefield Cres

Southeast
Mondays 8-9:30pm, 111 Kipling Ave

White Hills
Wednesdays 6:30-8pm, 106 Barrydale Cres
________________________________________________________________


P.O.L.O. (Parents Of Little Ones)
Thursdays 10-11am at McDonald's, Wonderland and Southdale
A social gathering for support and planned events

“Power to Parent”
Mondays 9:30-11am, 513 Talbot St.
Open to all parents with children living at home.

Summit Leadership Video Group
Are you interested in watching a video series on the topic of Christian Leadership? Let us know, we’ll make a plan.