In the Hood, Week 4

For Groups meeting the week of September 26

Opening
Feel free to spend the bulk of your first gathering meeting one another. To begin, you could put people into pairs, give them a moment to talk, then take turns introducing the other person to the group. After introductions go over the “Connection Group Commitment.” Address any questions and go over childcare needs if applicable. Send around a snack sign up too!

Digging In
If you have time get right into our series, “In The Hood.” How has your faith grown or been challenged this month?

Week 1: Are you living your faith the other 167 hours of the week? How, or how not? Are you on board with the Great
Commandment (Mark 12:29-3) and the Great Commission, (Matthew 28:18-20)?

Week 2: Read Romans 12:3-21. Have you been living in “Pseudo Community” with anyone? Did you work to create any “Sincere Community” by venturing down “the Tunnel of Chaos?” Have you worked to practice hospitality?
Did you share with the saints in need?
These are the marks of genuine faith. They are not optional for the Christ-follower. How can you grown in these areas?

Week 3: Discuss the video and let us know what you thought. Would you be interested in more video teaching at Connections?

Week 4: Read Hebrews 10:19-25. Review the three spiritual blessings that we have in Jesus:
v. 22, “Let us draw near…
v. 23, Let us hold fast…
v. 24-25, “Let us stir one another to love and good works…”
One concrete way to apply this passage is to continue meeting together. So what you are doing in your Group is practicing biblically faith! How can your group be an encouragement to one another to love and do good works?

Closing
Prayer is to be an essential part of the Group experience. We encourage your group to keep a Prayer Journal to share requests and celebrate answers! Your group leader will pray for you, but everyone is welcome to participate!

E 100 Challenge Readings, Sept. 23-October 2
• Day 1: Genesis 1 & 2
• Day 2: Genesis 3
• Day 3: Genesis 6:5-7:25
• Day 4: Genesis 8:1-9:17
• Day 5: Genesis 11:1-9
• Day 6: Genesis 12:1-20
• Day 7: Genesis 15:1-21
• Day 8: Genesis 21:1-22:19
• Day 9: Genesis 27:1-28:22
• Day 10: Genesis 32:1-33:20

Fall 2010 Catalog

Hi folks,

We hope you'll find the new Connection Groups blog format easy to navigate.
You'll find four tabs across the top.

• The Home page (here) will have each week's discussion guide and announcements.
• The Locations page has our current catalog of groups meeting this Fall, 2010.
• The FAQs page is just that, FAQs
• The Group Commitment page outlines the expectations for participants.

Group Leaders Training will be held @ 19 Ardsley Road, Saturday, September 18 from 10am-12pm.

As we get ready to start groups on Sunday, September 26, here are some questions to consider from this past Sunday's message (September 5):

Questions to consider as we go “Into the Hood”

• Are you trying to live out your faith 168 hours of the week?  How, or why not?
• How can you improve in living out the Great Commandment?  In what areas are you not showing love for God, neighbor and/or self?
• Does the Great Commission define the mission of your life?
• Does the vision of Connections (Connecting with God...People... the World) make sense and make you want to be involved in each essential area of our ministry (worship, home groups and volunteering)?
• How can our church get from here (worship) to there (the hood) better than we are right now?  Or, how can our church get from here (the way things are) to there (the way want them to be)?
• Do you personally feel awake, equipped and fully nourished, as enacted in the Lord’s Supper?  If not, what needs to happen in your life this Fall?