Introduction
As we begin a new year of Fellowship Groups, we want to help your group start strong. For the first three weeks, the Discussion Guides will not follow the current sermon series in Proverbs. Instead, they will focus on helping your group connect and renew a vision for cultivating deep Christian community in the year ahead. Starting September 28, we’ll kick off a new sermon series in Hebrews, and from that point, the discussion guides will align with the sermons.
Conversation Starter:
- If you could be instantly good at anything, what would it be? Why?
Goal for the Evening:
- Continue talking through the 7 Habits of Fellowship Groups and dream about how your group will live them out in the coming year.
Discussion Questions
Last week, we looked at the first three habits of a healthy Fellowship group. Tonight, we will look at the final four habits. Begin by reading Acts 2:42-47 again and praying together.
Habit 4: Getting Small
Although Acts doesn’t mention it explicitly, we believe that smaller settings are an important ingredient for cultivating relational depth. Larger mixed-gender gatherings are indeed valuable, but they also tend to limit how deep a group can go. Therefore, we encourage Fellowship Groups to regularly break into smaller, gender-specific groups which create intentional space for sharing, confession, encouragement, prayer, and calling one another to deeper faith in Jesus.
- How consistently does “every member” of your group open up their hearts, share their struggles, confess their sins, and receive prayer, encouragement, and counsel? What might this reveal about your current group rhythm?
- How frequently do you think your group should “get small” in order to foster a consistent discipleship environment? And what might these times look like?
Habit 5: Loving Sacrificially
Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another as he loved them, promising that this love would show the world we are his followers (Jn 13:34–35). The early church modeled this sacrificial love through beautiful acts of generosity and hospitality (Acts 2:45–47). In the same way, we want Fellowship Groups to practice sacrificial love toward one another.
- Share a time in your life when another Christian loved you sacrificially? What happened? How did it affect you?
- As a group, brainstorm ways you can foster a culture of sacrificial love among your members.
Habit 6: Making Room
The early Christians didn’t just worship and love one another—they made room for others to know Jesus. They shared meals with those in need and welcomed outsiders to their tables (Acts 2:46), resulting in favor with the people and many coming to faith (Acts 2:47). In the same way, Fellowship Groups should stay open to new members and create intentional opportunities to invite unbelieving friends, coworkers, and neighbors to experience life in God’s family.
- What are some concrete ways your group could intentionally “make room” in the coming year?
Habit 7: Cultivating Leaders
The only way our mission of making disciples in Denver can move forward is if our groups are identifying and raising up new leaders who can one day start and lead groups of their own. Therefore, one of the key habits we want groups to practice is that of identifying and cultivating future leaders.
- Have you ever thought about leading a group one day? What excites you about the idea? What makes you hesitant?
- What are some ways your group could identify the future leaders among you and give meaningful leadership experience?
Close in Prayer
Every meeting should close with a time of prayer for one another and for our broader church family. At this time, leaders should also introduce the Fall Prayer Guide and explain how you will utilize it as a group each week when you pray.