Our Vision for JOURNEYgroups
We believe that small groups are the primary way for people to grow in deeper relationships with God and others. We want everyone to be in a group.
The primary purpose is to make connections and to build relationships. The secondary purpose is to help people grow spiritually.
What is a JOURNEYgroup?
Hosts participate in the studies along with everyone else. Friend-to-friend is a great way to grow in a community. No one expects you to know all the answers. It’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know’. You also don’t want to be a “know it all”. It’s possible that people in your group are at a different stage of life than you are. That’s okay. Humility is key when hosting. Our mindset should be ‘How can I serve you?’, not ‘What can I teach you?’.
There are three elements present in a healthy JOURNEYgroup (Acts 2:42-47):
Meaningful relationships develop and the group learns how to support and take care of one other.
Each person grows to be more of who God made them to be.
Groups influence their community.
You are Key in Building Community
God never intended for His followers to live the Christian life separate from the rest of the body of Christ. That’s where groups come it. They provide an environment where people can share the real stuff of life and find support, encouragement, honesty, openness, grace and biblical trust.
We all need a safe place to know others and to be known. Even with limited space at church for groups to meet, a home environment is much better for the kind of spiritual openness and support that can lead to life change.
The phrase “one another” appears more than fifty times in the Bible. We are to love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, forgive one another, and stimulate one another to love and to do good deeds. Small groups cultivate an environment where we can have these “one another” experiences.
Churches that move out of their building and start home groups experience an average increase in participation. Allow the church to become a part of you and not just something you show up to on a Sunday.
Your Unique JOURNEYgroup
At some point, you will realize that God has put something specific or unique on your heart. Write down your initial thoughts and vision for your group. Jot down what you’d like to see happen in your group.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking:
- How do you picture relationships that will develop in your group?
- How you hope to see people grow because of your group?
- How will the community be affected by your group?
Advice on how to succeed as a JOURNEYgroup host
1. Humility is key. Difficult people need love too.
2. Be transparent, but wise. Sharing your life is important but not all details are required. Best advice, share with someone of the same sex once trust is established.
3. Build a safe environment. Let everyone know that confidentiality is needed with sensitive subjects.
4. Understand that everyone values being heard. Don’t be afraid to ask, “What do you think?” to your quieter group members.
5. Be committed to grow. Like it or not, people will look to you as a leader because you are hosting. Don’t run away from this influence, but embrace it.
6. Build a caring environment. People want to know you care. Serve people as if Jesus was the attendee.
7. Ask someone to co-host with you. This allows you to share the load and develop another person. Invite others to carry some type of responsibility within the group.
8. Have fun together! Connect outside of church activities.
Typical Time Commitment: Spring (10 wks), Summer (8 wks), Fall (10 wks)
Required:
- Have a growing relationship with, and commitment to, Jesus Christ
- Be baptized or have plans to be baptized soon
- Complete a Serve Team application
- Be willing to attend group host training
- Commit to encourage your group members
- Be approved by the Groups Director
Strongly Suggested:
- Have previously participated in a Koinonia Church small group.
- Be a Koinonia Church member or attend the next Discovery workshop
Responsibilities:
- Pray for group members regularly
- Help facilitate group discussions
- Take small group attendance weekly
- Build authentic relationship
People and Resources to Help you Succeed
The success of your JOURNEYgroup is directly tied to the amount of energy and ownership you are willing to put into it. We also have a strong support team and tools available to you.
People to Support You
- JG Leader – Sylvia Gaston will be your primary support as you lead your group. She can be reached at sylvia@kchanford.com. If she is unavailable, contact chad@kchanford.com
- Other JOURNEYgroup hosts – One of the greatest sources of support and ideas will be other JOURNEYgroup hosts. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Your church staff
Group Study Resources
Inviting Group Members
When it comes to inviting people to join new small groups being formed, there are two ways group rosters are filled:
- The host personally invites people.
- People sign up at the Church Center app, church website at kchanford.com/groups, or at church during a JOURNEYgroup Fair.
1. Host Invites People
The most effective way to publicize the group is one-on-one. In this scenario, the host is the primary source of inviting people to the group. The result is a group that is more relationally-based. The people who come into that home are for the most part friends or acquaintances of the host which helps the group stay connected after the session ends.
2. People Sign up at Church and Online
People are invited to join groups weeks before the session begins and into the first few weeks. They can sign up on the Church Center app, the church website kchanford.com/groups, or at church during a JOURNEYgroup Fair.
As people sign up, you will get email notifications from Planning Center or the Groups Director that people have requested to join your group. You should contact add them to your group within 2-3 days of receiving their names
Last Minute Sign-ups
Be prepared to add people to your group as late as week 2 or 3 of the start date. Do not start over for latecomers. Invite them to join you right where you are.
The Big 3
1. Pray:
Godly friendships aren’t the easiest things to build. There will be challenges. Prayer will give you the insight and encouragement you need to keep going.
2. Contact:
Your biggest responsibility is to keep in touch with your group. Make the first contact, send out reminders, and manage your online roster well. Don’t allow someone to fall through the cracks because you didn’t email or text them.
3. Party:
Plan to have fun together. Don’t allow your group to become a classroom. Plan potlucks, have dinner, have celebrations, etc.
FAQs
The primary purpose is to make connections and build relationships. The secondary purpose is to help people grow spiritually.
| Spring Session | 10 weeks beginning in February |
| Summer Session | 8 weeks beginning in June |
| Fall Session | 10 weeks beginning in September |
Normally, JOURNEYgroups are open to allow new people to sign up, but you can personally invite specific people and make it a closed group. You will need to add them to the roster or ask your Group Director to do so. We love year-round drop-in groups, but most groups close after week 3. Exception: An intense or sensitive study may close earlier than 3 weeks.
The Fall Session is an All Church Study. We encourage all groups to join in. Spring and Summer Sessions are open to any Biblical topics, books or video series you choose. If you need help, your Groups Director can help you pick a study.
Anywhere, but homes are encouraged most.
Whenever, but Sundays are discouraged.
You can choose to meet weekly, every other week, or monthly.
1 hour minimum – 2 hour maximum
Each group must decide how it will handle children. This is a very important decision. Here are some suggestions:
- Hire a babysitter to watch children in another room and share the cost between the families of children.
- Members of the group rotate watching children.
- A designated person in your group plans a Bible teaching and craft for the children each time the group meets.
- Trade childcare with another small group that meets on a different day.
- Host at the church on evenings when free childcare is available. This varies each session. Classroom and childcare space may be limited.
- Choose not have children attend. Parents must make their own childcare arrangements.
Child Safety – An Essential Consideration
If you choose to host children in your home, you, as the leader, are responsible to provide a safe environment. Children must be supervised by trusted adults and must be kept safe. As a group host, there may be people that you do not know attend your group.
DO NOT leave children alone to fend for themselves or assume that every adult who offers to watch them will treat them appropriately! Use wisdom and have safety measures in place to protect children at all times (i.e. open doors, two unrelated, trusted supervisors at a time, only parents take their own child to the bathroom, frequent checks, etc.)
JOURNEYgroup Members Ground Rules
As a member of this group, we ask you make this group a priority. As a part of the group, you are asked to make the following commitments:
1. Make my small group a priority. If people ony attend small groups when they feel like it, they won’t develop meaningful relationships A habit means you do it consistently.
2. Share thoughts humbly. Arrogance and pride will destroy fellowship. You can’t simultaneously try to impress others and build meaningful relationships. Small groups should provide an atmosphere where we let go of egos and come together to share what God is teaching us.
3. Respect the ideas of others. Courtesy matters in small groups. If small groups are going to teach us how to love – we need to listen to one another. Today’s culture has conditioned us to push back hard on whatever we disagree with. But Romans 14:1 says, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” (ESV)
4. Open up about faults. This will really take your small group to the next level. When people can talk openly about their faults, stresses, pressures and troubles in life, small groups will grow. Most people don’t get that opportunity anywhere else – at work, school, or even at home. But, for us to grow, we should be open and honest about our struggles.
5. Encourage one another with accountability. Every person in our church needs to have someone who can spur them on to reach their goals (Heb 10:24) – whether those goals are spiritual, health, career, family, etc.
6.Keep in confidence the things that are shared with the group. Respect people’s privacy and do not share items of a personal nature outside the group.
Ready to Host?
Contact Sylvia Gaston at sylvia@kchanford.com to schedule a follow-up call after reading through this page in its entirety
Sylvia Gaston
Connections Pastor