Discipleship Plan and Promoting Groups

Discipleship Plan:

TBC's discipleship plan is God's work done God's way for God's glory.  
Let me explain

God works in and through our large group meeting time, smaller groups, and individual relationships. 

PROMOTION OF GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES:

I share the discipleship graphic above to show you there are a lot of things going on at Trinity.  Regularly scheduled, very occasional, formal, informal,  for everyone, for specific people. 
As you request rooms, announcements, bulletin space, and other things,
please remember you are thinking about your specific time, but much more is happening. 

• GENERAL ACTIVITIES and MINISTRIES
• I don't want to say Sunday announcements are a necessary evil. They are helpful, but we don't want the announcement time during the service to distract from what we are there to do: worship God together.
• It is always a good idea and necessary to put dates for church-building events on the church calendar.
• Handouts provide a place to share more information and have something to give as an invitation. I have used "bookmarks" and half sheets with dates and topics. Below are some small group examples. A schedule, especially for groups that meet every other week, is especially helpful. It helps group members know the schedule, and once again, it provides an invitation resource.
  Here are some basic examples

• SMALL GROUP SPECIFIC:  
• trinitybaptistgr.churchcenter.com/groups has the dates for your study.  You can set up your group to send a reminder email days before your group is scheduled to meet.  
• Invite opportunities—At the beginning of a study, review nights, and maybe even a social night or activity, provide opportunities for group members to invite people to connect with the group. A review night allows visitors to check out your group and see what it has been doing up to this point. 
• Brochure #4 concerns Trinity's small group ministry

•  

September 9 Email

 Small Groups are starting soon, and by God’s grace, I want to help you and your group grow.

I am planning to send an email the next three Tuesdays with the following.

• A video
• A general small group reminder
• A specific resource to help you lead
• A prayer 

Starting in October, the emails will be less frequent.

Here are this week’s resources

• A video
• Humorous “Training” Video - https://youtu.be/87vWRRqtx5E?si=OL5ENSgxc8lmQeNp, actually, more of an anti-training video

• A general small group reminder.  Because groups are starting soon, this week’s email has two reminders.
• This link to Planning Center and Small Groups PDF.  Some things you can do with Planning center.  This explains how you can add events and resources to your group's page.  If you cannot log in to Planning Center, let me know.
• Here is the link to my group on Church Center to see what the calendar looks like - Shepherding Group: Rodgers - Trinity Baptist Church (churchcenter.com)

• Why Small Groups In Light of Romans 1:1-17  - https://tbcgrsgleaders.blogspot.com/2024/09/introduction.html
  This is a resource site I am going to use to share resources.  No set schedule for posting. 

• A specific resource to help you lead
• Article – 8 Ways to Handle the Talker in Your Group - https://research.lifeway.com/2019/02/12/8-ways-to-handle-the-talker-in-your-small-group/

• A small group prayer for leaders, members of the group, and me.

LORD, as the small groups at TBC begin, I pray you will be glorified!

For the leaders,

I pray they would desire to see you magnified in their groups and our church. 

I pray they will desire to see biblical unity and not lack conflict. 

I pray that they will point people towards you and your word. 

For the members of the groups,

I pray they will desire You more than anything else. 

I pray they will desire to help others grow closer and closer to you. 

For Pastor Dave,

I pray you will guide me in this new ministry of small group oversight. 

I pray you will help me know how to help the small group leaders lead their groups. 

I pray you will give me wisdom in thinking through potential problems and challenges in this ministry. 

Amen.

 

 

Introduction

Adapted from a post on 4/12/25 at drodgersjr.blogspot.com 

Why small groups in light of the deep, powerful truth in Romans?

While reading Romans 1:1-17, I was struck by the number of times relationships are mentioned.
Paul wants to meet with the Romans to strengthen them.  Romans 1:11
Paul knows that their faith will be a mutual encouragement.  Romans 1:12
Paul wants to see the fruit among the church and the  rest of the Gentiles  Romans 1:13
Paul needs to share the gospel with different groups.  Romans 1:14
The spread of the gospel from the Jews to the Gentiles makes the power of the Gospel visible.  Romans 1:16

In thinking about small groups and the deep, powerful truth in Romans, I wanted to share the following quote from the book Community.

We do not have community groups to close the back door of the church.  
We do not have community groups because people need to belong or we need to care for one another. 
These are good secondary effects of authentic community.
These effects are not the foundation.
We have community groups because we have seen the glory of God, and we have been given the grace to live our lives to exalt the Christ.
We have community groups because we have been reconciled to God and one another.
We have community groups as a proclamation of the goodness of our God and a testimony to the completed work of the cross.
This is the foundation for a gospel-saturated community that will overflow with life. 
Page 43

The power of the gospel is made known as Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish, are saved and brought together by the power of God.

Our small group ministry is not about meeting felt needs.
Our small group ministry is not about caring for people.
Our small group ministry is not about getting more people to 2050 Aberdeen 
Our small group ministry is about people growing in their satisfaction in Christ and helping others grow in their satisfaction.
Genuine small group involves helping people understand that their souls will be truly satisfied and cared for only when they rest in Jesus Christ.

I don't necessarily like the term small group because it needs to convey the true purpose.  Our goal is not a small group.
Our goal is a deeper relationship with God through small groups.

So, let's talk about the different primary purposes of our small group ministry.  

This post states a couple of different purposes for our small group ministry. 

So, are small groups about the transformation of people OR the glorification of God?

Both.

Small groups need to be about the transformation of God's people into the image of Christ for God's Glory.

Our small group ministry is about people growing in their satisfaction with Christ and helping others grow in their satisfaction.

Genuine small group involves helping people understand that their souls will be truly satisfied and cared for only when they rest in Jesus Christ.  

Whether you are leading a sermon-based group, a study of a specific book of the Bible, or a study of a book, small groups allow people to be involved in God's work of the transformation of God's people into the image of Christ for God's Glory.