LEAD THE WAY
2. MicroChurch

CONNECT

  • Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous “I will …” statements

DISCOVER

What?

  • Put the four key relationships and four key priorities in your own words.

    WORSHIP - Our Relationship to Jesus
    DISCOVERY - Our Relationship to the Bible
    COMMUNITY - Our Relationship to Each Other
    MISSION - Our Relationship to Others

  • Which one has been the major focus of your church experience? Which one has been neglected? Why are all four necessary?

Build with Care

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

  • Why is it important to “build with care” when leading a MicroChurch?

  • Why would the four key relationships and the four crucial priorities be high quality building materials (gold, silver and costly stones) for a MicroChurch?

  1. WORSHIP - Our Relationship to Jesus

  2. DISCOVERY - Our Relationship to the Bible

  3. COMMUNITY - Our Relationship to Each Other

  4. MISSION - Our Relationship to Others

  • What would be low quality building materials (wood, hay and straw) for a MicroChurch?

  • How can The Way help you build your MicroChurch with care?

Why?

  • Which of the 3 reasons for MicroChurch do you find most compelling and why?

    • Small is Simple

    • Small is Engaging

    • Small is Strategic

  • How would your view of MicroChurch change if you saw it as your primary church family?

  • How would your experience of church change if you committed yourself to a MicroChurch family?

  • What is your reaction to the We Are Church Documentary?

How?

  • Read through and react to FOR THE FACILITATOR.

 

FOR THE FACILITATOR

Thank you for leading your small group or MicroChurch through Be The Way. Here are some things to keep in mind as you facilitate the gatherings.

PRAY

  • Be in prayer. Pray for each participant by name. 

  • Ask the Father to speak through His Word and Spirit. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself as Savior and Lord. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead your gatherings. 

PREPARE

  • Work through each week’s lesson on your own. 

  • Meet with the Lord as you read the Bible passages and answer the questions. Become familiar with the content and engage your heart with the truths.

LEAD

  • Don’t be afraid to lead your group at the weekly meetings.

  • Direct, but don’t dominate. Don’t monopolize the conversation.

  • Your role isn’t to teach, but to ask good questions, to direct your group to God’s Word and to actively listen to their responses and the Spirit’s leading.

  • Be The Way combines Bible readings and discovery questions. Use the questions provided, rewording them and adding follow-up questions as needed.

Good things happen when you ask good questions.

  • Note rabbit trails and pull your group back to the main path.

  • Here are some simple guidelines for your group:

    • Everyone gets to participate, but no one is allowed to dominate.

    • What’s shared here, stays here.

  • When someone shares something sensitive, remind the group of the value of confidentiality.

  • It’s important for you to quickly get on top of someone who is dominating the gathering. And it’s not hard to do. Just break in and say, “Thanks for that, Sue. Juan, what do you think?”

  • If Sue continues to dominate, the next time you ask a question, don’t leave any space for her to chime in. Direct the next question to someone else. “Nigel, how would you answer our next question?”

  • Nothing will kill your gathering like a domineering person. So be direct and protect your group.

LOVE

  • Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15 - NIV). Follow up on personal matters shared at the gatherings. Reach out to the person during the week to see how he or she is doing.

  • Encourage people to connect with each other between gatherings to build community. Be The Way will guide you to pair people up to stay connected throughout the week.

PASS THE BATON

  • Be The Way is a great way for people to try leading a gathering and explore if they are being called to lead a MicroChurch.

  • At the end of each gathering, select a new facilitator to lead the next gathering.

  • Encourage this new facilitator to read through FOR THE FACILITATOR.

  • Assist this new facilitator as needed and be in prayer for him or her.

HELP!

PRINTABLE PDF

 

When and Where?

  • Generally, the Christian church has met on Sundays to commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus. But we don’t have to limit ourselves to Sunday nor to Sunday morning. Find a day and time that works best for your MicroChurch. That’s what’s great about MicroChurches. They’re small and flexible enough to meet whenever. And if need be, they can also change the day and time when they meet. For example, during the summer or the holidays, you may want to be flexible to accommodate people’s weekend and vacation schedules.

  • This is another great thing about MicroChurches. They can literally meet anywhere. One reason we didn’t name our movement The Way “House Churches” is because we didn’t want to limit them to just meeting in homes. MicroChurches are small enough to practically meet anywhere.

LIVE / LEAD

  • What did you discover in this training session?

  • What is your “I will …” statement flowing from this training?

  • If you’re working through Be The Way as a group, who will facilitate the next session on Worship?

Extra Sessions on MicroChurch

PRINTABLE PDF

  • MicroChurch