3. Building Community

Family

Eat & Connect

CONNECTION ACTIVATION (20 MINS)

Take it in turns to complete these sentences…

“I am a child of God because …”

“I don’t feel like a child of God because …”

If people speak out of a place of vulnerability and authenticity please celebrate that, and invite the group to break off any lie that the person expresses as they don’t feel like a child of God.

Worship

TESTIMONIES (10 MINS)

As we have been pursuing encounter with God, has anyone had any breakthrough in discovering more of Him or how he loves to speak to you?

WORSHIP ACTIVATION (20 MINS)

Optional Discussion: What does singing communicate?

Read out these verses:

Ephesians 5:19-20

“Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 3:16

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Activity: Start by sharing something you are thankful to God for this week. We worship our Father in heaven as a family. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you as you sing the song O My Father (you can use YouTube, Spotify or the lyric/chord chart, or choose another song if not everyone is familiar with this one). Afterwards, have a time of waiting, asking God for encouragements, pictures or words for one another. Give an opportunity for people to share.

Bible

BIBLE STUDY (30 MINS)

Read 1 Corinthians 12 together.

This chapter is a specific response, to a specific church about a specific issue. The use of the gifts of the Spirit in the Corinthian christian community (v1). Though addressed to a community 2000 years ago there is an important principle here that will help us see what healthy Christian family can look like for our church in Newcastle. Verse 7 is a helpful summary verse. The spiritual gifts are to all, from God and for one another.

How are the 15 words in verse 7 a challenge to the Corinthian worldview that is dominant in the church? What might God be saying to us?

Read Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:27-30. How might we answer someone asking what are spiritual gifts?

We all have a unique contribution to make to the health of this church family. Take some time to talk to one another and ask God what gifts he has given to the other people in our Group. How can we encourage one another and draw these gifts out?

In 1 Corinthians 12:12–30, Paul describes the Church like a body to explain what healthy family looks like. He addresses those who feel like they don’t belong (v15) and those who feel like they don’t need others (v21). This extended metaphor about the body runs in two ways to help us think about comparison and competition within our church family.

How does this illustration contribute to our understanding of the unity and diversity of God’s people and their gifts? What happens if everyone wants to be a head, like the Corinthians?

Who we are, what we have & how we use it must be grounded in love and service. Pray that as we play our part in seeing the Kingdom of God come in the North East of England we remain humble in service in the Body of Christ.

Prayer

RESPONSE (10 MINS)

Let’s spend some time calling out the gold and celebrating each other in this room.

What one thing could we change in small group to help it feel more like healthy family?

PRAYER (20 MINS)

Pray the Lord’s Prayer together, pay special attention to the words in bold.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

We are born for relationship - relationship with God and relationships with one another.

“By this shall all men know that we are His disciples, that we have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Pray that from encountering God’s love more, our love for each other would grow, become more healthy, and the world would come to know Jesus by the way we love!