Rhythm for Groups
At St Thomas’ we’re taking the next six weeks to explore what it means to practically live out our vision as a church. This will be the subject of our Sunday teaching, but we want to take a deep dive into it in our Groups too. We want to be a people who encounter God, and in so doing become the church that God has called us to be in this region.
As we encounter God and his love for us, we’ll be transformed to love one another as healthy family, and be radically generous in how we love Newcastle. Therefore, over the next six weeks our Groups are going to prioritise and practise encounter, family and generosity. The group notes each week will include:
a connection activation
a worship activation
bible study questions based on Sunday’s talk
a prayer focus and a practical way to respond
Although what each Group has chosen to do each week has often varied in the past, for this next season we feel that it’s really important for us to journey together as a whole St Thomas’ family, following the same rhythm each week.
Here’s the rhythm we’d like each group to use:
Eat and connect – connection activation (~30mins)
Use the connection activation at the beginning whilst eating together (whether that’s a meal or something different) to deepen our relationships. The goal is that at the end of the six weeks, everyone will feel more fully known, loved, celebrated and more a part of the family. They will also have these tools to help deepen relationships during the week and our church will begin to grow in relational health.
Worship – worship activation and testimonies (~30mins)
Make space to worship – everything you need for the activation is provided (e.g. YouTube links and bible verses) so don’t worry about needing an instrument etc. (Obviously if your group is used to sung worship, feel free to continue with this.) The goal is encounter! Please record the testimonies each week of encounter, answered prayer and transformation. As we prioritise testimonies, we are increasing our expectation that God is able to do far more than we ask or imagine.
Bible - encountering God through His word (~30mins)
Ask questions to deepen our awareness of who God is and all that He wants for us. This time is a time of encountering God through His word so look for how God is shaping our hearts as well as our minds.
Prayer – responding to God (~30mins)
Explore ways of helping your group to respond to the teaching. In other words, this series is about encounter that leads to transformation. It requires a response from us.
Instead of using time in the group to find out prayer needs – please use WhatsApp during the week for general prayer for one another. Our prayer times on a group night are more focused on encountering God together, specific things that have arisen that night and corporate, regional and global transformation.
As we pray for you as leaders, here’s what we’re going after – we’re so excited for you all to be a part of it! We pray with confidence, believe with a sure hope, and trust in a God capable of endlessly more.
We are praying that our Groups are going to be filled with testimonies of people hearing from God, whether for the first time or more clearly than ever before.
We’re believing that our awareness of who God is will expand and, as it does, we’ll learn to posture ourselves properly towards Him, experiencing our worship to be ever thicker with God’s presence.
We’re believing that corporately we’ll have a clear vision of our God-breathed purpose as St Thomas’ Church, in every space that we each inhabit.
We’re trusting for God’s empowerment of our people, that they sow radically with their time and treasure into all that God is doing in our region.
We are praying that as each of our Groups encounter God together, we see hearts transformed by love. That in each of our walks with God we move from obligation to invitation.
Thank you. In your faithful stewarding, you are an essential part of our St Thomas’ family seeing God work out all that is in His will for us. Groups are where we put church into practice – we pray that each of your own personal encounter times would be better than you have ever known.
❤️