Title: Creating an Environment for Spiritual Growth Bill Alphin The Virginia Baptist Mission Board 406
1Creating an Environment forSpiritual
GrowthBill AlphinThe Virginia Baptist Mission
Board4/06
2The Burning Bush Experience
3What Happensto growth whenthe environmentisnt
appropriate?
4 How Busy are You?
- What are you doing?
- Why do you do it?
- What are you trying to accomplish?
- What does it look like?
5- What do we expect from a growing disciple?
6As Jesus discipled the twelve they grew in stages
or phases
- Come and See
- Come and Follow Me
- Come and Be With Me
- Remain in Me
7Mature faith doesnt happen over night!
- Faith in God grows in stages.
- It grows in a faith community.
- It requires discipline and work.
- Growing faith is a life-long endeavor. We never
arrive.
8Creating an Environment forSpiritual
GrowthPart IICreating an Effective Faith
Community That Nurtures Spiritual Growth
9Some churches grow disciples by accident!
10Spiritual Growth Happens Best
- Where there is intimacy.
- Where there is purposeful and sequential small
groups. - Where there is mentoring.
- Where there is modeling.
- Where there is discipline.
- Where there is accountability.
- The KEY Trusting relationships!
11How do we develop a mature faith as disciples of
Jesus?
- Through study.
- Reflection.
- Prayer.
- Nurture in a faith community.
- Service beyond self.
- Testing faith out in real life.
12Disciple making requires a system of groups
that providesthree levels of relationships...
- Celebration/Worship group (Unity)
- Congregation (ABF) (Fellowship)
- Cell or small group (Intimacy/accountability)
-
13Small Groups As a Disciple Making Tool
- Provides training.
- Creates expectations.
- Provides accountability.
- Provides encouragement.
- Nurtures disciples.
14Small groups should be sequential...
- This means people are grouped together according
to where they are in their faith journey... -
- Each phase of discipleshipmoves the disciple to
a higher level of commitment.
15Small Group Content
- Sharing and praying. (Group building/Nurture)
- A how are you doing? time. (Accountability)
- Encouragement towards spiritual growth.
(Accountability) - New information and instruction.
(Equipping/Nurture.) - Set goals to be accomplished before the next
meeting. (Accountability) - Time of fellowship. (Group building)
- Time needed 90-120 minutes
16An effective disciple making church must have
leaders. Develop disciple making leaders by...
- Affirm those who are effective Christian
disciples and leaders. - Provide vision and encouragement.
- Discover and utilize spiritual gifts.
- Create accountability relationships for leaders
through a leadership community. - Free leaders of institutional Maintenance.
Edward H. Hammett Making the Church Work.
17The Leadership Community
- Nurture (Plenary Session)
- Vision Casting-Large Picture (Plenary Session)
- Cross-pollination of ideas and activities.
(Plenary) - Skill Development (Sub-groups by type)
- Huddle/Planning (Sub-groups by type)
- Meets at least monthly.
18THE BIG PICTURE
How Small Groups Fit Into The Ministry Of The
Church
Worship Community
19THE BIG PICTURE
How Small Groups Fit Into The Ministry Of The
Church
Worship Community
ABF
SS
ABFs and SS Classes are Open
20THE BIG PICTURE
How Small Groups Fit Into The Ministry Of The
Church
Task Group
Covenant (Open)
Worship Community
ABF
SMALL GROUPS
BAG
OAG
SS
ABFs and SS Classes are Open
21THE BIG PICTURE
How Small Groups Fit Into The Ministry Of The
Church
Various Missions/Ministries Opportunities
Task Group
Covenant (Open)
Worship Community
ABF
SMALL GROUPS
BAG
OAG
SS
ABFs and SS Classes are Open
22THE BIG PICTURE
How Small Groups Fit Into The Ministry Of The
Church
Various Missions/Ministries Opportunities
Mission Action
Task Group
Covenant (Open)
Worship Community
ABF
SMALL GROUPS
BAG
OAG
SS
ABFs and SS Classes are Open
23THE BIG PICTURE How Small Groups fit in the
Church
Small Groups As A Tool For Growing Disciples
Various Missions/Ministries Opportunities
Mission Action
Debrief and reflection.
Entry Points
BAG
Possible point of assimilation
Entry Points
OAG
ABF
Covenant (Open)
Ministry Beyond Self.
ABF
Entry Point
SMALL GROUPS
Worship Service
ABF
OAG
Task Group
SS
- Content of Small
- Groups (Varies depending
- on the purpose of the group)
- Prayer
- Disciplines of the faith.
- Time of accountability
- and encouragement.
- Training.
- Ministry beyond self.
People who are never assimilated at this
point are at high risk of exiting.
ABFs and SS groups are Open The focus
is fellowship.
Leadership Community used to coach leaders.
TERMINOLOGY ABF Adult Bible
Fellowship BAGBasic Accountability
Group. OAGOngoing Accountability
Group
24Getting Started
- Start with a Basic Accountability Group to train
leaders using a group experience. - Use leaders who are trained in the original BAG
group to begin additional groups. - Make sure each new group has an apprentice that
can start another group. (multiply) - Develop your leadership community.
- Enlist a small group coordinator
- Provide and monitor curriculum resource needs.
25Adult Sunday School classes are not small
groups.
- Most small groups are closed groups.
- Adult Sunday School classes should be open to new
participants. - The degree of expectations and accountability is
higher in small groups.
26Life isnt always fun
27But the rewards of growth as a disciple are great
when you stick with it!