1. Salvation. “Have you taken your first step by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior?”
2. Baptism. “Have you publicly declared that Jesus is your Savior?”
3. Daily Quiet Time. “Are you spending 10-15 minutes in prayer and bible reading daily?”
4. Membership. “Are you actively part of Fort Smith First Church of the Nazarene? If not contact Pastor Don”
5. Tithing. “Are your finances surrendered to Jesus?”
6. Volunteering. “Are you fulfilling your purpose for being alive?”
7. Evangelism. “Have you told someone what Jesus is doing in your life?”

From time to time you may encounter an opportunity to minister to a group member who is dealing with a difficult personal issue. In those cases, simply offering to pray with them is huge. Not only are you showing that group member what it means to rely on Christ’s strength, you are showing that you care enough to listen and respond in prayer. Make sure to follow up with them the next week before or after group time by asking them about the situation. A simple “How’s it going?” goes a long way. You can also suggest that the group member submit a prayer request to the Pastoral Staff team. They can do that by simply emailing their request to the Church Office. For more intense issues, it may be more appropriate for you to refer the group member to a Pastor Don Cowan. As the group leader, don’t underestimate the resources available to you in your own group. By helping group members make connections within the group, you will leverage the resources immediately available to you and see the power of the body ministering to the body.

Do's and Don'ts Tool Kit.doc

It’s no accident that you are leading this group. God has placed in this group for a reason. You have an opportunity to shape hearts as you point people toward their God-given purpose. What’s so amazing about this is that you need no special training or qualifications to help people discover their potential in Christ. The bible says in Acts 4:13 that the Apostles were “unschooled, ordinary” men. So if they had no special training and they were not especially gifted, why were they successful?

“The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” -Acts 5:29

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” -1 John 1:1-3

The Apostles were highly motivated because they had witnessed the power of God. They went from the fear and sadness of Jesus’ death to joy and courage of his resurrection. They realized that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lived powerfully in them. That same power lives in you. The Holy Spirit lives and works in you! That is so encouraging. You can lead this group courageously. You can speak boldly. You can challenge your group members with authority. You have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Share your passion with Jesus with your group. He lives in you!

As you lead your group, know that our team is praying for you. We are praying that God would move powerfully in your group so that you may see His work in and through you. Blessings to you as you lead.

* Article from NewSpring.cc