END OF YEAR + SERIES RESOURCES
There are two resources available to you for the end of this spring.
1. You can dive into the series, 7 Churches, by studying each passage prior to the message. Consider discussing what you studied and then learned from the message with others.
2. There are end of the year resources, intended to be used within groups, but usable by any. Reflect + remember, celebrate what God has done, and strategize for the next season.
Opener Questions:
What season is your soul in currently?
Would you rather….hike in the mountains or lay on the beach? Go camping or stay at a hotel with a waterpark? Grill burgers or roast hot dogs? Make s’mores or eat watermelon?
Discussion Categories:
We are providing three categories that will help you bring closure to your group for this season (reflect, celebrate + strategize). Our hope is that each category is drenched with prayer and praise.
These questions can be used during one meeting time, or you could spend a meeting on each category, or any other combination, depending on your time restraints + group needs. There is a lot of material here, so also remember, you have the freedom as a group leader to choose what questions are needful (+ which are not) at this time.
Reflect:
In GroupLife, we’ve been in John 15 a lot the past few years. Part of that passage talks about how when we abide, we can bear fruit (v7-8 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”) Take time to reflect on the fruit the Lord has brought about in and through us.
1. Think back on the timeline of this past year. What has your group studied, and how has it deepened your faith? What have you prayed for and where have you seen answered prayer? What highlights have you experienced? Any lows? How have you seen relational, transformational, and missional aspects deepen your walk with the Lord and one another?
2. What specific markers of Christ-likeness have you seen emerge among the members of our group? What fruit is developing among our group members, and how is that fruitfulness bringing glory to God and blessing others?
3. How has the nearness of the Great Shepherd sustained you? How has your own experience of being shepherded by Him changed the way you sit with, listen to, and challenge one another?
4. Who has God brought across your path this year? Who has your life touched and how might God be inviting you to nurture and grow that relationship, for both the sake of loving that person and helping them know and experience Christ?
Prayer: Capture some of the things shared during this time of reflection and spend time praising God for who he is, what he’s done, and who he’s called us to be and live. You can spontaneously pray around the table, leaning into the Spirit’s leading, and/or you can use what you’ve captured (perhaps in writing on slips of paper) as praise and prayer prompts around the group.
Consider ending the prayer time with someone prayerfully reading Ephesians 3:14-19.
On Celebration:
Sharing: Celebration can be hard for some of us – but it is a core discipline in the life of a disciple of Jesus! Take time to consider and share:
1. As you look back on this year in your life, where have you seen God show up? How can you testify to his goodness and provision in your life/community? What can you celebrate?
Prayer: Take time to sit in what God’s done and what he’s brought to mind, and pray with thanksgiving. This isn’t to say there aren’t hard things, but to choose to be grateful and give praise.
Strategize:
(Psalm 19:7-14, Psalm 119:129-132)
Summer is coming! Summer can be a season of different rhythms, which can be both good and hard. It may be a season of rest and life-giving time in relationships, but it can also be a season of changed rhythms leading to a lack of intentional growth and time in fellowship. Considering these realities, answer the following questions:
Personal Growth:
1. How would you like to grow spiritually over the summer? Where are you sensing the Lord nudging you? What will you do to pursue spiritual growth this summer? Are there disciplines that you’ll need to be extra intentional to consider (scripture, prayer, fellowship, even attending a worship gathering)? How will you make this happen, even prioritizing building it into your daily and weekly schedule?
2. What obstacles are you likely to face and how will you meet these obstacles? With summer, are there scheduling or rhythm changes that may cause challenges? How can we encourage one another or who can you invite to walk with you in spiritual growth throughout the summer?
3. Synthesize this conversation by finishing this sentence: “This summer, my invitation is …”
Future of the group:
4. Help bring clarity to your group by discussing your plans for the future. As a leader, do you envision the group continuing? Invite people to share where they are at in terms of committing to another year together. Are there ways that the group might look different in terms of who is in the group; if someone is feeling led to start a new group, anyone who is taking an offramp and not continuing, or adding members to the group? Are there changes in what people are desiring from our time in the word, prayer, or serving?
Prayer: Spend time praying through the conversations around growing spiritually and strategizing for the future. Prayerfully entrust these things to the Lord and guard us from the temptation to rely on our own strength and wisdom. Commit to regular patterns of seeking the Lord for his help.
Practical Applications:
Dinnertime Discussions:
When have you felt the most challenged—or comforted—by what we’ve studied or experienced together this year?
Gospel in Everyday Life:
Pray for a tenderhearted ability to have eyes open for people the Lord puts in your path who need the presence of Jesus in their lives. Step into the opportunities to share the good news of Jesus with them.
Developing Disciplines:
Choose one spiritual discipline that you would like to intentionally and purposefully grow in this summer. (Scripture, prayer, community, denial, or serving) Share it with someone else in your group for encouragement and accountability.
Practicing Prayer:
Lean into meditating on psalms this summer. Choose one to memorize. Memorize it by reading it daily, then choosing just one verse or phrase to meditate on until it is hidden in your heart.
Service Opportunities:
Is there someone you know in need, and how can you (and your community) tangibly support or help? Pray with the Spirit to be intentional and available this summer in service.