Читать книгу Journey 101: Knowing God Leader Guide - Carol Cartmill - Страница 7
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The Journey
When we give our lives to Jesus Christ and commit to follow him, we embark on a lifelong journey of knowing, loving, and serving God. Growing as a Christian and becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ means . . .
knowing God by becoming theologically informed,
loving God and experiencing spiritual transformation, and
serving God by using our hands to serve others and share Christ.
Journey 101 is a three-part course designed to help you guide individuals on this journey of knowing, loving, and serving God. The destination or goal is to help participants engage in the discipleship journey and move toward becoming deeply committed Christians—people who know, love, and serve God with increasing passion and dedication. As you lead participants toward this destination, creating an atmosphere where they can experience growth and find support, you will help to provide answers to the following questions:
• How does a deeply committed Christian grow to know God
more deeply?
• How would our lives be transformed if we loved God with the fullness of our hearts?
• How should we, as deeply committed Christians, be serving in
the world?
To help you and your group know that you are on the right track to your destination, we have identified fifteen markers to guide you. We call these markers the fifteen core traits of a deeply committed Christian. These traits paint a picture of what it looks like to live as a deeply committed follower of Jesus Christ. Each study in the Journey 101 series focuses on five of these core traits. (See pages 12-13 for detailed descriptions of these core traits.)
Because starting any journey can sometimes be daunting, particularly for those who may be new to the faith or the church (or your church in particular), Journey 101 serves as a navigation system that provides directions, routes, and traveling companions to support and encourage participants along the way. Here is a description of what your group will learn in each study:
KNOWING GOD
• Gain a better understanding of the essentials of the Christian faith.
• Experience new Bible study tools and resources.
• Discover more about the church.
• Discuss ethics and our Christian response to life’s decisions.
• Understand more about God’s will for your life.
LOVING GOD
• Learn about the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives.
• Understand more about what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Luke 10:27).
• Understand and experience key spiritual practices including Bible study, prayer, worship, fasting, guidance, and journaling.
• Learn to recognize the “fruit” of God’s transforming activity in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
SERVING GOD
• Focus on the Bible’s concern for the poor and for justice, while learning how to be instruments of God’s love in a broken, hurting world.
• Learn how to share the good news of Jesus in loving, winsome, and non-judgmental ways.
• Understand spiritual gifts and talents and how to use those gifts to bless others and build up the body of Christ.
• Learn how our money and material possessions are not a measure of success or a means of self-gratification, but a resource to responsibly use to glorify God.
• View time as a gift from God, to be used in keeping with God’s purposes, avoiding compulsive busyness and submitting our calendars to God’s guiding and control.
These separate, six-week studies combine to create a complete discipleship course. Although it is recommended that participants take each study, there is no set order in which they must be completed.
About the Participant Guide
Because Journey 101 is designed as an in-class experience (everything takes place in the group setting; there is no homework to be done outside of class), the participant guide is every participant’s “map” for the weekly group experience. Communicate to participants the importance of bringing their participant guides to each class, along with a pen or pencil and a Bible. Be sure to have extra writing utensils and Bibles on hand for those who forget or who may not own a Bible.
Invite participants to follow along in their participant guides as you lead them through each session. Questions and activities that are to be answered or completed in the book are highlighted in bold type. Encourage group members to write in their participant guides as directed so that they will have their own personal record of their journeys and the insights they gained along the way.
Though no homework is involved, participants may wish to use the devotional companion, Journey 101 Daily Readings, in their private devotions while completing the three-part Journey 101 series. These devotions will help to enrich their understanding and application of what they are learning in class.
About This Leader Guide
This leader guide provides outlines for six group sessions, each structured for 90 minutes. If desired, you may adapt the format for either a 60-minute session or 120-minute session by making the adjustments outlined below:
Original 90-minute Format
Welcome—5 minutes
Connect—5 minutes
Reflect—3-5 minutes
Video Highlights—10 minutes
Group Discussion—10 minutes
Video Highlights—10 minutes
Group Discussion—10 minutes
Video Highlights—10 minutes
Group Discussion—10 minutes
Review—3-5 minutes
Closing—5 minutes
Pray Together—5 minutes
Adapted 60-Minute Format
Welcome and Connect (combined and abbreviated)—5 minutes
Reflect—3 minutes
Video Highlights—10 minutes
Group Discussion (abbreviated)—5 minutes
Video Highlights—10 minutes
Group Discussion (abbreviated)—5 minutes
Video Highlights—10 minutes
Group Discussion (abbreviated)—5 minutes
Review—2 minutes
Closing and Prayer (combined and abbreviated)—5 minutes
Adapted 120-Minute Format
Welcome—5 minutes
Connect—10 minutes
Reflect—3-5 minutes
Video Highlights - 10 minutes
Group Discussion - 15 minutes
Video Highlights - 10 minutes
Group Discussion - 15 minutes
Video Highlights - 10 minutes
Group Discussion - 15 minutes
Review—10 minutes
Closing—5 minutes
Pray Together—10 minutes
Whichever format you choose, each session plan follows the same order. After welcoming participants and offering a prayer, you will lead participants through a get-to-know-you activity followed by a brief personal reflection exercise. Next, you will play three video segments (8–10 minutes each), pausing after each for group discussion. This is the primary “teaching time” of the session. The videos present the content while the group discussion helps participants to process it and make application. Note that more questions are provided than you may have time to cover. Select the questions you wish to cover and put a checkmark beside them. Encourage participants to reflect on the questions you do not cover in class on their own.
After the final group discussion, you will briefly review the main points of the session and ask a couple of key comprehension questions. As the session draws to a close, you will invite participants to respond to the lesson in a closing activity. Finally, end the session with a time of prayer.
We believe that nothing in the world will bring you greater joy, greater challenge, and greater meaning than the journey into life as God intended us to live it. As you begin the journey, open yourself to what God has to teach you through the Scriptures, prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
