Building Christian Community

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Building Christian Community

• Small Group Ministry in
  Todays
  Seventh-Day Adventist Church

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Building Christian Community

• SESSION SIX
• SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP

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The Shape of Your Future Church
may well be determined by the quality of your
small group leaders
?
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Because the Church Began as a Prototype Small
Group
and Jesus was its Leader!
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Small Group Leaders Are

• Called
• Available
• Gifted
• Teachable
• Visionary

Special People
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Small Group Leaders Are Also

• Live in the real world
• Dont know everything
• Struggle with their faith

Ordinary people
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Small Group Leaders Are All Different

• Jesus
• People
• The Church

They LOVE-
but they have one thing in common
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The Small Group Leader as a
Shepherd
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The Shepherd-Leaders Method
We loved you so much that we were delighted to
share with you not only the Gospel of God but our
lives as well, because you had become so dear to
us. Paul, I Thess 28
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The Small Group Leader as a
Facilitator
Some one who enables others
Someone who disciples others
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The Small Group Leaders Role

• Shepherds and facilitates
• Manages group life
• Delegates responsibility
• Identifies and develops gifts in group members,
  trains apprentice leader
• Models small group values
• Involves everyone

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The Dominator

• Done it all before
• Long monologues
• Interrupts
• Wont let others finish
• Hard to listen to others
• Can always go one better
• Needs recognition
• Give tasks
• Address questions to others in the group
• Meet personally to address problem

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The Story-Teller

• goes off on a tangent
• slows down progress
• tells irrelevant
  stories
• minimize eye contact
• ask specific group members by name to read or
  give opinion
• Dont be afraid to interrupt is necessary

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The Passive Member

• Some just are this way
• Doesnt get involved
• Be sensitive, dont
  embarrass
• Usually have something valuable to
  contribute
• Affirm in the group, encourage in
  private
• Provide opportunity to develop confidence

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The Joker or Clown

• Keeps everyone
  laughing
• Relieves tension
• May prevent anything
  serious happening
• Can intimidate others
• Often shy or self-
  conscious people
• Dont kill the humour, but build on it
• Meet personally to share concern if its serious!

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The Fighter/Defender

• often hostile
• aggressive- defensive
  type
• persecuted complex
• Dont return like with
  like
• Work hard to build personal
  friendship. Try to learn cause of behaviour
• Be gentle but firm

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The Don

• Puts things on higher level
• Intellectualizes
• Interprets what others say
• Can make others feel inferior
• Give specific research
  tasks to prepare for Bible
  study
• Also challenge with application questions

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Oh for Brilliant Leaders!

• Theyre the complete package
• Dynamic Speaker
• Great Motivator
• Good with youth and elderly
• A1 Administrator
• Excellent Musician
• AND good looking

• A few leaders are like this
• They ARE the system

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The Truth Is

• The best and most effective leaders may well
  look and feel more like THIS

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Is God Calling You?

• but you like what youve heard
• You really want to get involved
• Youre not satisfied with the status quo
• You would like to give it your best even though
  you dont know how to start

• If you feel like THIS

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Chances Are Hes Calling YOU
Yes YOU