Dear Group Leaders,
We’re kicking off a series based on Dean’s book “The Unsaved Christian.” It is such a timely topic for our culture and society in 2019. This week, we will be discussing how cultural “Christians” often try to have Christianity without Christ. Are we guilty of pursuing morality alone? We are praying for each of you and your attendees as we all dive in to the Scriptures to reinforce that without Christ, it is in vain. Thank you for all that you do!
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Greetings Leaders,
This week we will wrap up our Jack & Jill series with a look at what Jesus has to say about marriage. Next week we will start a 4 week series on "The Unsaved Christian."
The below guide has us look at how Jesus responded to the Pharisees in Matthew 19. You will notice we've included a lot of supporting texts this week. We've done so to make sure you are armed with references as you see how the Lord has intended for marriage to point to him throughout the scriptures.
We hope it's a great week for you and your groups.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
This week we look at God's design for marriage and relationships by looking at how God created man and woman. This starts a 2 week "Jack and Jill" series. We hope this is a great discussion for your group.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Discussion Guide Greetings Group Leaders,
This week we will conclude our series "Rearrange." In our discussion this week we will turn to 1 Peter 2:1-12 to see how we are called to live as sojourners and exiles.
We hope you have a great week!
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
City Group Leaders,
NT Wright wrote in Suprised by Hope, "One of the primary laws of human life is that you become like what you worship..." In the Old Testament we read that the people of Israel became like the idols they worshipped.
In calling us to worship him, God has called his children to become like him, to be holy. In our discussion we will consider what it means to render our lives in worship to the Lord and how we are empowered to do so through the Scriptures.
We hope this discussion encourages you and blesses your group.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Greetings Fall City Group Leaders,
Here we go! Our first week of Fall City Groups is here. We hope you've had a great Summer and are settling in well for the Fall.
As you will notice, we've changed the format of the Discussion Guide. It's occurred to us that having announcement, reminders, and the discussion guide all in one document may be overwhelming or distracting. We will be trying out some new ways to keep you informed on what you need to be mindful of and what to pass along to your groups
We are in week 2 of our series Rearrange. Through this series we are looking at what it means to center our lives on Jesus' Kingdom. This week we are discussing "what matters most."
We hope you find the new format helpful. Please let us know what you think and if you have any questions.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Greetings City Group Leaders,
As we finish the last week of summer City Groups, we just want to thank you all for how you have served so faithfully this summer in this capacity. Each one of you are vital to the growth of our church and we appreciate the time and work you've dedicated to this growth.
Psalm 12 is a short psalm, but is so encouraging to know that in the face of the false and impure words of the wicked, the words of our God are reliable and pure and trustworthy.
We have been including a time of praying through the psalm at the end of discussion time. We want to encourage our groups to take their time through this time of corporate prayer amongst believers. What a precious time as the body of Christ prays through God's Word!
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch video HERE
Greetings City Group Leaders,
We have (counting this week) 3 weeks left of our Summer Psalms series.
Please note the last week of Summer groups will be the week of July 28th. Fall groups will begin August 25th. Some of you have made the astute observation that this is an earlier start than usual. While that's true, we've felt this will better help align all of our schedules.
This weeks discussion looks at Psalm 11 where we will see that the ruling and reigning Lord of all is mindful of his people and is our refuge. We hope this is a great week for you and your groups.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch video HERE
Greetings City Group Leaders,
Thank you one and all for you continued leadership this Summer. We're continuing our discussion of the Psalms. This week we look at Psalm 10.
Make sure you are keeping an eye on the announcement section of the discussion guide as we have a few dates coming up for you and your groups to keep in mind.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch video HERE
Greetings Leaders,
This week we're looking at Psalm 9 together. Psalm 9 centers on the judgment and justice of the Lord. David, the author of the psalm, reflects on the Lord's kindness to him and the nation of Israel in judging the nations that were opposed to God's people while still awaiting a future judgment of all nations that would one day bring justice to the poor and oppressed.
As Christians, we understand this judgment now through Jesus. Our confession is that we deserved the just punishment of God, but Jesus took the punishment in our place and extended mercy to us. He has heard our cry!
But, we know the story isn't over. The church, God's people, still has an enemy that seeks to destroy it. So, we look forward together to that day when Jesus, our Lord, will one day execute judgment once and for all.
I hope this is a great discussion for you and your groups. I'm praying for you. Please let us know if you need anything.
Thank you for your leadership!
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Video…coming soon
Greetings City Group Leaders,
This week's discussion turns to Psalm 8. This psalm draws its readers in to worship the majestic name of our great God. At the heart of this psalm is a confession that the God of all is mindful of us through Jesus. We hope this is a great time of reflection and discussion for you and your groups. We are grateful for you!
Sincerely,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch video HERE
Greetings City Group Leaders,
We hope you're having a great summer.
This week we continue our discussion of the Psalms, focusing on Psalm 7. You may notice in the discussion guide some repetition in questions from week to week. The reason for this is to help you and your group approach the Psalms (and all scripture) with a set of consistent questions. These questions can help us better understand the text and more clearly communicate its meaning to others.
Thank you for your leadership!
Joe and Kaylan
Discussion Guide HERE
Video….coming soon
Group Leaders,
Summer is now fully underway. Thank you again for stepping up and leading your groups. We're hearing great things about several of your groups being off to a great start.
We are still having several people sign up for groups. As they do, please be sure to reach out to them and welcome them to your group.
This week's discussion turns our focus to Psalm 6 and navigates through how God both rebukes us and has mercy on us. We hope it's a great discussion for your time together.
We hope your summer is off to a great start. We're having A LOT of people interested in groups for the summer semester and we thank you for your continued leadership and intentional focus over the summer.
We are continuing our summer sermon series in the book of Psalms. This book is so comforting to us as humans as it is full of expressions of a wide range of feelings, from hope and joy to despair and doubt; but regardless of whatever the writer was experiencing, God’s name was always glorified. What an incredible source of encouragement and comfort to us!
As always, we are here to serve. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Greetings City Group Leaders,
Summer is finally here! Thank you for stepping up to lead this term.
We are spending another Summer in the Psalms at City Church. Many have referred to the book of Psalms as the "Hymn Book" of the Bible. There we encounter many songs of praise, songs of lament, songs of confession, and many more. All serve to direct our attention and affection to God alone who is our "righteousness," "refuge," "strength," and so much more.
We hope you and your groups are blessed by this study!
It's here! We are in our last week of groups for this term. Thank you all for your leadership of your groups this round. It's been a great ride through the end of the book of Mark.
This week our discussion turns to the end of Mark's gospel account. In our passage, Mark writes of the resurrection of Jesus. His abbreviated ended leaves his readers wrestling with how will they, how will you, respond to the fact that Jesus is risen from the grave.
As you look at the discussion guide you will note that we've decided to condense the discussion this week to allow more time for prayer in your group time. It's recommended that you take some time in your groups to pray through 1 Corinthians 15. It's fitting to end our study of the book of Mark in a time of concentrated prayer, giving thanks for what God has done for us through Jesus and his resurrection.
Thank you for your labors in the Lord.
Your Co-Laborers in Christ,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch video here
Greetings City Group Leaders,
We hope you've had a wonderful Easter celebration of the resurrection of our Lord! He is risen! What great news!
We have 2 weeks of City Groups left before we break. Thank you all for your efforts in leading this term!
In our discussion this week we will take a look back at the crucifixion of Christ. Mark includes in his gospel so many details that can't be missed. We've included a few of them in this guide. We are praying that your discussion will be enriching and encouraging.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch Video here
Greetings City Group Leaders,
We only have a few weeks left of City Group meetings for this term. Thank you all for your leadership this round. It's been great walking through Mark together!
This week our discussion turns to the trial and condemnation of Jesus. We will look at why the religious leaders accused Jesus, what amazed Pilate about Jesus' testimony (or lack thereof), and how Jesus by remaining silent when he faces lies and violence shows the world exactly who he is.
Please make sure to pay attention to the reminders and announcements this week. We have some exciting events ahead.
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
Watch Mark video here
Group leaders,
Our Easter services are just around the corner. We’d love to hear about any conversations you’re having with your group attendees about inviting others to our Easter services or anyone that you’re inviting to Easter!
We are continuing to spend time this week talking about the importance of prayer as Jesus spent a lot of time praying leading up to the cross (how much more do we need to be spending concentrated time in prayer if God’s own Son did so?!). We are providing a prayer guide to pray through with your group this week during your meeting time. We trust this will be a time of corporate growth as we pray together.
Feel free to let us know how your time praying together went! Below are links to the study guide, Mark 14 video, and the promo video for our upcoming Women’s event (more info in the study guide about that!).
Thank you for how you faithfully serve our church!
Joe and Kaylan
Greetings Leaders,
Thank you all for your continued leadership of your groups. We are hearing great stories about your discussions on Mark. Please keep us updated and let us know what we can do to help you in leading your groups.
You will notice in the announcements we've mentioned sign-ups for Easter volunteers. Please make sure you mention this to your group members as we need a lot of volunteers for Easter at the Civic Center.
This week's discussion focuses on one of the most intense parts of the Bible, Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and facing abandonment by all. This week we will observe why the disciples mistook Jesus' earthly mission and how Jesus remained faithful despite abandonment and suffering. We hope this is a great discussion for you and your groups.
Thank you for your leadership!
Gratefully,
Joe and Kaylan
