Groups Blog

Leaders!

We all want full, vibrant, interactive Groups.  Personal invitation is still the primary and best way to fill your Group.  It's been proven that if you have even a little relational connection to someone, the odds of them attending (and sticking) in your Group go way up! 

But, did you know?  We have over 400 people excited about joining NewSpring Groups right now!  These people have reached out, made the effort to go online and select a Group and are right there waiting to be added!  We have a responsibility to be diligent in serving them by heling them get connected! Think about the impact those 400 would make in our Church.  Think about the impact those additions would make in your Group.  The fact is that these folks  could experience the same joy you do from being a part of Community at NewSpring.  Let's help them do that!

Here are a few quick tips :

1. Once someone selects your Group online, you will be notified via an email and they go into the "interested" category.  Upon receipt of that email, you invite them and they go into the "invited" category.  When they accept the invitation, they go into "joined".  That's the WIN, as they officially become part of your Group! 
   
   Tip #1:  What we've seen happen with many of our "pending" folks is that they are just not official in the system.  Log into your Fellowship One account and make sure your roster is accurate and that all the prospects in your Group are not still "interested" or "invited".  If you need help with any of this, call or email your Campus Discipleship Director and they will be happy to help you edit or cleanup up your roster. 
    
2. Don't give up!  Joining a Group is a big, unfamiliar next step for our new or shy folks.  One email will not get the job done.
   
   Tip #2:  If you have people interested in your Group and have not established contact, pick up that phone!  We've experienced phone contact (even a voice mail) is far more friendly and effective than email.  At this point, your highest connect rate into your Group will come from the phone.  Repetitive email contact can actually hurt things at this point.  Think about how you react.  Which one would you appreciate more? 

Yeah, it's a little more effort, but you'll be pleasantly surprised what can happen in 1 phone call.  A hand written note inviting someone to your Group may even take that one step further!

We'll continue adding people into our Groups for about another 2 weeks. 

Hope this helps.  We are here to serve you and help you lead well.  Let us know how we can serve you best on this incredible journey of leading a NewSpring Group!

Hey Guys!

It's time for NewSpring groups to get up and running for the fall semester. Just wanted to let you know that we will be releasing all new curriculum starting this Sunday, September 4!

Group leaders, you can continue to check this site each week to get the group leaders guide, just like last year. The format of the guide will be very similar to last year with some new writers and new content as well. We are so excited for this upcoming year of groups and can't wait to get started! Check back Sunday (9/4) for the first groups guide of the year!

Does it really matter where you have your Group? Is the physical setup of the room you meet in that important? Yes! Extremely so! Almost 13 chapters of the Book of Exodus discuss every nitty-gritty detail of how God wanted the temple to be constructed, including dimensions, the materials and colors to be used, and the layout of where everything was to be placed. Someone named Witsius once commented, “God created the world in six days, but He used 40 to instruct Moses about the tabernacle.” 

Taking time to think about your group environment is important. Where you meet, what’s in the room, and how it’s arranged can greatly enhance or detract from your group time. It’s about creating an atmosphere that is warm, welcoming and pleasant. To achieve this does not mean you have to have a Parade of Homes house with top-of-the line furniture, appliances, flooring and electronics. It’s not about impressing your group members with your meeting space. What we’re after is an environment that “works with you” to help your people feel good about being there, causing them to think, “This is nice. I’m glad I’m here. This is gonna be good.”

Here are some physical arrangement tips:

• The space should be big enough to accommodate everyone comfortably.
• Aim for minimal distractions. (Interrupting children, telephone ringing, pets, etc.)
• Placing the seating in a circle usually works best, allowing each person to see everyone.
• A meal, or snack, and a beverage is always a nice touch.
• Lighting and room temperature should feel good.
• Be creative! Maybe this week you should meet outside on the porch or gather around a fire in the backyard.

Sometimes a small environmental change will make a huge difference in the dynamic of your group. Give it a try.

We're so excited that you said "yes" to leading a NewSpring Group for the Spring 2011 Season! We can't wait to see what Jesus is going to do in your life through this experience. If at any point you have questions, please email our staff at groups@newspring.cc. We are here to help you be successful and we want to hear your stories! Below you will find what you need to get started leading a NewSpring small group.

We’re asking you to lead a NewSpring Group for 4 months using NewSpring’s group material and schedule. You don’t have to be a religious professional or have specialized training to lead a group (Acts 4:13). You need to love Jesus, love NewSpring, and love people. We’ll help with the rest.

Check out our group schedule for this spring:

Ramp and Rev – During this time, we encourage you to invite people to your new group. A great place to start is among those who attend NewSpring already but are not connected in a group. Beginning January 30^th, NewSpring Church will ask guests to sign up for a group. You will receive requests via email from guests wanting to be in your group and you’ll respond with a big “hello!” You’ll tell them your first meeting time and location too. The number of people that sign up for your group will vary, so it’s important that you focus on personal invitation to fill your group. Your kickoff meeting will be the week of February 20^th. . If you’re worried about what to say those first couple of weeks, don’t be. We’ve provided a list of things you should talk through with the group here. 

Run – For the next 14 weeks you’ll meet weekly and use the NewSpring Group Leader Guide to help you have great group discussions. The Group Leader Guide will help keep your group on track and help you LEAD a successful group. You’ll also get great leader tips and be able to keep up with the latest group opportunities at www.newspring.cc/groups.

Rest – We want people in groups to feel a high level of commitment, not obligation. That’s why we’re encouraging every group to take a break during the summer and winter holidays. This break will allow group members to change groups if they want and allow leaders to renew their commitment each semester.

Check out what we expect Groups to do.

Learn the Bible Together.  

Each week you’ll come together, share some snacks or maybe a meal, and then circle up to talk about Sunday’s message using the Group Leader Guide. It’s easy to use. The guide we provide will help you start and conclude dynamic group discussions. Each week your group members will be challenged to take a “next step” in their walk with Jesus because we believe that Growing People Change.

Embrace Serving Together.

Each semester your group will get the opportunity to serve together in the community. Opportunities are everywhere and you’re limited only by your group’s imagination. We’ll give you some ideas to help you get started because we believe that Saved People Serve People.

Assist One Another.

We all need someone to lean on. We were not designed by God to be lone rangers. Your group will be there for each other in good times and bad. You’ll challenge your group to care for one another because we all know that We Can’t Do Life Alone.  

Devote Yourselves to Generosity.  

In groups we’ll learn about generosity and we’ll challenge each other to be generous with our finances. Whether we send students to summer camp, send group members to Kenya, or reach into the community, our groups lead the way in generosity because we believe that We Cannot Out Give God.

Send People Out to Start New Groups.

It’s our hope that in NewSpring Groups lives would be changed by Jesus Christ. In order to have optimal impact, we’ll challenge group members who catch our vision to rise and LEAD. When someone is sent from their group to start a new group, we’ll celebrate together because we believe the Found People Find People.

So, in review, we are asking you to do?

LEAD a NewSpring Group for 4 months using our group materials and schedule.

What do you talk about in the group?

Use the Group Leader Guide to have great group discussions. 

What are you trying to accomplish?

We want to see lives changed by Jesus. Our plan is to Learn, Embrace, Assist, Devote, and Send together. 

We truly believe that Jesus changes lives. As a group leader you will help point group members toward Jesus. As a NewSpring Group Leader you will see life change. Begin talking to your friends, neighbors and family about getting into a NewSpring group!

Your First Meeting Instructions:

Be yourself. Take some time to talk with your guests over a simple snack like chips and salsa. Make everyone feel welcome. Make sure to get everyone’s name, telephone number and email address for future communication. Remember, you’re goal for this first meeting is to 1) help everyone connect with one another and 2) explain what the group will be doing.

Take some time to let everyone get to know each other.  Here are some useful first meeting icebreaker questions:

• How long have you been coming to NewSpring?
• What brought you to NewSpring?
• What’s kept you coming back to NewSpring?
• What are you looking to get out of being in a group?

Talk about what you’re expecting this group to be about.
“We are going to…”

Learn the Bible Together.  Each week we’ll come together, share some snacks or maybe a meal, and then circle up to talk about Sunday’s message with our Bibles open. Each week we’ll be challenged take a “next step” in our walk with Jesus.

Embrace Serving Together. This fall we’ll get the opportunity to serve together in the community. We’re going to come up with a project and serve together outside the walls of this house.

Assist One Another. We all need someone to lean on. We were not designed by God to be lone rangers. Our group will be there for each other in good times and bad. 

Devote Ourselves to Generosity. In groups we’ll learn about generosity and we’ll challenge each other to be generous with our finances. There are all kinds of things we can do to be generous. Whether we help send students to summer camp, help send group members to Kenya, or reach into the community, we want to do everything we can to be generous.

Send People Out to Start New Groups. It’s our hope that in NewSpring Groups lives would be changed by Jesus Christ. In order to have optimal impact, we’ll challenge group members who catch our vision to rise and LEAD. When someone is sent from their group to start a new group, we’ll celebrate together because we believe the Found People Find People.

Explain to the group that we want this group to be a group where life change takes place. Of course, life change is the work of Jesus, but He hasn’t called us to sit idly by. He wants engaged in the process. What can we do?

• Bring your Bible every week and be open to change.
• Pray that Jesus would do something amazing in this group.
• Invite someone new to this group this week. We want to fill up our group. So, who are you going to invite? Personal invitation is the key. 

Make plans for next week’s group meeting. Who’s bringing what? We want your friends and family that you’ve invited to be drawn in by our group’s hospitality and personality. Make it fun.

Close the group by saying a short prayer. You could say something like this: “Jesus, thank you for an incredible night and an incredible group of people. We pray that you’ll give us lots of opportunities to invite people back to our kickoff party next week. Help us to know you better. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

If there’s time, take a few minutes to hang around and talk after the prayer. A typical group meeting should last no more than an hour and a half.

If you have any questions at all about leading your first meeting, please let us know. Email us at groups@newspring.cc.