LG LEADER GUIDE
Welcome life group leaders!
Life groups are encouraged to take a pause over the summer from the regular group format to encourage rhythms of rest.
Please, do continue to meet together to celebrate and/or pray with one another!
If you would like to do a standard life group, here is the general guide.
Updated 05/27/25
Dinner / Fellowship
(Briefly welcome the group & pray before eating.)
We share dinner together as an act of fellowship. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus constantly interacting with people over a meal. The act of eating is so universal that eating together both fills a practical need and helps us open up again to community together. As we eat and share, let’s intentionally reflect on God’s presence in our lives. Encourage people to share, not report.
Optional: you can have the elements of communion to take communion together to start or end the meal.
We share dinner together as an act of fellowship. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus constantly interacting with people over a meal. The act of eating is so universal that eating together both fills a practical need and helps us open up again to community together. As we eat and share, let’s intentionally reflect on God’s presence in our lives. Encourage people to share, not report.
- What is something you’re thankful for?
- How have you encountered God this past week?
Optional: you can have the elements of communion to take communion together to start or end the meal.
Announcements
If you need more vision/information for any specific event, you can find it on the event page on our website.
Lectio Divina
Encourage everyone to sit comfortably as we engage the Word through Lectio Divina. Start with a prayer asking God to speak to each person through the passage you’re about to read. An option in group lectio divina is to have different people and translations used for each reading of scripture. Together, read out loud Psalm 23.
We’ll read the passage three times with a specific focus each time where we listen, ponder, then pray. As we listen to the passage, we’ll patiently wait for the Lord to speak to us through it. We don’t have to be in a hurry and can trust that God has something for each of us.
First, we’ll listen. Listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you or the Holy Spirit is impressing on you. Meditate on that word or phrase by repeating it to yourself in your head. You can write it down.
Read the passage. Sit for a minute after.
Then, we’ll ponder. Carefully ponder the word or phrase revealed to you. How do you feel about it? How does it specifically relate or connect to your life right now? Is this a single prayer or sentence that is coming out of how God is speaking through this word or phrase?
Read the passage again. Sit for a minute after.
Finally, we’ll pray. Pray into the Lord’s personal invitation from this passage. What is he inviting you to know, to become, or to do? In the silence following you can either ask for God’s grace to step into what his invitation or simply sit in his presence and truth revealed. You may want to write down the invitation from the Lord.
Read the passage a final time. Sit for two minutes afterward.
End the time of lectio divina with another prayer together thanking God for what he spoke.
We’ll read the passage three times with a specific focus each time where we listen, ponder, then pray. As we listen to the passage, we’ll patiently wait for the Lord to speak to us through it. We don’t have to be in a hurry and can trust that God has something for each of us.
First, we’ll listen. Listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you or the Holy Spirit is impressing on you. Meditate on that word or phrase by repeating it to yourself in your head. You can write it down.
Read the passage. Sit for a minute after.
Then, we’ll ponder. Carefully ponder the word or phrase revealed to you. How do you feel about it? How does it specifically relate or connect to your life right now? Is this a single prayer or sentence that is coming out of how God is speaking through this word or phrase?
Read the passage again. Sit for a minute after.
Finally, we’ll pray. Pray into the Lord’s personal invitation from this passage. What is he inviting you to know, to become, or to do? In the silence following you can either ask for God’s grace to step into what his invitation or simply sit in his presence and truth revealed. You may want to write down the invitation from the Lord.
Read the passage a final time. Sit for two minutes afterward.
End the time of lectio divina with another prayer together thanking God for what he spoke.
Weekly Practice
Here is a list of practices you can encourage your group to use throughout the week.
End With Prayer Together
Consider this time as an opportunity to minister to each other through prayer. Follow the spirit's leading.
A leader should close out the night with a final prayer over the group as a whole and thank everyone for coming.
A leader should close out the night with a final prayer over the group as a whole and thank everyone for coming.