Welcome life group leaders!
This guide is a resource for you as you pray and consider how you lead your group towards being with Jesus, becoming more like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did, together!

(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.

• 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.

• Remember that we are praying & fasting as a church family for encounters with Jesus on Wednesdays.

•  We have a Wednesday prayer meeting for encounters with Jesus @ 7:30am in the prayer room.

• All are welcome at any point to participate in our bible study Sunday mornings @ 9:00am in the East Classroom.

• Along with our upcoming events, we want to encourage a shared commitment for Sunday mornings:
    - I’m showing up body, heart, and mind.
    - I will listen to God and talk to God.
    - I will listen to people and talk to people.
   Let’s come prepared to fully engage with God and one another each week!
  

If you need more vision/information for any specific event, you can find it on the event page on our website.

Topic: Being engaged with God and community.

Leading Scripture: Matthew 22:37–39

Questions:
1. Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

• How does this challenge us to bring our whole selves (body, emotions, thoughts) into worship and community?
• In what ways do we “listen to God” and “talk to God” in a typical Sunday gathering?

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

• How does loving others mean not only talking but also listening?
• Why do you think Jesus ties loving God and loving people so closely together?

3. Integration: The Sunday Commitment.
- I will show up body, heart, and mind.
- I will listen to God and talk to God.
- I will listen to people and talk to people.

• Which of these feels most natural for you? Which one is hardest?

Here is a practice you can do with your group and encourage your group to use throughout the week.

VISION:

• Face Time prepares your heart before Sunday.

• If I’ve already been listening to God in Scripture and prayer during the week, I come into Sunday tuned in. I’m not starting from scratch, but continuing a conversation.
• Think of Psalm 1:2–3 — the one who meditates on God’s word daily is like a tree planted by streams of water, always bearing fruit.

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.