“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)
We want to leverage the holidays for discipleship, not lose discipleship during the holidays.
Three ways we can leverage the holidays for discipleship:
1. Plan ahead.
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When we fail to plan, we plan to fail.
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Look at upcoming dates and plan around them. (Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, etc.)
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Plan outreaches, dinners, and parties in advance. So you can let the group and those you are reaching out to know ahead of time for scheduling purposes.
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Consider doing things with other Grace Groups so you can create community with others in the church.
2. Leverage what you already have to do.
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Include evangelism and discipleship into the things you are already doing.
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Not adding more, but being purposeful and inclusive with what you have to do.
3. Fight to keep meeting.
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Do your best to meet consistently. Cancelling group is the LAST resort.
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Think outside the box. Be willing to change the day and time so that MOST can make it.
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Consider having a “recapture”, another pocket to get those who couldn’t make group. Allow your apprentice to lead group on a different day.
Upcoming Holidays:
Saturday, November 11 – Veterans Day
Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Day
Friday, December 22 to Sunday, December 24 – Christmas Weekend Services
Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
Sunday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve
Discipleship Questions:
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Look at a calendar. What plans does your Grace Group have to leverage discipleship during the upcoming holidays? What are some ideas that you can do as a Grace Group?
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Reflect and share experiences of successful activities done as a grace group.
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What can you do personally to leverage the holidays for evangelism?