We wanted to let you know that we are praying for you and your group’s time together as this week’s material is REAL HEAVY and IMPORTANT. Please take a few short minutes to watch the Week 5 Training Video and be sure to Your facilitator’s guide offers substantial help when it comes to Strongholds on pages 98-105.
Online Set-Up
For groups with both men and women, consider scheduling separate men’s/women’s sessions beyond the altogether group time or consider ways to use the same ZOOM account at separate times or devices.
Get Practical
The key to this week is not only growing in awareness of a stronghold (see facilitator guide pages 98-105 for additional info), but establishing practices in your life that help you break the power of that stronghold in your life. The primary tactic of sin (and satan) is to get us to believe lies. The Day 5 exercise helps us define the particular lie that’s lodged in our psyche and use scripture to embrace truth. Encourage your group to craft their own truth statements and then utilize these regularly, even daily. Encourage them to post them in a place they regularly look, like on a post-it note on the mirror or the background of their phone. It could be one or two lines directly related to their strongholds or a much more extensive approach. There are a lot of truth statements that are regularly helpful in recalibrating our view of reality.
Counseling
Always champion counseling…as it is normal and natural need for everyone at some point. Do your best to discern when something can be worked through in your group, and when someone (or a couple) needs to consider counseling. If you specifically need to refer someone to a counselor, be very sensitive with how you approach that and reach out to Church staff for help and recommendations.
Serve Experience
Plan ahead for week 6 and 7 and begin to talk to your group about your serve experience. If you haven’t already, pull out your calendars this week and plan a time with your group. Who has connections from your group with local non-profits? Ask how you can help? Donation drive? Look at NC BeRich partners (LINK) and get involved. Lastly, if your group is struggling, visit Operation World and pick a country to read about as a group so there is empathy and to let the true cost of poverty/struggling hit home in a way that will connect with what you are reading.
Week 5 Resources:
Week 5 Email Template
Spiritual Gift Inventory
Printable Spiritual Gift Inventory
Online Set-Up
For groups with both men and women, consider scheduling separate men’s/women’s sessions beyond the altogether group time or consider ways to use the same ZOOM account at separate times or devices.
Get Practical
The key to this week is not only growing in awareness of a stronghold (see facilitator guide pages 98-105 for additional info), but establishing practices in your life that help you break the power of that stronghold in your life. The primary tactic of sin (and satan) is to get us to believe lies. The Day 5 exercise helps us define the particular lie that’s lodged in our psyche and use scripture to embrace truth. Encourage your group to craft their own truth statements and then utilize these regularly, even daily. Encourage them to post them in a place they regularly look, like on a post-it note on the mirror or the background of their phone. It could be one or two lines directly related to their strongholds or a much more extensive approach. There are a lot of truth statements that are regularly helpful in recalibrating our view of reality.
Counseling
Always champion counseling…as it is normal and natural need for everyone at some point. Do your best to discern when something can be worked through in your group, and when someone (or a couple) needs to consider counseling. If you specifically need to refer someone to a counselor, be very sensitive with how you approach that and reach out to Church staff for help and recommendations.
Serve Experience
Plan ahead for week 6 and 7 and begin to talk to your group about your serve experience. If you haven’t already, pull out your calendars this week and plan a time with your group. Who has connections from your group with local non-profits? Ask how you can help? Donation drive? Look at NC BeRich partners (LINK) and get involved. Lastly, if your group is struggling, visit Operation World and pick a country to read about as a group so there is empathy and to let the true cost of poverty/struggling hit home in a way that will connect with what you are reading.
Week 5 Resources:
Week 5 Email Template
Spiritual Gift Inventory
Printable Spiritual Gift Inventory