Basic Leadership and Apprentice Training

1. Intro

   1. Please ask questions.  This is as much a conversation as it is a teaching, and there is going to be a ton of information coming fast.

   2. How do we know we are winning?

   3. Give me some examples:

   4. John 15: 1- 5

      1. 1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. 2He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.  5I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 

   5. Most of the things you names could be called fruit.

   6. We are called, created to be fruitful.  Not just fruitful, but “Much Fruit”.

      1. Fruit can be many things and we can’t cover them all right now.

   7. Talk about a specific type of fruit, discipleship.

      1. Matthew 28:18: commanded to make disciples, teaching them to obey, 

   8. In what context does this matter to group leaders?

   9. A fully functioning small group or life group could and should be a disciple making machine. 

   10. IF you add a few processes, change a few mindsets, and be a little more purposeful you can begin to radically change lives and grow the kingdom.

2. Application

   1. Parts of a group leaders process

   2. Why do groups exist?

   3. These are all good reasons, I am going to codify them a little tighter.

      1. Evangelism

         1. Not Just about you.  Groups are not just for us in the church.  They are supposed to be the primary evangelism engine of the church.  

            1. No longer about our community, but about OUR communities.  You can reach where the church never could.

         2. How to invite?

            1. Begin with prayer

            2. Invite them into your life.  Build equity/connections.  Coffee, lunch, dinner, BBQ, fishing, etc.

            3. Invite to a non-church event/ Other group members are there.  (Cookout, Boil, Ball game, etc.)

            4. Invite to serve together at something that doesn’t help the church.

            5. Invite to group

               1. (Talk about TAB groups here)

      2. Pastoral care

         1. RPMS conversions every week

         2. One on One every semester/ Quarter

      3. Next steps/ Discipleship

         1. What is your purpose? 

         2. What is your calling? 

         3. What is your next step? 

            1. We have a process/ Basic Training/ Bachelors.

            2. Once you reach the end of the process then it is about finding your own way.

      4. Counsel

         1. It is not our job to have the answers.  It is our job to help others find the answers.  People get stuck in groups and life when they can’t find their own answers.

         2. Where would I look for answers? 

         3. What does the bible say? Help them learn how.

         4. What is God saying? Help them learn how.

         5. What do the experts say? 

            1. No one else matters.

      5. Reproduction/ Multiplication

         1. Recognize

            1. Spiritual Velocity

            2. Teachability

            3. Parking lot test/ relational intelligence.

         2. Recruit

            1. ICNU conversation.

         3. Refine

            1. We talk process

         4. Release

            1. Ends with a conversation

               1. Do you know the process? 

                  1. If you are stuck, re-cycle

                  2. If not, launch time.

         5. Remember

            1. If you have raised someone up, you need to support them long term, less and less, but still connected.  This is part of

3. Close: 

   1. Resources at

   2. We are called to be fruitful.  This is a way to do that systematically, it is not the only way.   It is so important that relationship is the core of everything we do.  This is relational christianity.  We serve a realtional God, and He desires a one on one connection with us, and with those we serve.  It is our calling to re-present this relationship to others and help them grow closer to Him.

      1. A little further down in John 15: Vs 13.  No greater love than this, that a we lay down our life for our friends.