1. Why Small Groups Matter To Revitalization Bruce Raley Director Church Education Ministry

3. BASIC ASSUMPTION All churches can be more effective in carrying out their Kingdom work…improving a Kingdom focus.

4. QUESTION ? What do you think God wants to do in every church?

5. People Reached For Christ People Matured In Christ Commonalities…and Distinct Differences

6. NUMERICAL GROWTH: The lost being saved SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION: The saved becoming more like Christ MINISTRY EXPANSION: The saved being involved in ministry KINGDOM ADVANCE: The saved being involved in missions

7. What prevents your church from doing what it should and experiencing what God wants to do?

8. An effective disciple- making process ALWAYS begins with the leadership.

9. Paul’s Example 1 Corinthians 4:16 1 Corinthians 11:1 Ephesians 5:1 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

10. Disciple-making guides people to be transformed into Christlikeness so they think and act like Christ.

11. What is discipleship? 1.Discipleship is not information. 2.Discipleship is not behavior modification. 3.Discipleship is transformation.

12. Offensive vs Defensive Discipleship

13. True discipleship always goes after the heart – not behavior.

14. TRENDS Impacting the Disciple- making Ministry of the Church

15. Moving from a scorecard of simply bodies, budgets and buildings to also including intangible measurements. Society has moved past a “post-Christian” culture to a “pre- Christian” culture. Transition of paradigms: Believe – Behave – Belong to Belong – Believe – Behave

16. Society is no longer a melting pot, but now mosaic. Growing demand for process in discipleship. Church leaders are trying to define “family ministry”. There is a shift from ministry at church to ministry at home. Shift in moving from group training to individual or within small groups of people.

17. How many apples?

18. Realities 1.Discipleship takes places best in the context of relationships. 2.Relationships develop within smaller groups. 3.A group is composed of two or more individuals.

19. God & Me Daily in the Word My Family & Me Other Christians & Me Lost & Me Open Group On-going Group Short-term Group Closed Group One-on-One (Mentoring, Coaching Bruce Raley MarriageParenting Church Group Ministry Discipleship Worship

21. 8 Attributes of Discipleship Bible Engagement Obeying God and Denying Self Serving God and Others Sharing Christ Exercising Faith Seeking God Building Relationships Unashamed

22. Truth PostureLeaders

23. Truth Gospel Identity Discipline Truth PostureLeaders

24. Posture Weakness Interdependence Outward Focus Truth PostureLeaders

25. Indispensible quality Godly leaders applying truth Truth PostureLeaders

26. Watch For The Breaks in the Sandbar

27. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. - 2 Timothy 2:2 (HCSB)