Relate Groups: First Baptist of New Smyrna Beach

Relate Group Questions for the week of May 29

2011-05-27T07:54:00.001-07:00

Last week of Relate Group is June 5th.

Relate Group Homework week of May 22

2011-05-20T08:00:00.001-07:00

Relate Group Homework for week of Ma7 15, 2011

2011-05-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Relate Group Homework week of April 24

2011-04-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

2011-04-15T07:52:00.001-07:00

Relate Group Homework for week of April 10, 2011

2011-04-08T09:04:00.001-07:00

Homework for the week of April 3

2011-04-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Homework for the week of March 20

2011-03-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Relate Group Homework for week of March 12, 2011

2011-03-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Relate Groups

2011-03-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

At First Baptist Church we strive to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ by reaching out to God (ministry to God), relating to others (ministry to believers), and reflecting our Savior (ministry to the world).

Our Relate Groups meet at various times throughout the week. Most meet in homes, but some meet at the Church campus.

Sunday Relate Groups
David Turner (9:00 am during Sunday School Hour)
Jim Conforti (3:30 pm on the Beach Side)
Luke McKinney (5:30 pm at the Missions Cafe)

Monday Relate Group
Bill Cain (6:00 pm in Edgewater)

Thursday Relate Groups
Al Wilson (1:30 pm in Edgewater)
Rich Beatty (6:00 pm in Edgewater)
Michelle Galbreath (7:00 pm in Sugarmill)
Wade Howell (8:00 pm in Sugarmill)

Jim Conforti's Group

Facilitators: Jim and Melinda Conforti

Location: 2624 Turnbull Estates Drive, New Smyrna Beach, FL

A Baby Boomer age group, mix with couples and singles, all passionate for Christ, ready to give their best in obedience, worship, service, accountability and valuing all people as they proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and demonstrate His love in the community. They are a cohesive group of independent thinkers.

Meet: Sundays @ 3:30 pm

Openings 4

Luke McKinney's Group

Bill Cain's Group

Bill and Roxanne Cain

Bill's group meets Monday evenings in Edgewater.

2 openings

Al and Trish Wilson

Al's group meets Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 pm. They meet at Fred and Elaine Macreno's. The group is closed.

Rich Beatty's Group

Facilitator: Rich Beatty

Location: Hacienda Del Rio, Edgewater, FL

A group of mixed ages and backgrounds coming together and learning more about God, ourselves and each other.

Meet: Thursdays, 6:00 pm

4 Openings

Dunlap/Lemmons Group

Meets on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm LymeStone Ranch Apartments. This group is closed.

Wade Howell's Group

Meets Thursdays at 8:00pm at Wade and Emily Howell's Home.

We have a great group that spans generations, but we are closed.

Howell Family

March 6 Relate Group Questions

2011-03-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Homework for the week of February 6th.

2011-02-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Homework for the week of February 6th.

Relate Group Homework week of January 30th

2011-01-28T11:39:00.001-08:00

This is the third week of Relates Groups. This week begins the 1 Corinthians Study.

Relate Group Homework week of January 23rd

2011-01-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

To print the notes just click of picture and you will be able to print from the next window.

Relate Group Information

2010-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

At First Baptist Church we strive to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ by reaching out to God (ministry to God), relating to others (ministry to believers), and reflecting our Savior (ministry to the world).

Our Relate Groups meet at various times throughout the week. Most meet in homes, but some meet at the Church campus.

Click the group leader's name to find out more.
Sunday Relate Groups
David Turner (9:00 am during Sunday School Hour)
Jim Conforti (3:30 pm on the Beach Side)
Luke McKinney (5:30 pm at the Missions Cafe)

Monday Relate Group
Bill Cain (6:00 pm in Edgewater)

Thursday Relate Groups
Al Wilson (1:30 pm in Edgewater)
Rich Beatty (6:00 pm in Edgewater)
Michelle Galbreath (7:00 pm in Sugarmill)
Wade Howell (8:00 pm in Sugarmill)

Jim Conforti's Group

2010-12-02T07:30:00.001-08:00

Facilitators: Jim and Melinda Conforti

Location: Tamarind Drive, Edgewater, FL

Meet: Sundays @ 3:30 pm

6 Openings

Bill Cain's Group

2010-12-02T07:29:00.001-08:00

Bill and Roxanne Cain

Bill's group meets Monday evenings in Edgewater.

Michelle Galbreath's Group

2010-12-02T07:27:00.002-08:00

Michelle's group meets on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm in the Sugarmill area. This group is closed.

Al Wilson's Group

2010-12-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

Al and Trish Wilson

Al's group meets Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 pm. They meet at Fred and Elaine Macreno's. The group is closed.

David Turner's Group

2010-12-02T07:18:00.001-08:00

David's relate group meets on the church property Sunday mornings at 9:00am. This time around the group has six openings. Contact the church office or David Turner if you are interested in joining this group.

Luke McKinney's Group

2010-12-02T07:17:00.001-08:00

Luke's group meets at 5:30 pm on Sunday evening on the church campus in the Missions Cafe. This group is open to visitors and continues to meet even when the other Relate Groups are on break.

Show up on Sunday evening or call the church office to find out more about this group.

Rich Beatty's Group

2010-12-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

Facilitator: Rich Beatty

Location: Hacienda Del Rio, Edgewater, FL

A group of mixed ages and backgrounds coming together and learning more about God, ourselves and each other.

Meet: Thursdays, 6:00 pm

4 Openings

Beatty Family

Wade Howell's Group

2010-12-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

Meets Thursdays at 8:00pm at Wade and Emily Howell's Home.

We have a great group that spans generations, but we are closed.

Howell Family

Rediscovering Old Testament Greats Esther: The Woman Who Saved God’s People

2010-11-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

This week we heard about Esther and how she put herself in danger for God's people.
May we be willing do the same.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Last week of Relate Groups. Look forward to starting again in the New Year.

A Public Faith

2010-10-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Should Christians be active in government? Should Christians vote? Should our faith in Jesus Christ be strictly a private matter or should we publicly profess our faith?

Our country is in the midst of our election process where we will select our leaders for the next several years. Pray that we make the God honoring choice as a country.

Sermon Notes and Homework

Sermon Audio

Rediscovering Old Testament Greats Joshua: The Man Who Chose to Worship God

2010-10-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

This week we pass the torch from Moses to Joshua. We will look at how service and worship fit together.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

2011 Proposed budget

2010-10-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a PDF copy of the proposed 2011 budget.

Rediscovering Old Testament Greats Moses: The Man Who Served the Lord

2010-10-15T10:57:00.001-07:00

This week's sermon is about Moses. Moses life was filled with extremes. At his birth, he was in danger of being put to death. Not long after he became part of the Egyptian royal family.after Moses found out about his heritage he killed a man. He became a fugitive. In a far-off land he married and started a new life. Then Moses encountered God. When God told him to do things that he did not think he could do and that he probably didn't think was very smart, he did it anyway. Eventually God used him to free the Israelites from Egyptian dominance.

Many times we have seen God use unlikely people to accomplish a great task. Last week we saw how God used Joseph. Prior to that we saw how God used Abraham. And to start the series we saw how God used Noah. With Moses we see obedience over a long period of time. We see obedience when things look bleak. We see obedience when danger lurks on every turn. Moses was a man who served God. He was not perfect (there's hope for us!) But God is faithful nonetheless.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Rediscovering Old Testament Greats Joseph: The Man Who Saw God’s Plan

2010-10-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

The story of Joseph shows that God's plans for our lives are sometimes different than what we would choose. Joseph would not have chosen his route to Egypt or prison. God's plan did not always include making Joseph's life pleasant. God did have a plan for Joseph, and God's plan saved a nation.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Rediscovering Old Testament Greats Abraham: The Man Who Risked It All

2010-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

This week the sermon is about Abraham. He trusted God with his life and the lives of his family. Abraham was willing to follow God even at the cost of his son. He wasn't perfect, but we can learn from Abraham's faithfulness.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Rediscovering Old Testament Greats Noah: The Man Who Walked With God

2010-09-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

God saved Noah and his family and let others perish. He also only saved a small number of animals from the flood. Have you ever considered how much sin displeases God for him to destroy his creatures with the flood?

This week think about the severity of sin and the wonderful gift of grace.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Our Unchanging Mission

2010-09-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

Renewing Our Commitment to Our Mission
From time to time we can become distracted from what we should be doing. Distractions are everywhere and our society is clamoring for our attention. As the Church of Jesus Christ, we should be focused on our mission and seek to avoid distractions.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Week Two of Funding Our Mission

2010-09-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

This is the second week of relate groups. The message this week is on funding our mission. What do you think about the obstacles to funding our mission as a church? Is the mission of First Baptist Church more important than our own priorities?

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

First Week of New Groups

2010-09-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

Relate Groups have started again. We are in the middle of our Cultivating Vital Connections series, and this week's sermon is on funding our mission.

This week's sermon has three commitments that we can make to properly fund our mission as a church. Have we made these commitments? Do we live our lives in a way that reflects Jesus Christ our Savior as it relates to our giving to the church? I hope that the answer is yes.

We are living in strange and uncertain times. The financial forecast is gloomy, and it has been for some time. The political climate is charged and uncivil. At every turn people seem to be at the end of their rope. Christians are no different. We are tired, frustrated, confused, and sometimes just want to give up. But unlike the rest of the world we have a Savior. Unlike the rest of the world we know that God will ultimately set things right. Unlike the rest of the world we have a hope in the future that God has for us. And we know that God will not abandon his church no matter how bad times may seem.

Leaders Notes:

Remember to set expectations high for the new session of Relate Groups. Talk about how important it is to attend all of the sessions and to make commitments to participate actively in this session. Talk about your covenant and decide exactly how you want your covenant to look and get everyone on board. Decide if you were going to have refreshments or any other special features in your meeting (like singing). Talk about the possibilities for having a social event and also talk about having one or more service events. Put the events into your calendar and find out who would like to coordinate them.

Have a wonderful week and God bless.
Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio (Funding our Mission)

Relate Groups Are Starting

2010-09-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

The next session of relay groups are ready to begin. I hope everyone is ready for an exciting new session. We are starting a new relay group with Rich Beatty leading. Encourage everyone you know to visit the blog weekly and find out what's going on.

Have a Blessed Day

New Session of Relate Groups to begin in September

2010-07-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

The New Session of Relate Groups begins the week of September 5th.

Prepare to sign up if you are not in a group.

A Revival of Spiritual Unity--1 Peter 4:7-11

2010-06-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

We need to be revived. How will this happen? It will only happen if we have unity. How can we have unity, by focusing on loving others more than ourselves.
We should act toward others as God would. Our words should bring healing and peace. Our service should be done in reliance on God for direction and power.
When we love one another we correct with kindness. We speak directly but our words are sprinkled with compassion, not malice. Keep your love for one another at full strength!!

This is our last week of Relate Groups until the fall. Keep doing things together and plan for the next session.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Faith From Works--Wade Howell Preaching

2010-06-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

This week we will discover how our faith is demonstrated by our actions, or works. Wade Howell is preaching this week.
Song about Faith Without Works
James shows us that saying you believe something is not very useful, in fact, that kind of "faith" is dead. Our faith is demonstrated or shown by our actions, not so much our words.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

The Scandal of Grace- Pastor Joe Lemmons Preaching

2010-05-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

This weeks sermon is on John 8:1-11 and with Joe Lemmons will be preaching this famous and loved passage from the Gospels--Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.

You Tube Video of This Passage
Grace is unmerited favor. That means you don't earn grace (unmerited). It also means that you are treated with excessive kindness or goodwill (favor). A wonderful concept if you think about it. But this is something we don't see a lot of in our world.

We will often be good to someone if they are good to us, or if we like or respect them. But think about someone who is repulsive to you. Think about someone who you don't like the way they live or the choices that they make. Grace would be you going out of your way to be "excessively kind" to them when they did not do anything to deserve it (unmerited).

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Revelation 3:14-22--A Useless Church

2010-05-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Video of Something That is totally useless.
How many of us have heard someone tell us that we are useless? Would you like it? I don't think so. This week we are looking at a church that basically was told it was useless.

It is important for us to remember that our faith is active and we should be useful to God and the expansion of his kingdom on earth. Don't be useless like the machine in the video. Be useful. Be active.

What do you have to do in your life to be useful to God? Will you do it?

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Revelation 3:7-13--An Enduring Church

2010-05-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

We have reached the last half of our second session of Relate Groups. I hope that everyone is having a good experience. While I enjoy my group, it will be good to have a break for summer. During the summer Relate Group members have the option of being involved in other small groups or just taking a break. Remember we have Financial Peace University available at the church on Wednesday nights. Here is a link to more information about FPU.

Homework Help
The homework this week focuses on how to respond to the circumstances that God places before us. One lesson that was hard for me to learn was the relationship between obedience and love. Like many people, I grew up with the sense that "love" was all about a feeling. That "love" was this personal, internal, emotion that I had. Because "love" was something internal to me, I could "love" someone but ignore or be mean to them, since "love" was not based on my actions but based on my feelings. This conception of love is very, very, flawed.

My mom used to tell me "if you love me you will obey." I used to argue with her about this. I wanted my freedom and just because I did not obey did not mean that I didn't love her, after all I had an internal emotional attachment to my mother. I thought I "loved" her even though I ignored her. How wrong I was. Love is not so much something you have but something you do. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. As much as it pains me to admit my mother was right (quite by accident I am sure)....she was right.

1 John 5:1-5 reinforces the idea that love is something you do. Obeying God, keeping his commands, that is how we show love for God. It is not internal, it is external. It is not passive (something we have) it is active (something we do).

In love we have to act. When God presents opportunities we have to act.
The following is a version of a story about God providing and how we respond.

A farmer is in Iowa during a flood. The river is overflowing. Water is surrounding the farmer’s home up to his front porch. As he is standing there, a boat comes up. The man in the boat says, “Jump in, and I’ll take you to safety.”

The farmer crosses his arms and says stubbornly, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.” The boat goes away. The water rises to the second story. Another boat comes up. The man says to the farmer, who is now at the second floor window, “Hurry, jump in. I’ll save you.”

The farmer again says, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.”

The boat goes away. Now the water is inching over the roof. As the farmer stands on the roof, a helicopter comes over, and drops a ladder. The pilot yells down to the farmer, “I’ll save you. Climb the ladder.”

The farmer yells back, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.”

The helicopter goes away. The water continues to rise and sweeps the farmer off the roof into the swiftly moving water. Unfortunately, he drowns.

The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says, “What are you doing here?”

The farmer says, “I put my trust in you, and you let me down.”

God says, “What do you mean, let you down? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!”

Leader's Notes
We have a special business meeting on May 23, so if you group has a meeting or special event scheduled that evening, it will need to be rescheduled. Keep pressing on as we are on the downward slope.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Revelation 3:1-6--A Dead Church

2010-05-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

Our Relate Groups are entering the middle of this session and all the reports I get is that they are getting better with time. I hope your groups is feeling more comfortable with one another and starting to develop some deep, lasting relationships.

Home Work Help
The home work this week is focused on what is inside and can't be seen rather than on external behaviors. While it is important to live in such a manner that people will see our good works and glorify God, it is also important that the way we are on the inside matches how we look on the outside. In other words, it does us no good to have a good appearance if we are rotten inside.
Sometimes we may have a problem and not realize it. These are the times when we need to "wake up" and fix the problem before it kills us.
Can relationships and accountability in the church help keep us "awake"? I think so, it is much easier to remain focused if everyone takes turns standing guard. How are you doing this?

Leader's Notes
Please let us know about your social our service events so that we can talk about them and encourage our other groups to get their projects and events scheduled.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Revelation 2:18-29--A Tolerant Church

2010-04-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

We are in our fourth week of the new Relate Group cycle and I know my group is getting along quite well. I hope that other groups are as well. I have heard some positive comments about the relationships built through the Relate Groups. I hope you are finding the Relate Groups to be beneficial to your growth in our Lord.

Homework Help

God is Jealous. This is an interesting concept and one that sounds "weird" to our western ears. After all, isn't jealousy a bad thing? Here is a definition of Jealous. The problem is that when we use jealous we may often refer to something that we want and that is not actually deserved by us. But this is different with God. God is due all worship, not just some. If it is actually morally wrong to not worship God or to worship something other than God, then it is morally right (or correct) for God to demand worship or to be angry when someone worships something else.

Think about it like this.
1) It is morally wrong to murder.
2) It is morally correct for God to forbid murder and to punish someone for murder.

In the same way:
3) It is morally wrong to worship something other than God (idol worship)
4) It is morally correct for God to forbid idol worship and to punish someone for idol worship.

All of this assumes that God is actually due all worship and that failing to worship God or worshiping an idol is actually morally wrong. The Bible is clear about these issues and teaches both #1 and #3. Since we accept the Bible as true, we also accept the idea that God alone is worthy of worship. So for God to be jealous is not a bad thing, in fact it is the proper and moral thing. If God permitted idol worship or ignored idol worship he would not be just, in the same way that if God permitted murder or ignored murder he would not be just.

Leader's Notes
Mid Stream Training this Wednesday May 5. Please remember to attend or let me know if you are unable.

Sermon Notes and Homework

Sermon Audio

Revelation 2:12-17-An Accommodating Church

2010-04-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

The second week of meetings is over and I hope everyone is having a good time discussing our sermons through Revelation. Get involved in the two-part Mission Initiative, if you haven't already. Ask is Saturday April 25 and Serve is Saturday May 1. These dates are good opportunities to Reflect.....

Homework Help
This week's digging deeper passage tells us about scripture and the uses of scripture. Millard Erickson defines Inspiration as follows "the act of the Holy Spirit upon the biblical writers that ensured that what they wrote was the Word of God." As believers, we can rely on scripture because of inspiration. In addition, God tells us how we should worship him and treat one another. The Bible equips us for service and life.
When difficult times come, who do you turn to? I always knew I could turn to my Dad, no matter what. Why? Because I knew he loved me and wanted what was best for me. How did I know that? I knew that because we spent time together. We did things together. I have a relationship with my Dad based on lots of time together doing things and talking. We don't always agree, but I don't doubt his love for me. We build relationships within the church and with God in the same manner. Time spent with believers and with God is the way the relationships are built. I know of very few substitutes for time.

Leader's Notes
Make the time count. We only have eight more meetings until we break for the summer. Let people know how important it is to be committed to the group. Also, I have a form going out to the Relate Group leaders in the mail about getting volunteer workers for our Nursery (we need help on both Sunday Mornings-Sunday school time and worship service, and Wednesdays). This is also a great way to REFLECT. If someone is not in a Sunday School class because they are in a Relate Group, this is an awesome chance to serve. Please encourage our people to take part.

Sermon notes and homework

sermon audio

Revelation 2:8-11--A Persecuted Church

2010-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our groups have started up again and things are going well. My group was better than ever and we had more than we have ever had. WOW. I hope your groups are all going well. This week we look at the church in Smyrna, not New Smyrna, but Smyrna. Do you think that this was "First Baptist Smyrna"? Does it sound like us? Will we be faithful in the midst of our own suffering?

Homework Help
Todays digging deeper passage tells us that God is a refuge for his people. Somewhere where they can flee when they are in trouble. In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Two Towers there is a scene that depicts this idea very well. The people of Rohan are under threat of attack. The King of Rohan decides to take his people to Helm's Deep, a fortress that has saved them in the past. They flee to the fortress for refuge. The Psalmist tells us that God is the place of refuge for his people. Like Helm's Deep for Rohan, God is where his people should flee when under threat.
It can be comforting to know that God is ultimately in control and able to overcome any threat or danger. He can supply every need. He wants us to be faithful to him, when times are good and when they are difficult, faithfulness is what he wants. Have you struggled with faithfulness? I know I have. Have you seen God reward you or someone else for faithfulness? God is free to do what he wants to do in the manner in which he wants to do it. Do you believe that God's plans are ultimately good? What in God's good plan something unpleasant has to happen to me or someone I love? Does believing God is good help with these types of situations?

Leader's Notes: Make Plans
Plan early your events for the session. I know of two groups that have planned social events already. Use your event planning tool and put people in charge of the arrangements for the event. If you would like to use Church property, fill out a request, call the office if you need to.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon audio

Revelation 2:1-7--A Cold Hearted Church

2010-04-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Our second session of Relate Groups is starts this week. I am including the link to the homework and a link the sermon audio page. Because of our new website, you will have to select the sermon from the list on the page, so I have the title of the sermon as the title for this post.

Use this blog as a place to share about your experiences with the group and to connect with members of other Relate Groups.

Leader's Notes:
Make Commitments Early. The key to having a good group is that the members take this session seriously. Please focus on how important it is to commit to one another for the entire session. If someone is not willing or able to make that commitment, let them know there are others who are looking to join groups and who need a spot. Encourage them not to take a spot that another who would make the commitment could fill.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio Link (sermon will be posted after church Sunday)

Easter is Almost Upon Us

2010-03-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Our first session of Relate Groups has come to a close. We will have a new session beginning with the sermon from Sunday, April 11. If you are not in a group, get signed up. Spaces are limited. Posts will start again with the next session. God Bless.

The Trials of Jesus

2010-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Look for the survey this week in relate groups.
Make sure you have plans for next session.

Sermon notes and homework

Here is another link to the notes and homework if the other on is not working

The Truth About Debt

2010-03-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

This week has been a blur for me. We are having so much going on. Our website has been updated (some of you may still have the old website for a few days) but there is hustle and bustle going on. Our relate group is getting comfortable with one another (at least I think so) and it looks like the skies are clearing around New Smyrna Beach. Pray that God will bring us together and keep us united.

It may take us a while to straiten out "bugs" with the new website, please bear with us through the transition.

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon audio to come

Proclaiming The Gospel

2010-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

This week we are doing something different. Our congregation will be meeting at two different times, on two different days. We are doing all of this so that our Church can serve the people who will be at our front door this weekend. The Art Fiesta will be a great opportunity for First Baptist Church to show this community that we care about them and that they are important. We will, with our actions, proclaim the Gospel. We will, in conversations, share the love of God to the people we meet. What an awesome opportunity we have to share with our community.........They will be in our front yard. I hope you will be a part of this.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Prepare for next session.
We will need to know how many openings there are for the next Relate Group session. Start deciding if you are going to stay with your group, try a new group, or take a break. We need to start publishing openings in the groups for the whole church. Let you leader know what your plans are this week. (You can change your mind later if you need to.)

Sermon Notes and Homework
Sermon Audio

Living Out Our Faith in Community

2010-02-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Some of our groups are really beginning to come together. I have heard of and experienced a sense of vulnerability in our groups. That shows trust is being built and that people are opening up to one another and moving past the surface answers and issues. This is great, I hope to see many new friendships emerge from our meetings. This week we are discussing how our church can look more like the church described in the second chapter of Acts.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Stay on target.....Stay on target
"Stay on target.....stay on target" is on of the memorable phrases from Star Wars. On a failed bombing run those words encourage the pilots to stay together and finish the mission. They failed, of course, and it took Luke Skywalker to save the day. In our groups we need to stay on target and not chase rabbits. That is not to say we need to shut down conversation, especially if it is important to someone and relevant to the group. But make sure that we don't let someone dominate the conversation and take the group far from the point of the homework and sermon. This can be tricky, but if everyone tries to "stay on target" it will be a bit easier for the group.

-wade

Homework and Sermon Notes
Sermon Audio

Serving One Another

2010-02-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Today we served our community by hosting the a banquet for hospital volunteers. It was great to see many of our people give of their own time and energy to serve our community hospital. Reflecting our Savior to this community is awesome. Does everyone in your Relate Group take the time to serve? I hope so. Lets encourage one another to be servants.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Talk About the Future
We are mid-way through our relate group session. At the end of the session the group and each individual will have to make some decisions about what will be done in the next session. Every member will need to decided if they are going to stay with the same Relate Group, try another Relate Group, or take a break from Relate Groups. Although we want our Relate Groups to stay together, it is OK for people to choose any of the three options. Start talking about how well your Relate Group is going and if the group needs to make any changes next time. Is your meeting time working well for everyone or are some finding it difficult? Is your host home suitable (and still available for next session) or will you need to move to a new place? Do you need to move the day of the week that you are meeting on? Start thinking about these issues and discussing them with your group so that we can begin to plan for the next session. Remember our first session ends the week of March 21 and the new session begins the week of April 11.

LEADERS: Please let me know as soon as you know about any changes to location, time, or if some of your group's members will not be in your group next session. We are planning for session #2 and will want to post openings in your group for new people to sign up. We will also need to start new groups, so let me know if someone in your class would be a good Relate Group leader. REMEMBER training this Sunday morning in the Conference Room (Near the offices).

Sermon Notes and Homework
sermon audio

Worshiping God

2010-02-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

Our groups should be settling down some. The groups closed with the last session so there should not be any new faces until the next session. By now your group's covenant should be settled and everyone should know what to expect from a group meeting. I have enjoyed my group so far and have gotten to know things about our group members that I am sure I would have never known about them if we were not in this group together. I hope that your group is having similar experiences and that you are starting to build relationships that will last beyond the group meetings.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Emphasize Attendance
When you miss a week, you miss a lot. We can't grow together unless we are together. Please let everyone know that being in attendance is very important. It is important to show up and be on time. I know people have conflicts that come up, but we should do our best to avoid conflicts. When thinking about the next session, it is OK to change you day, time, and location to best meet the needs of the group.

LEADERS: We have training on February 14 during the AM Worship service. All leaders need to make arrangement to attend. We will meet in the conference room and will be done by the time church lets out.

Sermon Notes and Homework week 4

Sermon Audio

Obeying God

2010-01-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

I continue to receive reports of good discussions. I understand that there were lots of interesting ideas about new animals. The icebreaker questions are designed let us find our more about one another. Through questions like these we can find out what people like, hobbies, life experiences and all kinds of things. This is great. I hope you have fun with the icebreaker questions and find out much more about those around you in your relate groups.

A question for all: What was the most interesting animal discussed in your relate group meeting?
Answer this by commenting on the post.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Get Comfortable with Each Other
Take time to get comfortable sharing. Don't rush through the meeting to get to the questions. Take time to pray and share with one another how things are going. This is the third week of meetings, so we should start to share some things we may not have been comfortable with before. Take the time that is needed to get comfortable with one another. If that means you don't get through all your questions, that is fine. If that means you need to stay late, that is ok too. These groups should build relationships that will last, take time to make sure the foundations are well set.

Sedrmon Notes and Homework week 3
Sermon Audio

Valuing All People

2010-01-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

The first week of Relate Group meetings went very well. There were some groups that had people missing, but I hope we will contact those missing and help them keep their commitments this week. Please send an email updating the attendance at the relate groups to my chruch email account, you can also send one to Joy.

LEADERS: Remember to get your Education Leadership Covenants to me as soon as possible.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Make Commitments
An important part of Relate Groups is the commitment to the group. Commit to be there. Commit to doing your homework. Commit to praying for one another. Commit to be an active part of the group. It will take some time before all of our groups are comfortable with one another to share some of the deeply personal struggles we all have, but commit to get to that point. Help one another with these commitments. Spend time with one another outside of the group setting if that is what it takes. Take a stand–make a commitment.

Missions Cafe is open.........meet over a cup of coffee and keep the conversaion going....

Sermon Notes and Homework week 2
Sermon Audio

First Week of Meetings

2010-01-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Our first week of Relate Group meetings have begun and I have had positive reports. Great. I pray this is the start of a new era of fellowship and family at First Baptist.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Get People Talking
One of the important parts of a Relate Group meeting is the discussion. The role of the leader is to get people to answer the questions provided and keep talking. Leaders are not supposed to lecture, this is not like a Sunday School class. Leaders should make sure that people answer the questions and that everyone had the opportunity to interact and share. Don’t accept easy answers. The point of the questions is not to simply answer them but to discuss them and how our lives are impacted and changed by God’s word. The group should probe if an answer is too shallow and cry with one another if it is touching. Just make sure that as the groups progress that you KEEP TALKING.

God bless us as we begin this new journey. Let me know if I can help.

Bro. Wade
Sermon Notes and Homework Week 1
Sermon Audio

First Post

2010-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Relate Groups are starting and I will use this as a place to provide some training and documents that we can use for our groups.

God Bless us as we start our Relate Groups.
First Meeting Instructions for Relate Group Leaders

Sample Relate Groups Covenant

Instructions for Relate Group Covenants

Instructions for Relate Group Events