Session Purpose
- To meet other members of your group and get to know each other
- To challenge participants with regular attendance at the group sessions and the weekend services
- To begin to understand the essence and importance of having core values
- To introduce the topic of CVC’s values and to study the biblical precedent for three of the values
Note to Leaders
- Thank you for taking on the leadership of a group! You are playing a critical role in the lives of everyone who attends your group. Please pray for your group daily, remembering each person by name.
- You set the tone at this first meeting for this three-part series. Make sure you are welcoming and affirming of your group members.
- Encourage your group to read the devotions and testimonies which are available during this series. Discuss them as a group each week if you have time.
- On Saturday, October 4, your group will have the opportunity to participate in a church-wide service project in the community. Begin thinking now about how your group will participate on that weekend as we launch the Fall Spiritual Adventure at CVC.
To Begin:
Where Have You Been? Have each member of your group introduce themselves and share the name of up to five places that they have lived–and which town or city was their favorite.
Diving In:
- Objectives are goals that a person or organization wants to accomplish. Values are the underlying principles which guide why and how we do what we do. Why is it important for families, for businesses, or for churches to have expressly stated core values? What happens when a group of people focuses on an objective without having shared core values?
For Study and Discussion
Core Value 1: Evangelism occurs primarily in relational contexts in family, work, neighborhood, and community settings and secondarily in outreach events that are easily accessible to seekers.
- What happens when a church does not concern itself with people who are not yet believers in Jesus?
- Why is this core value significant to you? Is the outreach focus of CVC something that interests or energizes you?
Read Matthew 28:16-20
- What is the setting for when this teaching took place? Why would Jesus say this right before He left to return to heaven? Can you think of other places in the life and ministry of Jesus where this same command is repeated?
- What are the typical excuses for why Christians don’t obey Christ’s command and make disciples? What are your excuses when you are not making disciples?
Read Acts 1:4-8
Acts 1:8 serves as an outline to the book of Acts and serves as a call to ministry for all Christians. You are a Christian because someone told someone, who then told someone else, who then told you. Do you often think of yourself as having been commissioned to share Christ with your local community where you live, the outlying areas around your community, and to the rest of the world? Why or why not? Have you followed through on it? If so, what blessings have resulted? If not, what prevents you from following through with this call to be a witness?
For Further Discussion:
Core Value 2: God’s Word is consistently and relevantly taught in corporate worship, small groups, classes, personal discipleship, and through creative activities.
- What happens when a church does not concern itself with consistent teaching of the Bible? What happens when a church does not concern itself with relevant teaching of the Bible?
- What are some creative ways that CVC has taught biblical principles that have impacted yourlife? What memorable teaching moments have stayed with you after months or even years?
- What in Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:16-20 relates to teaching God’s Word?
Core Value 3: Performing Arts are honored and utilized to the glory of God in a fashion relevant and accessible to seekers
Some might argue that churches should use artistic expression and visual media to capture the interest of the modern generations of Americans. However, for hundreds of years churches have embraced artists and commissioned them because art (in various forms) has the ability to touch the human spirit in ways nothing else can. Humans have always been moved by the power of story, and for all cultures(before radio, television, movies and the world-wide web) stories passed down from generation to generation were all that they had to shape their identity.
- Why do you think some churches are hesitant to embrace artists and their art in the contexts of worship and teaching? Do you think the Church of the last 100 years rejected artists and their art? Why or why not?
- What powerful expressions of artistry have affected you in churches that you have been a part of? How has that helped deepen your relationship with Christ?
Read Exodus 35:30-36:1
- The tabernacle was a type of “temple” which moved around with the nation of Israel as they traveled in the desert. Why was skilled artistry something that was important to God in the construction of the tabernacle? Why was artistry of importance to God?
The Challenge:
- Discuss as a group how you will participate in the church-wide service project on Saturday, October 4.
- Set up a sign-up sheet for coffee and dessert for your weekly group meeting.
- Begin thinking now about whom you will invite to join your group during the Fall Spiritual Adventure starting October 5.
