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Apr
30
E Leader , F Leader , I Leader , L Leader , Sonnie Bain

BE NICE

By Sonnie Bain

Sonnie Bain has written our blog for today. May you find it an encouragement about the great hospitality in our groups and a challenge to begin inviting the lost and searching into our communities to experience that kindness of Christ. Thank you, Sonnie, for taking such good care of our groups and loving our leaders well.
Paul Wilkinson, Adult Minister–Groups Associate

A few years ago, Williamson County schools adopted the simple mantra, “BE NICE.”  It started at Fairview High School as a way to create a culture of kindness in their school.  After witnessing the success, the school district expanded the message to all 44 county schools.  What a wonderful character trait to teach our young people – to practice kindness in their everyday lives.  They made bumper stickers, they created T-shirts, and they took great pride in working together to create a movement that started showing up all across social media and around the world.  In fact, September has been declared “BE NICE Month” in Williamson County.
I remember how this movement transformed our community when it started and grew.  I wonder what would happen if the adults created that type of movement.  Children have a special wonder and excitement that we should all try to emulate from time to time. 
As I have been visiting Sunday morning LIFE Groups, I have seen how the “BE NICE” mantra is revealed in our people.  It shows up in the way they take care of their own.  They know their fellow class members very well, they are a part of each other’s lives, and they support and care for one another.  It was fascinating to see how involved they were in the relationships within that group.  They knew how and what to pray for when their people were going through loss or grief.  They kept up with each other’s burdens, whether they involved health, finances, relationships or just living.  They also shared in praises for the ways God has worked in their lives.
So, thank you to the leaders and teachers of our LIFE Groups, for loving your groups and working to make community so important.  I applaud the class members for loving each other well.  I will certainly keep visiting, as I have enjoyed meeting you and being a part of your groups. 
Keep up the good work that God has started in you and, above all, BE NICE.

 
 
Sonnie Bain is the Administrative Assistant in the Adult Ministry–Groups, Brentwood campus, Brentwood Baptist Church.   [email protected]
 
 
Apr
25
E Leader , F Leader , I Leader , L Leader , Paul Wilkinson

Transformational LIFE Strategy Refresher

By Paul Wilkinson

The Transformational LIFE Strategy (TLS) helps us frame the call to kingdom living. It is firstly, an encouragement and guide to the disciple of Jesus in seeking to imitate Jesus in word and deed. Secondarily, it is an organizational structure for our groups such that they live out the call to abundant life. Periodically, I use TLS to evaluate my own obedience and affection toward the Lord. I encourage you to do the same for yourself, your family, and your group. Find below the description of the function and a few examples. If you don’t have group members who fulfill these functions, begin praying that the Spirit might quicken someone towards that ministry.

L – Love one another. Jesus says in John 13:35, by this they will know that you are my disciples: that you have love for one another. Jesus is talking to his 12 there, not the entirety of the masses who followed him.

  • Praying for and with the group
  • Ministry in and out of crisis
  • Care groups for ministry and encouragement

I – Involved in community. The early church gathered in the temple daily and broke bread house by house. (Acts 2:40ff) They were together, daily . . . may we strive for that!

  • Dinner groups that meet monthly
  • Seasonal parties
  • Group outings to ball games, retreats, etc.

F – Focused on God’s Word. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42) and Jesus said that if we abide in His word, then we are His disciples. (John 8:31)

  • Teach the Bible in its historical, cultural, and grammatical context
  • Model and train your group to read the Bible well and to read it daily; give a set of Scriptures to be read each week before the lesson
  • Give 1-3 ways the group should “live out” the text each week

E – Engage the world. We are called to disciple all people by baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20) To do that, we must get into our communities?

  • Adopt a project by partnering with a local missions partner; take a mission trip every so often to model it for your group
  • Keep an ongoing list of lost people to pray for and pray for foreign missionaries (find some specific ones)
  • Invite one or two like-gendered people to be discipled by you with the intent that they would then disciple 2 others.

We must, as leaders, demonstrate for our people and do to our people those things we expect them to live out and remain faithful to. We, as leaders, are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry. We are here to support you and partner with you in that calling.