Connections Small Group Ministry

The Goals of Connection Groups:

Shepherding:

To extend the pastoral ministry of VCCC through church members

Application:

To take God's Word and make personal application to each other's lives

Assimilation:

To bring individuals into the care of the church body

Accountability:

To hold one another to the application of God's Word so that personal growth may occur

How often will the Connection Groups meet?
The purpose of Connection Groups in our church is to build up the body through assimilation, application of God's Word, and accountability. To accomplish this we ask that Connection Groups meet on a weekly basis. Consistency is a key for any healthy small group. While groups will strive to meet each week it is understandable that there will be weeks when a leader will not be available to lead the group or the majority of the members will not be present. When the group leader or majority of the group will not be absent the Connection Group is not required to meet.

When will the groups meet?
CG's will be offered Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

How long do groups stay together?
At the beginning of the year, members will be asked to commit to being a part of that group for eight months (28 weeks). If for some reason a person needs to drop out of a group or would desire to join another group they will have that opportunity when new groups form after Christmas.

How are Connection Groups formed?
Everyone will have the opportunity to sign-up during the month of August by filling out a Connection Group Request form in the weekly worship folder or online at vccc.org. Based upon your desired meeting time and other requests you will be placed in a group and contacted the first week of September by your Connection Group leader.

When will the Connection Groups begin and end?
They will follow our church's calendar beginning in September and finish at the end of May. Below is the meeting calendar for the year:
What will CG's be studying?
Each CG will be based around the study of the previous week's sermon. Beginning in September there will be study sheets that correspond with every sermon that is preached. Participants in CG's will be asked to review and answer the questions on that sheet before coming to their CG. Part of the CG time will be based upon reviewing and studying the passage taught in that Sunday's sermon. For those CG's that have been together for over a year, two study electives will be given for them to choose from if they desire (Crown Financial Stewardship Study or Don't Waste Your Life).

What types of Connection Group are there?

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What will the Connection Group time look like?
The format for Connection Groups and Family Connection Groups will vary somewhat, below is an example of each.

Format for Connection Group

1) Opening Exercise and Worship (20-30 minutes)

Each group will begin with prayer and the CG leader setting the vision for the group and the expectations for your time together. To help people grow in relationship with one another an opening question will be used during this time each week. Worship songs might be sung or a Psalm read to focus the group on worship of God.

2) Bible Study and Application (30-40 minutes)

Life-change takes place when God's truth and the power of the Holy Spirit are together operating on our hearts. The clearest and most certain place where truth can be found is in the Scriptures. For this reason, any group which hopes to see lives transformed will be taking a serious look at the Bible. In order to keep this portion an appropriate length your group will focus directly upon the outline and questions that are presented in your Connection Group Study Sheet.

3) Sharing (15 minutes)

This time is set aside to specifically talk about how you see God at work in your life or how you long to see Him at work. Out of genuine concern for others you will look to hold each other accountable to the things which God requires of us, because at the deepest level we truly want to be held accountable to living a life that is pleasing to God. If there is not enough time, members of your group will be encouraged to continue to minister to one another after the meeting has ended.

4) Prayer (15 minutes)

Prayer is one of the chief ways in which we help one another. The members of your group will have opportunity to share their personal prayer requests and praises. Depending on the size of your group, you may break down into smaller sub-groups in order to engage in this activity effectively. Sharing about the needs of the church as a whole will continue to give your group a connection to the larger body of believers.

Format for Family Connection Group
FCG's include each member of the family in the small group and begin with every member of the group being present. Below is a schedule for the Initial Gathering and Separated Gathering of the meeting time.

Initial Gathering (35-45 minutes)

1. Welcome, Statement of the Group Purpose, Introduction of Worship
2. Worship
3. Ice-breakers, Games, or Group Activity
4. Family Reporting and Group Sharing
5. Prayer
6. Closing Song

Separate Gathering (30-35 minutes)

Adult Gathering
This is a time for Bible study, discussion, sharing and prayer that could not take place in as deep a manner if children were present and follows the format of a regular CG.

Children's Gathering
This will involve children from ages 3-12. Older children may either stay with the adults or help with the younger children. Ideally, all adults in the group will take turns leading this section. One person in the group will serve as the Children's Coordinator and will make the schedule for who will be leading the children's segment on any given night. The Children's Coordinator will also help the person leading the children's segment to develop the agenda for that evening.

The children's segment is not to center so much on content as on relationships. It is to be an opportunity for the children to get to know other adult Christians and interact with them. This way the children get to see many examples of adults who are striving to live a life which is faithful to God. They experience being valued and cared for by the adults in the group. In this context, the emphasis is on application of the Christian life.

Closing Gathering (5 minutes)

Adults and children can report on what happened in their separate segments. Bring the group to an end with a prayer or song.

For more information contact: Pastor David Wojnicki at 749-5151 or email pastordavid@vccc.org