Core Group Guide

  • A Core Group (CG) is a group of 3-4 individuals from the same Lifegroup (LG) who meet together for intentional discipleship around our Core Values: Know and Love God, Love one another, Make Disciples. In this confidential, same-gender, safe environment people can grow in their love relationship with God and in love toward one another through a trusting obedience to Christ and sharing of His Word together. New LG members will join an existing CG. If a group consistently has 6 members, the members create two groups between them.

    While a discipleship group like this could take different forms, our Core Groups follow a simple and reproducible model that is driven by our three Core Values. The format we are going with fits the acronym CALL (Connect, Accountability, Learn it, Live it). With the Core Values in mind, this approach helps us experience and grow in Jesus as we do life together. If you are going to be facilitating a Core Group or training others to facilitate a Core Group meeting, check out our CoreGroup Facilitator’s Training!

  • To grow in our love relationship with God together, we must have the opportunity to know each other deeply. At your first meeting, each person should spend up to 10 minutes sharing a few significant parts of their life journey (family of origin, significant others, faith background). The Core Group Facilitator (CGF) should go first to set the tone for honest sharing in the group. Minister to one another through prayer and encouragement after each person shares.

    Example: Share three high points and three low points that have shaped your journey so far.

    Set the expectation for future meetings by sharing the three values that will guide each meeting time (see What is a Core Group) and how you will use CALL to structure the time. Also cast vision for what will help the group be successful: consistent meetings, a growth mindset, and ministering to one another. This will require each member to be committed, teachable, and vulnerable. You should also stress that the group is confidential so long as there is not life-threatening information shared.

1. Connect (10 minutes)

Begin by having each person briefly share how they’re entering the group time. Each person can share a high and a low from the events of the last week. Minister as appropriate. No matter what is shared, bless and thank God for who He is and praying for the time together.

2. Accountability (15 minutes)

Accountability is a chance to share how we have lived out or had challenges with the Core Values as disciples of Jesus recently. The idea isn’t to catch someone failing, but rather to spur one another on and affirm obedience to Jesus. The goal isn’t to just share and pray, but to live in accountability with authentic community.

If there was a specific response from the last meeting, such as an “I will…” statement, start there.

If you are working through a book, course, or other content, regular practice you are doing as a group, start there.

Additionally, ask one Pathways question to help discuss how you are doing with that aspect of walking in your relationship with Jesus .

  • Scripture: What part of the Bible are you reading right now and how is it impacting your life?

    Prayer: How have you been connecting with and enjoying Jesus lately? Has time along with God been a part of that?

    Freedom: How have you needed to extend forgiveness toward anyone recently?

    Generosity: How have you chose to be generous with your time, talents, and treasure? Who has it served?

    Relationships: In what ways have you been able to love, serve, and walk in purity/health in the key relationships in your life? How have you not?

    Stewardship: Are you taking care of yourself and your family through faithfully stewarding your vocation, finances, time, and needs for rhythms of rest?

    Gifts & Calling: How has the Holy Spirit been speaking to and guiding you recently?

    Share: How has God included you in proclaiming the Gospel recently? What relationships with unchurched friends have you been investing in?

3. Learn it (25 minutes)

After accountability, we then seek to learn from God and one another. This can come from a variety of ways at the same time which can include haring vulnerably, listening to God and one another, looking to the Scriptures, and diving into a Discipleship Pathway together.

This will primarily look like asking questions to allow one another to share while everyone else listens both to the person sharing and to God. Here are the Core Questions you can ask:

1
How are you doing on the inside, and how connected do you feel to God?
2
Do you have any sin to confess?
3
What are your struggles and your successes?
4
How might the Word and Spirit be speaking in your life?
5
Is there anything you have been carrying alone that you need to bring into the light?

Regardless of what you do, weave in one of the core experiences into the time together. Pause often to give time for silence, listening, and ministry as needed.

4. Live it (10 minutes)

Regardless of the topic, our relationship with God is one that is lived out in intimacy and obedience. To that end, weave in an experience with God as the topic of discussion comes to a close. Select one of the starting points below if you need more guidance.

    1. Pause to allow each person to create an “I will…” statement as God leads.

    2. Make a note of each other’s “I will…” statements for follow up next meeting.

    3. Once everyone has shared their “I will…” statement, end in prayer for one another

    1. Ask God to complete the sentence, “(Name), I want you to know…”

    2. Share what you hear with the group.

    3. Take a moment to consider whether what was said lines up with the whole message of the Bible.

    1. Read a passage, discussing it's meaning and application to our desire to be disciples of Jesus.

    2. Use the passage that you just discussed as fuel for prayer.
      First, pause and listen as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray from this passage. Next, alternate praying out loud together. Here are some ways to pray:

      • Thank - thank God for who He is revealed to be in this passage

      • Declare - proclaim truths about Jesus or His followers that come from this passage

      • Ask - ask for more of what Jesus' followers or the world needs according to this passage

      The members of the group can either each do one of these prayers or each person can spontaneously choose how to pray.

    3. After everyone has prayed or the facilitator senses it is time to move on, pause again to see what else the Holy Spirit leads the group to pray or obey. Invite the group to speak it out-loud and respond to what is shared. If nothing is said, close in a brief thanks to the Holy Spirit for helping you pray.

  • Group Prayer

    1. After studying a passage, take turns sharing a relevant prayer need or how you need help responding to the Lord’s leading. 

    2. Pause for at least a minute to wait on the Lord for them. 

    3. When someone gets a word after the minute has passed, share it and pray for them. The other group members can jump in with what they sense God saying or join in agreement with what was shared. 

    4. When the time ministering to that person passes, repeat steps 2 and 3 for each person in the group. 

    Include Me Prayer

    1. Ask Jesus to include you in what He is doing.

    2. Pause and listen for any specific direction the Lord may give.

    3. Share what you sense with the group. This could be something obvious or entirely random. Regardless, make a note of it for later. 

    4. Pray for any upcoming opportunities to care for someone else.

  • Practice sharing one of the following:

    • One Sentence Gospel

    • 15 second testimony to be ready to be prepared to give an answer to why you hope (1 Peter 3:15)

    • A potential opportunity where you can care for someone who doesn't know Jesus

The Lord will also often invite His disciples to embrace a truth, do something specific, or change a behavior to live more in line with the Core Values. The Holy Spirit is the teacher and counselor who will show us how to be loving and obedient disciples together.

Spend time praying for one another to close the time. As you go throughout the week, remember to continue to do life together. Keep one another in prayer, share how you meet with God and see others meet with God, and reach out as you need support in obeying Jesus this week.