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Small Group Leadership Training 2010
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  Conclusion of Small Group Leadership Training Course - Friday. May 7th, 2010
The Small Groups training course had their celebration dinner on Friday, May 7th. The theme was "A Night of Lights," drawing inspiration from Pentecost and our identity as the light of the world. Thirty faithful participants attended the training for nearly three months and learned the skills necessary to facilitate a small group including: Creating Small Group Covenants, Worship, Celebrating Diversity in a Group, How to Study the Word of God, Managing Conflict and being Mission Minded. In addition to learning these skills, each participant was in a small group for the duration fo the training. We thank God for the transforming work He did in each participant and pray for the continued success of this ministry. If you are interested in joining a small group, please email us at smallgroups@smsv.ca.
Click here to see more photos
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 Mission Minded Small Groups- Sunday, May 2, 2010
This week we had a very rich session. We began by learning about eight of the characteristics of Orthodox teaching. As small group leaders, we need to ensure our small groups are:
+ Bibilically Based (Rooted in the Word)
+ Doctrine (Big Picture, Beyond Personal Opinion)
+ Ecclisiastically sound (Agpeya, Saints, Sacraments)
+ Patristics (Reference to Early Church Fathers)
+ Practical (Applying Lessons Learned)
+ Focused (Encourage to stay on Track)
+ Spiritual (Trusting God, Recharge, Recognizing the Seen and Unseen Mysteries)
+ Simple (Seeker Friendly Not Seeker Driven, Direct Message, Truth and Love)
As we prayerfully consider who will join our small groups, we were reminded to be mission minded and led by the Holy Spirit. We were also encouraged to remember that our small groups should always be growing and eventually split into two groups that will again grow and divide. Thank you to everyone for your dedication and support over the past three months! We are looking forward to our Small Groups Celebration Dinner this Friday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.
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 The Nitty Gritty of Leading a Small Group- Sunday, April 25, 2010
So, what’s it really like to lead a small group? Today, we had a panel of current small group leaders who shared their own experiences and strategies for facilitating effective small groups. We were able to learn about how to handle the unique challenges that come with the different goals and purposes that a small group may have. Thank you to our panel for all of your words of wisdom!
The Nitty Gritty
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 The Honeymoon Is Over!! Conflict Management - Sunday, April 11, 2010
In every healthy group, there are three stages of group dynamics. The first stage is the Honeymoon Stage where we are blind to each other's faults. The second stage is the Conflict Stage whereby certain tensions within the group arise. Groups need to perservere to reach the True Acceptance Stage. The bonds within a group are stronger as each member is more real and vulnerable and the group has arrived at mutual understandings during the Conflict Stage which help the group thrive. This week we learned about how to manage three possible conflicts which frequently arise in small groups: the Answer Person, the Overly Talkative Person and the Person with the Agenda. We agreed that the Covenant is a vital tool in helping address these issues. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful role plays! For some practical tips on how to address conflict from a Christian perspective, please read the article below.
Conflict Management
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   The Gift of Diversity - Sunday, March 21, 2010
Today we had a fun and interactive session where we examined the diverse personalities and talents that our Lord has blessed us with. We explored the concept of love languages based on the book by Christian psychologist Dr. Gary Chapman. According to Dr. Chapman, we give or receive love through quality time, gift giving, physical touch, words of affirmation and acts of service. We also explored the concept of visual, kinesthetic and auditory learning styles. We discussed the following questions: How do these differences influence us as SG Leaders? How do we deal with people in our SGs that have very different needs than our own and each other? What kinds of choices about curriculum might we make to address these differences within our SG?
We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting on Sunday, April 11. May we all have a blessed Holy Week.
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Experiencing the Word of God - Sunday, March 14, 2010
This past week we learned about how to experience the LIVING Word of God and not just hear it. We learned about the importance of a daily quiet time as well as how to hear the voice of God in our quiet time. For small group leaders who prefer to study the Bible one chapter at a time instead of using a curriculum, we briefly examined some of the resources that would help us to do that effectively in a small group setting. We are thankful for our rich discussion and hope we can all personally experience God's word in our lives. There is a link to the daily Bible readings and a Quiet Time reading guide on the SMSV website.
Guide to Quiet Time
How to Lead A Group Bible Study
Bible Study Template
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 The Heart of Worship - Sunday, March 7, 2010
I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)
Worship is giving God the glory that is due to Him. It is about thanking and praising Him for Who He is. Worship is an expression of our love to Him and prepares us for heaven. This past week we explored how to worship God through songs, icons, psalms, nature and art within a small group setting. Each person in the training also received a worship booklet she or he could use for their own future small group. Please visit the links below for the resources explored. We also want to wish our sisters here and abroad a Happy International Women's Day.
Worship PPT
Worship Ideas for A Small Group
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Small Group Covenant- Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thanks to everyone who joined us today and allowed us to celebrate Canada's gold together!
A small group covenant is a set of agreements that are mutually agreed upon by the small group. The covenant also specifies what the group's goals are and provides a focus for each small group. It is imperative that each small group develop a covenant, which ensures the small group is a safe place for each member.
Tip sheet on developing a covenant click here
Sample small group covenants Sample 1 Sample 2
GO CANADA GO!!
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 What is a Small Group - Sunday February 21, 2010
Thanks to everyone who attended the first meeting of our third annual small groups training.
This week, we became acquainted with one another and learned about the three foundational elements of a healthy small group.
GRACE-the understanding that God is for us
TRUTH-the words spoken from Scriptures
TIME-the time needed for growth and transformation to occur
We also learned about the five essential habits of a small group.
CARE, AUTHENTICITY, GROWTH, SAFETY and HELP.
Stay tuned for next week when we will learn about how to make a small groups covenant.
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Small Groups Ministry:
Mission Statement:
“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47
- Are you desiring to grow in your faith within the context of community?
- Want to make an impact on your world with others?
- Looking for a way to make your faith journey dynamic and meaningful?
Consider joining a small group. A small group consists of 6-10 people who meet regularly with an identified leader who creates an environment for connection, community and spiritual formation. In addition to studying a spiritual book and praying with one another, small groups serve the community at large and have regular outings to promote fellowship and fun.
The vision of the small groups ministry is directly tied to the vision of SMSV: to become a Church where nobody stands alone!
St. Maurice & St. Verena’s Coptic Orthodox Church has a vision of making small group ministry an integral part of this Church. Thus, it should not only be a church with small groups but a church OF small groups. This means that eventually every member of the congregation should be connected to a small group which best fits his/her interests and present spiritual journey.
To volunteer in this committee, please contact Marian Shehata at smallgroups@smsv.ca send a message
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