Macedonia UMC Connect Groups

Week of October 29, 2017 The Faithfulness of Jesus Romans 3:19-28 Catching Up (10-20 min) Once you’ve spent some time together, share stories about a time when it felt like the cards were stacked against you.  Whether in a game, or a work scenario, or a family situation. Prayer and Accountability (20-30 min) Hopefully your group is growing in depth during this time and more people are sharing.  Passion: Where did I see God today? Accepting: How am I building diverse relationships? Invitational: Who am I connecting with God’s family? Trusting: Where does God rank? Active: How am I engaged with God’s work? Make sure that you actually pray during this section at some point, and don’t simply say that you will pray at the end of the group.  Bible Study and Discussion (20-30 min) Either send out for your group to read, or print and have available this article about Why Martin Luther Matters to United Methodists.    ...

Connect Groups More Than Enough Matthew 6:25-34 This week 2 themes emerge from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.  One of those themes is not worrying about material possessions.  The second comes from Matthew 6:34, the last verse of our Scripture lesson for Sunday: “Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  The following resources might be helpful, depending on your group.  One is a song that I was reminded of by the band Big Tent Revival from 1996 about money not buying happiness.  The second is an article from The Atlantic about the constant anxiety people feel in our current world.  Feel free to share one, both, or none of these things with your group before you meet, depending on the makeup of your group: Big Tent Revival: Two Sets of Jones’   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQE5PNRLZ40 Article: “Constant Anxiety Won’t Save the World” https:...

Week of October 15, 2017 Exodus 16:1-21 and Matthew 6:19-21 Hang Out (10-20 min) It’s hard to believe that this will be your 5 th group meeting together.  Take time for your group hang out and catch up with one another.  Once you notice people settling in, begin with this guiding discussion for the night: Tell a story of someone you know (or have known) who is abundantly generous. After stories have been shared, thank those who shared stories of generosity. Prayer and Accountability (20-30 min) However your group has decided to use this time, I hope that you are finding a rhythm that works together.  If your group has not tried a midweek connection with a prayer partner, you could encourage that this week (just have each person check up on the other at some point throughout the week).  Remind one another of the measures questions—if it helps to put them on an index card for your group to have each week, you may want to print those out ...

Connect Groups Week of October 8, 2017 Timing is Everything Romans 5:1-8 Hang Out/Fellowship/Commune/Eat Food (10-20 min) It sounds like most of your groups have a good vibe going.  I encourage you to continue to encourage openness and hospitality with your group.  The more comfortable you are with one another, the more that the group will “feel like home.” As you get ready to close this part of the session, invite people to respond to this question: When is a time when your heart was right, but the timing of something you did was just off? Prayer and Accountability (20-30 min) I have heard that this aspect is going great in some of your groups, and in some groups people are hesitant to open up.  Some people really aren’t comfortable praying aloud.  There are a couple ways to solve this: -You could let someone know that they’re going to pray for the group ahead of time , like the week before (Jennifer, would you pray for us next week?) ...