Care Group Ministry - Bedok Methodist Church

Leadership TipsWORSHIP FOR THEMUSICALLY CHALLENGEDYou know worship is an importantelement of small-group life. But you triedgroup singing a few tunes and it was adisaster. Your entire group is tone deaf!Take heart. There are ways to buildworship into your meetings withouttorturing the nonmusical.• Psalms. The psalms are beautifulwhen sung. But they are alsobeautiful when read aloud. And theirdown-to-earth language engages ouremotions and gives us words toexpress our worship. There areseveral ways to read the psalms forgroup worship. Use a psalm as aresponsive reading, in which theleader reads the first verse then thegroup reads the next verse, and so on.Or read a psalm a few verses at atime, pausing between passages toallow time for group members tomeditate on the words. Some psalms –especially the praise ones – arewonderful to read in unison.• Silence. Perhaps your group doesn’tlike to sing. But you can stillincorporate music. Ask groupmembers to quietly reflect and praywhile you play a taped instrumentalversion of a few familiar worship songsor a stirring classical piece. Orprepare hearts for Bible study byfinding a recorded song with lyricsthat touch on the message of thenight’s lesson. This is an excellentway to refocus on after a stressful dayof work, parenting, and so on.• Readings. Select a devotional readingor Scripture passage to read aloud.Look for material that will help youfocus on God in worship and wonder.• The Book of Common Prayer. Thistraditional worship book is full ofmaterial to help your group expressthanksgiving, praise, confession and soforth.• Hymnals. You don’t have to singhymns, you know. You can read them.Does someone in your group have anexpressive reading style? Ask him orher to read the lyrics of a hymn aloud,then have everyone offer sentenceprayers of praise for what the hymnteaches about the ways of God.Taken from : Small-Group Ideas, Vol 2A man who wants tolead the orchestramust turn his backon the crowd.Max LucadoCare GroupMinistryLINKEspecially forCare Group Leaders&Assistant LeadersMAY – JUN 2008 ISSUEBEDOK METHODIST CHURCHCARE GROUP MINISTRYVol 3 / 03 / 2008

Our goal : To Be A Strategic Partner ofthe Church Vision –To Make Disciples For Jesus Christ1. CG Leaders Forum:Saturday, 17 th May at 2.30 pmThis forum is for Care Group Leaders andAssistant Leaders. Please mark this date onfor your schedule.Agenda: Feedback from Care Groups on theexperience of Living Prayer Workbookseries (6 th Apr to 17 th May) Guide for planning your one-year CareGroup Meetings plan. The guide will bemade available for participants. Preview of the New Care Group Training,“Re-Group @ a Video Guided Training”package on 27 th June and 28 th June.2. ‘New’ CG Leaders’ Training‘NEW’Care Group Leaders’TrainingFriday, 27 th June 08,8 pm – 10 pmSaturday, 28 th June 08,2.30 pm - 6 pmFour 60-minute sessions on the foundations ofgroup life teaching in creative segments, andactivities and discussion time.a. Getting Connected – God’s Purpose forSmall Groups.b. Setting Ground Rules.c. Determining Your Group’s Purpose.ASKING GOD …WITH QUESTION MARKS- Bill GnadeYears ago, I looked at these wordsof Jesus : “Ask and it will be given to you”(Matt 7:7). And I asked myself a simplequestion. Did I really ask Jesus foranything?When I listened to my prayers, all Iheard was, “Lord, I just ask ... I just askthat You bless us …give us ... be with us…Lord, we just ask … we just ask.” Whywas my asking so bereft of questionmarks?When I ask my wife for help, Idon’t say, “Honey, I just ask that youcome to the garage.” I don’t say to mychildren, “Kids, I just ask that you cleanyour rooms.” And I don’t say to astranger, “I just ask you for directions tothe metro.” No, I ask – with questionmarks!When I decided to try addingquestion marks to my prayers, Iimmediately noticed a difference in tone.Instead of, “Lord, I just ask You for helpwith purchasing a new car,” I prayed,“Lord, would You help me purchase a newcar?” The question mark put me in awonderfully honest position, a place ofdependence on God. That is the beauty ofa question : It concedes vulnerability andweakness, need and desire.Why did I resist using a questionmark with God? Had I decided that faithwas bold and macho, that it needed tobe without doubt or weakness? Wheredid I get the idea that faith wasabout commandeering, not meeklypetitioning? How did I learn to speakto God in ways that I would neverspeak to my friends or family?In short, what was wrong withasking God a direct question? Doesn’tit take a more mature faith to ask Godwith a question mark? To do sosuggests the possibility of a yes or noanswer, perhaps even a dialogue.When I examined it, “Lord, we justask you to blah, blah, blah” appearspresumptuous and weak in real faith.Putting question marks intomy prayers make prayer – which attimes had become wearisome – moreexciting. Rather than obligating Godto perform or conform to my wishes,the question marks became marks ofintimacy and submission. They filledprayer with something wonderful.They filled it with the expectationthat I would receive – because I wasactually asking.Taken from: PRAY, issue 58________________________________________My personal reflections / prayers :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------