Best Practice #2 - TIP WELL...Because He First Loved Us

I've been a fair tipper at restaurants...giving at least 15 to 20%. But for whatever reason, I haven't contributed to the tip jar at a coffee house. That has changed since I began leading a small group at a local Starbucks.

"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19 NIV)

Everyone is watching one anothers' actions. That is reality. When people discover you are a person of faith, they look even more closely. They are looking for love,one's faith, actively lived out. 

If you frequent a coffee house or restaurant with your small group (or go there on your own) and the wait staff discovers you follow Jesus through relationships built, you will be looked upon by how well you tip. If you under tip (less than 15%), you'll be viewed as cheap, and more so unloving. Is that the impression you want to convey to the community? Or by tipping well, is that just one way in which Christ followers can share with others the love given to them by Jesus? The Spirit may very well use the practice of good tipping to open up conversation for the good news of Jesus to be heard. 

A practical tip (no pun intended...lol!) - Even if I use a debit card to pay for my coffee and donut, I'm still dropping 4 quarters in the tip jar (the clanking of coins can help a barista know you are contributing). 

"...God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV)

What will be your next step in being a cheerful tipper?

What suggestions on this subject matter do you have? What other areas do people similarly watch each other's actions in the community? With the Spirit's lead, empowered by God's Word, let's figure this stuff out together! Please share your comments. 

Best Practice #1 - Newcomers and Your "Seemingly" Maxed Out Group: What To Do

In the first post of groups out you learned about cord groups. Cord groups are smaller, small groups of 3-5 people meeting IN the community (at restaurants, coffee shops, etc.). If you've just launched a cord group (triad or something similarly) and are quickly at 5 people, what do you do about newcomers? How do you keep the group open while maintaining intimate, smaller group discussion? 

Here is a strategy to try (with timeline example):

• 12:00 - 12:10 pm - Have everyone hang out together. This may involve standing around a single table together with coffees and/or donuts in hand or congregating in the entrance area. Use this as a time to catch up with each others, do introductions, etc.

• 12:10 - 12:55 pm - At separate tables (as space allows), meet in groups of 3s or 4s for the Bible study discussion and prayer time. Make sure that there is a person at each table equipped to facilitate the conversation.

• 12:55 - 1:00 pm - Say your goodbyes with all - including those who did not sit at your table. 

With this strategy, there is 1) room for newcomers to enter into your group AND 2) you are able to maintain some face time with folks with whom you've been doing group life together. (Note: even in these smaller groups, the best discipling relationships formed are those that happen in between group meetings. Group meetings serve as the hub of how discipleship happens with your small group members.) 

What about group multiplication? After whatever time period of meeting together - 10 weeks, 3 months, 6 months...however the Spirit leads - multiplication of the group can then happen. As you equip others to lead discussions and prayer at the separate tables, you are in fact raising up future leaders of multiplied groups! 

What are your thoughts on this strategy? Let's figure this out together. As we reach our communities with the love of Jesus and invite more people into Christian fellowship, what a terrific "problem" this would be to have!

Idea #1 - Launching Cord Groups (smaller, small groups) OUT and IN the Community

During the middle of summer 2014 God led me to launch a turbo cord group that included six of us from St. Paul/Aurora. 

"Cord" - think smaller, small group. 

"Turbo" - meaning meeting together for a quick period of 10 weeks with the hope and plan for each of us individually and/or partnered together in pairs (after the 10 weeks) to launch our own cord groups. 

Our turbo cord group met weekly at a restaurant next door to our church campus. (Learn more about cord groups.)

Our favorite story happened during week 4 of meeting together. Near the close of our meeting we asked our waitress, who had been serving us the past few weeks, if there was anything we could pray about for her. It was a simple question. But it made an impact. 

She first stepped back, expressed a surprised look, and then quickly, replied, "Yes. I have a couple things you can pray about." Later she enthusiastically asked if she could share a third request. Of course we said, "Yes!" After the first exchange she left our table with a tear in her eye. She earlier shared, "You've made my day!" (Of course, we know it was Jesus who did that through us--the body of Christ.)

I'll never forget the look on our faces. We were all somewhat stunned at our waitress' response. We then talked about how amazing it would be if we could have groups from our church meeting in restaurants/public spaces throughout our community, building relationships with guests/patrons/staff, all-the-while sharing the love of Jesus. 

In all honesty doing something like this isn't the most sacrificial thing to do as a follower of Jesus. But it is one doable step towards breaking out of our Christian bubbles and bringing the church INTO the community.

As a first step, the plan is to focus on meeting in restaurants/public spaces within a 3-mile radius of our church campus. (Check out the map and listing of establishments.)

Even before the turbo group finished meeting, we were able to launch 2 cord groups in the community. At the end of this month our original turbo cord group will begin meeting as a coaching group where we will mutually encourage one another in the Word and through prayer, on a monthly basis, with regards to the cord groups we've begun (or soon will begin) to launch. Hopefully we'll have 5 or 6 cord groups meeting in our community within a month. Also at the end of this month I'll be launching a new turbo cord group.

One goal is that before next year we could have groups meetings in 20 different establishments within that 3 mile radius of our church. 

Each group and where they meet will have their own unique dynamics. Besides setting up the plan of cord groups meeting, they will not be over-programmed. While centered in God's Word, they'll all look and operate differently. We simply look forward to seeing what encounters God brings to us and how He will use us for His mission to make disciples and reach the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ!