These notes are designed to be a resource as you lead your Life Group each week.

Here’s a quick 90 second video from the Life Group Study Question writing team (Ned, Connor and I) about your first meeting:

Looking for more guidance on your first meeting? Click the link to the “First Night Agenda” about how to make your first night great.  

HOW WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS WEEK TO WEEK: Hearing from everyone at every meeting and keeping God’s Word at the center. 

Make sure you leave plenty of time to answer the question in the “Looking Ahead” section and spend time going over the Covenant with your group. 

• Welcome and Eat – Potluck
• Group Sharing – Discussion Note: You can transition from the “Getting to Know You” section to the “Looking Ahead” section.
• Study Questions Discussion (optional)
• Go over the Covenant – Use the last question in this Leader’s Guide and transition into reviewing the Covenant.
  • You can access all of the Covenants online.
• Try to get to the “Looking Ahead” section with 45 minutes left in your meeting so you have plenty of time to have everyone answer and go over the Covenant.
• Close in prayer
• Eat (more) dessert

ATTENDANCE
Submit your group’s attendance online through the Leader Toolbox here: northcoastchurch.com/attendance

Add these questions if you have new people in your group or a completely new group. If it hasn’t happened while eating dinner, have everyone in the group share how long they have been attending North Coast, if they have been in a Life Group before, and their occupation.

Note: You’ll probably only have time to do two of these questions at most, so choose accordingly.

1. At times we all need a place to chill out and relax. Where is the most relaxing place for you to be?
   Good question to have everyone answer.
2. We all have a variety of highlights and memories from our elementary school years. Who was your favorite or craziest teacher in elementary school?
   Good question to have everyone answer.
3. As we start 2019, what are one or two things you’re looking forward to in the New Year?
   Discussion Note: You can transition from the “Getting to Know You” section to the “Looking Ahead” section.
4. Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged or confused you?
   Note: Question one in the next section is another type of “Getting to Know You” question. You may want to make that one of the questions you focus on.

Because of the potluck, make sure you have enough time to spend on the “Looking Ahead” section. You may not have time to cover this question this week.

1. Whether you’ve been following Jesus for a long time or are still in process of making that decision, we can all point to at least a general time when we first heard the story of Jesus. Jot down as much as you can remember about who, when and where you first heard the Jesus story.

Discussion Note: We’re not looking for exact times as many won’t remember, but more of when the idea of Jesus was introduced into their world. If you have new people in your group, do be aware they may not have made a commitment to follow Jesus yet. 

Additional Questions: “What was your response when you first heard about Jesus?” If you know your group, you may want to add this question; “If you’ve made a commitment to Jesus, how and when did he go from being more than a story or name to becoming the ‘Good News’ that he’s saved you?”

2. We are given the great opportunity to live out the Good News and point others toward Jesus. How do the following verses help us know what this looks like?

1 Corinthians 9:19, 22-23

Matthew 5:9

John 13:35

2 Timothy 2:15

Looking back at what you just wrote, what are some specific examples of how you can point others towards the Good News?

One of the key reasons we meet in Life Groups every week is to gain the encouragement and support we each need to keep our focus on Jesus. Before you go over the Covenant in your group, take a moment and write down your responses to the two questions below:

What are you looking forward to in your Life Group this quarter?

Important question to have everyone answer.

Is there anything specific you want to focus on in your life to point others toward Jesus?

Possible Goal Setting Question for this next quarter: Everyone may not have an answer. You could use the verses above as an area for them to focus on. You may not have time to have everyone answer. If you do, it could be a good question to make your theme and overall prayer request for this next quarter.

Transition Statement to Covenant: “It’s great to hear what each of you have said about what you want out of your time in the group. One of the great benefits of being in a Life Group is the opportunity to have help from others as we seek to be strategic and intentional about our spiritual growth. The Life Group Covenant is designed to serve as intentional guidelines to help us make the most of our time together.”

Pass out Covenants and go over them with your group. See below or you can download the Leaders Guide to the Life Group Covenant, by going to northcoastchurch.com/groups and clicking on “Leader Tools.”

Close in prayer: Next week the Study Questions will include an introduction to praying in a group so if you have a new group or a lot of new members, it’s suggested that you wait until week two to do any group prayer. 

Eat dessert: Mingle with everyone.

• Read Mark in one sitting (takes about 1-2 hours)
• One chapter per day – read through Mark twice in a month
• Bible Apps w/ Text or Audio – Bible Gateway App or The Bible App by YouVersion

Life Groups exist to promote spiritual maturity and personal growth through meaningful Christian relationships and the study of God’s Word. (Romans 8:29 & Hebrews 10:24-25). Here’s how it will happen:

SHARE
Each week we’ll take time to share what is happening in our lives.
At first this sharing will include planned “sharing questions.” But after the first few weeks, it will become more informal and personal as we feel more comfortable.

STUDY
Each week we’ll study a section from God’s Word that relates to the previous weekend’s sermon or an appropriate personal growth topic. Our goal is to learn how to live out our Christianity in everyday life.

SUPPORT
Each week we’ll learn how to take care of one another as Christ commanded (John 15:9-13). This care can take many forms, such as prayer, encouragement, listening, challenging one another and meeting real needs.

SERVE
Spiritual growth is fostered not only by what we gain through the support and input of others, but also through service to others. The role each of us fills is important to the health of the church and for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the community in which we live (Ephesians 4:11-16). Throughout the quarter, it is our hope that you can find and/or be affirmed in the ways God has designed you to serve and make a difference in God’s Kingdom.