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

DISCUSS PLANS FOR THE WINTER QUARTER!
Confirm any changes, adds or drops within your group:
Find out from your group if they know their plans for being part of the group next quarter. They can indicate their plans on the Feedback Forms. Also, let us know of any roster updates or changes that you know of to your meeting day, time or location for the Winter Quarter when you submit your attendance.

LET YOUR GROUP KNOW NEXT QUARTER’S DATES

• Winter Sign-Ups: January 4 & 5 and 11 & 12 – on all campuses and online.
• Winter Quarter Dates: January 12 – March 14

 PRAYER FOR NEW WINTER LIFE GROUP LEADERS & HOSTS
Take some time to pray for new Leaders and Hosts to launch new Life Groups in the Winter.

REMEMBER TO GET COMMUNION SUPPLIES FOR THE LAST MEETING (OPTIONAL).

ONLINE FEEDBACK FORMS:

If you did not do Feedback Forms two weeks ago, please make sure to have your group complete them this week. Reminder emails went out on December 2. In the event that someone in your group can’t find the email, you may share the generic link listed here with them: lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/feedback

ATTENDANCE
Submit your group’s attendance online at northcoastchurch.com/attendance. If you’re not sure how to post attendance, you can check out the guide here. Don’t forget to let us know of any roster updates that you know of, or changes to your meeting day, time or location for the Fall quarter when you submit your attendance.

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 ABOUT THIS WEEK’S STUDY: This week’s Study Questions celebrate how God has worked this past quarter. Most of your time should be spent in the Christmas Remembered and Thankfulness sections. Because we did Communion a couple weeks ago, there are some groups that may not want to repeat it. There are four alternative options on how you can end this last meeting of the quarter.

Many of us have funny memories of Christmas traditions, some of which we either loved or despised. Rate the list of Christmas traditions below with the following descriptors: Love It – Indifferent – Not a Fan

Have fun with this question.

• Homemade Christmas sweaters
• Christmas carolers at your door
• Eggnog
• Homemade Christmas decorations
• Pictures with Santa and/or animal pictures with Santa
• Putting Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving
• White elephant gift exchange
• Watching the movie “A Christmas Story” for the umpteenth time

Christmas is a time full of fun traditions. To help keep those traditions in perspective, people will often say it’s not about what you get, but what you give. Though this principle is a powerful one to remember, it actually misses the mark of what Christmas is about. Christmas really is about what we get! It’s about God sending His son Jesus to us! As we enter this Christmas season we want to embrace how Christmas actually is a time to celebrate what we have been given. Take a moment and ask God to speak to you as you read through the following passages and reflect on the incredible gift of life we have been given through His son Jesus. Jot down anything that catches your attention regarding the significance and power of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Optional: Before you look up the verses, you can check out the 5-minute video link below from The Bible Project that sets up the story of Jesus beyond what we read in the gospels. youtube.com/watch?v=_OLezoUvOEQ

Isaiah 9:6-7

Luke 2:1-7

Philippians 2:5-8

John 3:16

John 10:10

John 15:12-17

Looking back at what you wrote above, what is the best reminder to help celebrate the true meaning of the Christmas season?

1. We can be confident that God is continually at work in our lives as followers of Jesus (Philippians 1:6). As you look back on this quarter, what are you thankful for in your own life and your Life Group experience?

(It can be a specific way God encouraged you, time spent together in your group, how your group has helped you to continue to live your life for Jesus, something new you learned, a service project, spiritual breakthrough, something that challenged you to grow or anything else.)

2. Looking back at what you wrote in the Christmas Remembered question above, what are you most thankful for about who God is and what He has done for you in 2019?

You can mix and match these options to what fits your group best. Listen to the Leader Guide Podcast for a fuller description.

#1 Have everyone share what they are thankful for this past quarter and then have a prayer time using what they said in question 2 of the Thankfulness section above to focus their prayers.

#2 Advent: Have six to twelve candles on the table in the middle of the group. Have the middle candle lit as the Christ Candle. Before someone shares, they take a candle and light it with the Christ Candle and then share what they are thankful for from this last quarter and/or what Jesus has done for them. All the candles lit represent the light of Christ we have in us and the impact it has on the world when we from this place of thankfulness.

#3 Video/Music Option: You could use the new North Coast Christmas song (lyrics on back of homework) or play “O Come All Ye Faithful” sung by Chris Tomlin while people listen and use it as a time of reflection and worship.

#4 Communion

IDEAS: You may want to involve others by asking them to read Scripture and lead these prayers. The bread and juice can also be set on a table in the middle of the room and people take Communion after you read the Scripture and pray, or while the group sings or listens to a worship song.

1. PURPOSE: Introduce Communion by sharing that it’s all about being intentional in remembering the great love God has for us by sending His son Jesus to die that we might have life. Video Option: There is a 5-minute video where Chris Brown walks you through Communion. Feel free to use this: com/371793842

2. READ: Luke 2:1-7, Luke 22:19-20 and John 15:12-17 and then give people a chance to reflect and share what they are thankful for in regard to what Jesus has done for them.

3. DISTRIBUTE: Pass the bread, thank the Lord for it and eat together. Pass the cup, thank the Lord for it and drink together.
4. PRAY: Move into prayer time, thanking Jesus for His commitment to love us and how He is working in our lives. Close your time in prayers of praise.

As followers of Jesus, we are able to celebrate the Christmas season because of the amazing gift God has given us – the gift of His son, Jesus. The closing time in your group this week will end with your group thanking God for what He has done this past year, as well as an option to take Communion.

(A New Christmas Worship Song by our own North Coast Worship Ministry)
Check out the song online! northcoastchurch.com/music

Whispers from prophets of a king
Covered in darkness wandering
We were waiting
Light of the world awakes the dawn
Born of a virgin Christ the Son
We were waiting now the King has come to us

Behold the King of Glory
The Son of Man is worthy
Jesus has come
Jesus the King has come Amen

Our Hope is born the Prince of Peace
Covered in glory King of Kings
No more waiting
Sin and oppression now will cease
Chains shall He break to set us free
No more waiting the revival has begun Behold the King of Glory
The Son of Man is worthy
Jesus has come
Jesus the King

Oh come let us adore Him
Our lives a gift before Him
Jesus has come
Jesus the King has come Amen

No more waiting
God is with us now
Hallelujah
Emmanuel

Words & Music by North Coast Music
©2019 North Coast Music ARR.ICS.