AGENDA

First Night Meeting Agenda – Looking for more guidance on your first meeting? We’ve created a First Night Agenda document that will guide you through all the details of your meeting. It was included in your Leader Packets that were mailed last week. You can also view it online or download a copy here.

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 Getting to Know You section to the Looking Ahead section.
• Study Questions Discussion (optional)
• Go over the Covenant – Use the last question in the Leader’s Guide to Study Questions below and transition into reviewing the Covenant.
• 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

   Goals of the First Meeting

• Rekindle relationships and meet new members
• Clarify your group’s direction / expectations / commitments using the Covenant
• Briefly discuss the sermon topic (if there is time – see Leader Guide above)
• Pray for the building of relationships and spiritual growth of the group

   Items Needed for the First Meeting

• Dinner / dessert plans decided
• Life Group Covenants – small ones to handout and a large one for everyone to sign (these were mailed to you last week in your leader packet, and can also be found online.
• Name-tags (host should write them out ahead of time)

   Contact Your Group in Advance

• Contact all members one week before the first meeting to welcome them to the group. You can check your roster online to see all the member of your group and their contact information. You can find instructions on how to check your roster here.
• Inform them of the location and time of your group, as well as any entrees to bring for dinner

   Life Group COVENANTS

• Covenants & Leaders Guide were all mailed to your meeting location or get them online.
• Go over Covenant – use last question in homework to transition into this. (See Leaders’ Guide to Covenant for more info).

WRAP UP

• Attendance – Submit your group’s attendance online through the Leader Toolbox. If you’re not sure how to post attendance, you can check out the online instructions.

This week we kick off our Fall Life Group Quarter. Your first meeting will include a potluck dinner, time to get acquainted, as well as time to discuss your Life Group Covenant. The study questions have been shortened this week to allow ample time to accomplish all of this.

To prepare for your first meeting, take some time to focus on the questions below and be prepared to share your answers with the group. Have a great meeting as you come together to connect, encourage one another to grow and see how God might work!

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.

• As you look back on the summer months, what were one or two of your highlights (i.e. going to a concert, swimming, family gathering, vacation, barbeque, etc.)?
  Good question to have everyone answer.
• What’s one of your favorite TV show re-runs and why? Which character do you like the most?
• When it comes to food and eating out we all have different preferences. Where do you eat out the most and what’s your “go-to” meal there? What’s your absolute favorite restaurant and your favorite entrée to order?
• 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?

Discussion Note: You can transition from “Getting to Know You” section to the “Looking Ahead” section.

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

This weekend we heard about finding God’s call for our lives based on who we are, what we’ve been given and where we are in life. While each of us have a specific purpose, as followers of Christ, God has a larger calling for all believers. Read the verses below and jot down what each verse says all followers of Christ are called to do.

Matthew 5:16 – ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:46 – ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that

Matthew 25:40 – ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 28:19 – ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Looking back at what you wrote down above, is there one verse that is typically easier for you to put into action? Is there one that is more challenging than the others for you? If so, explain.

1. As you think about the last section in this week’s teaching on “How to find our calling,” which of the three points would be most important for you to remember when it comes to God’s call on your life this quarter?
   Possible Goal Setting Question for this next quarter: 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. 
2. In preparation for going over the Covenant in your Life Group, take a moment to jot down some of the reasons you joined a group this fall. What are you looking forward to the most?
   Important question to have everyone answer.

Transition Statement to Covenant: “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. Click the link 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.

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.