And just like that, the Fall Community Group Trimester is a wrap.
How did it go? Do you have questions? Is there anything we can help with? Reply to this email or reach out to your coach.
If you haven't had a chance to meet up with your coach yet this fall, we'd love to connect in-person or online.
Upcoming Community Group Dates
Winter Community Group Trimester: January 16th - March 19th (9 Weeks)
There are 8 weeks between the Fall and Winter Trimester. While that is a long break, we hope it gives you some breathing room amidst the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Celebrations.
Re:Group Leader Kickoff: Sunday, February 6th, 5:00-6:30pm (New Leader Breakout 4:15-4:50PM)
This year we are moving our Re:Group Training away from the first Sunday in January to the first Sunday in February.
Here are a few of our reasons:
It provides a mid-year refresh as it is closer to the middle of our group year instead of 1/3 of the way through.
It gives us a bit of a break after a season where our calendars are full of Holiday gatherings.
It will give you more opportunities after the holidays to invest and invite potential leaders to join you at Re:Group.
It won't conflict with the Buffalo Bills playoff games.
At Re:Group, we'll be focusing on helping you find and develop leaders for your group.
Do you have a potential leader you'd like to invite? Share this date with them so they can get it on their calendar.
5 Group Ideas For The Holidays
Here are 5 ideas to stay connected with your group over the winter break and make the most of the Holiday season.
1. Schedule a Holiday Party
While your weekly meetings are on break, doing a Friendsgiving Feast, Christmas Party, or New Years Party, will help your group stay connected and enjoy a nice change of pace from a typical group night.
2. Plan A Winter Social
For some, 1 Holiday party may be all that your calendar can handle. For others, 2 months without an official Community Group meeting can be too long, and you may have more capacity and desire to get together.
Looking for social ideas to do with your group in the winter? Here are 14 Winter Social Ideas.
3. Find A Way To Serve Together
Check out CarePortal to find and meet needs in our community. This could include buying and delivering furniture, clothing, food, or Christmas gifts.
Purchase and deliver gifts for the Rise School Toy Drive. Click here for their Amazon Wish List.
Find and meet a need in your own Group. Ask your group members. Do they know friends, neighbors, or others in the community who you could bless? Is there a family in your own group who could use help with a project, groceries, or holiday gifts?
4. Create A Plan for Spiritual Accountability
While a break from weekly meetings can help you get rest instead of burning yourself out, the Holidays can get us out of healthy routines with our spiritual disciplines and can increase temptations.
Reach out to your Group members to figure out a plan to thrive spiritually during the break instead of drift from God and toward sinful patterns.
It could be as simple as a weekly, or even daily group text with the men or women.
It could be pairing up into groups or 2 or 3 for weekly checkins on your goals.
It could be doing an Advent Bible Reading plan together.
Develop a plan, be specific on your goals, ask each other about your progress, and pray for God's help to grow closer toward Him as we celebrate "God with us."
5. Celebrate Together on Sundays
While you might not see each other during the week, save a seat in the auditorium on Sundays, chat together on the online stream, or connect in the lobby after the service. We have some special things planned for the lobbies as we celebrate the Christmas season.
Enjoy the break and thanks for all you do to help your group better know God and be known by others!!!
Keep up-to-date with what happening in our group ministry on the Facebook Group and Podcast.
