Groups Ablaze! (GA) is a two
track process that will help motivate and empower a church to
become outwardly focused on the mission to which God has called us: that is,
to reach our communities with the love and saving message of Christ. Our
every-day relationships form the primary bridge across which the Gospel of
Jesus travels. Our churches must turn from an inward to an outward focus if
we are to develop relationships with people who need to know, love and trust
Christ.
The one track focuses on motivating and empowering the
church membership. GA provides a series of 6 weeks of interactive discovery
guides for use in small groups that meet in homes of the members of the
church. These modules are designed to gradually lead Christians to become
motivated and to develop skills that create a level of comfort in sharing
the Gospel with those who need to know Christ. It is recommended that the
various 6-week series be completed as components of an entire process.
In addition to empowerment tools for the church member, a
second track of GA provides a series of Ablaze! Leading training
modules to equip pastors and church leaders to develop leadership skills
necessary to support the change from an inward to an outward focus for the
church. This two track approach is vital if the church is experiencing a
decline in membership or has been on a plateau for a long time.
The leadership development track will include your pastor’s
participation with other pastors in a Learning Community, which may have
district level participation as well. Peer coaching and peer accountability
support the pastor in the growth and skill development process. Each pastor
is expected to create a Learning Community in the local church of leaders
who want to become part of a long term support team to create lasting change
and outward focus in the local church.