Leader Tools
Plan with "Life Group Season Commitment"
Communicate Your Plans (and order books)
Recommended Resources
Real Life Theology Handbook
Each chapter of the RLT Handbook will walk you through how to build your convictions on what is true—and then live them out in the real world. Your Life Group will benefit from self-assessments, study, Scriptures, and snapshots of everyday disciples of Jesus who have applied these truths to their lives!
Discovery Bible Study
Antioch offers you and your group the 5-5-5 Daily Devotion Challenge: five sermon-based devotions weekly that will help you connect with God through five minutes of Scripture, five minutes of application, and five minutes of prayer – a perfect way to prepare for a Life Group Discussion!
RightNow Media Study Library
You are just a few clicks away from a huge library of Bible content for kids, students, parents, small groups, teachers, and leaders. Topics include Bible studies, marriage, dating, parenting, recovery, leadership, finances, and much more. Best of all – it’s FREE through Antioch!
PCO Groups - Group Leader Navigation
Are you leading a group here at Antioch? Have these helpful resources at your fingertips with the touch of a button. Both will guide you in simplifying the communication process within your group, as well as managing your group’s members and attendance.
5 Marks of a Healthy Group
- We focus on a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
- We love each other as Jesus has loved us.
- We are here to support each other, not “fix” each other.
- We maintain each other’s trust by keeping confidentiality. What is shared in the group stays in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.
- We keep our commitments to the group—including regular attendance and being prepared.
Helpful Suggestions for Facilitators
- Trust God! Remember, God is the source of motivation and strength, and he cares even more than you do! So ask God to bless you, and he will provide the strength and opportunity to succeed!
- Partner up! It’s much better to have a co-facilitator who can encourage and substitute for you. This allows for many to use their gifts and no one to get overwhelmed.
- Prepare personally! Set a good example of diligently listening intently to the sermon and experiencing the growth through the 5-5-5 Daily Devotions. Pray about what questions you can ask.
- Be open! God wants to use you as you are—where you are in your own journey to connect with others.
- Be safe! Honor each other by listening, encouraging, praying, and keeping confidentiality as a non-negotiable principle.
- Encourage Participation. Ask good questions and listen well, providing space for everyone to contribute.
- Have fun! This is not a boring class or a religious ritual. This is the family of God enjoying his creation, wisdom, and relationships. Eat together, laugh together, cry together, play together, prayer together.
- Pray often! Thank God for what he has done, ask God for what you need, and trust that God wants to bless and participate in the lives of everyone in your group!
Childcare Options
- Recruit someone to do children’s ministry while your group is meeting.
- Hire a babysitter. Have each member pitch in. Be generous!
- Allow older children to supervise younger children with adults checking in.
- Have group members trade off in watching the children.
- Allow the children to take part in the group. Offer topics and activities where everyone can participate.
- Have each member arrange for their own childcare.
- Trade off childcare with another group that meets on a different night.
Group Study Materials
FAQs
Your role is not teacher but shepherd. Encourage each person in your group to dig into the Scriptures themselves by taking the 5-5-5 Daily Devotion challenge.
Life Groups set their own location, day, and meeting time. Every Life Group should meet weekly. Many Life Groups choose to take the holidays and summers off and meet for social events periodically during these times.
Because it is important to eat, pray, discuss Scripture, and share each other’s stories together, most group meetings will take an hour and a half.
Live Groups
- Provide a clean, comfortable house (and snacks are welcome!).
- Complete the 5-5-5 Daily Devotion Challenge and be ready to facilitate group discussion!
Online Groups
- Provide a Zoom link and reminders.
- Complete the 5-5-5 Daily Devotion Challenge and be ready to facilitate group discussion!
Tip
- Let the sermon and the Daily Devotions do the teaching. Your job as a facilitator is to listen, ask good questions, and facilitate good discussion.
- Ask, “What does the Bible say about that?” Teach your group to dig into their own understanding by assigning them to go find out and report back to the group next week!
