Life Groups: Witness
Last Updated on July 12, 2024 by Rocklyn Clarke
Contents
Activities For Life Group Witness
The Witness portion of a life group meeting lasts about 15 minutes, which is not a lot of time. The group has various options to choose from for activities during this section of the meeting, but none of them is likely to yield significant results over the course of a single life group meeting. Each activity is more likely to yield significant results as you build on it over the course of several meetings. For this reason, life group leaders will want to think strategically about which activities they pursue over the course of 1 – 3 months.
Life Group Skills For Witness
Our training page presents a blueprint for the ongoing work of evangelism and discipleship through our life groups:
The following skills are ones that life group members could develop as part oft the Witness section of the meeting:
- Developing and sharing your personal testimony
- Identifying an accessible pool of unchurched people
- Developing practical ways to start spiritual conversations
- Promoting activities welcoming to unchurched people
- Leading someone to Christ
- Getting new believers filled with the Holy Spirit
- Discipling another believer
Developing and Sharing Your Personal Testimony
During the Witness portions of the meeting members can take turns work on their testimonies:
They can also take turns sharing their testimonies with the group. If you devote the Witness portion of your meeting to this activity you should be able to cover everyone in a month.
Identifying an Accessible Pool of Unchurched People
During the Witness portion of the meeting, each member can develop a list of their individual pools. The group can pray together about choosing which pools to pursue. This is not complete until there is a commitment and and action plan with a timetable.
Checkout the resources on our Good News Page under “Building Relationships”:
Developing Practical Ways to Start Spiritual Conversations
LIfe group members can review the available training in this area and spend time during the Witness portion of the meeting role playing to develop their confidence. One month should suffice to develop a basic level of competence.
- Beyond Awkward (be sure to checkout the “Free Web Course” link at the top of the page)
- Good News: Evangelistic Conversations
Promoting Activities Welcoming to Unchurched People
The group can spend the Witness portion of the meeting assessing its resources and planning “turn key” activities.
- Who is good at hosting?
- Who is good at inviting people?
- Who enjoys hanging out?
- Who enjoys planning events?
Once meeting may suffice to identify the team and get the planning started offline.
Checkout the resources on our Good News Page under “Building Relationships”:
Leading Someone to Christ
During the Witness portion of the meeting members can role play leading each other to Christ to build confidence. This can be done in pairs or one at a time with the whole group. One month should suffice to develop a basic level of confidence.
Prepare for this by reviewing our training resources:
Getting New Believers Filled With the Holy Spirit
During the Witness portion of the meeting members can share about their own experiences with the Holy Spirit and pray for any members who have not yet been filled. They can also share “best practices” for leading others into this experience.
Prepare for this by reviewing our training resources:
Discipling Another Believer
During the Witness portion of the meeting members who do not yet have someone to disciple can pair up and arrange to practice reviewing the Following Jesus curriculum together (outside of the life group meeting) in order to get comfortable leading someone else through it. They can take turns leading. One or two meeting should suffice to get everyone on the path. Those who are already discipling someone may find that this is a useful time to share questions and insights generated from the discipleship process.
Prepare for this by reviewing our training resources:
“Traditional” Life Group Witness Activities
Work together as a group to discover opportunities for serving people outside the congregation and for developing relationships with new people that can lead to them following Jesus. Spend about 15 minutes — end on time!
- Take turns praying for people that you want to become followers of Jesus.
- Pray for boldness to build your relationships with unchurched people and to talk about Jesus.
- Place an empty chair in the center of the room and pray for the next person to fill that seat.
- Identify people in need that your group can serve.
- Identify a community service project you can participate in together.
General Life Group Witness Resources
Here are some resources for the Witness portion of your meeting:
- Following Jesus: Evangelism
- InterVarsity Evangelism Prayer Cards (PDF)
- InterVarsity Evangelism 2+PrayerISM (PDF)
- Evangelism and Multiplication – Joel Comiskey Group
- Questions For Use In Relational Evangelism
- Small Group Evangelism: Strategies for reaching people for Jesus – YouTube (00:04:50)
- Small Group Evangelism: Why Small Group Evangelism is Essential – YouTube (00:04:25)
- Multiplication: Effective Cell Groups First Make Disciples before Giving Birth – YouTube (00:03:36)
- Multiplication: Myths and Truths about Effective Cell Group Multiplication – YouTube (00:04:35)
Additional Life Group Meeting Components:
Volunteer to Help Your Life Group Leader
One of the best ways that you can prepare for life group leadership is by volunteering to help lead a portion of your life group meetings. Mature believers will recognize that just because they are willing to serve doesn’t mean that their life group leaders will be able to “read their minds” or receive a “word of knowledge” to that effect. It’s important for you to let your life group leaders know that you’re willing to serve. Let them know that you’re willing to lead one of the four sections (i.e. “Welcome”, “Worship”, “Word”, “Witness”). Life group leaders will typically set up a rotation so that each member gets some experience at leading a portion of the group. Make their job easier by volunteering to lead. Make their job even easier by being willing to serve for an entire month. This will reduce the overhead involved in managing the rotation list.
Revisions
07/09/2024 – Created
Last Updated on July 12, 2024 by Rocklyn Clarke
