july 17, 2005€¦ · web view“core” mentoring work sheets. this exhibit can be found on the...

Greenwood Christian Church … Service MinistryMentoring for Men

“Core” Mentoring Work Sheets

This exhibit can be found on the GCC website with other Men’s Mentoring material in a module entitled, “Core Mentoring Worksheets”.

Here is a list of the titles and authors of the six “core” work sheets in the Men’s Mentoring program at Greenwood Christian Church. All mentoring pairs are expected to complete these six work sheets during their first mentoring year together.

WORK SHEET TITLE AUTHOR

a] GCC Vision/Mission/Expectations Keith Groves

b] Personal and Family Edification - Strategies [Core Curriculum] Perry Anderson

c] Spiritual Goal Setting [Core Curriculum] Bruce Records

d] Bible Study [Core Curriculum] Matt Giebler

e] Essentials vs. Non-Essentials . . . Knowing the Difference [Core] Eric Clouse

f] Spiritual Gifts - Unleashing Your God-Given Potential [Core] Eric Clouse

These six work sheets appear immediately below.

Mentor – Cycle 9 – Module – Core Mentoring Work Sheets 5/16/2023


Mentoring Work Sheet (a)

Who We Are As a Church and What God Expects of Us

OUR VISION: To carry on the work of Jesus by loving God and loving others …

OUR MISSION: Greenwood Christian Church exists to help people go DEEP … DISCOVER new life in Jesus; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 3:15-16 EXPERIENCE belonging in the family of Jesus; Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35 ENGAGE our world with the love of Jesus; Matthew 9:36; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8 PURSUE transformation into the likeness of Jesus; Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 6:9

Action Points:

1) Take some time to discuss our vision and the DEEP part of our mission, as stated above. How does each segment of this mission affect you? Where are you serving most frequently?

2) Look below at the opportunities the Church leadership agrees to provide for you. Which of these seem most important to you? Which ones have you already benefitted from? Which one do you think is the most challenging for the Church to do?

What you can expect from the Church:

1) People who care for you, love you, and encourage you to grow in Christ

2) Biblical teaching, preaching & counsel

2) Help in times of need

3) Leaders, Pastors & Elders who meet Biblical criteria, let the Holy Spirit lead, and set good examples

4) Protection against false teachers

5) Church discipline (Matt. 18)

6) Equipping you for service

7) Assistance in connecting you with others



8) Prayers for you

Mentoring Work Sheet (a) … continued

3) Now discuss the expectations the Lord and the leadership here have for you, as listed below:

Which ones come easily to you? Which do you find more challenging? Which ones are new to you - that you never knew were expected? What can we do to encourage one another to follow through and meet these

expectations?

What the Lord & Greenwood Christian expect of you (members):

1) Have a personal relationship with Jesus; you place your faith in Him; repent of your sin; confess Him as your leader (Lord); be immersed; and live each day to honor and obey Him.

2) Promote unity and peace; agree to not be divisive; and willingly submit to the Church leadership.

3) Strive to maintain a close, personal relationship with Jesus through Bible reading/study, prayer, fellowship and other spiritual disciplines.

4) Demonstrate your commitment to Jesus and His Church by:a. regular participation in the corporate worship servicesb. involvement in a small group and/or Bible study classc. service in at least one Greenwood Christian ministry

(One hour of corporate worship, one hour of group study and one hour of service within the local Church will be a minimum weekly commitment that I will pursue.)

5) Properly manage the resources God has provided, including your time, gifts, talents, body, attitudes, money and possessions. This includes regular giving to GCC that is sacrificial and cheerful.

6) Commit to assist in fulfilling the Church’s mission and the vision of carrying on the work of Jesus by loving God and loving others.

7) Use your spiritual gifts to build up the Church.

8) In the arena of Church relationships, your first loyalty will be to this congregation; the Greenwood Christian Church

9) Agree to follow the Biblical procedures of Church discipline. (Matt. 18:15-17)

10) Submit to the Bible as the final authority on all issues.



Mentoring Work Sheet (b)Personal and Family Edification - Strategies

The goal of this worksheet is to help you develop a strategy to enhance your, and if applicable, your family’s spiritual health.

Above all else, God wants our obedience. The very first words recorded from God to man in Gen. 2:16-17 tells us not only the freedom Adam had, but also the consequence of disobedience. Consequently it would benefit all of us to figure the best way that we and our family can find to be obedient to God in all areas of our life. A terrific scripture to remember in all of the areas listed below is Joshua 24:15 “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”.

I. Quiet Time and Devotions

Most of us are aware that as individuals we should be having a daily “quiet time” or “daily devotions”. We would like to challenge you to begin having devotions with your family. If you don’t have children, try having devotions with your spouse. Choose a book that you will both read and discuss. Take turns choosing books. If you involve your children, remember that a good average for a child’s attention span is one minute for each year of age. Age appropriate scripture studies and bedtime stories using books like “The Chronicles of Narnia” [C.S. Lewis] or the “Cooper Family Adventure Series” [Frank Peretti] are excellent. Another good way to develop more influence in the lives of your family might be to start a family night. Set aside one night a week dedicated to family activities. One week a month might be movie night. One week a month might be game night. Another week per month, go out to dinner. You know your family better than anyone, so choose appropriate activities. Hold these nights “sacred”. You children will be impressed when they know that you value their time more than anyone else’s on that particular night. The Christian bookstores have several books that deal with family devotions and family nights. Decorating the house with scripture verses and other reminders of Christ can be useful tools as well for not only your family, but for your guests as well.

II. Boundaries and Parameters

This can involve everything from curfews to finances to friends to picking out clothing and dating choices. The possibilities are endless. The best way to set boundaries and parameters is to start early. Make sure to involve the people who will be affected. As children get older, they should not only receive more freedoms but also gain more responsibilities. Our goal should be to raise our children in such a way that by the time they are in high school, they should be making the majority of their decisions on their own. It really won’t be on their own, but it will be based on a lifetime of godly parenting.



Personal and Family Edification – Strategies …continued

III. Scheduling

We live in a day and age that we could have something on our calendars every evening of the week. God created the family long before he started the church. It is vital that we don’t let activities separate us from each other as a family. Many times the best thing we can tell our children, our bosses, and even the church, is “no”. Again it is much easier to do this from the beginning. You know as well as we do that the older our children get, the busier they are. Nobody can do everything that is offered to them. Make sure your schedule and your family’s schedule reflect the commands from the scriptures about obeying God and loving him with all our hearts, minds, and strength.

IV. Assistance

The church is likely our best source of assistance in working on personal and family spiritual growth. Take advantage of programs that expose you and your family to other Christian role models and teachers. Some of our children, especially during their rebellious years, will make much faster spiritual progress under the tutelage of persons other than their parents.

Discussion Points

Share with your mentoring partner some ideas that you have found successful as you have strived to bring up your family in the faith.

What was your most successful effort at edifying your family?

What resources would you personally recommend to your mentoring partner for his personal edification?

What resources would you recommend to your mentoring partner for his family’s edification?



Mentoring Work Sheet (c)Spiritual Goal Setting

The most certain way of failing to accomplish anything in life is to fail to try. Goal setting forces one to choose a target toward which to strive. Goal setting is a valid technique in the development of one’s spiritual health just as it is in developing the body or the mind or one’s financial portfolio.

What goals have you set spiritually in the past?

Have you found them helpful?

If so, in what ways?

Sometimes the need to set a goal is dictated by a weak area in one’s life.

What are the weakest facets of your spiritual health?

With your mentoring partner right now, brainstorm a goal setting program to help you in that particular area.

Setting goals in the areas of Prayer, Bible Study/Bible Reading, and Service/Fellowship/Giving seems appropriate. One example of a goal setting sheet has been provided on the following page. After a period of prayer and meditation, set some goals for yourself [using the example or not] and then share them with your mentoring partner the next time you meet. Exchanging copies of your goals is one technique for helping to hold one another accountable in the area of spiritual development. We would invite you to try it!

Please do not forget that it is OK to fail to attain a goal! If you always reach your goals, you may not be setting them high enough. Take the liberty of dreaming a bit for the advancement of Christ!



Men’s Mentoring Program … Individual Spiritual Goals for 201_

Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________

Prayer GoalsDaily goals:

Weekly goals:

Monthly goals:

Yearly goals:

Study/Reading GoalsDaily goals:

Weekly goals:

Monthly goals:

Yearly goals:

Service/Fellowship/Benevolence GoalsDaily goals:

Weekly goals:

Monthly goals:

Yearly goals:



Mentoring Work Sheet (d)

Bible Study

Are you a “read the manual” or a “real men don’t need instructions type?” When has not reading the instructions gotten you into trouble?

Read Psalm 119:9-16; 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12. What benefits of Bible study does the Bible claim for itself?

Read 2 Timothy 2:15, then discuss …

“Do your best …”

Name something you try to “do your best” at. Why do you care about the quality of your efforts?

How much effort do you invest in knowing God’s Word? Why? How? How does your investment in biblical literacy compare to your time investment in other

pursuits?

“... to present yourself to God as one approved, ...”

Not every motivation for studying the Bible is a noble one. What examples can you give of impure, self-serving motives for seeking to know God’s Word?

Does God expect us to know the Bible as well as we can, or just better than others do? What’s the difference?

Describe a time when you had to pass a test or meet certain standards in order to be “approved.” Whose approval are we seeking in the way we handle Scripture?

“... a workman who does not need to be ashamed ...”

In his letter to Timothy, Paul likened Bible study to work. Do you see that as a positive or negative thing? Why?

Give a few examples of things you do often not because they’re entertaining, but because they’re important. How does investing time in reading and knowing God’s Word compare?

What’s your favorite tool? Why? In what ways is the Bible a tool? When have you tried to complete a task without the proper tools? How hard was that? In

what ways do we sometimes try to “fake it” through life without the right tools? What distinguishes work you’re proud of from work you’re ashamed of? How do we

handle God’s Word in a way we’re not ashamed of?



Bible Study … continued

“... and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

The phrase translated “correctly handles” literally means “cuts straight.” A Greek writer might have used this same word to describe a farmer plowing a straight row, or a builder cutting a straight road across the country (both situations in which it would be easy to veer off course). How are we tempted at times to veer off course in the way we use God’s Word? When might we tend to “cut crooked” by paying attention only to certain parts of the Bible, while ignoring others? How does Deuteronomy 12:32 speak to this issue?

How confident are you that the Bible is the “word of truth?” Why? How heavily does your confidence in Scripture influence your obedience to it?

Do you currently spend any individual time in God’s Word? If so, what does that time look like? If not, why?

Do you usually bring a Bible with you to church? Why or why not? How does the presence or absence of your Bible impact your participation in sermons, discussions, and studies?

Do you currently attend a Bible study or Life Group? Why or why not?

What questions do you have about studying the Word of God?

Do you use personal prayer time during Bible study to seek God's instruction?

Can you share any techniques for helping to do effective Bible Study ... for example: schedule it at the same time each day, reference chronological Bible to put events in historical perspective, use a study Bible with accompanying notes to help understand the passages?

If you need suggestions for getting started in reading God’s Word on your own, check out Matt Giebler’s September 2009 blog post at http://giebster.blogspot.com/2009/09/personal-bible-study-getting-started.html.



Mentoring Work Sheet (e)Essentials vs. Non-Essentials . . . Knowing the Difference

As leaders within the Church, it is vitally important that we be able to distinguish or discern between the essentials and the non-essentials of our faith. Essentials are by definition the "indispensable elements" of our faith, and should always be directly linked to doctrinal truth. The non-essentials are, therefore, everything else. Most non-essentials are literally "non-issues". However, issues can arise when non-essentials become very tightly held opinions or personal preferences.

Our doctrine, or what is taught, should always be based explicitly upon the literal word of God (the Bible). Doctrine is often characterized by statements of faith with respect to what we believe about God's Word, the person of Jesus Christ, sin, forgiveness, the role of theChurch, etc. Look at a GCC's "Welcome" or "Becoming a Member" brochures, and identify the doctrinal statements in each. These are the essentials of our faith, around which there must never be compromise. Another sure test is the following: If it is a commandment, it definitely is an "essential".

Personal preferences might rightly be called the traditions or heritage of our specific congregation or fellowship. Many traditions and preferences actually have their basis in biblical accounts, but are not expressly commanded of us. While our heritage and traditions might be very important in defining our identity as a congregation, we must never let them become a "stumbling block" to effectively carrying out the "great commission". Personal preferences can become very divisive when falsely elevated to the status of doctrinal truth.

Study and Discussion:

We typically meet as a congregation on the first day of each week (Sunday morning) to commemorate the Lord's resurrection (Jn. 20:1). In light of Acts 2:46, would you consider this an "essential"? Discuss.

With respect to the "order of worship", what do we know about thefirst-century Church?

How many of the following were characteristic of the first-century Church?Church building DeaconsElders Communion meditationHymnals Teaching (sermon)Weekly Communion Offering (giving)Meeting on Sunday Sunday School (ABS)Organ/piano Pulpit Choir BaptisteryCommunion table Praise team



Essentials vs. Non-Essentials … continued

What are some personal preferences that might be "prime targets" for attempted elevation to doctrinal truth?

Consider Acts 2:38. Is this an "essential" of our faith? Why or why not?

List and discuss some of GCC's present "traditions" that define our heritage as a congregation (e.g. Christmas Eve candlelight service).

Which traditions are most tightly held by you personally? Under what circumstances would you be willing to "give them up"?

Can you think of some past traditions which are no longer recognized?

What are some of the potential "pit falls" of introducing too much change too quickly?

The following statement is attributed to St. Augustine, and was widely referenced during the Reformation movement:

"In essentials: unity; In doubtful things (non-essentials): liberty; And in all things-love."

Discuss its application to this topic.



Mentoring Work Sheet (f)Spiritual Gifts - Unleashing Your God-Given Potential

God created you in His image so that you could have a relationship with Him, and as a result, have a relationship with your fellow man. God gave you spiritual gifts to serve alongside Him and play a vital role in His plan for the redemption of the world!

The original Greek word for "spiritual gift" was "charismata" which literally means "manifestation of grace". A spiritual gift (charismata) is an individualized manifestation of grace from the Father that enables you to serve Him. (I Cor. 12:7; Rom. 12:6).

Gifts prove nothing about the possessor (you and your "spirituality"), but everything about the giver (God). God graciously gifts His people.

The apostle Paul lists gifts in I Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. You will note that the lists have similarities, but are not identical. These lists should not be viewed as comprehensive, but rather as representative. In any generation, God will always gift His Church with the right "gift mix" to accomplish His purpose.

Our zeal to know our spiritual gifts must be motivated by our desire to contribute to the edification, or "building-up" of the Church. This is the main reason to gain an understanding of spiritual giftedness (I Cor. 14:12).

Your gift(s) is unique. working through your personality, history, experience and passion, all in the context of ministry. Here are six questions you ask yourself in the process of discerning what your gift might be:

1.. Have I asked the Father in prayer what my gift is? (James 4: 2-3)2.. What is the greatest need of my Church?3.. What is my passion?4.. What gives me fulfillment?5.. In what areas of ministry/service have others affirmed me?6.. What areas of service have I tried?

You will likely discover that your gifts are not "foreign" to you. that is, some set of traits or skills you never knew you had. Rather, they are "design elements" of the Creator that have been present all along. The difference? You are now willing to let the Holy Spirit fully energize these gifts for God's purposes!

God has an eternal purpose for your life. As you understand this marvelous truth and discover the gifts through which God enables you to accomplish that purpose, you can unleash your God-given potential (I Cor. 2:9-10).



Spiritual Gifts … continued

Discussion Questions

You have an opportunity to partner with the Creator of the universe in his redemptive plan for mankind. How does this make you feel? What could be more important?

One of the benefits of discovering and using your spiritual gifts is a new sense of self-worth. What is the basis for this?

How should this sense of self-worth differ from that of the non-Christian?

Read the following passages. Who is involved in gifting you for effective service? a.. I Corinthians 12:4 and followingb.. Romans 12:3c.. Ephesians 4:7

"Christian service is not volunteerism, but rather a holy obligation." Discuss

Discuss Questions 1-6 on the first page, and share your thoughts and ideas with one another.

Why might you discover that your "gifts" are very much in line with your "natural" talents and skills? (Hint: Who designed you?)

In any generation, God will always gift His Church with the right "mix" to accomplish His purposes. Discuss in light of I Cor. 12:7 and Rom. 12:6

What is the main difference between employing "natural talents" and "gifts"?

List some things that you might miss if you fail to discover your spiritual gifts.

List some things you will experience if you choose to discover and employ your spiritual gifts.


july 17, 2005€¦ · web view“core” mentoring work sheets. this exhibit can be found on the...

Documents