LEAD THE WAY
5. Community

CONNECT

  • Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous “I will …” statements

DISCOVER

  • Work through Be The Way - Community (now or previously).

  • What are your reflections and questions from Be The Way - Community?

The One Anothers

  • Consider the following One Another commands from the New Testament.

    • A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34)

    • Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)

    • Spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)

    • Encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

    • Serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)

    • Teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)

    • Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit (Ephesians 5:19)

    • Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)

    • Forgive one another (Colossians 3:13)

    • Comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11)

    • Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)

    • Pray for one another (James 5:16)

    • Offer hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)

  • How might a MicroChurch be especially suited to pursue these One Anothers?

Praying for One Another

  • You can direct the prayers by asking, “Could someone say a prayer of praise to God for His goodness to us this week?” Or “Thanks for sharing that need, Sue. Mary would you pray for her right now?”

  • As with every aspect of the MicroChurch, don’t let anyone dominate the prayer. More people praying shorter prayers encourages participation and engagement.

  • You can pray as a whole MicroChurch or in groups of 2 and 3.

  • Whole meetings dedicated to worship and prayer can be powerful in God’s Kingdom.

  • Regularly, put a chair in the middle of the group (the hot seat) and take turns sitting in it, sharing prayer requests and gathering around the person for laying on of hands, prayer and prophetic ministry.

5 Step Prayer Model

  • Here’s a model for prayer. It’s not necessary to use it every time you pray for each other. But it’s especially helpful when praying for healing or spiritual interventions.

 

5 STEP PRAYER MODEL

Here’s a simple model to follow when praying for someone. This is only a model and not a magic formula.

1. ASK

“How can I pray for you?” or “What would you like Jesus to do for you?” Listen well and it may be helpful to reflect back their request. “So you’re asking for ….”

2. INVITE

Invite the Spirit to come. Or ask Jesus to minister in His compassion and power. Then pause for a moment and allow the Holy Spirit to communicate any leadings for prayer.

3. PRAY

Pray for what the person has requested. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads. If appropriate, lay hands on the person. Generally, keep your prayer short and sweet. And don’t preach through your prayer. Just pray.

Note that the prayers that Jesus and the early church prayed were usually quite short and direct. In fact, in many ways, they were more declarations, even commands, than prayers, such as, “In Jesus’ name, medical condition be healed” or “In Jesus’ name, demon come out.” Jesus has authorized us to use His name boldly and compassionately for His Kingdom.

Pray something like this: “Lord, thank You for Your loving presence and Your healing power. I pray that You would heal _____’s knee. Knee be healed in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

4. CHECK

Ask, “What’s happening?” or “What’s God doing?” For example, if the person asked for prayer for their knee, you could ask them how it’s feeling or how the level of pain is now or if they can do something they couldn’t do before. If the person asked for prayer for wisdom in some life decision, you could ask if they’re getting any thoughts that may be helpful. If the person asked for a breakthrough in some relationship, you could ask if they’re getting any ideas on how to seek reconciliation. If the person asked for help in overcoming some trauma or addiction, you could ask if they’re experiencing any new hope.

After checking, you may want to return to prayer, thanking the Lord for what He is doing and asking Him to continue to do more.

5. NEXT?

Ask, “What’s next?” What about getting together again to pray? Does the person know Jesus? How could you introduce them to Jesus? Could you invite the person out for coffee? How about inviting them to church? How can you use this prayer encounter as an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with them and possible discipleship to Jesus?

 

 Guidelines for Prophecy

  • What is the Spirit saying?

Acts 2:17-18 quoting Joel 2:28-29 (NIV)

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 (NIV)

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

  • We can make a distinction between a prophetic word that is intended for the whole MicroChurch and one that is given by an individual to another individual during a one another ministry time.

  • In both cases, the prophecy must be tested. When it is spoken to the whole group, it is to be tested by the whole group. When it is spoken to an individual, it is to be tested by that individual and any others involved in the ministry time.

  • Here are 3 tests …

 

ABC Test for Prophecy

Here are 3 tests for prophetic words, interpretation of tongues or any leading from the Spirit.

A. Is it Affirming?

Spiritual gifts are given for the strengthening, encouraging and comforting of the body. Does that mean there can never be a difficult word of correction? No. But those need to be handled with great care and probably should be processed with a community leader for wisdom on how to proceed. The point is, even a difficult word needs to be given in an affirming way.

B. Is it Biblical?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be chapter and verse specific, although, the Spirit can direct you to a specific passage of Scripture. The question is, Does it fit within the overall flow and teaching of the Bible?

C. Is it Christlike?

From what you know of Jesus, would this be something He would say?

Even if it’s not technically a word from the Lord, but it passes these 3 tests, it just may become a word that the Lord uses to speak to the person you share it with.

When sharing what you sense is from the Lord, don’t say, “This is what the Lord says to you.” Say, “I had this thought (passage, picture, pain, prompting, impression). I think it may be from Lord. What do you think?” Or “Why don’t you take that to the Lord and ask Him about it?” Or “Does this make sense to you at all?”

 

Practice the Prophetic

  • Take turns focusing on each person in your group. You could use a chair to have people sit on while the others gather around. Ask the Lord to give you prophetic leadings for that person. And then say, “Person’s name, I think God would say to you …” and share what comes to mind. Or “Person’s name, I think God is showing me this for you …” and share what comes to mind.

  • Test these leadings using the ABC Test.

  • Remember, faith can be spelled T-R-Y. So try it. Don’t force things. But if something comes to mind, share it. Let’s practice the prophetic.

Spiritual Gifts

  • This is what MicroChurches can do best!

  • Because we are small everyone get so play and use their gifts in ministering to the body. There’s no better way to discover and develop a spiritual gift than to use it in one another ministry.

  • Whatever you do as a leader, don’t try to function in all the gifts of the Spirit for your MicroChurch. The point is for the Body to use all their gifts for the strengthening of the Body. Your job as the leader is to give permission and facilitate this Body ministry.

  • See Follow The Way - FILLING - Use It for Discovery Bible Study on the spiritual gifts and an online Gifts Test.

Laying On of Hands

  • Regularly lay hands on each other and pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit and the activation of spiritual gifts.

  • Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and activate any spiritual gift the Spirit has for you. Pray that the Holy Spirit would come upon you to empower you to live and witness for Jesus boldly.

14:26 Gathering

  • That’s a reference to 1 Corinthians 14:26 - What should you do then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all these things be done for the strengthening of the church. 

  • The idea is that you allow the Spirit to lead your meeting by simply asking, “What has God been saying to you and doing in your life?” and “How do you need God to move in your life?”

  • The movement of the Spirit and the needs of the group, then, set the agenda.

  • It’s probably best not to use this at every Gathering. But it’s a nice change of pace if you’re regularly using the Gathering Guide.

Staying Connected

  • Encourage connections between family gatherings. Do life together. Do coffee or lunch together. Set up a WhatsApp group chat to share prayer requests and updates. Get people into Discovery Discipleship Groups (We’ll cover this in our session on Discipleship).

Community and Kids

  • Kids are great in community. Include them in sharing prayer requests and in praying. Ask them to lay hands on the adults and pray over them. Get the kids involved and not only will they, but the whole family will be blessed.

Gathering Guide

  • Note the Gathering Guide on Community.

LIVE / LEAD

  • What did you discover in this training session?

  • What is your “I will …” statement flowing from this training?

  • If you’re working through Be The Way as a group, who will facilitate the next session on Mission?

Extra Session on Community

PRINTABLE PDF

  • Community