Christmas in Hawaii Party

Date:  December 19, Wednesday
Time:  6:30 pm
Where:  Our usual homegroup location
Attire:  Beach/Hawaiian

Food: See emails from Jeanne

Remember to bring a white elephant wrapped gift for our Bad Santa game.

November 7th Meeting

Hey fellow bloggers - this week for hg:
     1.  come ready to discuss your favorite passage in Romans.  or at least one of your favorite passages - trying to narrow it down to the favorite is like going to a buffet and saying what is your favorite food.
     2.  also concerning the book of Romans which will be the preaching series for the next 18-24 months: feel free to do some background check on the book.  there could be a test.
     3.  normally our following hg meeting would be on nov 21st which is the night before thanksgiving (and all thru the house not a turkey was stirring... oh sorry i was just trying to embrace my "inner goofiness").  let's discuss whether we'd rather meet tuesday the 20th or the following wednesday the 28th.

Dear hgers - Sorry to get this out to you late.  If you don't get this email before the meeting we will review it there.  We're not going to have alot of discussion, just talk about an introduction to Romans.  I'd like to take a little more time in our worship and prayer Specifically I'd like you to come having thought about the following:
 What one area in your life would you'd like to see more of the Holy Spirit's power and presence (e.g. =more boldness to evangelize, more clarity in studying the Bible, the grace and annointing to prophesy...) ? Come ready (and in faith) to pray for one another.  Also is there a time you'd like to share about when you saw the Holy Spirit's power at work in a remarkable way?
Mike

10/17 Prayer Requests

Timothy :

-wisdom in leading my family

-discernment of God’s will regarding a possible job change

-discipline in prayer and devotional Bible reading

Jeanne :

-continued progress for hip “reconstruction”

-sleep (not the eternal kind)

Emma :

-Lately (well for the past 6 months to a year, I’ve been having bad headaches, almost like migraines, that last between 3-10 days. Pray that we can find the cause and solution for these headaches

-wisdom with time between school, work, home and homegroup

Nathaniel:

-endurance and diligence in school

-wisdom about changing jobs

Mike :

-that God would heal my shoulders

-for my dad who has several health issues

Connie:

-sleep so that it would be easier to have productive days

-Mike’s dad has cellulites in his ankle and a heartbeat irregularity

-our friend Andy

-Eric as he is deployed (and Jamie)

Daniel:

-balancing priorities

-help to be studious in studies

Jenn :

-wisdom in how I use my time with my new job (i.e. working hard and yet not being consumed by it)

Dave :

-plenty of work

-spiritual capacity to lead my family

Donna :

-quickly get house ready to sell

-that the Lord would draw Josh and grant repentance (make him a new creation in Christ)

-spiritual understanding for my mom—that she would know Him

-wisdom for Dave and me in caring for my mom

Nicki :

-that God would heal my mom of her brain tumor. If not that the surgery would be successful with no lasting issues like paralysis

Amy Kay :

-that I would have patience with my eleventh graders

-that I would not be afraid to involve parents

-that I would rely on God for strength to get through the day not myself

Nicki's Mom

Please pray for Nicki's mom.  Twenty eight years ago she had surgery on a brain tumor and miraclously recovered and lived.  She just found out that she has another one.  They are not sure yet whether they are going to do surgery, radiation or both.

October 17 Questions

Attached our the discussion questions for chapter 7.  I know some of them may be "preaching to the choir" but we should always be willing to examine areas that we think we are strong in.  I think the questions/quotes concerning leisure are applicable to us all even you anti-sports snobs (just kidding, well kinda).

1.What is one thing you feel so strongly about that you would “pound the table” in a conversation? (Examples: football, paintball, the Christian coalition)

2. Read Acts 2:40-42. Are you devoted to the same things as these believers? Where do you see you can grow?

3. Read the following scriptures and write down what they describe the church as Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11, 21; 5:25-32

4.Are you currently pursuing any career goals or hobbies that compromise your commitment and contribution to the church? Are you pouring time and energy into anything which on an eternal scale is irrelevant?

5.The author states, ” We have tried pointing beyond small groups to the purpose for which they exist- Christ’s glorious Bride, the church.” Is the church at the center or circumference of your affections?

6. Do any of the viruses mentioned seem to effect you in your devotion to the church? What about the following 2 quotes in the leisure virus ?

“The decline of the church is more due to laziness than "wickedness”.

“Leisure tempts us to trade our experience of God for the entertainment of men. It makes us spectators rather than participants in God’s purposes. Leisure subtly persuades us to invest our time not necessarily in evil but in irrelevance."

Preparation for October 17th meeting

Please read chapter 7 for our meeting on the 17th.  mike

Questions for October 3rd

Questions on chapter 6:  (pgs. 85 – 99)

 

1.  On page 87  the word “koinonitis” is mentioned.  What is this and how can it be avoided?

   

2.  Do you have memories of attending a meeting and feeling like an outsider – if so, what could have someone done to make you feel more welcome?

  

3.  How “visitor – friendly” is our group and are there any ways we can improve upon it?

  

4.  Does the thought of our group expanding (and eventually multiplying) excite you or tempt you to become anxious?

  

5.  Have you ever been in a small group that was too large and what positive qualities are lost when that happens?

  

6.  Can you describe a particular time in which God wanted to push  you out of the nest although you felt you were not ready to fly?  Are there any areas now where you believe He wants to test your faith?

  

7.  As our church grows and expands, do we as individuals and as a group feel as though we are “on board” or just being dragged along with the tide?  What can we do to more fully “own” the vision of our leaders as it pertains to homegroups and church growth?

     

MY NEW HOSPITALITY WEB SITE!

I created a new domain and web site called www.ServingWithHospitality.com specifically to collect and archive data on hospitality as a resource for Sovereign Grace Church women.   It contains information on large and small, informal and formal entertaining; a recipe database; and loads of information on wedding planning and reception catering.  The checklists and budget worksheets are very useful.

Although this started with a lot of my collected information from many previous years, my hope is that this web site will eventually contain contributions from many SGC women.  So, if you have a favorite "tried and true"  company recipe or entire menu, please email me at jeannesbusiness@yahoo.com to contribute to this web site. 

Jeanne

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SEPT 19

Read Chapter 2 of "Why Small Groups" for discussion.

HG - Here are the questions I'd like us to discuss on Wednesday:
     1.  What is your definition of biblical fellowship?
     2.  Reasons given in the book for not participating in fellowship = self-

         sufficiency, formality, bitterness, elitism.  Which ones of these do

         you struggle with and are there any others that you'd add to this list?
     3.  How can we individually and as a group increase our experience of biblical

         fellowship?  Where do you need to change for this to happen?
     4.  The author states on pg 23 "fellowship with others begins with an honest,

         open, obedient relationship with God rooted in the truth of his Word.  How

         we wrestle with understanding truth and struggle to apply it to our lives

         - is the essence of fellowship."
         How are you doing with: 1)your relationship with God (would you describe

         it as "honest, open, obedient"? 2)Sharing with others about your relation-         ship with God?
     5.  The author states "Fellowship flows when we volunteer information about

         our internal state to others not simply to relieve the problem of

         loneliness, but to gain their honest evaluation of how we are dealing

         with the issue and how we can change."  How are you doing at that type

         of "fellowship"?  Is that your motivation for sharing things? 

      6.  Come ready to share: 1) something funny about your childhood 2)A

          spiritual experience that has had a significant impact on your life.