bridging the - BBT (Biblical Business Training

BRIDGING THE SUNDAY-MONDAY GAP s r e b m e M p i u q E o T w k r o Ho W t A h t i a F r i e h T t u O e v i L o T

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FAITH FAITH FOR FOR WORK WORK LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP FOR FOR LIFE LIFE

By: Lisa Mann, Biblical Business Training (BBT) Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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BRIDGING THE SUNDAY-MONDAY GAP How To Equip Members k To Live Out Their Faith At Wor Table of Contents Introduction

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Chapter 1: Prayer...........................................................................................5 Chapter 2: Curriculum...................................................................................7 Chapter 3: Community................................................................................10 Chapter 4: Coaching....................................................................................14 Chapter 5: Connecting.................................................................................18 Chapter 6: More Resources.........................................................................19

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FAITH FOR WORK LEADERSHIP FOR LIFE

Copyright © 2016, Biblical Business Training, BBT First Edition All rights reserved. Churches have permission to copy this ebook in whole or in part, for dissemination to group leaders within their congregation, for the purpose of growing their marketplace ministry through small groups. Otherwise, this material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of BBT. For permission contact: [email protected]. Visit us at: http://www.B-B-T.org

Introduction How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

People spend 70% of their waking hours at work ... and sometimes more. Ask church members, and they’ll likely report that spending this much time at work leaves them feeling spiritually drained, with little sense of purpose and joy. Many people report feeling a “disconnect” between their spiritual lives and their life at work. Bridging this “Sunday-Monday Gap” is a great opportunity for your church. When you meet your members where they are, you have a chance to connect with them and equip them for the daily grind.

Bridging The “Sunday-Mon day Gap” is a gre at opportunity f or your church.

The best way to do this is through small groups ... and that’s why I’ve written this book! As an organization, we’ve worked with hundreds of group leaders, and churches from across the country, and we’ve helped build thriving Bible studies that help people apply Biblical principles at work. These small-group Bible studies provide encouragement, prayer and support as people try to live out their faith. In this ebook, I will focus on the tools you will need to build thriving Bible studies in your church: what I call the “3 C’s” ... Curriculum, Community and Coaching. And, I’ll explain how each “C” can be a tool for you to help working people live out their faith at work. Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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Introduction

Tools: The 3 C’s.

• Curriculum • Community • Coaching

After reading this e-book, you will understand the tools that are necessary to build small groups ... tools that will equip and encourage your members to live a consistent, God-honoring life in today’s highly competitive and often stressful workplace. You will also be able to identify the common pitfalls your group leaders may face, and learn some of the best practices and strategies to help them overcome them.

You will grow a small-group ministry that helps you connect with the working people in your congregation, and mobilize those members for the biggest mission field - work! So let’s get started … after all, you have Kingdom work to do!

God’s word is clear: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23) You can help your members see that work (no matter what they do!) has eternal significance. Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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Pray Never underestimate the Power of Prayer! “Never underestimate the power of prayer.” I don’t know who said it first, but it is true. You can’t have a thriving ministry without prayer! According to Jim Egli and Dwight Marable, in their book Small Groups, Big Impact, “Leaders who pray more have groups that are more outward focused. Their groups also experience more community and are more engaged in mobilizing new leadership.”1 What church wouldn’t want this kind of divine power? Your church leaders need to be praying ... and your group leaders need to be praying!

You can’t have a thriving ministry without prayer!

Egli and Marable explain that when group leaders have a growing prayer life, more people are drawn to the group and into a relationship with Christ that is life-changing. “Of the leaders with a strong prayer life, 83% reported that their group had seen someone come to Christ in the past 9 months, but only 19% of the leaders with a weak prayer life could say the same.”2 This is the soul reason for small-group Bible study in the first place! As you read through this e-book, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and show you where you need to invest in your church and in your groups. Pray over your members and ask the Lord to show you who might be willing to lead a Bible study like this. Look for a few people who seem to be natural leaders and who take the initiative to learn and Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

Egli and Marable, Small Groups, Big Impact (ChurchSmart Resources, 2011), 23-24. 2 Egli and Marable, Small Groups, Big Impact (ChurchSmart Resources, 2011), 25. 1

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Prayer

grow. Once you have a group leader ... or a few group leaders who are committed to leading a Bible study, encourage them to pray for participants! You will need to promote these Bible studies within your church and encourage people to attend. Pray that your church would be an encouragement to group leaders ... and pray that every participant encounters a life-changing relationship with Jesus! My prayer for you as you read these next few pages is that you would feel His presence, and know the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that this book would encourage you as you seek to grow your “marketplace ministry.” I pray for you, your group leaders, and every participant, to have a life-changing encounter with Christ ... that your congregation would learn, live, and lead so that they may leave a legacy for Him. I pray that your church would begin to grow a thriving small-group ministry, connecting with members right where they are, by focusing on building their “Faith for Work.” Use the space below to record your thoughts and prayers for your church. Feel free to come back to this space often, so that you can reflect on what God is doing in and through your ministry. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ nderestimate

Never u er! y a r p f o r e w o ______________________________________________________________________ the p ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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2 Curriculum Build small groups around curriculum that’s “made for the job!” Your first task is to find curriculum that helps participants learn what the Bible says about work.

Avoid the pitf all:

The Wrong Curriculum

It is important to find curriculum with the right amount of structure, and with topics and application that interest your members. The good news is that there are a lot of options for curriculum – everything from purchasing a pre-packaged Bible studies … to writing your own … or some combination of both.

Begin choosing your curriculum by assessing the needs of your congregation, and answering these general questions: 1. How much prep and homework are participants willing to do? 2. How much time do leaders have to prepare for each meeting? 3. What workplace topics are of interest?

Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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Curriculum

1. How much prep and homework are participants willing to do? Take stock of your groups. In what stage of life are most participants? Do they have time for daily or even weekly homework in-between meetings? Or, are they busy professionals with a young family and very little margin for extra work or tasks?

Many Bible studies fade away simply because they ng chose the wro . type of study

While Bible studies should stretch and grow each participant, you want to choose a realistic study – one that works within the personal time constraints of most of the people. (For instance, don’t pick a book study if your participants don’t have time to read the chapter before the meeting.) While this may sound like a “no-brainer,” we’ve seen many Bible studies fade away simply because they chose the wrong type of study. If the study requires more time than participants can commit, you are setting the group up for failure. Participants, who don’t participate, make for a Bible study group that doesn’t last long! 2. How much time do leaders have to prepare for each meeting? Likewise, when looking for curriculum, you should evaluate the time constraints of leaders. Do they have time to write their own material, adapt something, or do they need to look for curriculum that is already published? When looking for curriculum, look for studies that provide facilitation/teaching points, or what we call a

Group Leader Spotlight: Matt Banderman “I started doing a Bible study a few years back ... and it was going fine, but I felt like I was having a hard time trying to figure out new ideas and things to talk about. We were going through books of the Bible, but I felt like I was having to come up with a sermon or lesson each week. On Tuesday nights I was scrambling, and praying ... and stressed trying to figure out what to say for the Wednesday morning Bible study. It was just a lot of pressure. I am not a pastor, and trying to find things that I felt could be relevant for the group was really getting to me.” — Matt Banderman, St. Louis, MO Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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Curriculum

Group Leader Guide (i.e., GLG), so that they can Participants, who make the best use of their time. GLG’s usually give d o n’t participat leaders more material and provide the theological e, background for the study. Some GLG’s also help make for a Bib le with meeting facilitation. The better leaders are s t udy group tha prepared ahead of time, the more effective and t confident they will feel. Many busy people lead doesn’t last l ong! thriving Bible studies. The key? Finding curriculum that helps leaders grow in their own faith, and helps them serve and lead their small group! 3. What topics are of interest? By focusing on the topic of work, you’ve automatically found common ground. Now you just need to find out if your participants have specific needs in the workplace. For example, are coworkers mostly unbelievers? Do they need help dealing with a non-Chrisitan boss or colleague? Are they struggling with office ethics? Do they travel a lot and need help with priorities? Are they facing temptation in the workplace? There are many Bible studies to address each of these situations (and more!) Look for curriculum that specifically helps people deal with workplace challenges.

Work is the common thread!

Make sure it is theologically sound, from a reputable source.

Finding The Right Curriculum

Before choosing the curriculum, consider what type of study your members need. Do they want to understand the theological implications of a book of the Bible? Or, do they want a lesson that will help them directly apply what they learn? No matter what type of curriculum you use, remember that good curriculum is Biblically-based — make sure it is theologically sound, from a reputable source. When you find curriculum that’s just right, people will enjoy participating, and you will create an environment that’s ripe for learning and growing. Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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3 Community Build small groups with the right mix of community. Avoid the pitfall:

Too Social or Too Strict

The right mix of community doesn’t just happen. You must equip your group leaders to effectively guide their group to share with each other, pray for one another and encourage each other, while balancing time in the Word and studying scripture. Many small groups fall apart because the community doesn’t meet the needs of the participants – it’s either too social or too strict.

Encourage your group leaders to find the right balance of community by asking for feedback and monitoring the feelings of their participants. Share the following questions with your group leaders to help them assess their community: 1. Do you spend time with each other outside of Bible study? 2. Are you leaving enough time for prayer requests? 3. Do participants feel comfortable sharing? 4. Are you encouraging a loving community of learning?


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Community

1. Do you spend time with each other outside of Bible study? Some small groups already have natural community – the people in these groups see each other outside of Bible study and have a natural, social relationship that automatically grows the community. While there are many benefits to a group that’s already social, when groups answer YES to this question (the group does spend time outside of Bible study), then group leaders may need to guard their Bible study time. Leaders need to make sure the group is actually studying the Word, and that the group doesn’t become too social.

Guard Bible Study time!

If groups truly want to study the Bible, and the leader allows them to get off-topic, then participants will begin to get frustrated and either quit coming, or quit expecting to study. Encourage leaders to talk about it with participants and to consider allowing more time to study, and for being in the Word.


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Community

dy u t s e l ib B e h T group who plays & prays together ... r! stays togethe

On the flip side, if the answer to this question is no – you may want to encourage group leaders to consider adding some community building activities that happen outside of regular Bible study time. Think of it this way … “the Bible study group who PLAYS together … stays together!” This can be as simple as meeting for coffee or lunch … or as organized as serving together at a local charity. It doesn’t have to be often, or even on a regular basis, as just a few times a year can be enough to strengthen personal relationships.

2. Are you leaving enough time for prayer requests? You can also say, “the Bible study group who PRAYS together, stays together!” Prayer can tie hearts together like nothing else! Encourage group leaders to pray for the participants in their group regularly and to encourage participants to do the same. Research shows that prayer makes a tremendous difference in the life of a small group.3 Give leaders this tip: “During each meeting, designate someone to write down each prayer request, pray together as a group, and then send out the list so that you can continue to pray for each other while you are apart.” 3. Do participants feel comfortable sharing? Group leaders can easily gauge how comfortable participants feel in sharing, based on the liveliness of the discussions. If it is a quiet group, realize that it may take some time for them to feel like sharing, especially if they don’t know each other very well. Encourage leaders to reiterate a code of confidentiality so that everyone feels that the small-group is a safe environment. Remind leaders that silence is okay, too – they can slowly count to 20 before interjecting … sometimes all someone needs is a little bit of silence to get them talking!


Egli and Marable, Small Groups, Big Impact (ChurchSmart Resources, 2011), 25.

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Community

4. Are you encouraging a loving community of learning? Bible study can be intimidating. While that’s not God’s intent, many people who are new to Bible study can be intimidated by it. Remind group leaders not to forget this important aspect of community. (Pass along the tips below to your group leaders, “Creating a loving community of learning.”) Finding The Right Mix The more time groups spend with each other, the more their community will grow. Sustaining the balance will take some effort on the part of group leaders – but the pay-off is a thriving, healthy small group for the Lord.

Creating A Loving Community of Learning

6 Things Group Leaders Can Do To Create A Loving Community of Learning:

1. Remind your group that it’s okay to use the table of contents in their Bible if they don’t know where something is. (That’s how we learn!) 2. Take turns reading questions from the study. 3. Wait for everyone to find the Bible verse before beginning to read the verse. 4. Encourage your group to ask questions. Nobody has all of the answers, and that’s an important aspect of learning and growing your faith. If you don’t know the answer, offer to figure it out together, or find a pastor or other Christian mentor who can help. 5. Consider asking someone else in your group to help you lead. As an organization, we have seen the power of this concept in developing Biblical leaders and in creating thriving small groups. (Read more about the benefits of a co-leader on page 15.) 6. Send out a recap after your Bible study – these are your “notes” from your time together. Consider including the group’s prayer requests! At BBT, we’ve found that groups who send out recaps have a stronger sense of community. The recap provides notes to those who couldn’t be there and serves as a reminder about what you studied for those who were. It keeps your study top-of-mind and reminds people to apply what they’ve learned.

Recaps build a strong sense of community wit hin a small group.


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4 Coaching Build small groups by investing in your Group Leaders! all: Avoid the pitf

rs Group Leade who aren’t growing

When I refer to group leader coaching, I’m referring to their support ... Do you provide a Christian mentor for each group leader? Do you teach group leaders how to lead their group effectively? Are you checking in on them on a regular basis? Group leaders need someone in their life who can help them grow personally, and as a leader.

Coaching – the mentoring and supporting of a group leader – is the greatest driver of small group growth and health, even more than training and prayer.4 Why? Because one of the best things you can do to ensure that groups are thriving and growing is to make sure that LEADERS are thriving and growing. Coaches – mentors – should do just that ... focus on group leader growth. Just like the athletic coach who makes sure his players receive just the right physical training to maximize their performance, a group leader coach will teach, train, guide, and support group leaders as they reach personal goals. They help leaders assess where they are, equip them to get there, and encourage them along the way. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (Proverbs 27:17, NLT) Help leaders asses their own growth ... ask them these questions: Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

Boren, M. Scott, The Relational Way (Houston, Texas: Touch Publications, 2007), 209.

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Coaching

1. Are you growing spiritually? Where are you on the Leadership FlywheelTM of Learning, Living, Leading, and Leaving a Legacy for the Lord?

2. Read 2 Timothy 2:2. As you examine this passage, what instruction does this give for mentoring in the church, in the community, and at work? Do your group leaders have mentors? Are they being mentored?

For Group Leaders: Have you considered a co-leader?

Mentoring others is just as important as being mentored. As an organization, we have seen the power of shared leadership in developing Biblical leaders and in creating thriving small groups.

Most people think of a co-leader as someone who can step in when you can’t lead for some reason. (Kind of like a substitute teacher.) However, we see this role as more than just a “sub.” A true co-leader can share the privilege of leading the group, be someone else to walk with you, and help you both avoid burn-out! A co-leader will give you a chance to step back and play a supporting role in your group. A co-leader can also give you a much-needed break, a time to renew and refocus.

A co-leader is more than a “sub” for when you are gone.

This kind of Christ-centered leadership development can help you lean on the power of the Holy Spirit and step up to take the lead in every area of your life — at home, at work, and everything in between. In this way, your group actually becomes a Leadership LabTM for the Lord!


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Coaching

1. Are you growing spiritually? Where are you on the Leadership FlywheelTM of Learning, Living, Leading, and Leaving a Legacy for the Lord? The Leadership FlywheelTM is a term we use in BBT to describe a group leader’s process of growth in four different principles: learning, living, leading and legacy.

Learn

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Live

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Legacy

As leaders grow spiritually, they begin to Leadership Flywheel™ live out their faith. They passionately serve in their families, churches and communities, and they Lead begin to invest in others’ spiritual development through mentoring and discipleship … leaving a legacy by developing and growing other leaders for Christ. This is truly the Great Commission in action! (See Matthew 28:18-20.)

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Are your leaders growing?

It has been very helpful for me to evaluate where I am on the flywheel – kind of like a personal inventory … and a tangible way for me to ask myself, “Am I growing?” Ask your leaders: Are you continually learning? Are you living out what you have learned? Are you leading and mentoring others, who are growing and leading even more?

These are great questions to ask and to pray about. Ask God to show you as a church where you need to support your group leaders, so that they can grow and start living out what they are learning.

A growing and vibrant faith is ... faith on the Leadership FlywheelTM! Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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Coaching

2. Read 2 Timothy 2:2. As you examine this passage, what instruction does this give for mentoring in the church, in the community, and at work? Do your group leaders have mentors? Are they being mentored?

Are group lea ders being mentore d so they can mentor other s?

We are to mentor and disciple others so that we can pass on what we learn ... be taught, so that we can teach! As a church, help group leaders be intentional about mentoring. Help leaders live what they believe. Learn so that they can lead. Lead to produce other leaders for the Lord and ... Leave a Legacy!

Leadership Development - The Biblical Way

There’s a lot of information out there about leadership development. Google™ the term and you get more than 325,000,000 results. But, there’s really only one place to go for information about Biblical leadership – the Bible. The Bible has a lot to say about leadership. Lessons and teachings on leadership are sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. Jesus, Himself, modeled servant leadership and taught it to His disciples. “ … whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45, NIV) Biblical leadership development is important to help Christian leaders grow and reach personal goals with a Biblical perspective. Christ-centered leadership development can help leaders lean on the power of the Holy Spirit and step up to take the lead in every area of their lives – at home, at work, and everything in-between. What will you do to help your group leaders take their leadership to the next level? Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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5 Connecting Build small groups to bridge the gap and connect with members in a new way. rs e b m e m g in p ip Equ eir to live out th faith at work creates new es. u n e v a y r t is in m

Even if you already have an active small-group component at your church, I want to encourage you to think about (at least some of) your smallgroups with a focus on workplace ministry. When you, as a church, provide curriculum, coaching and community that’s centered around helping people live out their faith at work, you can connect with members in a very relevant and personal way.

“I’ve never had the opportunity to know the Word of God in a manner that is so close and so alive — and much less, with topics that are related to work ... I’ve realized that the Bible is in reality, a manual for life.” — Lianna, Participant, Costa Rica

Whether your goals are to mobilize members for the mission field (yes, work IS a mission field!), grow your men’s ministry, serve working women, or develop the next generation of leaders, having small groups that focus on workplace ministry will help you connect with the working segment of your church’s population. Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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6 More Resources Build your marketplace ministry with a trusted partner, BBT. Looking for a partner to help you grow your marketplace ministry? Biblical Business Training® (BBT) is here to help!

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BBT provides curriculum and coaching to small-group Bible study leaders, helping them grow in their relationship with FAITH FOR WORK Christ and equipping them to pour into the lives of others. To LEADERSHIP FOR LIFE do this, we partner with the local church to identify Christian leaders ... and then we serve the church by equipping these leaders as they lead their own small group. Everything, from the content of BBT lessons to the way the curriculum is delivered, is designed for busy, working professionals. All of the Biblically-based, and theologically sound curriculum is written to help groups understand how the Bible applies to what they do everyday ... work! The unique BBT 1-2-3™ format (Agenda, GLG and Recap) is easy to use and is delivered through the BBT Portal, an online app — which makes leading a Bible study easier for the group leader, and allows churches to understand their own small-group data, too! You can see who’s attending, how often, and what each group is studying. Interested in starting a BBT pilot program (at no cost and with no staffing requirements)? Simply email our BBT Leadership Coaches at [email protected] and we will walk you through the process! Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: How To Equip Members To Live Out Their Faith At Work

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About the author:

Lisa Mann is a freelance writer for BBT. She is a mother of three children, an active volunteer in the community, and a Jesus-lover! She is passionate about BBT’s mission and vision: helping people apply Biblical principles at work ... and ... to see people grow in their relationship with Christ, and expand God’s kingdom through their leadership. She received her Bachelor of Journalism degree in Advertising at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

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Praise for BBT: BBT is your one-stop small-group resource for ed t a l e r g in h t y r eve to workplace ministry.

“BBT has given our church a great bridge so we can minister to working professionals. The platform, curriculum and leadership provided through BBT has strengthened the faith of those involved, grown our leadership and opened new doors of outreach. We now have a presence at workplaces across our county through the partnership BBT provides. The workplace is truly one of the great mission fields of opportunity, where our people spend the vast majority of their time. BBT provides the environment for business men and women to take a next step spiritually and influence their workplace in the name of Jesus!”

— Brian Bennett, Adult Ministry Director, Calvary Church, St. Peters, MO

“We concluded the 52-chapter study of ‘Doing Business By The Good Book.’ As a result , we will begin a business ministry at our church this year! Having the use of the BBT portal was very instrumental in the success of the class.” — Florena Oliver, Group Leader,

New Covenant Christian Ministries, Atlanta, GA

Copyright © 2016, Biblical Business Training, BBT. Visit us at: http://www.B-B-T.org