10 Core Concepts
Through our Small Group ministries, Brook Hills is able to provide a powerful means for biblical community--a place where God's Word is studied and applied and lasting life-change occurs. Here are 10 key concepts to remember if you are facilitating one of these Small Groups...

> Download Small Group Leader Huddle PowerPoint (288K PPS file)

1. Abiding in Christ
Just as Jon 15:5 says, "apart from me [Christ], you can do nothing." Our first and most important goal in biblical community is to be with Christ in all aspects of life. Five elements of this include:
 Daily surrender of our will
 Daily solitude and self-examination
 Daily exposure to spiritual truth
 Daily walking in prayer
 Daily dependence on Christ

2. Making Disciples
As Matthew 28:19 commands us, we are to "make disciples". This is a very different process than making converts or class members. Our mandate is to build important, one-on-one relationships. One person reaching one other person each year can reach 30 people for Christ in 30 years. But one person training another person to reach others each year will multiply himself over time--in the same 30 years more than a million people could be reached. That's true mutliplication ministry! When we talk about disciple-making, we have three priorities:
 Discipling believers
 Discipling new leaders
 Birthing new Small Groups

3. Global and Local Ministry
When we talk about disciple-making, it is impossible to separate local and global ministry (see Acts 1:8). As Brook Hills grows, our future goal is to tie these two areas of disciple-making together more closely to see local and global expressions in each Small Group.

4. Spiritual Transformation
God's agenda is to glorify Himself through the recreation of His image in His people. Our agenda, therefore, is to be like Jesus. We become more like Christ through our:
 Heads, as we develop the mind of Christ
 Hearts, as we take on the character and values of Christ
 Hands, as we live the lifestyle of Christ

5. Transformational Teaching
2 Timothy reminds us that all scripture is given to us for "teaching, reproof, coorection and training in righteousness." As we study God's Word, we can ask of Him:
 What do You want me to know?
 Who do You want me to become?
 What do You want me to do?

Transformational teaching involves:
 Modeling with our lives
 Application (versus just information)
 Leading (versus lecturing)
 Connecting truths to daily life as we explore and apply the Word

6. Biblical Community
We cannot become the disciples that Christ wants us to become if we live in isolation from other believers, like lone rangers. Jesus called His twelve followers to follow Him in community with one another. As we do life with other believers, God uses His Body to teach us, encourage us, care for us, sharpen us, shape us into His Image, and accomplish His purposes through us. As each of us contribute the use of our gifts toward one another, it helps us all receive God's grace into our lives and reach the full measure of maturity that Christ desires of us.

7. Smaller Groups
Basic truth: "Life Change Best Occurs Within the Context of Smaller Groups." Relationships grow as we begin to truly accept one another, then continue to accept and trust each other through a series of self-disclosures. As we reveal more and more of the real us to one another, we reach a point where we decide that this relationship is safe or not safe. If we determine it is safe, we know we can totally reveal all of our thoughts, and dreams, and flaws to one another, knowing the others person(s) are committed to help us grow into Christ-likeness day by day. This process is more likely to happen in a smaller group of people, than in a larger group that is continually changing attendees.

8. Biblical Accuracy
There is an incredible responsibility that each Teaching Facilitator possesses to be sure we are accurately handling the interpretation of God's Word. We need to be sure that we are always interpreting Scripture in context to other Scripture, and in the context of the original culture and intent. To assist you in this endeavor, a list of on-line resources is available to help you.

9. A Lifestyle of Compassion
We all are called to imitate Christ by living a life of love, both locally and globally. John 13:35 tells us that Jesus wants this attribute to clearly define His followers above all other attributes in our lives. John also highlighted compassion/love as the defining attribute of the character of God that he saw as he followed Jesus. (I John 4:8, 4:16). True compassion always expresses itself in actions (I John 3:16-18).

10. The Glory of God
The motivation for everything we do as a faith family and as a Small Group, must always be the Glory of God, not the glory of self, or Brook Hills or our Small Group. Disciple-making must never become about us, but must always be focusing on Christ. Only He is worthy of disciples who follow Him wholeheartedly. Our goal should be always for God to get His way, not us get our way.

As we become serious disciple-makers, we want God to get all the glory He is due from everyone on planet earth by helping them become disciples and disciple-makers. This will fulfill His created purpose for them and us.

> Download Small Group Leader Huddle PowerPoint (288K PPS file)

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