LIFE GROUPS

WHAT ARE LIFE GROUPS?

Life Groups are at the heart of church life and we would encourage everyone to join one for belonging, Bible study and discipleship.

Life Groups are smaller (3-8) groups in which everyone has a safe place to be real in and to spend time together deepening and growing in faith. 

LIFE GROUP RESOURCES

We encourage all Life Groups to use the provided study questions to go alongside our Sunday morning teaching series when they meet. 

GROUP QUESTIONS | SUNDAY TEACHING SERIES

Each week questions that you can use with your Life Group are made available through the ‘Teaching Series’ section of our church blog.

Distinct
8 January 2023 – 16 April 2023
All study guides/resources are available from our church blog.
Series Outline 

Christian
11 September 2022 – 27 November 2022
All study guides/resources are available from our church blog.
Series Outline 

Old-Fashioned Postures For A Brave New World
24 July 2022 – 4 September 2022
All study guides/resources are available from our church blog.
Series Outline

The Story of US
All study guides/resources are available from our church blog.
* Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (9 Jan)
Session 1 – I Am Not Me Without You (24 Apr)
Session 2 – Friendship In An Age Of Romance (1 May)
Session 3 – Disappointment In An Age Of Longing (8 May)
*Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (15 May)
Session 4 –  Marriage In An Age Of Obsession(22 May)
Session 5 –  Singleness In An Age Of Isolation (29 May)
Session 6 – Faith In An Age Of Public Difference (5 Jun)
*Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering – Generations Service (12 Jun)
Session 7 –  Legacy In An Age Of The Immediate (19 Jun)
Session 8 – Sex In An Age Of Entitlement (26 Jun)
*Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (3 Jul)
Session 9 – Honouring Parents In An Age Of Independence (10 Jul)
Session 10 – Parenting In An Age Of Expectation (17 Jul)

And, breathe
All study guides/resources are available from our church blog.
* Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (9 Jan)
Session 1 – We Are Not Alone (16 Jan)
Session 2 – A Life of Purpose (23 Jan)
Session 3 – You’re Home (30 Jan)
*Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (6 Feb)
Session 4 – A Beautiful Kind of Ordinary (13 Feb)
Session 5 – Gifts That Keep On Giving (20 Feb)
Session 6 – Transformed Community (27 Feb)
*Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (6 Mar)
Session 7 – A Generous Spirit (13 Mar)
Session 8 – Built Up: Gift Of Prophecy (20 Mar)
Session 9 – Built Up: Gift of Tongues (27 Mar)
Session 10 – The Holy Spirit & Me (3 Apr)
*Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (10 Apr)
*Easter Weekend (15-17 Apr)

Jesus (Sep to Dec 2021)
All study guides/resources are available from our church blog.
Session 1 – The Real Jesus (19 Sep)
Session 2 – The Manifesto (26 Sep)
Session 3 – The Influencer (3 Oct)
Session 4 – The Belonging (10 Oct)
* Time4Change (17 Oct)
Session 5 – The Message (24 Oct)
* Generations Service (31 Oct)
* Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering (7 Nov)
Session 6 – The Faith (14 Nov)
Session 7 – The Call (21 Nov)
Session 8 – The Authority (28 Nov)
Session 9 – The New Way (5 Dec)
* All Age Family Christmas (12 Dec)
* Carol Services (19 Dec)
* Boxing Day Service – Online Only (26 Dec)
* New Years Reflection Service (2 Jan)

The  God Who…  (Aug to Sep 2021)
All resources available from our church blog.
Session 1 – The God Who… Is Faithful (8 Aug)
Session 2 – The God Who… Is Hope (15 Aug)
Session 3 – The God Who… Provides (22 Aug)
Session 4 – The God Who… Notices (29 Aug)
Session 5 – The God Who… Changes Everything (5 Sep)

Take Hold (Jun to Aug 2021)
All resources available from our church blog.
Session 1 – Change Begins In The Heart (13 Jun)
Session 2 – Seize The Moment (20 Jun)
Session 3 – Despite The Odds (27 Jun)
Session 4 – Building Strong (4 Jul)
Session 5 – Picking Yourself Up (11 Jul)
* Mini Sereis: How can we serve? (18 July)
Session 6 – Time To Party (25 Jul)
Session 7 – Light Despite The Shadows (1 Aug)

Let The River Flow (May to Jun 2021)
All resources available from our church blog.
Session 1 – (16 May)
Session 2 – (23 May)
* Generations Service (30 May)
Session 3 – (6 Jun)

Emerge (Apr to May 2021)
All resources available from our church blog
Session 1 – Coming Up For Breath (25 Apr)
Session 2 – Opening Up To Life (2 May)
Session 3 – Moving On With Expectation (9 May)

Human (Jan to Apr 2021)
All resources available from our church blog
Session 1 – Whose Story Am I Living? (17 Jan)
Session 2 – Who Am I? (24 Jan)
Session 3 – Why Am I Here? (31 Jan)
Session 4 – Home Is Where The Heart Is … (7 Feb)
* Mini-series – 5 Things I’ve Learnt During The Pandemic (14 Feb)
* Generations Service (21 Feb)
Session 5 – Him/Her (28 Feb)
Session 6 – Sex Is Great But … (7 Mar)
Session 7 – What Do I Do With My Shame (14 Mar)
Session 8 – The Journey We All Take (21 Mar)
Session 9 – Why Is Everything Broken? (28 Mar)
* Easter Sunday (4 Apr)
Session 10 – The Use and Abuse of Power (11 Apr)
Session 11 – I Long For So Much More (18 Apr)

Back To The Future (Jan 2021)
All resources available from our church blog.
Part 1 – (3 Jan)
Part 2 – (10 Jan)

 

The Masks We Can Leave Behind (Nov to Dec 2020)
All resources available from our church blog.
Session 1 – Removing The Mask (15 Nov)
Session 2 – The Stories We Tell (22 Nov)
Session 3 – The Mask Of Age (29 Nov)
Session 4 – A Posture Of Defence (6 Dec)

 

What On Earth Is Happening? (Nov 2020)
All resources available from our church blog.
Part 1 – (1 Nov)
Part 2 – (8 Sep)

 

Strange New World (Sep to Oct 2020)
All resources available from our church blog
Session 1 – Strange New World (6 Sep)
Session 2 – For A Little While (13 Sep)
Session 3 – Being Strange (20 Sep)
Session 4 – Building For The Future (27 Sep)
Session 5 – Live As Free People (4 Oct)
Session 6 – Be Who You Are (11 Oct)
Session 7 – Hope That Really Is (18 Oct)

 

All Being Well? Find true wellbeing (Aug 2020)
All resources available from our church blog.
Session 1 – Not Alone (2 Aug)
Session 2 – Running Free (9 Aug)
Session 3 – Eyes On The Prize (16 Aug)
Session 4 – One Step At A Time (23 Aug)
Session 5 – Extra: Interview (30 Aug)

 

Beyond Lockdown: Opening up to life (Jun to Jul 2020)
Reflection Videos available on the series YouTube Playlist
Session 1 – I Feel So Alone
Session 2 – I Am So Anxious About The Future
Session 3 – I Feel Like A Failure
Session 4 – I’m Living With Flux
Session 5 – I’m worried things won’t change
Session 6 – I’m So Bored
Session 7 – I want to make a difference

 

Longing For Hope (Apr to May 2020)
Sorry, no study guide available

#AGAIN (Jan to Mar 2020) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for Spring 2019 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

Everyday You (Oct to Dec 2019) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for part of our Autumn 2019 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

Could It Be Hope (Sep 2019) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for part of our Autumn 2019 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

This Is You (Aug 2019) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for Summer 2019 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

Living Life Well Part 3 (Apr to Jul 2019) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for the Spring/Summer 2019 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

Living Life Well Part 2 (Jan to Apr 2019) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for the Spring 2019 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

Living Life Well Part 1 (Sep to Dec 2018) Booklet of Study/Discussion Questions for the Autumn 2018 Sunday Teaching Series at Riverside.

 

WE ALSO RECOMMEND:

Disciple a Freedom in Christ discipleship course for those in their 20’s & 30’s. DVD & Guide.

Soul Keeping Study Guide by John Ortberg: 6-week course, Study guide and DVD

Fruitfulness on the Frontline (Mark Greene) – 8 sessions for disciples who want to make a difference where they are. (workplace). DVD, Guide & Book.

The Grace Course – 6 sessions from the Freeedom in Christ team. DVD & Guide.

An Ordinary Day with Jesus – (John Ortberg & Ruth Haley Barton) – experiencing the reality of God in your everyday life. (spirituality) DVD & Guide.

Bible Overview Course (God’s Big Picture)  Vaughan Roberts traces the story of the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation to see how it all fits together, telling of God’s wonderful plan to save the world through Jesus Christ. Each of the 9 units consists of a 10 minute video followed by an hour long Bible study which you could do in a group at church or by yourself at home. The course is free to download and is based on Vaughan’s book of the same name (IVP).

Dangerous Faith – (Open Doors) – 6-8 sessions – A journey through the book of Acts. DVD & Guide.

Inside Out – Change your Life. Transform your Church. Love your Community. 4-5 sessions. (local mission, outward focus). DVD & Guide.

John Uncovered (UCCF) Study Guide for seekers and new Christians

BOOKS

Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness book by Jerry Cook. How can the church be a healing force in a non – Christian World?

Baptism Guide – Believe & Be Baptised by Victor Jack

ACTIVITIES

For the New Year – ONE WORD that will change your life activity.

The BISCUIT TRAIL (Agape): A set of cards that help a group to explore and discuss how to help colleagues & friends on their journey of faith towards Jesus. (Available from Riverside House).

LECTIO DIVINA: engaging with Scripture

Lectio Divina is a dynamic way of reading the Scriptures that has been around since AD 300. It follows a four-step approach of:

  1. Reading
  2. Meditation
  3. Prayer
  4. Contemplation

Lectio Divina invites you to savour and mull over God’s words quietly, slowly and intently. It gives you the space to respond to what you feel God is saying and helps you build a vital bridge between your encounters with God and everyday life with its joys, humdrum and challenges.

It is a practise not treating Scripture as a text to be studied but as the Living Word that speaks.

READING THE BIBLE - BIBLE STUDY IDEAS

These are various ways of ‘feeding off the word’, with and without preparation beforehand by the group, but very preferably by discussion leader, to various depths, depending on individual’s time and inclination and group agreement. Whether it is ‘Bible study’, or guided Bible meditation depends on those factors.

 1.       Question and answer Bible study booklets based on books of the Bible or topics.

  • Friendship with God series (first couple of books used with post Alpha groups)
  • Re Navigator series ‘Learning to Live’ navigators.co.uk

2.       Go straight to the Bible and experience the joy of God speaking to you directly through it and through others’ insights.

  • PEACE-  Consider a passage along the lines of anything that Puzzles you, Encourages you, anything that is Admirable, anything that Challenges you, and what Effect will it have on your life.
  • SPECK – do the same – is there a Sin to avoid, a Promise to claim, an Example to follow, a Command to obey or any new Knowledge you have gained
  • SWEDISH BIBLE STUDY METHOD
  • INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY baiscs
  • Read a passage on your own in the group then someone reads out loud, someone else summarizes. Anyone can add something. Ask which verse/verses attract your attention and why. What does this passage reveal about God the Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit? What questions does this passage raise for you? Any other specific questions the leader thinks would stimulate discussion, increase understanding of the passage and how it might apply. Encourage practical application – what specifically will you take from this which has challenged or encouraged you and how will it show in your life. To whom will you be accountable?

3.       Study a whole book with Overview (background facts, general impressions, purpose, emotional tone, key or often repeated words, main subjects dealt with, contrasts discussed etc, suggest title for the book to aid memory.

ICE BREAKERS
https://insight.typepad.co.uk/40_icebreakers_for_small_groups.pdf

  • Simple ice-breakers to get people talking and opening up to each other and pray over those things, praise. thanksgiving, prayer support etc. as appropriate. e.g. What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week/the most challenging/the most encouraging? How do you feel now it’s nearly Christmas – what are you looking forward to/not looking forward to. How do you view the season of Lent?
  • Ask, what has God been teaching you this week – from the Bible/other reading/good or bad experiences/answered prayer etc. Encourages each other and reminds us all to keep learning and growing and close to God

There’s much more going on within the church than we can mention here, so we would encourage you to look around the rest of the site, and to keep visiting it regularly to stay up to date and informed, or even better – come and see for yourself what Riverside Church is like.

OTHER PLACES TO FIND RESOURCES

sharpen one another

moving F.O.R.W.A.R.D.S.

www.smallgroups.com Helpful free articles for Leaders (Other material at cost)

www.biblesociety.org.uk/lyfe Free Group Bible study materials based on read, reflect, respond.

http://www.disciplekit.org/  all sorts of different resources from CPAS

https://www.godatwork.org.uk/  A great variety of video clips including a series of twelve around God in the workplace.

https://www.prayercourse.org/ Six short videos and a leader’s ‘cheat sheet’!, on the Lord’s prayer.

https://www.wearemakingdisciples.com/blog.aspx Videos and Blog Articles. Making Disciples is an exciting new, yet richly old way of talking about discipleship and spiritual formation for individuals, small groups and churches. Personal discipleship is about moving closer to what Jesus wants for us in every area of our lives.

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