Dry Stone Discipleship

Blogging on the different Life groups and Discipling communities at Life Church, Peterborough. Sam Tucker, Elder at Life Church. A Husband, Father and supporter of The Posh.

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I am so pleased that Steve and Jo will be leading a new Life group in Deeping this September.

Steve and Jo have a fantastic vision for seeing gospel transformation where they live. Here is a taster...

‘This is a brand new group and we are looking to build community and genuine friendship by doing real life together, encouraging each other and seeking to grow in our faith. We want to create a safe environment for sharing together our hopes, dreams and struggles and also have fun. We have a passion for evangelism and a heart to see others come to faith. We want to be a group that seeks to impact our community so if you live in Deeping or the surrounding villages we would love you to join us.‘

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Matthew and Rachel leading a new Life group in Central Peterborough.

We are a new family-friendly group, starting up in central Peterborough. Children are more than welcome. We believe in doing life together, using Christ’s teaching as a basis for sharing experiences, learning, growing and supporting each other. We value community and look forward to sharing a Tim Tam or glass of Milo. If you have ankle biters, are a bushie, enjoy a game of aerial ping pong or are looking for a snag after a day of hard yakka you come and have a bo peep.

Translation: If you have children or are from out of town, enjoying watching a game of football or looking for a bite to eat after a day at work you’re more than welcome.

Thursdays at 7 fortnightly.

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Daytime bible study-

Starting this September we are launching a new bible study group that will meet in the day.

This is a much needed group and I am so thrilled that we are able to launch it this September. This is for anyone who is able to meet in the day- parents with children in school, shift workers, unemployed, those who struggle with transport but are able to use public transport during the day, retired or for people who find it difficult to get out in the evening...... to name a few.

Meeting fortnightly the group will be joined by guest speakers helping us to delve into different studies of the bible discussed around tables in the Fletton Centre with steaming coffee.

Wednesdays 10.30 to 12.

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New this September we are launching an Alpha community. A discipleship community that is going to pioneer Alpha for Life Church in January 2017. This group is going to plan, prepare and run this first course. Led by Steve and Gill Cronau it’s a group for anyone who wants to play a role in Alpha next year. The group will involve training on how to lead discussions, how to be a table host as well as looking at different ways of delivering Alpha.. Meeting fortnightly on Monday evenings discussing the key subjects in Alpha. Sign up from Sunday to be involved.

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Read through group-

Read through group is a new discipleship community starting this September. Here Stefan and Beth describe how it looks……

Have you ever read the Bible cover to cover? If you'd like to, then welcome to our Bible Read Through Group. Basically it's a book club, but reading the Bible. Each week you'll read a part of the Bible in advance and while reading it, you'll take some notes at the bits that jump out to you. When coming together we'll go around and you'll share what you love about it, what inspired you or challenges you. This will not only help you to stay focused reading the Bible on a regular basis, but we also found amazing in the past that there will be very different points standing out to different people, things you hadn't noticed previously or that will make you think. We'll have great discussions, encouragements and also get to know each other quite well!

Sign up opens this Sunday.....

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Core subjects

Here is the Core syllabus. Great subjects mixed with social evenings and life stories. Sign up from this Sunday. Identity in Christ series- 1. I am adopted 2. I am forgiven 3. I am free 4. I belong 5. I am privileged to partner on an adventure

Spiritual disciplines series 1. Worship 2. Reading/ reflection 3. Prayer 4. Hearing Gods voice 5. Confessing/ forgiving 6. Humbly serving

Making Life work series 1. Joyful thankfulness 2. Initiative and organisation 3. Persevering in suffering 4. Work and rest 5. Stewardship

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Talking Core....

Sarah Barber and Janis Smith talk about their experience of Core last year.

Q. Why did you decide to do Core last year? SB.  It sounded like a good first group to join and would cover subjects I wanted to know more as well as getting to know God on a deeper and more personal level. JS. I joined Core because I was asked…. Q. What is Core in three words? SB.  Helpful, reliable, family Q. What has been your Core highlight? JS. Giving our Life stories…. SB. Getting to know a great group of people and help with their walks with God as they support you in yours

Q.What has challenged you the most by being on Core? JS. Letting people get to know me. Coming out of my shell in safe environment and giving my life story. SB. Being honest and open about everything but it's been completely worth it and very helpful. Q. Why should people do Core next year? SB. It was one the best decisions I've ever made, I've made a whole new set of good friends to help and support me and I've grown closer in my walk with God. JS. It gives you a sense of belonging.

Interested? Sign up opens for next years Core on Sunday 10th July 16....

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Tough Topics

On Sunday 10th July 16 sign up opens for our Discipleship communities and  Life groups that will start in September.

One of the new groups for this year is a Book Club. Here is how Adam and Lorna who will lead the group describe it....

Book Club: Tough Topics (Sam Storms) Twice a month the book club will gather at Adam and Lorna's home to discuss one of the 25 tough questions in Sam Storms book. We will ensure you have steaming coffee and some yummy cake to kick things off with.

As this is a book club the evening will be free flowing with lots of provoking and challenging questions to help you engage with the subjects more deeply and more importantly to help you root your convictions in scripture. Here are a flavour of just some of the subjects which will be covered over the course of the year: Is the Bible inerrant? Does God ever change his mind? Could Jesus's have sinned? Are those who die in infancy saved? Will people be condemned for not believing in Jesus's though they've never heard his name? Can Christians be demonised?

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Shift life

Here is an article that I wrote for Life Church. Both for those that work shifts and to help the Church care for the growing number of people who work irregular hours-

‘You think Mondays are bad, try working weekends, holidays and twelve hour nights’ .This is just one of the many tag lines that I have chosen. There are times when I can’t imagine what it must be like to tackle Tesco’s at the same time as everyone else, swim when there are other people in the pool or tackle the parkway at rush hours. At other times I dream of that ‘Friday feeling’ and the excitement of bank holiday extended weekends..  I’m a shift worker and have been for nearly ten years. I have no idea what life looks like for ‘normal people’. I’m sure I’m not on my own as there is a growing number of people in the Church who are working unsociable hours. So here are my three thoughts on life on shift. If you are not a shift worker maybe there will be some areas for you to consider when looking out for those with the blood shot tired eyes around you and if you work shifts hopefully this will be some help.

1. Creative with time- I’d be lost without a diary. It safeguards the blocks of family time, hospitality, other commitments. Trying to use the unsocial times that shift work gives to get the most out of my time. Making sure that I don’t short change Susannah and Evan but have our ‘Saturdays’ on  Monday for example.

2. Regular irregularity- My own experience is that not having a regular pattern to life can make devotion something to develop around different times of the day. Working to develop this around nights, lates as well as nine till five is an ongoing process. i.e. I can’t do the same thing everyday but try to build regular moments in irregularity.

3. Pursue community- I think the main issue with working shifts is missing out. Missing out on times when others are available. As a result I think its massively important to pursue times when you are available. Prioritising life group and meeting people when you are missing Sundays.

* For those who work normal hours.-                                                        

·          Watch out for people whose Husbands or wives are shift workers- Saturdays and Sundays in particular can be a lonely place.

·          Don’t assume that people are working if they are missing. This isn’t always the case!

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Delight in God

‘Delight yourself in the Lord’- Psalm 37v4

The centre of the gospel is that our hearts find their satisfaction in the prize of Jesus. Lives that declare in all circumstances Jesus is enough, our greatest treasure, the pearl of greatest price. How does this look in community? Delight is the gauge in our hearts of what we value most. As a community together we want to treasure Christ. That means that our Life Group and Discipling communities will worship him. This isn’t about having all of life sorted but having a heart full of Joy in an all satisfying Jesus. Worship isn’t an opiate or about escaping pain, disappointment, sickness, and the trauma of life but about choosing to live in the reality of it and echoing the words of Paul ‘I count it all loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord’. Philippians 3v8

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It Begins....

This week our discipleship communities and life groups restart or in some cases launch for the first time! The summer has been a season of preparation and it’s with great excitement and anticipation that I look forward to going again in this new year! Over the summer we’ve added groups of different shapes and sizes to the discipleship landscape at Life Church. However over these next weeks I want to take some time to focus in on some of the shared values that we have at Life Church and explore how they look in midweek life. As a Church we exist for four reasons! Delight in God, Disciple people, Demonstrate the kingdom and Declare the gospel. These are the four things that we want to see expressed through all that we do at Life Church. So how do they look in our discipleship communities and Life groups? what are some of the ways that we can keep these D's central to community life? Let's explore that over the next weeks....

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Principle Three- Selected stones- People place passion

Dry stone walls are made by placing carefully selected stones together. This probably isn’t a huge surprise! This is the main difference to a heap of rocks and a dry stone wall. Our third principle is centred around this. We will look to multiply the Life groups that we currently have that are centred around relationship. Relationship triumphing geography, triumphing age, background. But in addition to these groups we are going to look to start new discipling communities that have a specifically defined focus. Carefully selected stones that fill gaps that we see emerge in the discipleship of the Church. Carefully selected stones that will help us move the wall in the direction of the vision that God has called us to as a Church. These communities will have a specific focus centred on either- People, Place or a passion. I don’t want to leave that there. We are a long way from here but I want to show you where we are heading. These are just examples...... The Orton discipling community- Not only do they live and meet in Orton but they are known for genuinely caring for people in the community in Orton, people are being added to them from the housing estate because they’ve seen something in the way that this group practically and sacrificially serves the community that they can’t resist. Their street barbeques are the talk of the school gate as is their befriending of those who everyone else avoids. The Russian speaking discipleship group or the Rossii , vystupivshiy uchenichestvo gruppy for short- A Russian speaking discipleship community. Due to the rise in Russian speaking people from many different nations that have been drawn into community at Life Church there is a hunger to see those people discipled. God has called us to be a church that reflects Peterborough. Imagine a discipling community that is focussed on reaching and making disciple making disciples of the many Russian speaking Eastern European countries represented in Peterborough! Beer mat discipleship groups taking a passion for a perfect pint and the appreciation for a nobbies nut and mixing raw accountability and discipleship Just a few ideas but this principle is all about being intentional in discipling either in areas of where we see gaps emerging (Core is an example of this starting this September) or around where we are heading.

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Principle 2-

The second principle of our discipleship communities is 'one size doesn't fit all'. In the same way that the different shapes and sizes of rock make up a dry stone wall..... groups with a variety of focus, demographic, size, make up communities at Life Church. These groups are not neatly shaped identical blocks but different in the way that they meet.

It means for example that some groups are centred around a stage of life whilst others are a mix of ages. Some around area of ministry, other not. Some use the Sunday preaching series whilst others have a more defined focus for example alpha, word plus, going deep and from September Core and Worship community. This is so helpful as we recognise that people are at different stages within discipleship

1 Corinthians 3

2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

 and different stages in life. As we continue to develop this principle I would love to see groups meeting in the day, men's groups, women's groups, geographically based groups...... In our third principle we'll look at the ways these groups are defined.

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Principle 1- Moveable cycles of discipleship

Dry stone walls are not stuck together like bricks with cement. They are made by stacking stones on top of each other. They are strong and can last for hundreds of years. However if the farmer decides to extend his field and move his wall, dry stone walls are mobile. He can dismantle the wall and build it up somewhere else. He can dismantle parts of the wall and add in different shaped stones filing the gaps.

How does that principle work out in discipleship communities? We have a yearly cycle to our groups. Going deep and word plus both run on a yearly cycle and now Core. At the end of the year  people are either invited to going deep or choose to do word plus or Core and come out of their Life groups for a season to commit to these. This means that each year we come to this point where we are able to rearrange some groups as the wall changes. This allows space for people to step up into different areas of leading or support leading. It allows people to spend a year on a more specific area of discipleship and it means that we have a natural point where we can launch new groups and in some cases close others.

 Does that mean that all groups change? No. Does that mean that I can’t remain in the same life group for more than a year? Absolutely not! But there is a regular flow or cycle of people being able to commit themselves for a year for different seasons of life to meet in different ways with different people. I think this really positive keeps things fresh. As a result this year we saw 12 new Life group leaders, 6 new groups started half of which are led by those who had finished Going Deep the year before.

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On Sunday I introduced three principles of discipleship communities and Life groups at Life Church. These principles are based on a dry stone wall. In the same way as these walls are made up of carefully placed rocks of different shapes and sizes. Discipleship at Life Church is not one size fits all but instead there is a growing menu of options. Over the next few weeks i'll talk about these principles in more detail.

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Core: 'A journey of discovering who we are in Christ'

This September we are starting a new Discipling community called Core. I'm really excited to see this group happening. This is a group specifically for people who struggle with their personal discipleship, those that have areas of life that are hindering them from discovering and living in light of their identity in Christ. Keeping it simple, relational and authentic. This is a group for anyone either in the early stages of this journey or those who have been a Christian for much longer but would benefit from a year focussing on topics around these five headlines- 

1.        Basics

2.        Identity in Christ/ Freedom in Christ

3.        Spiritual disciplines

4.        Making life work

5.        Character

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Worship community in 50 words

This September one of the new discipling communities that we are starting at Life Church is the worship community. 

Here it is in 50 words:

The purpose of the worship community is to gather those involved with worship, music and pa, along with their families into a vibrant, creative, relationship focused community group. Meeting every Thursday at the Fletton centre, the aim is to do life alongside music together well, by combining worship practices with discipleship.