EKKLESIA: THE Church and This church
Join us this fall for a new series called “EKKLESIA” as we look at the first expression of the Church as recorded in the book of Acts. We will also explore who we are as a church here at Live Oak.  What was the Church like THEN and how should that shape who the Church should be NOW?  We will also explore who THIS church is by exploring our mission, strategy and core values, as well as start exploring “what’s next” for Live Oak Community Church.

Week 6: This Church. 
This week we looked “this church” by talking about who we are as a local church on a mission by looking at our mission statement, our missional footprint, our strategy and asked the question, “what’s next?”
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LIVE OAK CONNECTION POINT:
If anyone in your group hasn’t filled out the Vision Sunday Survey please ask them to…you can find it on Sign Up & Events!

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  • What is your “Live Oak story”?  How did you end up at Live Oak and how have you been involved at Live Oak?
  • What are some of the barriers that could keep Live Oak from growing as a church (numerical and spiritual growth)?  (Examples: Facility capacities, needing more volunteers, needing more leaders, becoming insider focused, etc.)
  • READ: Mark 2:1-12Spend some time SOAPing this passage. You can either spend time SOAPing individually and documenting for a several minutes and then spend time sharing with each -OR- SOAP in real time with each other.Either way make as many observations as you can.  OBSERVATIONS: What are the things that stand out to you about this passage?How does that passage inform Live Oak as we seek to live out our mission as a church?
  • At Live Oak, we have a strategy called “The Great Connections” based on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  

READ: Matthew 22:37-40

READ: Matthew 28:18-20

  • In what ways are you connecting YOURSELF to God?  To God’s Word?  To God’s People?  To God’s Mission?  
  • In what new ways do you need to be connecting YOURSELF to God?  To God’s Word?  To God’s People?  To God’s Mission?
  • In what ways could you connect OTHERS to God?  To God’s Word?  To God’s People?  To God’s Mission?
  • Doug gave us this tool (see below) that we are using as a church to seek what’s next for Live Oak.  Discuss each of the three points of the triangle and share some of your perspective on all three (questions listed after the graphic):

  • From your perspective, who is Live Oak?  What is our identity as a church?  What makes Live Oak what it is?
  • What are some ways we can strengthen those parts of our identity and stay true to who we are?
  • What are some ways we can collectively seek God’s will as a church?
  • When we consider some of our constraints and barriers to our growth and to our mission, what are some of the WHAT IF possibilities we could dream about?  What are the ideas of some of the paths forward and solutions?  This is brainstorming so throw out a lot of ideas but make sure we stay true to our identity as Live Oak.
  • Our prayer in this series has been: “Jesus, build your Church and show me my part.”

How will you pray this prayer in the next month?  What would you add to the prayer as you play for Live Oak and what’s next for us as a church?  

  • What else stood out from this week’s sermon?
  • What is your big takeaway from this week’s sermon?

NEXT STEPS:
“Everyone has a next step to apply what we have learned. What is your next step?Be specific.

MEMORY VERSE: *Challenge yourself or your group to commit this verse to memory:
Matthew 28:18-20   Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

PRAYER:
Spend some time praying for each other.  And pray this prayer as a group: “Jesus, build your Church…and show us our part. Amen!”  Personize the prayer you are praying for us as a church.***Challenge your group to make this a daily prayer throughout this series:“Jesus, build your Church and show me my part. Amen.”

Scripture References: 
Matthew 16:18; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Matthew 22:37-40; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:42-47; Mark 2:1-12