Covenant Community Church
Discipleship and Outreach
contact Robbie Jeffcoat

Discipleship                More on Discipleship Groups

Biblical discipleship and outreach must stem first from a healthy body life. " They will know you are my disciples if you have love one for another." Sadly, we have not done that well. We are more drawn to program oriented thinking because it is functional and not relational. Men especially struggle with relationships.

Our relationship with God must be our highest priority. Knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed unto His death. Phil.3: 10. In Knowing Christ, we begin to understand His love for us and others, overflowing into service, worship, and obedience modeling Christ's love to a lost and dying world. Discipleship is simply one man pouring Jesus Christ into another man and vice versa.. It involves being relational, "loving God and loving others". Being accountable to men who love us no matter what, and tell us the truth no matter what. Walking beside men until we get home. Real love commits through the long haul of life.

Covenant Community Church is at present involved in discipleship. "Learning one anothering."  There are at this writing there are four groups meeting for discipleship and accountability. Three to four is a desirable number per group. Contact Robbie Jeffcoat if you desire to get connected to a group.

Outreach
Outreach of course stems from good discipleship in the body of Christ. Outreach to a lost and dying world involves us being involved and sometimes getting dirty for the kingdom as the Father draws His elect to Himself.

Outreach events include community cookouts, Vacation Bible School, hosted concerts and grade school supply handouts. We have a group of men visiting Sunday mornings from a local Veterans' Home. Maybe you have some ideas on how our church can grown out into our local community. Contact Robbie Jeffcoat with your ideas.

CCC Discipleship Groups 

     Our mission at CCC is to see people believe and obey Jesus Christ.  Jesus tells us that our perseverance and progress in his Kingdom depend in part on meeting together.  “Let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another….”   “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom….”  “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”  Over all this we remember that Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  Some of this is done in public worship, but obviously a large part of this “one another” ministry must be done in small groups.  Our confidence is in the Lord.  “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.” 

      We want to promote the development of small groups focused on the one another ministries mentioned above.  This does not mean that we have to get rid of home groups or any other existing group.  The new groups can grow up along side the others. These groups do not need an expert or a teacher.  They are not primarily focused on teaching. Rather they are focused on prayer and encouragement.  Because of the nature of the groups, men and women should meet separately.  You can start a group by getting together with a few other people and using the questions below as a guide for sharing and prayer. 

I. Examples of foundational questions
- Tell us about your family.
- In what ways did your family relationships shape you positively or negatively?
- What are your present circumstances?  Relationships, work, financial difficulties, etc.
- Do you have confidence that your sins are forgiven?  If yes, how? 

II. Examples of regular maintenance questions
- Are you enjoying Jesus as your righteousness and life by faith?  Are you having joy in being a child of God as you fight?      Have you begun and ended each day believing that you have peace with God through Jesus’ life and cross?
- You need to be meeting with God on a regular basis.  How much of your goal time did you actually spend in prayer and        the Word?  (Try not to kid yourself.  Write it down.)
- Are you profiting from the Scripture?  Do you believe, worship and obey in response?  What specifically is changing?
- How have you failed or succeeded in giving thanks in all things and praying without ceasing?
- How have you sacrificially loved those close to you?  What would they say?
- Have you done your work with and for the Lord?
- Do you have habitual sins either willful or spontaneous to which you succumbed?
- Have you sought to make Jesus known to others? 

III. Examples of occasional maintenance questions
- Are you using your gifts in the local church? How?
- Are you interceding regularly for the church and its ministries?
- How are your finances?  Are you giving regularly and generously to the local church?
- What traps might Satan be setting for you?
- Are you fighting against the relentless pressure toward ease, consumption and affluence? 

     Obviously you could add to the questions above.  The idea is to let people share in a safe environment and then to pray for them.  There are several common pitfalls that can torpedo these kinds of groups.  1) Don’t try to fix people or their circumstances.  God may want the person in these circumstances.  You are praying and encouraging them to know his love.  2) Confidentiality is essential.  Everyone must know that what they share never goes outside the group.  3) Try not to give advice.  Let people share.  Tell them you love them and pray for them.  Of course if there are persistent blind spots, there can be biblical correction.  It is a good idea to ask the person first.  “Are you open to some input at this point?”  4) You can expect several sinners to rub each other the wrong way.  Don’t quit.  Accept one another and work things out.  Jesus is in the relational friction as well!   5) Stay focused on the gospel and joy, don’t get bogged down! 

Covenant Community Church
Presbyterian Church In America (PCA)
1302 Old Orangeburg Road
Lexington, South Carolina 29073   803.359.7117