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Giving Friday Nights to Jesus
Josh Hunt, presenter
What does it take?
Doubling a class every two years or less translates into 40% annual growth, or an average class going from 10 to 14 in a year.
How to double a class
Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.
Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.
Give Friday Nights to Jesus.
Encourage the group toward ministry.
Reproduce your group.
Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every
week, nothing less will do.
You don’t have to be Chuck Swindoll to
double a Sunday School class.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that
this all-surpassing power is from
God and not from us.
2 Cor. 4:7
When they saw the courage of Peter
and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished
and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 [NIV]
Who is the #1 seller of
hamburgers?
In some cases, our
teaching is no where close to half-way
decent.
Three ways to insure half-way decent
teaching.
Ask lots of
questions.
Questions. . . Are more interesting than lectures.
Lead people to speak the truth and be changed by it.
Make it easier to find workers.
Tell lots of stories
Matthew 13:34 (MSG) All
Jesus did that day was tell
stories—a long storytelling afternoon.
Matthew 13:34 (CEV) Jesus used stories
when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not
tell them anything
without using stories.
Reduce it to a
proverb
Proverbs• John 10:6 (CEV) Jesus told the people this
story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.
• John 10:6 (GW) Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn't understand what he meant.
• John 10:6 (ESV) This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
• John 10:6 (TEV) Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he meant.
• John 10:6 (MSG) Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about.
StoriesProverbsQuestionsReward
NASB. . .
StoriesProverbsQuestionsReward
• 2 Peter 2:22 (NIV) Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
StoriesProverbsQuestionsReward
Good Questions
Have Groups Talking
www.joshhunt.com
How to double a class
Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.
Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.
Give Friday Nights to Jesus.
Encourage the group toward ministry.
Reproduce your group.
People who are opposed to the gospel are not opposed to ice cream.
Get into the habit of inviting guests home for
dinner. Romans 12:13
[Living]
Romans 12:13b (NIV)
Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13b (HCSB)pursue
hospitality.
Usage in the ESV
Fellowship--low
Fellowship--high
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 (NIV)
We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work
together for the truth. 3 John 1:8 [NIV]
Low Team
High Team
Big team and lots of fellowships
0
30
60
18540
10
Growing RapidlyGrowing
High fellowship groups with big teams are 256% more likely to be growing.
Who to Invite
Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don't invite only your friends.” Luke 14:12 (GW)
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends.” Luke 14:12 [NIV]
Who to InviteBe sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 (CEV)
Who to InviteHebrews 13:2 (HCSB) Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.
If we love them they will come
and they will come to love
our Lord.
Most Christians don’t like
lost people.-Ed Stetzer
If we will be their friend, their heart will warm to a message about
“What a friend we have in Jesus.”
There is an epidemic of loneliness in our culture.
During the first two-thirds of the century Americans took a more and more active role in the social and political life of their communities–in churches and card tables and dinner tables.
Year by year we gave more generously to charity, we pitched in more often on community projects, and we behaved in an increasingly trustworthy way toward one another.
Then, mysteriously and more or less simultaneously, we began to do all these things less often.
Associations
Unions
P.T.A.
Bowling Leagues
People who are not in a group are twice as likely to die in the next year as those
who are in a group.
People who have strong social
connections, but poor health habits (eating, exercise, smoking, etc.) are just as healthy as those with good health habits but
weak social connections.
“Better to eat Twinkies with
friends than to eat broccoli alone.”-John Ortberg
One study injected 270 people with a virus that causes the common cold.
Those with strong social connections did not get as sick, did not stay sick as long, and produced less mucus than the
less connected group.
The epidemic of loneliness creates an opportunity
for us.
If you want to
double your class
every two years or
less, don’t invite
people to class.
Instead, invite
them to the
party.
How to double a class
Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.
Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.
Give Friday Nights to Jesus.
Encourage the group toward ministry.
Reproduce your group.
Giving Friday
nights to Jesus is a metaphor.
It could be pizza on Sunday.
It could be Chinese Food on Sunday night.
We were in the habit of
having friends over on Friday
nights.
Magic words:
“We are having some friends over;
we were wondering if you would like to join
us.”
A month later, they
placed their faith in Christ.
After six months, I did some research.
3 of 33 Joined
9 of 10 Joined
Same pastor, same sermon, same church, same music,
same everything. The only
difference was the coffeecake.
People are not looking for a
friendly church; they are
looking for friends.
-Rick Warren
What to do
Play
Laugh
Accept
Include the guests in everything
Notice how they are feeling
What not to
do
Don’t be theologicalDon’t share the gospelDon’t be piousDon’t do anything to make them feel like they are crummy sinners and you have it all together
How to double a class
Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.
Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.
Give Friday Nights to Jesus.
Encourage the group toward ministry.
Reproduce your group.
Eventually growth will kill a
small group.
When people are not missed;
they miss.
Who was that couple?
“I doubled twice in the last 3
months.”
Why don’t we do this?
The high price of saying good-bye
What keeps more
missionaries off the
mission field than anything
else?
Doubling’s dirty little secret
People are not actually opposed to saying good-bye to the group.
They are opposed to saying good-bye to their best friends.
If we can take our best friends with us, it doesn’t hurt so badly to say good-bye to everyone else.
The issue of willingness.
I understand. . .It is OK to have big groups and smaller groups.
This may not be the time to divide.
We may not have the maturity to divide right now.
Dividing is not THE answer to every situation at every time.
Do you want me?
Doubling teachers. . .
Are not a lot smarter Are not a lot more charismaticAre not a lot more spiritualAre not a lot more articulateAre not a lot better at teachingDon’t spend a lot more timeDon’t love God moreAre not a lot different
Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically, sincerely
embrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.
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