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Writer's pictureThad DeBuhr

LIFE IS BETTER IN A HERD

Learn more about getting involved in a small group with others who want to follow Jesus together. We call these, "Journey Groups" and they can meet in person or online.




A Journey Group is a small group of people who are interested in learning the Bible, following the teachings of Jesus, and helping others learn to do the same.

Since Jesus’ great commission (Matthew 28:18-20) the kingdom of God has expanded as people took to heart His commission and went out to make disciples, baptize, and teach one another to live out the things that Jesus taught. Throughout the first several centuries “the church” was made up of small gatherings of people meeting together regularly in homes, public places, or in secret. The purpose of those early “church” gatherings was the same then as it is for our Journey Groups now.


WHY CALL IT A JOURNEY GROUP INSTEAD OF A CHURCH OR HOUSE CHURCH?


We live in a culture that is full of people with different church experiences. Many times those were wonderful. But, other times people have had bad or even awful experiences associated with churches or church groups. Beyond this, many people have attended different Bible Studies, Small Groups, Life Groups, Home Groups, etc. All of these names can carry unknown baggage along with them. The truth is, the name is not too important. But choosing a name that doesn’t put people off before they ever make it to a group is important. We also feel that it’s best to try and call things by names that represent what they are. By inviting people to a Journey Group they may ask, “What’s a journey group?” To which it’s easy to reply with something like, “It’s a group where we get together to learn the Bible and grow in our Journey as followers of Jesus.” There’s no bait and switch and the name makes sense.




How big is a Journey Group?


A group of 8 to 12 people is ideal. Larger than 12 people and you’ll find that some people will skip group thinking, “there’s plenty of people there, they won’t miss me.” Others, who are more soft-spoken or shy will find it easy to get overlooked or drowned out in a larger group. Groups smaller than 8 can also face some issues. Sometimes the smaller groups can lack the vibrant discussion of a 8-12 person group. In general smaller is ok but larger than 12-15 brings some challenges.


WHERE SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR JOURNEY GROUP?


Let me start by saying where NOT to have it. Don’t do it at your church building. Don’t do it in a public building like a library or coffee shop. Here’s why. People have baggage when it comes to churches. Don’t host your group in a place that is going to deter some from coming or wanting to invite friends. The goal is not about getting people to attend church.


The goal of a Journey Group is to become a small group of people who are interested in learning the Bible, following the teachings of Jesus, and helping others learn to do the same.

Coffee shops and public buildings simply have too many distractions and make it too easy for people to tune out or skip it altogether. Do hold your Journey Group gatherings in places that foster relationships, like A living room, a backyard, a campfire, etc.


We do have people doing Journey Groups online with Zoom or something similar. Be sure to ask about special coaching for this!


For folks meeting in person we offer specific training regarding how to set up your space for success as well as how to handle different types of people that can derail, side track or blow up your Journey Group. Be sure to plug in to these trainings when they come up!


WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT YOUR JOURNEY GROUP ACTUALLY DOES - WE OFFER 2 OPTIONS & AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO TRY BOTH.


We provide training and ongoing coaching regardless of the method you choose. Many people will enjoy doing a series in the video format followed by some time in the story format. The explanations below are just brief introductions to each option. In-depth training provided.


THE VIDEO OPTION: This option utilizes videos that we have created to help teach through different sections of the Bible. You use the video as a small part of your time together in your Journey Group each week. This option is great for brand-new Journey Groups or people who are young in their Christian walk. It’s also appealing to those who love the outdoors since all of our lessons are filmed in some beautiful locations throughout the US and Canada.


THE DAILY BIBLE PODCAST OPTION: You may or may not know that we have a LIVE Daily Bible Podcast every morning at 6am PT / 9am ET. The podcast is a verse by verse style where Pastor Thad leads us through a small section of scripture, discusses historical context, and shares some insightful food for thought regarding that passage. Each daily podcast is 25-30 minutes and includes comments and feedback from the hundreds of people tuning in live. This year we have studied through the book of Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and nearing the end of James as of this writing.


The Podcast Option for a Journey Group is meant for people who are all watching the Live Daily Podcasts. They meet weekly in person or online and dig in deeper to the passages that they studied throughout the week. The discussion is meant to work toward real-life application of the lessons learned. There is accountability and encouragement to walk out what you learn each week in your everyday lives.


TRAINING -


We offer training for both options and one-on-one coaching to walk with leaders as they get their Journey Group off and running! Be sure to attend the trainings when they’re offered.


WHO SHOULD START A JOURNEY GROUP?


ANY BELIEVER who is following Jesus and wants to keep growing as a disciple who can learn to disciple others is the right person to start a Journey Group!


ANY BELIEVER who is willing to invest their time in the training we offer, be coachable, and apply what they’re learning is the right person to start a Journey Group!


ANY BELIEVER who is tired of just going through the motions, floating along as a Christian is the right person to start a Journey Group!


WHAT IF you’re a new believer? No problem! Sign up and get in on the training and let us come alongside you and help you grow as a disciple who is learning how to help others do the same!


WHAT IF you’ve never led any kind of group or bible study before? No Problem! Sign up and get in on the training and let us come alongside you and help you grow as a disciple who is learning how to help others do the same!


WHAT IF you don’t go to a church? No Problem! Sign up and get in on the training and let us come alongside you and help you grow as a disciple who is learning how to help others do the same!


WHY WAIT? Click the button to sign up for a journey group.



OR BETTER YET --

Open up your email... fire us off a message and tell us in your own words how excited you are to start a Journey Group and go through the training.


Email us today at: YourJesusJourney@gmail.com 

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