Care Group Training Manual - New Dimensions Ministries

SECTION I

UNDERSTANDING CARE GROUP MINISTRY

A BIBLICAL BASIS FOR CARE GROUP MINISTRY

Our basis for Care Groups is found in the word of God. The Bible, especially in the book of Acts

provides the perfect model for groups meeting together. The word of God also shows the impor-

tance of loving each other, caring for and looking out for the interest of each other. Accordingly,

this will result in many people being saved. The following scriptures give the basis for New Di-

mensions Care Group Ministry.

1. Our God is a God of relationship - Genesis 1:26; 2:18

2. Moses and small groups - Exodus 18:13-26

3. The Jesus model - Mark 3:14

4. The early church model - Acts 2:41-47

5. Peter at Cornelius house - Acts 10:22-48

6. Mary’s house - Acts 12:12

7. The churches at Philippi - Acts 16:30-34; Acts 16:15, 40

8. The 20/20 model - Acts 20:20

9. Paul’s house - Acts 28:30-31

10. Churches in homes - Romans 16:3-11

11. Church history According to church history, the first church building was built around

323 A.D. by Constantine. Before that, churches met in homes.

12. Modern day example The original modern pioneer of the care ministry is Dr. David

Yongi Cho in Seoul, Korea. He was the first leader to take the biblical principles and

build a large church. His method is based on the Jethro model of multiplication.

VISION FOR NDM CARE GROUP MINISTRY

The vision of New Dimensions Care Group Ministry is based on Acts 2:42-47 and Acts; 20:20

which say:

Acts 2:42-47 NIV - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to

the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and

miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had every-

thing in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes

and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the

people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 20:20 NIV - You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to

you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

The vision of New Dimensions Care Group Ministry is as follows:

1. To care for, edify and minister to every partner of New Dimensions Ministries.

2. To include, if they so desire to be involved, those who regularly attend services at NDM, but

are not partners.

3. To disciple every new believer under our care.

4. To evangelize unsaved family members, friends and neighbours.

5. To reach out to those who visit New Dimensions.

6. To meet for fellowship and discussing the Word of God.

7. To conduct different styles of care group meetings: prayer, prayer walks, fellowship, bible

discussions, for the purpose of group participation and development.

8. To care for all those in our group, even if they don’t attend Care Group meeting

9. Where possible, each group may have the same theme on care group night.

10. To encourage the use of the gifts of the Spirit in Care Group to minister to each other.

TEN SCRIPTURAL VALUES FOR CARE GROUPS

Core ValuesThe core values in our lives determine what we really believe. Unless these values

are based on the scriptures, we find ourselves just trying another good idea. These ten scriptural

values of the New Dimensions Care Ministry give us a foundation for having small groups in any

church. Any organization's values openly declare how it expects everyone to behave and are of-

ten embedded in its vision. Therefore as a church, our values are biblically bases. Values come

from vision and values form the basis for culture. The culture of an organization is its corpo-

rate personality a living blend of values, traditions, norms and experiences that produce an ill-

defined code of behaviour that is often referred to as unwritten rules.

There are three types of churches that Holy Spirit is using mightily today:

_ Meeting-centred churches (programme-based design church)

_ Relationship-centred churches (care group-based)

_ Meeting-centred churches with small groups (sometimes called a meta-church)

The expression Meta-Church means changing church. The emphasis of Meta-Church is

on helping the saints in the church seek ways to bring friends, neighbours, relatives, co-

workers, etc., into the church through participation in small groups.

The ten scriptural values for care groups are:

1. Teaching people to know Jesus (prayer) - John 17:3

2. Focusing on reaching the lost (evangelism) - Mark 1:17; Matthew 9:3; 8 II Timo-

thy 4:5

3. Discipling others - Matthew 28:19-20

4. Seeing the church as people and not a building - Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:20

5. The saints doing the work of the ministry - Ephesians 4:11-12

6. Building trust and relationships - 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 4:16

1. We all need three types of relationships in our lives:

Paul-relationships those who oversee us

Barnabas-relationships those who come alongside to help us

Timothy-relationships those we are training for future leadership

10. Expecting spiritual multiplication - Genesis 1:28; Acts 6:1,7; 9:31

11. Encouraging flexibility and creativity - II Corinthians 3:17-18

12. Empowering Gods people - John 14:12; II Timothy 2:2

13. Building strong teams - II Thessalonians 1:1; I Corinthians 12:28

The four components of a healthy team are:

_ Common vision

_ Common values

_ Common procedures

_ God-given healthy relationships

THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A CARE GROUP LEADER

1. True leaders that are willing to serve with humility - 1 Peter 5:5

2. Care group leaders must be trained - I Timothy 3:10

3. Care group leaders should have a clear testimony - II Timothy 1:12

4. Care group leaders should have faith. Know that God has called you - Romans 14:23;

Acts 6:5. Exercise your faith.

5. Care group leaders should support the local church vision. Be convinced that the vision

of your church is one you can embrace as your own.

Please note the following:

a) Lack of loyalty - I Corinthians 1:10 says there should be no divisions among us. A lack

of loyalty to the Word of God, to your church or its vision and to church leadership will

cause great harm to Gods people.

b) Lack of support - If there is any aspect of the ministry of a church that a care group

leader cannot consent to or support in good faith, he/she should pray; then share his heart

with his local leadership. We need to appeal to those over us in the Lord.

c) Differing opinions - If you find yourself having a wrong spirit towards those in spiritual

leadership over you, you need to go to them. Sit down with your leaders and share your

struggle. Just because your opinions differ with another person in leadership over a cer-

tain situation, does not mean you are rebellious or that you cannot remain loyal. God

wants us to pray about the differences of understanding we have and then talk about them

with the appropriate leadership. Unity does not mean uniformity.

6. Care group leaders should be enthusiastic. Revelation 3:19 tells us to repent and become

enthusiastic about the things of God. Enthusiasm is a choice! Enthusiasm is contagious!

Colossians 3:23

7. A care group leader should not be a new Christian, or new to the local church - I Timothy

3:6

8. A married care group leader should be in unity with their spouse - Romans 16:3

- Women in leadership

- Unsaved spouse

- Newly married couple

9. Care group leaders should support the local church with their finances and prayer - Mala-

chi 3:10

10. Care group leaders should be accountable - Hebrews 13:17. Personal accountability is

finding out from God what He wants you to do and then asking others to hold us ac-

countable to obey what God has called you to do. The leadership team (eldership of the

local church) is ultimately responsible before the Lord for each person in the care groups.

Accountability brings protection.

11. Care group leaders should be teachable and reliable - II Timothy 2:2

12. Care group leaders should feel a healthy sense of inadequacy - Exodus 3:10-12; Joshua

1:9

a) The type of people God uses, are those who depend on Him!

b) We must be convinced that if God doesn’t show up, it is all over!

KINGDOM CARING

The word of God teaches that there are other ministries, such as helps which means the same as

caring for the body of Christ. These ministry gifts are found in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ro-

mans 12:6-8. The anointing will come upon those with these gifts, not just the five-fold minister.

Jesus himself exhibited this kind of behaviour towards His disciples. It flowed from a spirit of

servanthood and in our care groups we should be always willing to serve and care for each other.

Caring is a vital part of any care group ministry and it flows from a heart of compassion for

souls. There are various ways in which a care group leader or care group members can care for

each other.

Prayer

God has called us to stand in the gap for both the saved and the unsaved. We are called to pray

for people in our care groups, their families and our community. When this is done, God is

pleased and the people feel cared for.

Encouragement

Everyone gets discouraged at times. Everyone needs a friend who truly cares, who listens and

who understands. As a care group leader, you may not be able to personally encourage every-

body daily, but you can be a catalyst in helping relationships develop. That way, everyone in

your group will be encouraged regularly. A catalyst is an outside substance that speeds up a

chemical reaction. In fresh, wet concrete, calcium is the catalyst that causes it to harden quickly.

As new Christians come into your care group you can pray about which individual in your care

group can properly disciple the new believers. You can be the one that connects people together

and create a potential discipleship relationship. Just remember, Holy Spirit does the knitting. You

cannot programme people. You must pray and allow Holy Spirit to bring people together. You

cannot force relationships to happen.

People should be encouraged in their gifts and abilities. Insecure and immature leaders may seek

to control rather than encourage especially in the area of people hearing God for themselves.

When people are encouraged there is a sense of accomplishment and not dependency on the

leader.

Birthdays and anniversaries are important parts of our lives. Some of the believers that the Lord

has placed in your care group may not have a family who cares about them. Remembering birth-

days, anniversaries and other special events with cards, an occasional party, etc., can be a tre-

mendous source of encouragement to them. Perhaps someone in the group could compile a list of

both events that could be photocopied and passed out to the entire group, so that the whole group

will be involved in encouraging each other.

Having a Pastors heart

A care group leader always must be willing to serve those in his group. He/she may not have the

gifting of a pastor, but may have a strong gift such as administration, evangelism or teaching, but

that does not mean he/she cannot have a pastors heart. A person with a pastors heart has a desire

to serve a group of people through prayer, regular encouragement, and practical service; also

serving those who are no longer active in our care group. Luke 15:4 shows that Jesus first prior-

ity was to go after the sheep that left the fold. We need to do the same when people are not at-

tending the group. We all have challenges at times. Often when a care group member is de-

pressed or has sinned and is pressed down with guilt (when he most needs encouragement), he

avoids fellow members.

The leader and the group need to be looking out for one another. The leader, along with the assis-

tant should visit the person or give them a call. People know when we sincerely care. He may not

respond immediately. Give him time for the Spirit of God to work in his life dont forget about

him or think, Oh well, he obviously wasnt committed anyway. If he is open to you, pray with

him and encourage him to return (unless God is calling him to other place). This is the heart of

the pastors heart, although it does not mean that you are a pastor. Care group leaders are facilita-

tors who serve alongside their pastors and elders so that every saint can and will be involved in

the work of the ministry.

Caring is about sharing

At times the enemy will lie to some people and tell them that no one can really help them be-

cause others cannot identify with what they are going through. Was Jesus ever on drugs or alco-

hol? Was He ever married? Of course not; yet He has helped many and has become our example

for living. Regardless of our backgrounds, we can pray and trust God and see Him do miracles

among us.

You should be able to share your personal needs and problems with those in your care group. The

Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that we should boast in our weaknesses so that the power of

Christ may rest upon us. When we are open about areas of struggle that weve had and share how

the Lord has given us grace to conquer by His Word, it causes us to be transparent. This keeps us

from being placed upon a pedestal. When people put us on a pedestal, we open ourselves to the

enemy in the area of pride. The people we are serving may feel as though they may never attain

our level of spirituality which is totally untrue. Do not feel that you have to know all the answers,

if you dont know, dont fake it. Tell them honestly that you dont know, but you will find the an-

swer. That is why you have leaders and other ministry gifts in the church.

Remember the word of God gives us spiritual authority. Your testimony is also a powerful tool

that can be used to encourage His people in the care group. Your testimony is simply relating

what God has done in your life in the past, what He is doing in your life now and what you be-

lieve God will do in the future.

Caring through Hospitality

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to

one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:9-10).

There is a difference between entertaining and showing hospitality. Entertaining often empha-

sizes having a nice party or meal, while hospitality focuses on the needs of those who have come

into our homes. When serving through hospitality, do not hesitate to invite people to your home

because of the condition of your home, or a lack of sumptuous or prepared food. Remember,

hospitality doesnt always have to include food. If God has graced you to serve big meals when

people come to your home and you love doing it, thats great. If you become anxious, like Mar-

tha, it is a warning light for you to re-evaluate. Remember, its not the food thats important, but

the fellowship! The Holy Spirit builds relationships as we spend time with people.

Love that is unconditional

Each care group leader should be motivated by a love that is spontaneous, not loving those who

you think are worthy of love, but loving everyone, even the unlovable. Love should not be par-

tial. No one should have to do anything to merit that love. We do not look at the individual, but at

God and we walk in obedience to what His Word says. This love is for the utterly unworthy. A

love that proceeds from a God who is Love; a love lavished on others without a thought whether

they are worthy or not. It proceeds from the nature of the lover, not from any attractiveness in the

beloved. We who have experienced Gods love (Romans 5:8) now have the responsibility to pass

it on to others. Our care group members should always feel this kind of love.

Love with understanding

Each care group leader needs to know their members. When members feel that their leader

knows them, it causes them to feel that they belong. Our love should be driven by compassion.

When we read the Bible about Jesus ministry we see before He did any miracle or minister to

anyone it says he was moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36; 14:14). Compassion is defined

as literally feeling with and for others. It is an essential and individual quality of the biblical con-

ception of God.

Conclusion

Like in the natural home we first learn to love, so it should be in our spiritual home - our local

church. In Gods family we learn of His love and to love each other. In Ephesians 3:14-21, Pauls

prayer expressed his desire for believers. In context it came in a section in which Paul had been

affirming the unity of a church made up of differing individuals. Here Paul prayed that being

rooted and established in love we believers might experience the love of God and be filled with

His fullness. What love are we to be established in? In context it is not the love of God, or even

the love for God. It is love for one another as members of the family of God. It is in the loving

relationships within the church and care groups that we experience through one another, the

depths of Gods love and we grow to the fullness of Christ. The focus of caring and building up

each other in love is not selfish; it is essential. Only as we grow toward maturity in love can we

respond fully to Jesus as He directs us to serve the world. This kind of growth takes place as we

together of one body build each other up in love. Then the whole church grows into maturity!

SECTION II

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

2 Timothy 2:2

Introduction

Today there seems to be a lack of effective and excellent leaders within the church. Many people

are positioned in leadership without being first given training for the position and then they are

expected to lead effectively. People are not born leaders. Leaders are born. People are often

placed in leadership because of the length of time they were in their church, or because they can

pray well or because they have an influential position in society. Christian leadership, even

though it has many similar principles to that of secular leadership, has some striking dynamic

differences.

Quality leadership is needed in the church. Dr. Myles Munroe once said, A good leader not only

knows where he is going, but he can inspire others to go with him.

Dr. John C. Maxwell added to this, If a man thinks he is leading and no one follows him, he is

only taking a stroll.

One good leader is better than 100 good followers, so the saying goes. Your leadership ability

will determine your effectiveness and the potential impact of your care group. The lower your

ability to lead, the lower your effectiveness to lead would be. The higher your ability to lead, the

greater your effectiveness would be as a leader.

The church deserves the best spiritual leadership for the accomplishment of its sacred mission.

Observation and experience have taught us that the church has always prospered when its leaders

were at their best. Jesus himself recognized the need for good leadership. Therefore, he first

gathered men for a period of training. They had to be with him before they could be for him

(Mark 3:14).

We will now take a look at different aspects of leadership, with a view to strengthening and

sharpening your focus of leadership, and thereby stimulating you toward more effective ministry.

DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP

There are different definitions of leadership. I will outline a few of them. One definition of lead-

ership is: enabling a group to engage together in the process of developing, sharing and moving

into vision, and then living it out. We emphasize the importance of a leaders character and integ-

rity in building up the trust necessary for that leadership to be exercised over a period of time.

For Christian leadership, the importance of prayer must be emphasized - since God seeks to work

in partnership with his people and prayer is the primary channel of communication.

Some of the common ideas that others include in leadership definitions are exerting influence;

motivating and inspiring; helping others realize their potential; leading by example; selflessness

and making a difference. For our convenience, I include several other definitions:

The Collins English Dictionary: Leadership (n) 1.The position or function of a leader; 2. The

period during which a person occupies the position of a leader. 3. a. The ability to lead; b. (As

modifier): leadership qualities. This dictionary definition of leadership focuses on the position

(singular or collective), tenure and ability of leaders. As such, it misses key points about the pur-

pose and hallmarks of effective leadership.

John C. Maxwell: In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell sums up his defini-

tion of leadership as leadership in influence - nothing more, nothing less. This moves beyond the

position of the leader, to look at the ability of the leader to influence others - both those who

would consider themselves followers, and those outside that circle. Indirectly, it also builds in

leadership character, since without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness, the capability to

influence will disappear.

Warren Bennis: Warren Bennis definition of leadership is focused more on the individual capa-

bility of the leader. Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well

communicated, building trust among colleagues and taking effective action to realize your own

leadership potential.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester: Leadership is the process of influencing the behaviour

of other people toward group goals, in a way that fully respects their freedom. The emphasis on

respecting their freedom is an important one and one which must be the hallmark of Christian

leadership. Jesus influenced many different people during his ministry but compelled no one to

follow Him.

PURPOSE OF LEADERSHIP

The Bible tells us that God created mankind and clearly established the purpose for him when He

said, Let them have dominion (rule) over the earth. (Genesis 1:26). This commandment desig-

nated both male and female as Gods agents to rule, govern and manage Gods creation. His

command was for them to have dominion over the earth, not over each other.

The purpose of leadership is not to have followers or subordinates. Many in leadership positions

today believe that their leadership should be measured by how many people look to or depend on

them. They boast that they are in great demand by their followers and consider this as evidence

of their effectiveness.

The purpose of leadership is to produce leaders.

His role is to inspire followers to become leaders. A true leader measures his success and effec-

tiveness by the diminishing degree of the dependency of his followers on him. The less they need

him, the more effective he is. A leader rejoices when others come into their own and start to

function in fulfilling their leadership ability.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD LEADER

Good characteristics are necessary for Christian leadership. Leadership is dynamic and there are

certain qualities that must be found in every good leader. Here are some:

Biblical Characteristics:

1. Should be from among your own (grow your own leaders - they will have your vision).

2. Must be men and women of vision and purpose.

3. Must understand and relate to you. Must not be a foreigner to your vision.

4. Should not go into it for fame. They must die to their ambitions because the vision is

greater.

5. Must not oppress the people or turn them back to oppression. Always lead people to a

better place in life.

6. Must possess morality, purity and loyalty.

7. Must not be controlled or manipulated by others.

8. Must study and know the principles of the Word of God.

9. Must live a life of commitment and meditation with God.

10. Must be humble and considerate.

11. Must have patience and endurance.

12. Must have the heart of a servant.

General Characteristics of Good Leaders:

1. They maintain a high morale among others.

2. They inspire commitment and teamwork.

3. They display energy and enthusiasm.

4. They are focused.

5. They view the future with hope and optimism.

6. They make prudent decisions, estimating the cost of something before they decide on it.

7. They are honest with themselves.

8. They work to instill values in others.

9. They carry on in spite of setbacks. To a leader failure is not a permanent state. It simply

exposes another way a thing does not work.

10. They reinvent themselves.

11. They are not afraid to ask for input from others, even their followers.

12. They tolerate mistakes of others.

13. They set standards and objectives.

14. They remain calm under fire.

15. They do not lash out or victimize when challenged.

16. They issue people with resources to do their job.

17. They believe in themselves and their followers.

18. They initiate change rather than react to it.

19. They take responsibility.

20. They are not afraid to work side by side with ambitious people.

21. They have discipline.

22 They are decision makers.

23. They are courageous.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

OUTLINE

I. HEBREW DEFINITIONS

A. Ebed A Salve or Servant

1. A Person who is at the Complete Disposal of Another Person.

2. A Person who Works for a Master.

3. A Person who Serves in the Temple.

B. Abad To Work or Serve

1. Any Person Who Tills the Ground, Keeps, or Dresses a Garden.

2. The Word also Applies to a Priest who Serves the People.

C. Sakiyr A Hired Servant

D. Sharath A Doer of Menial Task

1. Priest who Ministers (serves) in his Priestly Office.

2. Priest who Ministers Continually Before the Ark.

3. Leaders who are in Submission to Other Leaders.

II. GREEK DEFINITIONS

. A. The Love-slave

B. The New Testament Concept of Serving

1. A Servant Foremost

2. Servanthood

a. Diakoneo ___ The Act of Service

b. Diakonia ___ The Service Itself

c. Diakonos ___ The One Who Serves

C. Conclusion

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

An essential component of true leadership is the ability to serve. A leader of Gods people must

not only possess the inner attitudes and motivations of a leader, but must also have the outer

service of a servant.

I. HEBREW DEFINITIONS

The Old Testament translates several Hebrew words as servant, each one presenting a certain as-

pect of truth concerning the heart of a servant.

A. Ebed A Salve or Servant

The Hebrew word ebed generally means a slave or a servant. Its applications apply to a defini-

tion of a ministry of leadership.

1. A Person who is at the Complete Disposal of Another Person (Genesis 24).

A leader must be at the complete disposal of the Lord Jesus Christ, and must be available to

those whom he is called to serve.

2. A Person who Works for a Master (Deuteronomy 15: 12 18).

A leader must offer his labour in the same way for Jesus Christ his master, and to those he is

called to serve. In addition, he is one who surrenders all his personal rights to labour for his

Lord and the ones he serves.

3. A Person who Serves in the Temple (1 Samuel 3: 9)

A servant-leader is one who attends to the temple sanctuary, as Samuel did under Eli. Servant-

leaders must attend to the business of worship toward God and His people whom he serves.

B. Abad To Work or Serve

The word abad generally means to work and (in any sense) to serve. Its variety of applications

helps us to understand leadership.

1. Any Person who Tills the Ground, Keeps, or Dresses a Garden. (Genesis 2: 5; 3:

23; 2: 15)

Gods servant-leader must work at breaking up the fallow ground of mens hearts to receive the

seed of the Word of God. He must be also able to dress and keep Gods vineyard, the church.

2. The Word also Applies to a Priest who Serves the People (Numbers 18: 7, 23).

A servant-leader is one who lays down his life in sacrificial service to those whom God has

called him to serve.

C. Sakiyr A Hired Servant

This word describes the servant who works for wages. Its applications define the negative condi-

tions of servant-leadership. This type of servant could not eat the Passover of his masters family

(Exodus 12: 3 45).

A servant-leader must never see himself as a paid professional. His service must be one of love.

In Leviticus 25: 39 42 the hired servant was not a love slave. Note John 10:12, 13

The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he

abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man

runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep (NIV).

A hired hand is a man employed to take care of the sheep. Since he guards them merely for pay,

rather than risk his life, he would leave the flock to the ravages of wild beasts. "Hired hand," in

this text, denotes one who is unfaithful to his trust. It describes ministers who preach only for

support, and who are unwilling to encounter any danger, or practice any self-denial for the wel-

fare of the church of God.

Because he is a Hired hand, he regards only his wages. Knowing that He feels no special interest

in the flock, he flees when danger approaches.

As a result, a hired servant (Sakiyr) was not worth half the amount of that of a love-slave (Deu-

teronomy 15: 18).

A leader, who is motivated by love, is of more value than one who is motivated by selfish gain.

D. Sharath A Doer of Menial Task

This word usually means one who is a doer of menial and insignificant task.

1. Priest who ministers (serves) in his priestly office (Exodus 28: 35 43), is called a

Sharath

A servant-leader must perform seemingly insignificant task to fulfill his role as a priest of God.

2. Priest who ministers continually before the Ark (1 Chronicles 16: 37)

A servant-leader recognises his need of power for service and therefore enters into Gods pres-

ence regularly to minister to Him in worship.

3. Leaders who are in submission to other leaders (Exodus 24: 13; Numbers 11: 28)

Joshua was a Sharath aide to Moses.

A servant-leader understands that he only has authority when he is under proper authority, and

serves those over him with a submissive heart.

II. GREEK DEFINITIONS

The New Testament uses a Greek word for servant which gives a good word picture of a servants

heart. The Greek word doulos generally signifies bondage, but is most commonly applied to a

servant who has willingly bonded himself to his master by some legal obligation. The Apostle

Paul uses this word to describe himself in several of his epistles.

A. The Love-slave

The Old Testament provides the Hebrew background for the concept of the love-slave in Deu-

teronomy 15: 1 23. When the time came for a master to release a slave after six years of serv-

ice, the slave had two options. He could accept his total freedom with no legal obligations to his

master, or he could stay in his masters house as a love-slave. If he chose to stay he would be of

more value to his master than the slaves who worked only to fulfill a debt or some other legal

obligation. The decision to become a love-slave was made on the basis of the slaves deep love

for his master and his household for the love and kindness they showed to him.

When a Christian recognizes the extent of Jesus love, and the fact that he could never repay the

price that was paid for his salvation, he desires nothing less than a relationship where his work is

motivated purely from willingness and love.

The most effective leaders in the kingdom of God are those who serve Him out of a desire of

love for Him. Money, reputation, position, power, or selfish ambition does not possess a servant-

leaders heart. A servant-leader is one who is secure in his personal relationship with the Lord,

and does not have to prove himself. He is able to serve sincerely with no desire for profit or

fame.

B. The New Testament Concept of Serving

There are several Greek words that present the concept of serving. From these words the English

word deacon is most commonly used. This word is misunderstood by a large portion of the

Church today. The New Testaments meaning, however, is far deeper than the performance of

some religious function in the local church (Acts 6: 3).

1. A Servant Foremost

In the true sense of the word, any leader must first of all be a deacon (servant). It is on the basis

of servanthood that we are able to lead. Jesus, the greatest leader, and the supreme example of

servant-leadership, said that He came to serve, not to be served (Mark 10: 45; Luke 22: 27).

When His apostles became ambitious and position-seeking, He told them, The greatest among

you will be your servant. (Matthew 23:11).

Servant-leaders must never have a position-seeking attitude. On the contrary, they must have a

desire to serve, not to be served; to give, and not take. A true servant-leaders satisfaction is de-

rived from the pleasure he brings to God and to the Church by his selfless service. Putting him-

self first violates the fundamental principle of servant-leadership and the law of the love-slave

(Deuteronomy 15: 1 23).

This attitude opposes the law of promotion in Gods Kingdom (Matthew 23: 12); the law of love

(1 Corinthians 13: 4 6); the law of eternal life (Luke 10: 25 28); and the law of humility

(Philippians 2: 3 9; 1 Corinthians 10: 24, 33).

2. Servanthood

All Christians, who are called to serve Jesus Christ and the church in any capacity, are servants.

There are three key words in New Testament Greek that develop the idea and describe the pri-

mary elements of servanthood.

a. Diakoneo ___ The Act of Service

Diakoneo is a verb which means to be an attendant, to wait upon (1 Timothy 3: 10, 13). This

word is usually used in a domestic setting, as the work of a household servant.

Example: After Jesus healed Peters mother-in-law, she got up and ministered to Him and the

disciples (Matthew 8: 15).

b. Diakonia ___ The Service Itself

Diakonia is a noun which refers to the aid or service that a servant or official renders to someone

else.

Example: After Judas betrayal of Christ the apostles asked Christ to show which two were cho-

sen for the ministry of apostleship (Acts 1: 24, 25).

c. Diakonos ___ The One Who Serves

Diakonos means to run errands, to attend on someone, or to do any menial task (Philippians 1:

1).

From its use, all Christians are to serve. Example: Minister (Matthew 20: 26, Mk. 10: 43).

Servants - (Matthew 23: 11; 22: 13)

C. Conclusion

The Lord Jesus Christ provides us with the best example of servant-leadership. He became a

servant in every way and changed our concept of leadership (Philippians 2: 3 8). We must fol-

low the example of our Lord, and make sure we do not miss any opportunity to serve.

TEAM BUILDING

Aeosop Moral: In unity there is strength

A farmer had many sons who quarreled constantly. He tried to mediate the many disputes, offer-

ing his wise counsel to get them to stop bickering - to no avail. One day, the irritated farmer

reached the end of his patience. He summoned his sons to the barn where a bundle of sticks lay

on the ground.

I want each one of you to step up and try breaking this bundle in two, he said. Each son tried but

couldn’t do it. The farmer then untied the bundle and handed each son a stick that he easily

broke in two. The wise farmer then said, Learn from this example. As long as you remain

united, theres no enemy that can break you, but if you separate from one another, you can be ru-

ined.

Recognize the power of the team: no one succeeds alone.

There are no problems we cannot solve together and few that we can solve by ourselves - Lyndon

Johnson: 36th President of the United States of America

Teamwork is at the heart of great achievement. The question isn’t whether teams have value; the

question is whether we acknowledge that fact and become better team players. One is too small

a number to achieve greatness. You cannot do anything of real value alone. There is not one act

of genuine significance in the history of humankind that was performed by a lone human being.

No matter the act, you will find that a team of people was involved.

Jesus practiced team work. As we look into the gospels, we see His relationship with His disci-

ples. Jesus always got His disciples involved. He gave them power and authority to drive out

demons, cure diseases and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God. We also see team

work as the five thousand were fed. An act that might have appeared to be difficult if not impos-

sible was accomplished as the disciples functioned as a team.

Teamwork in the Early Church

Acts 2:1-3

Teamwork attracts the anointing that ignites and sustains the fire of God.

Acts 2:41

Teamwork creates the environment for fruitfulness

Acts 2:42-43

Teamwork generates the power for the working of miracles, signs and wonders

Acts 2:44-46

Teamwork creates a place of common unity where everyone feels valued

Acts 2:47

Teamwork enables expansion

The root of effective teamwork is to know self. Understanding who you are helps you to better

fit into any team. How we see ourselves, impacts greatly on our interaction with others - our self

talk is an area of emotional intelligence that is important.

To know yourself:

- is increasing self-awareness

- is based on understanding how you function

- requires reflection

To know yourself is to enhance your emotional literacy

To choose self:

- is building self-management

- focuses on consciously directing your thoughts, feelings and actions

- requires choice

DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

The five (5) main components of emotional intelligence:

Self-awareness

Personal motivation

Self-regulation

Empathy

Social skills

Self-awareness: The ability to reflect on ones own life, grow in self-knowledge and use that

knowledge to improve ones self and either overcome or compensate for weaknesses.

Personal Motivation: This deals with what really excites you the vision, values, goals, hopes,

desires and passions that make up your priorities

Self-regulation: The ability to manage ones self toward achieving ones vision and values.

Empathy: The ability to see how other people see and feel about things

Social and Communication Skills: This deals with how people resolve differences, solve prob-

lems, produce creative solutions and interact optimally to further their joint purposes.

UNDERSTANDING MY SELF-TALK

To be a good team player it is important to know self.

Good attitudes among players do not guarantee a teams success, but bad attitudes guarantee its

failure. The following five truths about attitudes clarify how they affect a team and teamwork.

Attitudes Have the Power to Lift Up or Tear Down a Team

In his book The Winners Edge, Denis Waitley stated, The winners edge is not in a gifted birth, in

a high IQ or in talent. The winners edge is in the attitude, not aptitude.

Unfortunately, too many people resist that notion. They want to believe that talent alone (or tal-

ent with experience) is enough. Many talented teams never amount to anything because of the

attitudes of their players.

Various attitudes may impact a team made up of highly talented players:

Abilities + Attitudes = Result

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great Talent + Rotten Attitudes = Bad Team

Great Talent + Bad Attitudes = Average Team

Great Talent + Average Attitudes = Good Team

Great Talent + Good Attitudes = Great Team

If you want outstanding results, you need good people with great talent and awesome attitudes.

When attitudes go up, so does the potential of the team. When attitudes go down, the potential

of the team goes with it.

An Attitude Compounds When Exposed to Others

Several things on a team are not contagious. Talent. Experience. Willingness to practice. But

you can be sure of one thing: Attitude is catching. When someone on the team is teachable and

his humility is rewarded by improvement, others are more likely to display similar characteris-

tics. When a leader is upbeat in the face of discouraging circumstances, others admire that qual-

ity and want to be like him. When a team member displays a strong work ethic and begins to

have a positive impact, others imitate him. People become inspired by their peers. People have

a tendency to adopt the attitudes of those they spend time with - to pick up on their mind-set, be-

liefs and approaches to challenges.

Attitudes are contagious!

Bad Attitudes Compound Faster Than Good Ones

Theres only one thing more contagious than a good attitude - a bad one! A negative attitude

hurts rather than helps the person who has it and it also hurt the people around him. A wise

baseball manager once remarked that he never allowed the positive players to room with the

negative ones on the road. When he created the teams room assignments, he always put the

negative ones together so that they couldn’t poison anyone else.

Attitudes Are Subjective, So Identifying a Wrong One Can be Difficult

Have you ever interacted with someone for the first time and suspected that their attitude was

poor, yet you were unable to put your finger on exactly what was wrong? The reason people

doubt their observations about individuals others attitudes is that attitudes are subjective. Some-

one with a bad attitude may not do anything illegal or unethical. Yet his attitude may be ruining

the team just the same.

People always project on the outside what they feel on the inside. Attitude is really about how a

person is and this overflows into how he acts. Below are common attitudes that can ruin a team.

An inability to admit wrongdoing

Have you ever spent time with someone who never admits they’re wrong? Its painful. Nobody’s

perfect, but someone who thinks he is, does not make an ideal team-mate. His wrong attitude

will always create conflict.

Failing to Forgive

Holding a grudge is never positive or appropriate. When unforgiveness occurs between team-

mates, its certain to hurt the team.

Petty Jealousy

An attitude that really hurts people is the desire for equality that feeds petty jealousy. For some

reason the people with this attitude believe that every persons deserves equal treatment, regard-

less of talent, performance or impact. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Each of us is

created uniquely and performs differently and as a result, we should be treated as such.

The Disease of Me.

In this book The Winner Within, Pat Riley says that the person who has this disease develops an

overpowering belief in their own importance. Their actions virtually shout the claim Im the one.

A Critical Spirit

When someone on the team has a critical spirit, everybody knows it because in the eyes of this

person, everyone on the team can do no right.

A Desire to Hog All the Credit

This is similar to the disease of me. But where the person with that trait may simmer in the

background and create dissension, the credit hog continually steps into the spotlight to take a

bow - whether he has earned it or not.

Most bad attitudes are the result of selfishness. If one of your team-mates puts others down,

sabotages teamwork or makes himself out to be more important than the team, then you can be

sure that you’ve encountered someone with a bad attitude.

Rotten Attitudes Left Alone Ruin Everything

Bad attitudes must be addressed. You can be sure that they will always cause dissension, re-

sentment, combativeness and division on a team, and they will never go away on their own if left

unaddressed. They will simple fester and ruin a team - along with its chances of reaching its

fullest potential. Rotten attitudes ruin a team. If you leave a bad apple in a barrel of good ap-

ples, you will always end up with a barrel of rotten apples. If you care about your team and are

committed to helping all of the players, you cannot ignore a bad attitude.

Character + Competence + Commitment + Consistence + Cohesion = Countability

Real teamwork requires commitment. When team mates cant make it you carry them the rest of

the way for the sake of the team.

Level Type of Team mate Description

Green Beret Colonel Committed Team Leader Dedicated to the cause; focused on the

big picture. Has a whatever-it-takes atti-

tude.

First Lieutenant Team Achiever Buys into the spirit and culture of the or-

ganization. Is self-motivated and produc-

tive.

OCS Graduates Genuine Team Player Has a passion and enthusiasm. Arrives

early and stays late. Is not yet a proven

leader.

Private Formal Team Member Enjoys being on the team. Wants to stay.

Serves out of duty. Not yet a high

achiever.

Boot Camp Recruit Begrudging Follower Will work but only with a kick in the seat

of the pants.

Deserter Non-follower Wont do anything. Needs to be court-

martialled.

Sniper Dangerous follower Works, but makes life difficult for team.

Will shoot team mates if given the

chance.

Teamwork: Communication

Only with good communication can a team succeed. It doesn’t matter whether that team

is a family, a company or a ministry. Effective teams have team mates who are con-

stantly talking to one another. Communication increases commitment and a connection

which in turn fuels action. If you want your team to perform at the highest level, the

people on it need to be able to talk to and listen to each other.

Communication Matters

If you lead a team, give yourself these standards to live by as you communicate to your people.

Be consistent: Nothing frustrates team members more than leaders who cant make up their

minds. Leaders must be effective in their communication

Be Clear: Your team cannot execute if the members don’t know what you want. Don’t try to

dazzle anyone with how much you know or try to impress people with your straightforwardness

Be Courteous: Everyone deserves to be shown respect, no matter what the position or what kind

of differences you might have with them. By being courteous to your people, you set the tone

for the entire team.

Never forget - Because you are a leader, your communication sets the tone for the interaction

among your people. Teams always reflect their leaders. Never forget that good communication

is never one-way. The best leaders listen, invite and then encourage participation.

Good team leaders never want yes-men. They want direct and honest communication from their

people. In addition to directness, the other quality team members need to display when commu-

nicating with leaders is respect.

A team is a group of people with complementary skills, who are committed to a common pur-

pose for which they hold themselves mutually responsible.

Create a Safe Environment

The most important thing you can do as a member of any team, is to create a safe environment -

an environment where differences are valued and celebrated, where it is okay to have personal

goals and ambitions, to tell the truth or to be yourself.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

A working definition of interpersonal relationships: verbal and non-verbal interactions between

two or more persons.

God has without a doubt spoken to us in His Word about the importance of healthy interpersonal

relationships (interpersonal relationships can also be unhealthy).

The foundation of interpersonal relationships is communication. Good communication produces

good interpersonal relationships; and bad or mis-communication produces bad interpersonal rela-

tionships.

Over 90% of all failed relationships result from lack of good and honest communication.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good

deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encour-

age one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Dealing with interpersonal relationships is a complex subject that is often given inadequate atten-

tion. Each individual in a group has a particular and unique personality style that has been

shaped by the lifetime of their experience. There are the talkative in your face types, quiet folk,

expressive types, analytical types, reserved, shy, reactive and many others. After you have been

working together for awhile, an attentive person with training will recognize members personali-

ties and styles and then use that understanding to help the group function well. However, at times

there will be conflicts and the elements of group dynamics and personality style need to be taken

into account by the group leader.

The first step for you as the leader is - Getting to know yourself.

It is important to make, even at a surface level, some determination about yourself and how you

are likely to affect the group dynamic. Ask yourself:

1. Do I talk a lot, or very little?

2. Am I confident about myself and about my ideas?

3. Do I listen to others well, or am I impatient when having to listen to others?

4. Am I empathetic to others or do I care mostly about getting the task done?

5. When others speak, am I listening to what they say, or thinking about what I am going to

say?

6. Am I quick to anger?

7. Am I defensive or accepting when someone talks about my behaviour?

8. Do I ramble or am I a bulleted list sort of person?

9. What makes me annoyed?

10. What makes me feel good?

As you define yourself as a member of the group, you will find your strengths and weaknesses.

A good exercise in creating healthy relationships in your group is to share how you perceive

yourself.

The next step is - Getting to know each other

Getting to know one another is not a fast process and the more the group changes and the larger

it becomes, the longer it takes. It is hard to trust strangers; healthy relationships demand a great

deal of trust. Many groups neglect this, assuming that the "business" is more important than their

relationships. But we really need to get pass the superficial in order to have meaningful interac-

tion. Encourage the group to share stories of where you grew up, important turning points

in your life, and people that you admire, etc. Spend time talking and learning about one another.

There is so much in the Bible that speaks to the importance of good and healthy relationships. As

children of God or Kingdom people, we are held to a much higher standard than the world. This

certainly is true when it comes to interpersonal relationships.

Matthew 22:35-39 - One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question "Teacher,

which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with

all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest com-

mandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

John 13:34-35 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you

must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one an-

other."

John 17:20-21 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me

through their message, that all of them may be one

Romans 12:3-5 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself

more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with

the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members,

and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one

body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above your-

selves.

Galatians 6:1-2 - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore

him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in

this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.

So with all the Biblical instructions pointing us to healthy relationships, why then does it seem

like such a challenge for us to live in unity? Most people are afraid of conflict, but conflict is a

natural part of all relationships. So we need to learn how to manage conflict.

Working with Personality Style Conflicts

One of the most common sources of conflict in groups is the friction between the doers and the

talkers. This dichotomy between task and process is very common and is often a source of con-

flict and frustration in a group.

A healthy group has a balance between task and process. Think of task and process like the

wings of a bird. If one wing is shorter than the other, the bird flies around in circles. If there is

mostly task and little process, the friction between people will erupt into communication prob-

lems and the resulting conflicts keep tasks from moving forward. Conversely, too much process,

and everybody spends much of their time in feelings meetings and the tasks that need to be done

suffer. However, when task and process are balanced, both wings are working at maximum effi-

ciency to carry the group in the direction it wants to go. You need process to determine the direc-

tion to go and how to work together; you need task orientation to accomplish all the projects you

need to do.

Often the conflicts that arise from process and task come from personality styles. Personality

style characterizes how we approach group work, and it usually does affect our attitudes about

the other people we work with.

The Task-oriented vs. the Process-oriented Person

A task-oriented person is one who derives great pleasure in getting results. They create priori-

tized, bulleted to do lists and then check off items accomplished. They are often fact and results

driven, and want the bottom line clearly defined. They often want details organized, and they

tend to know exactly where things are. So conversely, they are uncomfortable with ambiguity

and get annoyed by discussions that are not related to tasks at hand. They have little patience for

digressions. In extreme cases, if you ask them how they feel about an issue, they will minimize

it, and be annoyed by the fact that you asked them for their feelings not the facts.

A process-oriented person is one who gets pleasure from working with people. They want to

make people feel good about what is happening, and they see the world in terms of relationships.

They tend not to be interested so much in facts as the consequences of the facts, and may also be

disorganized, easily losing place of the current discussion thread. They may care more about get-

ting out peoples feelings than worrying about details or results. They tend to be very comfortable

with ambiguity and tend to get annoyed by bulleted prioritized task lists and serial sequencing. If

you ask them for the facts, they tend to want to move into relationships and concepts instead and

may become annoyed that you asked them for the facts rather than their feelings.

Both the descriptions above are huge oversimplifications of the enormously complex arena of

personality types, but it illustrates the differences and sets up the idea that both styles look at

group endeavours with very different perspectives. However, it is important to note that both per-

spectives are equally valid.

The key element to understand is that neither the task nor process-orientated person is right; they

are simply differences in orientation to working in the group. Both styles (and all the others that

exist) need to be recognized, celebrated and then worked with as the group dynamic unfolds.

Ideally, your group has a good mixture of styles, and although this may seem chaotic, it is actu-

ally a very good thing, much better than if you were all one style or another. Both task and proc-

ess styles really do benefit the group as long as you learn to respect each others strengths.

Recognizing your personality style and the needs and limitations it places you under, is a key

step in understanding how to work with a group. Both task and process styles have important

contributions to make and you have to be patient and recognize the value of styles that are differ-

ent from yours. You will be annoyed with your style opposite sometimes, so use that annoyance

constructively to make changes in the process that benefit the group.

If you are a task-oriented person, you can help the group get organized and working on results.

Your skills at seeing the bottom line can help the group when you summarize information, add

facts, or urge the group towards concrete proposals.

If you are a process-oriented person you offer the skills of building relationships and understand-

ings so that proposals can be made that get accepted and implemented with a high degree of

spirit. You can work to keep the morale of the group high by offering personal support and ac-

knowledgment of peoples work.

Over time, most experienced and successful groups learn to balance the task and process parts of

their activities so each works to complement the other. As meeting skills grow in the group, the

facilitator can capture emotional issues that get raised as part of a task agenda and skillfully roll

them into the task processing so the end result is the optimum for everyone. When you can bal-

ance both the task wing and the process wing so they work together, your group will fly as high

as it can go.

Sharing Feelings

There can be undercurrents of bad feelings that aren’t recognized and therefore not discussed.

One technique that can bring this out is to do a feeling circle, in which everyone in the group ex-

presses how they are feeling.

For this to work some ground rules are needed:

1. Only one person speaks at a time around the circle.

2. No defensive reactions are allowed in the circle.

3. Start your contribution to the circle with "I".

The goal of the feelings circle should be written down and placed where everyone can see them.

Some sample goals:

I am here to learn about my brothers and sisters in Christ and also about myself.

I will listen carefully with an open heart to what others have to say about me.

I will speak for myself only, and speak the truth as I see it.

Active Listening

Active listening is a skill which enhances communication and therefore relationships. In active

listening you listen carefully, then paraphrase back what you heard, with the goal of supporting

and drawing out the feelings of the speaker. When this is done well it validates a persons feelings

and encourages him or her to fully communicate. The goal of active listening is to help clarify

the feelings and thinking behind the words. When active listening is applied, it creates a suppor-

tive bond between the speaker and the listener. Because there is no threat of criticism or judg-

ment, the speaker is encouraged to express feelings honestly.

The important thing about active listening is that it is not intended to change or alter the feelings

of the speaker, only to support them in expressing their feelings. When you try and advise or

change the message the speaker gives, it forces them to defend themselves, which often causes

further denial of the feelings and experiences. When the listener responds by trying to change the

speakers way of looking at things, to see the situation from the listeners perspective, the listener

is trying to divert the communication down the path to meet their own needs, not the speakers.

In effective active listening, the goal is to convey back to the speaker that we are seeing things

from his or her viewpoint. The listener must look for and respond to feelings. Not all of a mes-

sage is in the words, so non-verbal clues can help the listener be aware of the speakers feelings.

Talking about others when they are not present

When people get into conflicts with each other, one of the fine arts of conflict is to win over oth-

ers to your side of the issue. The way this works is that when A and B have a conflict, B talks to

C and tells C lots of negative things about A. The goal of this type of speaking (sharing) is to de-

grade the person not present. This kind of malicious gossip can occur very easily and spontane-

ously, you may not even realize that it has been done until you analyze why you feel a certain

way towards someone, or how you ever got such a wrong notion about someone. Malicious con-

versation is dysfunctional behaviour and is one of the worse things that can happen in a group.

Malicious gossip and character assassination undermine relationships in a huge way. They poison

peoples perspectives of each other, fill voids of understanding with misinformation and deceit,

and create an atmosphere of distrust, disrespect and paranoia. That is why God looks very

harshly on this kind of behaviour. (Proverbs 6:19)

To help your own understanding of people and their conflicts, sometimes you need to get and

share information about people who are not present. This is healthy and normal and there is an

easy test to distinguish between what is healthy and helpful and what is unhealthy and destruc-

tive. It's the invisible person test. When the topic of someone who is not present comes up,

imagine that the person of whom you are speaking or hearing about is standing behind you. If

what you say, or hear would make that person hurt, defensive, or unhappy, as well as make you

feel uneasy, you are engaged in an unhealthy conversation. Remember, people who gossip to

you, in turn, will gossip about you.

Managing Conflicts

Conflicts and mis-communications occur. They are part of life. Not everyone thinks, acts or re-

sponds in the same way and members come under stress at different times that causes differences

in tolerance and patience. Not everyone has the same level of commitment, honesty, or even in-

tegrity. It is important to define a process that resolves problems and encourages members to talk

about the issues under conflict in a controlled and reasonable way, even if those issues are in-

tensely personal. Many people are conditioned to avoid conflict at any cost, because they see

conflict as being bad, or an indication of some failure. Overcoming this tendency to avoid con-

flict is difficult, thats why conflict resolution training is important.

Conflict is NOT a sin! However poor management or handling of conflict can lead to sin.

Conflict is healthy and a normal part of any human relationship. One of the most important ele-

ments of all successful groups is a clearly defined process for dealing with conflicts. Sometimes

conflicts can't be resolved and must simply be respectfully accepted as differences.

An example of properly managed conflict, Paul and Barnabas - Acts 15:36-41

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns

where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take

John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had de-

serted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp

disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul

chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria

and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

An example of poorly managed conflict which led to sin, Cain and Abel - Genesis 4:3 11.

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But

Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favour

on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was

very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why

is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do

what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Now

Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain

attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother

Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The LORD said, "What have you

done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse

and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your

hand.

Sometimes if you ignore conflicts between individuals, you could find these conflicts coming

into meetings as hidden agendas later. Interpersonal conflicts often start out as poor communica-

tion. The more frank and open you are while communicating, the less conflict and less severe

conflict will exist.

Some guidelines for managing conflict:

1. Begin conflict communication with "I" statements that reflect how you feel. The "I am

feeling" statements create a group process where individuals feelings are out front.

2. A very key question in working with conflicts is "why?" Why do you feel so strongly

about this? Why are you shouting? Why do you think that way? Learn to ask for clarification

when an issue becomes a conflict.

3. Determine whether the disagreement is over facts or the respective feelings about the

facts. Ask questions to discover the underlying assumptions, values, and attitudes. Separate

feelings from facts by using the phrases like: "To me", "in my opinion", "it appears to me

4. Don’t make it personal. If you disagree about an idea or concept frame the discussion

around the idea, not the person. Say: "I don't agree with that idea", not, "your idea is stupid".

5. Always focus on reconciliation and problem-solving, and not assignment of blame or in-

timidation.

6. Only speak for yourself and not claim to represent others, either present or absent.

7. Focus on actions and behaviours of others that have been problematic to you, but avoid

making judgments about the motives behind those behaviours.

8. Always describe events, actions and statements as specifically as possible; avoiding gen-

eralizations.

9. Focus on the present and the future rather than on the past, which cannot be changed, but

can be forgiven.

10. Once you expect change from the person(s) with whom there is conflict, be also willing

to make your own changes as well.

SECTION III

LEADING VIBRANT CARE GROUP MEETINGS

THE ROLE OF THE CARE GROUP LEADER

The leaders of the Care Group Ministry act as facilitators and their overall responsibilities are to:

1. Build relationships

2. Provide clear direction to the Care Group

3. Resolve conflicts

4. Reinforce the purpose of the Care Group

5. Cast strong vision for reaching the lost in your community

6. Develop additional people for leadership training

7. Prepare Care Group for new members

8. Activate and encourage every member to be involved in the local church

9. Prepare group for multiplication and changes

10. Don’t do all the work. Encourage others to participate in group sessions and phoning group

members.

STRUCTURE OF CARE GROUP MEETING

This section deals with the structure and agenda of the Care Group meetings. It answers the

questions, how to do it and what to do. If you might remember, the main purpose for Care Group

Ministry is to care for your group members and evangelize the unsaved. This should never be

forgotten. Your group should never remain at the same number. It should always be growing.

When the group has become too big, then the Eldership will decide how to split it. Never allow

your group to become a clique or should you hold on to them as if they are personally yours.

We have designed Care Group meeting so that the sessions will be easy to manage and teach.

Care Group sessions should go for no more than two (2) hours 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. or 7:30

p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It should also be noted that if anyone wants to leave before the close of the ses-

sion, they are free to do so. Also, no one should feel pressured to stay beyond the two hours.

Please desist from taking your fellowship all into late hours of the night or early morning. We are

aware that when hearts are knitted together there is strong camaraderie and losing sight of time

may occur. We never want to prevent fellowship, because so many good things happen when fel-

lowship is strong. However, we are asking Care Group leaders to be careful about going over

time.

Care Group sessions are geared to educate, edify, exhort and evangelize and the structure is very

simple - welcome, worship, word, witness and wrap up. The main part of the session is the word.

This is not a teaching or preaching session, but a discussion session on a scripture passage, or

Biblical or relevant topic. The chart on the next page carefully outlines how the agenda and the

activities for each Care Group session should flow.

Care Group leaders are facilitators and the first thing they must do is to choose two assistant

leaders who in association with you will lead the group and assist you in anything relating to

Care Group Ministry.

AGENDA OF A CARE GROUP MEETING

Objectives Activities

Welcome Help newcomers feel at ease and

welcomed.

Help members feel a sense of be-

longing and bonding

Informal - create a conducive environ-

ment for them to gel. e.g. Correct light-

ing, seating, music, etc.

Formal - ice breakers

Worship Glorify God

Encourage one another to see the

greatness of God

Worship

Testimonies (planned and spontaneous)

Word Bring about life change by applying

the Word of God

Cultivate passion for God and pas-

sion for the lost

Sharing

Discussion on the Word (everyone should

be encouraged to participate)

Witness Spur one another on in targeting, in-

terceding and association with the

Lord and community with the pur-

pose of seeing them received Jesus

Christ

Combine our efforts and giftings to

achieve maximum impact

Pray for the unsaved

Encourage and be accountable to one an-

other to do care acts, events and witness

Prayer walking around the community

Minister to the sick and those with needs,

flow in the gifts of the Spirit

Wrap Up Reinforce church and Care Group

vision and direction

Motivate members and help them

embrace their role in the church and

Care Group vision and activities

Fellowship

Announcements

Remind members about sharing at ses-

sions and arrange for group to do practi-

cal activities for the church

Snacks, fun, games, chitchatting

Remember:

1. The sequence of Care Group agenda is flexible. Be creative!

2. However, you should always start with Welcome and end with Wrap Up.

3. It is not necessary to have every agenda item in one meeting for it to be successful and effec-

tive. It all depends on the objective of the meeting.

Two key questions to ask:

1. How do you want your care group to feel?

2. Do they have a sense of purpose?

HOW TO LEAD A GOOD DISCUSSION

Make discussions simple and motivating by using the acronym, L.I.G.H.T

Launch a question

Invite a response

Go on to another person

Handle responses

Take time to apply and envision

Launch a question

1. Questions are keys to life-changing discussions

2. By asking the right questions, the facilitator helps the members to:

Discover for themselves what God is saying to them and the whole care group

Obey and apply what God is saying.

5. It is crucial that the leader learns to ask the right questions

6. It takes time and practice to ask the right questions

7. Never tell when you can ask. Remember, you are leading a discussion, not preaching.

A good question...

generates discussion and feedback

helps you get to know each others world view better. They are designed to discover,

what others think, how others feel and what should they do.

A poor question...

can be answered by a simple yes or no

is phrased such that it will force the member to give you your desired answer

Invite a response

1. Resist the temptation to do all the talking

2. DO NOT teach or preach

3. Remember you are a facilitator, not a teacher

4. Your goal is to get everyone to participate

5. How you treat their responses will either promote or stifle discussion

Go on to another person

1. Do NOT let any one person dominate the meeting

2. You need to involve everyone in the discussion

Handle the responses

1. Help to clarify by asking questions, e.g.

What do you mean by...?

Could you elaborate...?

Is this what you mean...?

2. Handling difficult questions

If you do not know the answer, do not try to hide your ignorance. When we are hon-

est, we are more credible.

You could come back with the answer the following week, or you could assign some-

one to find out.

3. Handling wrong answers

Never tell anyone that he is wrong

Acknowledge his answer and solicit another answer by saying something like, That

was a good attempt...how about Mary...what do you think?

4. Handling irrelevant questions and getting back on track

Acknowledge the question and redirect the discussion by saying something like, That

is a good question, but it is not really related to the discussion, perhaps we will dis-

cuss it some other time.

5. Handling silence

Do not be afraid of silence! Give time for people to think.

Rephrase a question if necessary

6. Summarize

Summarize all positive points that have been shared and you may add in some other points

that have not been shared.To help you clarify and summarize, it is strongly recommended that you jot down what was

said and who said it.

Take time to apply and envision

Information without application leads to frustration. - Larry Burkett1. Ask an application question, e.g. We have seen how important it is to be single-minded about

glorifying God. What changes in your life would you make to become more single-minded?2. Paint a picture of what it would be like if everyone in the group were all single-minded

about glorifying God.

3. Have them share and pray for one another. This can be done in pairs, threes or as a group. You can end with a rousing chorus.

HELPFUL TIPS IN LEADING A DISCUSSION

Types of Questions

Good questions are a key to lively and life changing discussions. You can ask several types of questions when facilitating a discussion. These questions can be placed in three categories:

Launching questions

Guiding questions

Application questions

1. Characteristics and use of Launching Questions They initiate meaningful discussions

They help determine the scope or depth of discussion because of the responses ex-

pected.

2. Characteristics and use of Guiding Questions They help open up, deepen, illustrate or clarify the discussion

They encourage members to go beyond their initial observations

3. Characteristics and use of Application Questions

The link between Bible knowledge and daily living. In other words, they help nail

down the difference that the new understanding will make in our daily lives tomor-

row.

Any discussion Gods Word or Christian living is useless unless application questions

are asked to make people think through the implications of new knowledge.

More remarks about questions: Good questions are open ended and not close ended. They are phrased in such a way

that different responses can be given and not just with a yes or no.

Good questions are simple and short and easily understood.

Questions should deal with feelings as well as facts

Questions should deal with the true interests of the participants

You can answer a question with another question

Avoid asking questions that assume a certain answer

AREA LEADERS

We realize that not only Care Groups need to be loved and cared for, but also Care Group Lead-

ers. Therefore, we will be divided Care Group Leaders into teams with an Elder being responsi-ble for each team. The Area Leaders will:

18. Attend Care Group meetings within their zone

19. At intervals, meet with Care Group Leaders for feedback, instruction and

fellowship. 3. Handle major issues or challenges that may occur within the Care Group

4. Take care of issues or challenges the Care group Leader may have5. See after requests for transfers of members from one group to another6. Motivate Care Group leaders to function with excellence

THE IMPORTANCE OF EVANGELISM

What is Evangelism?Evangelism is the driving force of the church. Without evangelism, there would be no church. Evangelism is the gift of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost and seeing souls won into the kingdom of God. Through evangelism, lives are transformed and purpose is restored.

Evangelism is the ability to show the love of God to a lost and dying world. It is more than talk-ing but rather the person evangelizing can use various practical means of expressing care and love. One can use any of the following means to provoke evangelism:

Friendship

Acts of service

Inviting someone to church

Giving someone a gift

Sharing lunch with a school mate

Offering to take a work mate to work

Building friendship with a gym partner

Evangelism is recognizing that there is a need for humanity to receive the love of Christ. By re-ceiving Christ, they can live an abundant life because of the purpose that is found in God. Con-sider the following terms:

Image of God

Purpose

Destiny

The thriving church is one that is evangelistic in nature. The church of Jesus Christ has been and is meant to be an active church. If a local assembly is not active there will be little progression. In this apostolic age, we cannot depend upon peoples own initiative to find Jesus. We must be

like John the Baptist and prepare the way of the Lord. As an apostolic people, we are to literally prepare the way of the Lord. We can do this through the ministry of evangelism and outreach.

Evangelism flows out of Jesus desire for us to be fishers of men (Matt 4:19). We are challenged to seek the lost and win them for Christ. Evangelism is to flow out of the redemption that we

have received. Since we have received Christ, then we must be willing to share Christ to all men.

Many people misunderstand evangelism. To many people, evangelism has become an annoying

ministry rather than an anointed ministry. This misconception happens because the evangelist has not taken time to understand the principles of evangelism. Evangelism is not forcing the gospel down someones throat. Many today, have turned evangelism into a labor rather than a love. We are not to evangelize because someone told us to but rather we are to evangelize because of our love for God and for people. Yes, evangelism does require us to be active but it is not to be a

burden.

Why Evangelize?The people that inhabit the world were personally designed by God for a purpose. What we must realize is that many have shifted off track because of sin and the tug of the enemy. Our responsi-

bility is to be ministers of reconciliation assisting others in finding the hope that they lack. So that we can fully understand why we should evangelize, Mark Mittleberg gives us the following four values:

1. People Matter to God (John 4:1-26)

2. People are spiritually lost (Luke 19:10)

3. People need Christ (1 Peter 3:18)

4. People need answers (1 Peter 3:15)

Recognizing that humanity is in a desperate state, the Lord has placed an apostolic call for evan-

gelism on the church of Jesus Christ. We can brand this call as apostolic evangelism. The follow-ing can be said of apostolic evangelism:

The apostolic ministry is not an at home ministry

Evangelism is apostolic in nature because it is a sending ministry

The apostolic ministry puts a new focus on outreach and evangelism

It recognizes that the church must move from being I centered to being outward fo-

cused

Apostolic evangelism states that the coastline is not the limit but it is the launching

pad

Apostolic evangelism includes compassion for the poor, the outcast, the homeless,

the disadvantaged, and the disabled

Many churches talk about it but apostolic/ evangelistic churches find a way to do it

Apostolic/ evangelistic person use the book of Acts as a model for evangelism

Apostolic evangelism encourages persons to become friends of sinners

Apostolic evangelism takes on the attitude of the Apostle Paul by becoming all

things, to all men, to save some

We are to evangelize because the call is on the body of Christ.

Who is to Evangelize?

All men are called. Evangelism is an area of church ministry that is open to all believers. The bible is clear in its command to go and make disciples. The command does not relate only to the nations of the world but also to your local community. When Jesus made the commission, He was speaking to all of His disciples. Anyone that has received Christ has been given the respon-

sibility to share the faith that they hold to. It is not a ministry that only requires a specific gender but all believers, men and women, are required to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus disciples were told to be fishers of men. The call was not only for the select twelve but also for us!

The book of Acts is to be used as our model for apostolic evangelism. One of the obvious princi-ples of this apostolic move is the expansion of the church of Jesus Christ. Let us take a look:

~ Acts 2:41 ~ Acts 6:7~ Acts 2:47 ~ Acts 11:21

~ Acts 5:14 ~ Acts 11:24

Using Acts as our biblical model, we can see that the disciples proclaimed the message of salvation and the church grew. In other words, we are to follow the same pattern by accepting the call of God.

When to Evangelize?

Evangelism is to begin when an individual becomes a disciple. A disciple means, A fol-lower of Christ. From the point of salvation, a disciple is to be reproducing himself into another. In other words, when you receive Christ as Lord of your life then you are to tell of what you have received.

In the calling of Jesus disciples, we can learn much concerning the call of God on an in-dividuals life. History tells us that when a person was born into the Jewish culture they would study the first five books of the Bible. By the age of ten they would have it memo-rized and then begin learning the family trade. Those who were the best of the best would then be allowed to continue learning the remainder of the Old Testament. These persons

were allowed to follow their rabbi. The interesting twist that captures our attention is that those who were called by Jesus were not the best of the best because they were in the family trade. Jesus decided to break down the religious and cultural norms of the day by calling unlearned men to come and follow him. He then said to them, I will make you fishers of men. From the moment that persons accept Jesus call to follow him they are to

go and gather others from the sea of sin.

According to Robert E. Coleman in his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Man was His method. When Jesus began His ministry on earth, he chose twelve men to be His fol-lowers. These twelve men that were selected to be His disciples were not the most edu-

cated but they were willing. Jesus selected them so that He could train them in the work of the ministry. From the time of the selection, these men were in for the ride of their lives. From hillside sermons to a large feeding outreach, these men were trained in the field of ministry. Jesus saw it fit for men to be his method of advancing the Kingdom of God.

John the Baptist is a prime example of one who witnessed the good news of Jesus Christ and be-gan to testify. In the same light, when a person has witnessed or experienced Jesus Christ, he or

she must then tell of the power of salvation. It is essential that a testimony agrees with the truth.

This means that as a testimony is being delivered through word or deed it must be in agreement with the word of God.Where and How to Evangelize?There are various areas through which one could engage in evangelism. The care group is one of the easier places to evangelize because of its relaxed, family oriented nature. The basic needs that any person looks for can be found in the care group. The care group members are responsible to

ensure that the atmosphere of love is created and that the no one is left without an opportunity to feel accepted.

Below are some ways through which one can engage in care group evangelism:1. Care group members can invite non-believers to the meeting.

2. Care group members can conduct community centred evangelistic outreaches.

3. Care group members can invite work colleagues to the care group meeting.

4. Care group members can invite neighbours to the care group meeting.

5. Care group members can build relationships with others so as to lead them to salva-

tion.

The chart below details some of the attitudes that are required for effective care group evangel-ism.

HUMILITY LOVEPATIENCE PERSISTENCEENTHUSIASM SENSITIVITYRESPECTFUL FRIENDLINESS

Having a good understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ would also be an asset in care group evangelism. The message should go like this:

God created humanity.

Humanity rebelled against God.

God sacrificed His son to be reconciled to mankind.

Those who believe go to heaven.

Those who reject go to hell.

The object of care group evangelism is not to force the gospel on an individual but to love them into the Kingdom of God.

SECTION IV

CARE GROUP DISCUSSION

Topic: Gods People in Right Standing

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7: 12 14

I. There is a cry from the Holy Spirit for the nation of Barbados. In the above verses God's requirement and desire for national blessings are expressed. Those who believe this must forsake their sins, turn from a life that is self-centred and yield to God's Word and will.

From the above text discuss how the Holy Spirit is desirous of blessing Barbados.

XI. The prosperity of our nation rest in the hands of the church. The church is the 'theatre' for

displaying God's wisdom and the mirror that reflects His glory. It is entrusted with the

business of maintaining, defending, transmitting and upholding truth in the world.

This means that the stability and prosperity of a nation is dependent on the church.

What position must the church be in for this to take place?

According to verse 13 how far is God willing to go to get his people into position?

Is Gods concern for the church only? If so give your reason(s).

Is Gods concern for the entire nation? If so how will He bless our nation?

XII. God appeals to His people to humble themselves. It is the only way to arrive at the

highest degree of dignity in the sight of God. Those who patiently submit to Him, He

exalts and honours in due time.

What do we understand by humbling ourselves and in what practical

ways can we do this?

Why is humility so important to the healing of our land?

IV. God also request that we pray. When judgment is coming upon a land there is always the need for God to show favour. The blessings and mercy of God must be sought after and His

people therefore should constantly seek His face in prayer, asking Him to heal our land.

Why is prayer so important to the healing of our land?

Give some of the reasons why the devil attacks our prayer lives? Give some of the difficulties we encounter when we go to pray?

Give practical and spiritual ways in which we can defeat the enemy of prayer?

CARE GROUP DISCUSSION

Topic: Gods People in Right StandingScripture: 2 Chronicles 7: 12 14

I. God urges us to seek His face. The word seek means to search out diligently, to strive after, to desire greatly, to inquire, and to make investigation concerning. It is just not enough to pray, but there is another level God wants us to come, it is to seek His face.

What do you understand by seeking Gods face? What sacrifices are you willing to make in order to seek Him?

What are some of the benefits in seeking Gods face?

II. If we want more of God then we must go after Him. There is a place in God that is not eas-ily revealed, a place that we have not yet touched that He wants us to go after.

Only those who seek His face can find it. There is a clear distinction between people who pray daily and those who seek His face. Those who seek Him move to another level, and are no

longer concerned about their needs, only going after God Himself. Discuss the lessons we can learn from Moses about seeking the face of God accord-

ing to Exodus 33: 14 17

III. The person who seeks the face of God seeks His presence, His glory, and strong

relationship with Him above everything else. We must come to a place where

nothing else matters in life but God Himself. He must be first and foremost. Every-

thing we need in life comes from God and by God. If we are not going after intimacy with Him, we are not going anywhere.

Discuss the type of passion David had for God according to the Scriptures

given.

Psalms 63: 1 5; 42:1, 2; 143: 6; 27: 4

CARE GROUP DISCUSSIONTopic: The Spirit of an IntercessorScripture: 2 Peter 3: 9; Gen: 18: 16 32

When a word comes forth of an impending danger, it is imperative that Gods people intercede rather than become afraid. Fear sets an atmosphere for the enemy to work; intercession creates an atmosphere where the enemy cannot work. If God is about to bring destruction in some form, whether totally or partially, it is because He wants His people to intercede and not be afraid for He is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance.

I. THE SPIRIT OF A TRUE INTERCESSOR ABRAHAM Whenever there is grievous sin in a land there is a stench that goes up to God that must be removed. For this reason, God was about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah in order to re-move the repulsive stench of their sin, but before He did He consulted Abraham.

Give your opinion why it was necessary for God to consult Abraham before He brought judgment.

According to Gen. 18: 17 19 what level of intimacy must we have with God, and what kind of people must we be if God is to share His heart with us.

Explain how Abraham exhibited the function of an intercessor (What he did).

Explain how Abraham demonstrated he had the heart of a true intercessor (Who he was).CARE GROUP DISCUSSION

Topic: The Three BattlegroundsScripture: Ephesians 6:10-12; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5Part One:

The Battleground of the MIND

I. THE ORIGIN OF THOUGHTS

Every thought that enters our mind has three sources. They can originate from us, from God, or the devil. Discuss how can we decipher from which source thoughts are coming?

II. THE WEAPONS OF OUR ADVERSARYIn warfare it is always important for us to know what armory our enemy possess so we can better defend ourselves against his attacks. Our adversary the devil uses the weapons of guilt, fear,

doubt, condemnation, etc. to defeat us in our minds. Discuss the effectiveness of these weapons in keeping us in a state of defeat

Share a personal testimony of a victory you’ve gain, the weapon(s) used, and the

mindset you maintained.

CARE GROUP DISCUSSION

Topic: The Three Battlegrounds

Scripture: Ephesians 6: 10 12

Part Two: The Battleground of the HEART

I. Guarding Our Emotions - Romans 4:18-21; Mark 11:22-23

One of the main areas of our heart that must be constantly guarded is our emotion. Satan at-

tacks us in our emotions to prevent us from making godly decisions. His aim is to stop us

from moving to the next level by causing us to make choices based on fear and doubt.

How can fear and doubt prevent us from moving to the next level?

II. Guarding Our Attitudes Numbers 13:26 to 14:1-9

Our attitudes are displayed in actions. When we display bad attitudes we display the spirit of

Satan. Israel, for example, displayed bad attitudes when confronted with challenges in the

desert.

In what way did the desire to go back to Egypt display a bad attitude

How was Satan able to get Israel to display bad attitudes when faced with the

challenges of the desert?

CARE GROUP DISCUSSION

Subject: The Three Battlegrounds

Text: Ephesians 6: 10 12

Part Three: The Battleground of the MOUTH

In bringing to past Gods will and purpose for our lives, it is importance that we declare what God

says concerning our lives and not what we see or feel. Satan knows the power of the confessed

Word and therefore attacks our mouths so that we would not declare what God says about us.

His aim, through our negative confessions, is cancel out Gods promises to us by our own words.

I. Discuss why it is so important for us not to use our mouths to say what is contrary to

Gods will for us.

The following Scriptures are given to aid our discussion and help us to understand why Satan

desires to attack and gain control of our mouths.

Proverbs 13: 3 Proverbs 18: 21

Proverbs 21: 23 Matthew 12: 37 James 3: 2

God is a God of declarations. Whatever God intends He says and what He says happens be-

cause His Word has power and authority to create and bring about change. Therefore, as His

children, we have to live a life of declaring His Word.

II. Discuss why it is so important for us to declare what the Word of God says about us.

The following Scriptures are given to aid our discussion and help us to understand why it is

so important to confess the Word of God.

Mark 11: 23 Luke 17: 6

Joshua 1: 8 Matthew 17: 20

NDM MISSION & VISION

About New Dimensions Ministries

New Dimensions Ministries is a registered non - denominational Church with an apostolic and

prophetic ministry to the nations. Its pastors are Apostle Stephen and Pastor Sandra Holford who

bring to this Church over twenty-five (27) years of pastoral ministry. New Dimensions was

founded on July 25, 1999.

The Name

"New" implies something fresh, unique and different. "Dimensions" symbolizes realms, posi-

tions, heights, perspectives and levels of relationship and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ministries" means utilizing different methods in helping to meet the various needs of believers,

the wider community, the nation and the world.

Many people have testified of their spiritual development and the transformation that continues

to take place in their lives. In our services, which are currently held at the Samuel Jackman Pres-

cod Polytechnic, we dedicate much time to intense praise and worship, ministry to the needs of

individuals, and sound teaching of the Word of God.

Our Mission Statement

We have been commissioned to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations of the earth

through preaching, teaching and training, so that people will be transformed and then equipped

and empowered to impact and change their world.

Our Vision Statement

To be a cutting-edge ministry that will develop and enhance the lives of people, teach sound bib-

lical doctrine that will deliver them from spiritual and emotional bondage and guide them into a

place where they will be passionate after Christ, discover and excel in their God-given purpose

and become agents of change wherever they go.

Our Slogan: "Bringing Transformation and Purpose to Your Life".

An Expansion of the Vision

To build ultra-modern facilities that will be the operating centre for all the different

facets of the ministry.

To establish a counseling and deliverance centre that will cater to the spiritual and

emotional needs of people.

To develop and build strong marriages and families, teaching them how to function in

their God-given roles.

To raise up and establish other churches in Barbados and other parts of the world that

will function under the auspices of NDM.

To network with other churches and ministries to foster fellowship and to advance the

Kingdom of God.

To support and encourage missionary and evangelistic outreach to the nations of the

earth.

To create initiatives that will assist in the alleviation of poverty.

To develop a special outreach to the youth that will prepare them to live and function

victoriously in an aggressive world, giving them direction, purpose, hope and inspira-

tion to aspire to high ideals.

To create an atmosphere where the presence of God will be sought after and experi-

enced to the fullest.

To inspire people to manifest the supernatural dimension of the Kingdom of God, as

they are led by the Holy Spirit in their daily living.

To develop and train business people how to be effective ministers in the marketplace

with integrity and success, while playing a vital role in advancing the kingdom of

God.

To sponsor and facilitate national, regional and international conferences and semi-

nars.