Easter Brunch Core Lesson 2:
Teamwork makes the dream work!
For Leaders before LG: Thanks for kicking off Lesson 2 as we form teams and dream together about what this will look lik! We encourage you to do this lesson by the end of February. Note that this lesson includes a PDF of Team roles, listed under "Looking Forward," for group members to look at and decide on.
LOOKING BACK
Updates & Connect (10 mins)
LOOKING UP
Worship (~15 mins)
For the person leading worship: We encourage you to set the stage for worship with a vision for focusing on Jesus. This week, encourage people as they sing to remember what Jesus has done for them. (If you find another song with a similar vision you'd like to do instead, go for it!)
Bible Discussion Part 2: Ephesians 4:11-16, NLT (15 min)
Context: Easter Brunches are a space for all of us to use our gifts and strengths to create an experience that none of us could do on our own. Beyond a social gathering, this is also an opportunity to share stories of what God is actively doing in our lives, and invite those in our lives to meet Jesus too. Depending on time, break into groups of 3-4 to discuss, or stay as a large group.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
LOOKING FORWARD - Easter Brunch Teams
Choosing Teams (5 min): Have everyone look at the list of teams HERE, then take a minute to pray and ask God to highlight a team. Is there one particular team that is standing out to you?
Get a show of hands for which teams people want to be on. If there’s an imbalance, ask groups with a lot of people to join a smaller team. It would be ideal to designate one person to lead /coordinate each team to help with keeping track of things.
Discuss & pray as teams (30 min): Divide into your teams. Take a few minutes of silence, asking God for ideas. Then start brainstorming! (have someone take notes). You may need to meet outside of LG/start a group chat to continue planning. If someone isn’t there this week, assign or ask them which team they want to join.
Share a quick recap: (5 min) Regather as a large group. Have one person from each group share 1 minute of key ideas from your group. Note any action steps + name of who will do it.
Pray together! (10 min)
This is an awesome opportunity to not only pray for our own family and friends, but also each others' family and friends! Look back at the list you made (friends, family, neighbors, etc.). Either as a large group, or in smaller groups, have each person briefly share 2 people you are praying for/ inviting to Easter. Then get into small groups to pray for these people by name. Pray that God would encounter them with his love and power!
Invitation this week: Print or write the list of names you are praying for, and put it somewhere you will see regularly (in your car, on your mirror, in your kitchen, etc.). Even consider adding names from others' in your Lifegroup's list!
Other details to figure out:
LOOKING BACK
Updates & Connect (10 mins)
- Vision: Have someone (ideally a leader) to share the vision for Easter brunches (recap at epicentre.org/easter).
- Connect Question: What are words or phrases that stood out to you from our last Easter Brunch planning time?
- Announcements: Please go to epicentre.org/events to see upcoming events that might be relevant for your lifegroup.
- Check-Ins, answers to prayer, a testimony to share.
LOOKING UP
Worship (~15 mins)
For the person leading worship: We encourage you to set the stage for worship with a vision for focusing on Jesus. This week, encourage people as they sing to remember what Jesus has done for them. (If you find another song with a similar vision you'd like to do instead, go for it!)
- Tremble by Mosaic MSC - 5 minutes
- Goodness of God - 5 minutes
- Give 3-4 minutes of open space for people to share sentences of what they are thankful to Jesus for.
Bible Discussion Part 2: Ephesians 4:11-16, NLT (15 min)
Context: Easter Brunches are a space for all of us to use our gifts and strengths to create an experience that none of us could do on our own. Beyond a social gathering, this is also an opportunity to share stories of what God is actively doing in our lives, and invite those in our lives to meet Jesus too. Depending on time, break into groups of 3-4 to discuss, or stay as a large group.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
- What stands out to you?
- How do we share the load as the body of Christ?
- What role do you tend to play in a group?
LOOKING FORWARD - Easter Brunch Teams
Choosing Teams (5 min): Have everyone look at the list of teams HERE, then take a minute to pray and ask God to highlight a team. Is there one particular team that is standing out to you?
Get a show of hands for which teams people want to be on. If there’s an imbalance, ask groups with a lot of people to join a smaller team. It would be ideal to designate one person to lead /coordinate each team to help with keeping track of things.
Discuss & pray as teams (30 min): Divide into your teams. Take a few minutes of silence, asking God for ideas. Then start brainstorming! (have someone take notes). You may need to meet outside of LG/start a group chat to continue planning. If someone isn’t there this week, assign or ask them which team they want to join.
Share a quick recap: (5 min) Regather as a large group. Have one person from each group share 1 minute of key ideas from your group. Note any action steps + name of who will do it.
Pray together! (10 min)
This is an awesome opportunity to not only pray for our own family and friends, but also each others' family and friends! Look back at the list you made (friends, family, neighbors, etc.). Either as a large group, or in smaller groups, have each person briefly share 2 people you are praying for/ inviting to Easter. Then get into small groups to pray for these people by name. Pray that God would encounter them with his love and power!
Invitation this week: Print or write the list of names you are praying for, and put it somewhere you will see regularly (in your car, on your mirror, in your kitchen, etc.). Even consider adding names from others' in your Lifegroup's list!
Other details to figure out:
- Communication - think through an invite and how your Lifegroup wants to send it out (Partiful/email/text/print). - We will have a small invite card template you can customize and print. This would be ready available by the first week of March.
- Deciding a Location: If you decide to meet at a local park, you may want to visit it in person, and check if reservation is required. If so, submit an application with that city asap, as some cities like Pasadena have a first-come, first serve policy.