Frequently Asked Question's

Q: Is there a a certain biblical way to do this?

A: The Bible gives us a lot of freedom when it comes to worship, prayer, fellowship and Bible study.  Some weeks you may choose to spend more time in prayer and less time in worship.  Other weeks you might spend more time in Bible study and less time in fellowship.  Tailor your experience to the felt needs of your home group.

If time is a concern, it’s not necessary to cover every question on the Discussion Guide.  You might even choose different people to lead the discussion each week and allow that leader to choose the questions that are most germane to your group.  

You can even be flexible with the timing of your group meeting.  If you find that many of your group members are going to be out of town on a given Sunday morning, meet on Sunday evening or choose another time to meet during the week.  Some groups are meeting weekly on Wednesday nights… enjoying a meal together, then spending time in worship, prayer and the Word.

Q: How can we make worship more real or meaningful?

A: Encourage your people to sing along with the pre-recorded worship set (Sun City or Georgetown campus).  Acknowledge the fact that it can be a bit awkward, but it’s not the quality of our singing, but the attitude of our heart that matters most.  Allow people to practice the most genuine and authentic form of worship for them, personally.  If your people want to stand, or sit, or raise their hands, give them the freedom to do so.

If someone in the group is musically inclined (perhaps they play guitar, piano, or just love to sing), you might have them lead you in worship songs.  You could put the lyrics up on your TV screen or print out copies of the lyrics in advance.  Everyone can circle up and you’ll experience a ‘campfire’ feel to your worship time.

Q: How can we do this and still social distance?

A: Respect people who want their space.  If the main area around the TV is too small, consider moving to a larger room or outdoors.  Some of our groups meet outside and wear masks.  While we recognize that there are limitations, do whatever you can to make everyone as comfortable as possible.

Q: How do we invite others?

A: First of all, be sure that the other members of your group are comfortable inviting others to join you.  This can be a sensitive topic and nobody should feel judged or forced out of the group if they are uncomfortable with new people joining the group.  At the same time, it’s perfectly acceptable (and even necessary) for individuals to launch new groups in order to invite new people into this worship at home dynamic.

If your group is open to new members, be on the lookout for people throughout the week.  In your neighborhood, at work, at the gym… find out whether people are engaged with others in a church dynamic.  If they’re not, invite them to try out your group sometime.

Q: Is there an exact way to have communion?

A: We provide a video-led communion on the first Sunday of the month.  But feel free to lead communion on your own.  We encourage a brief time of prayer and reflection ahead of time, allowing people to confess any known sin before the Lord.  Then someone in the group can lead the partaking of the elements by reading I Corinthians 11:23-26.

Pre-packaged communion elements can be picked up at the church office.  And while we typically use grape juice and a wafer at the church, feel free to substitute other elements for the ‘cup’ and the ‘bread’.  One group once used Rice Chex and coffee!

Q: Can we just talk about the discussion questions over a meal?

A: Absolutely!  Not only can this save time, but studies show that people are more relaxed when enjoying a meal together, so this can help people to open up and be more transparent with one another.  

Q: What about prayer?

A: Be sure to take some time to pray during your meeting.  This can happen before your meal, before you sit down for worship, before your group discussion of the sermon and/or at the end of your meeting.  Pray that God would bless your time together, but also give people an opportunity to share individual prayer requests.  You might even consider having a person who records the groups prayer requests and sends them out to each member weekly.

Q: What if people ask theological questions we can not answer?

A: Make a note of difficult to answer questions and forward them to the church.  Pastor Bryan loves to address theological and practical questions related to Bible Study, and he’ll get back to you with an answer.

Still have questions? Simply submit them below and we will answer asap.