Belong

January 6-12, 2013

Welcome Maybe tonight your HG is meeting for the first time in 2013! What a great opportunity to gather all of your members together to KICKOFF the New Year in Community! Do everything you can to get all to attend & make it a special night! Opening Prayer Thank You, God, for new beginnings! Tonight we celebrate all that Youve done for us in 2012 & we look ahead to what You have in store for us in 2013! Bless our HG tonight & help us to be a blessing to one another!

Become
Family Time A) Hebrews 12:1-3 has the feeling of a sporting event with the believers on the field running a race for God! Play a few simple games with the kids & grown-ups. Google Minute 2 Win It Games to find some fun & age appropriate games for all to play! Be sure to cheer for every contestant & give away some simple prizes or make ribbons for the players! After youve had some fun, sit down & read the passage together (Let kids read it, if they can.) Talk about how those believers in chapter 11 (the Hall of Faith), set a great example for us to follow & now we are the ones who are running the race for God! We are setting an example of faith for others to follow, so lets run with all our might! Kids Time A) Supplies needed: strips of cloths, 4 pairs of thick gloves or mittens, 2 large-piece puzzles. Tell the kids that they are going to have a contest to see which team can put their puzzle together the fastest. BUT, each player must wear thick gloves & have their hands tied together. Have them compete & celebrate the winner (if there is one). Let them talk about how hard it was to play with the gloves on & their hands tied. Now read Hebrews 12:1 & relate their experience to how hard it is to be successful as a follower of Christ when we have sins in our lives that keep slowing us down. God tells us to throw off these sins that slow us down. How do we do that? B) Supplies needed: a 100 piece puzzle. Give the kids a puzzle to complete, but hide the lid with the picture of the completed puzzle on it. Tell them they have 5 minutes to put the puzzle together. They should have a hard time doing this because they dont know what they are suppose to be making. Read Hebrews 12:2-3 & talk about how hard it is to live for God if we dont know what example we are trying to follow. We have Jesus as our role model! How do we follow Jesus example when Hes not on earth any more? Talk about the importance of reading & obeying Gods Word to know Jesus. Adult Time A) How many of us have set New years resolutions, but failed to keep them? Do you mind sharing any? Some people wont set goals because they dont want to feel like failures if they quit or fail. What helps a person to complete their goals? Talk about the value of accountability & encouragement in your HG. What are some spiritual goals that we can set for our HG for 2013? How can we increase our chances of reaching these goals? B) Read Ephesians 2:8-10 but focus on verse 10. Compare this passage to Hebrews 12:1. Who prepares the good works & sets the course of the race? (God) Now read Philippians 1:3-6. Who is the active agent in this passage? (God) Now read Philippians 2:12-13. Where does the motivation come within us to serve God? (God) So, what is our part? (obedience, action, running, doing, following) The POINT: We are not passive participants! We are ACTIVE AGENTS! Lets go!!! Prayer Time God, help us to run, to follow, to obey, to act, to live for You with all that we are in 2013! Help us to spur each other on for Your glory! We can do nothing that makes a difference in our world without You, so please be with us!

Beyond
Community Calendar Now is the time to set up your calendar for the first quarter of 2013. Plan ahead & get your HG members involved in the planning & execution of your HG goals! Get your players in the game. Biblical Community is not a spectator sport! Church Calendar The Mens Conference is January 25-27! Cost: $160. Get your men to sign up ASAP! Lives are changed & memories are made at the Pine Cove Mens Conference. Register on the church website on the Events page.