Beyond Sunday - Connect Groups

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Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings podcast, where usually we dive a little bit deeper into our sermon series and see what we're taking Beyond Sunday.
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But this month, for the month of July, we are doing something a little bit different at Beyond Sunday.
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We are looking at some of our King of Kings ministries, diving a little bit deeper into what's happening in different areas.
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So today I have some amazing guests.
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They're simply amazing.
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Go ahead and introduce yourselves, and then I'll tell you what our topic is today.
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Hello, my name is Kate Solberg.
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And Kate, what uh what is your role was, is, and will be?
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Yeah.
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I'm like, which one do you want?
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Um, I guess I'm partially still the associate campus director at the Northwest Campus and soon to be the care coordinator at Central.
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There we go.
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Yeah.
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Absolutely.
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And my name's Tyler.
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And Dina, before we go any further, I have two complaints to lodge.
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I don't know if it's specifically against you.
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Is it about my adjectives?
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No, the adjectives are fine today.
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Okay.
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Um, actually more than fine.
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They were tremendous.
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I find we spend much more, we we spend much more time talking about the adjectives that I use than I ever expected.
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First complaint was that those pretzels peanut butter-filled pretzels in the green room over there, they're very tasty, they're very addicting, and they get stuck in your teeth.
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So in my teeth, I should say.
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So if I am like kind of doing this sort of mouth noises, you're gonna know why.
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It's because you indulged in the pretzels.
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Well, I had nothing to do with those pretzels.
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Those are worship or productions, so I cannot claim them.
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Well, in that case, Johnny, I'm sorry for eating your pretzels, but they're very tasty.
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Second complaint, it is like 52 degrees in this studio.
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I understand we're in the middle of summer, but I did not bring my parka.
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I wore flip-flops today and my my feet are shivering.
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Yeah.
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So if you hear Tyler's teeth chattering, it could be the pretzels.
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It could be his teeth sticking together from the peanut butter pretzels.
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It could be the temperature in the studio today.
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It is what is going on?
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I am a menopausal woman, prone to hot flashes.
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So the studio is glorious to me.
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I would live in here if I could.
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Kate, what's your take on the temperature of the studio?
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I'm fine.
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I'm just fine.
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Everything's fine.
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Kate's the easygoing one.
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All right.
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So this week, our first week of diving a little bit into the behind the scenes or um more of what's happening in our ministries, we are talking about Connect groups.
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But before we dive all the way in, I don't know if you know, but today is a very special day.
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Well, not actually today, the day we're recording this.
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Tomorrow, the day that this will drop, is International Strawberry Sunday Day.
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Okay.
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So my question to you is what is your favorite type of Sunday if you are a Sunday person?
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And what is the topping that you absolutely do not like on your Sunday?
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Dun dun dun.
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I haven't thought about this question maybe ever.
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Yeah.
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Um, I'm a fan of all ice cream products.
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Um, I think if if I was put in a position where there was a bunch of like peanuts on like a Sunday, like in that kind of turtle caramel style, I'd be like, well, I'll still eat it, but it's not gonna be my favorite.
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But man, you do strawberry, do banana split, do anything, chocolate, any cookie dough, of course.
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Yes, and amen.
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Yeah.
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I don't like any of those, but I do like turtle sundae, especially if there's pecans instead of peanuts.
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Delicious.
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So are you saying you're the exact opposite of what I just said?
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Exact opposite.
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Well, we should go to an ice cream place together because we will not have to steal from each other's exactly.
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Yeah, there we go.
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I am a big fan of strawberry sundaes.
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I really enjoy strawberry sundays.
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I more enjoy the flavor of the strawberry syrup, not so much the chunks of strawberry themselves.
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I am a fan of many toppings on Sundays.
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I like peanuts, I like gummy bears, I like, I don't know what else.
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I like caramel, I like whipped cream, but I don't like them together.
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Oh, you like subtracting?
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Just one topping at a time.
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Just a singular topping person.
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What do you think about mixing the different kinds of ice cream?
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So, like the Neapolitan is like the vanilla scoop and then the strawberry scoop and the chocolate scoop.
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I think my stomach is doing flip-flops right now.
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That's a little bit too much.
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Are you sure that's not due to the coldness of the studio, Dina?
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Nor did I enjoy any of the peanut butter pretzels.
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Because that mixes peanut butter and pretzel.
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I just don't think I can do it.
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I like a singular food at a singular time.
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I'm the person who, when I eat my dinner, I eat like all of one thing and then turn the plate and then eat the next thing on the plate and then turn the plate and then eat the next plate.
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Not all of my meals, but that's what my my brothers used to make fun of me for that when I was growing up.
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But Sunday toppings, I don't like to mix.
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What do you think of like a sandwich?
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Um, well, a sandwich is already mixed together.
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Okay.
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I just don't like mixed pizzas already mixed together.
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Pasta salad, already things mixed together.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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Salsa, already things mixed together.
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But if I put, okay, there's one exception to the rule.
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But if I put like green beans and mashed potatoes and turkey on my plate, those things I'd I'm now older and more mature that it's okay if they touch, but I don't like them to mix.
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The one exception is corn and mashed potatoes.
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Corn and mashed potatoes are friends and they can be friends in my tummy.
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So many rules.
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Our listeners have turning this off now.
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Like, what is this podcast?
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They're like, they're like, I was gonna invite Tina to Thanksgiving dinner, but maybe this is just too much of a hassle.
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I've got no thermomet content and way too much food talking.
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All right.
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But you know what you can do with Sundays?
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You can go get Sundays with your Kinect group.
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Yes, you can.
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That is a wonderful thing to do.
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There are a lot of activities of joy and fellowship that can happen in the context of Kinect groups.
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Let's go.
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Tyler, as our Central Connect Group director, tell me like what the basics for somebody that doesn't know what is a Kinect group and why do we want people in them?
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Yeah.
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Well, I would even just take a step back to like who are we as the church?
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And so um each of our campuses is significantly larger than the average church in America.
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The average church in America is somewhere in the 50 to 60 to 70 range.
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And when you're that size, you do have the ability to kind of know everyone, especially if you've been together for a long time.
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Um, the Lord blesses us where we have new people all the time, praise God.
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And we recognize that what God does in the context of worship, as we're uh praising him and praying and receiving his word and responding, all that sort of thing, like God works through that, praise him.
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But there's a limit to kind of what we experience in our growth in the Lord if all we are experiencing is Sunday, and especially if we are not known by someone else, and ideally, someone's in the context of a connect group.
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See what I did there, Kate?
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Yep.
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So God has made you, dear listener, and each of us here with a need to be known.
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Known by someone who sees us and cares for us.
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And in like, we would love to be in a perfect world that it our churches can stay tight and small enough, wherever, but like, no, we actually want the kingdom to grow.
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And so here's what here's what connect groups do is as the church gets bigger, Kinnect groups allow the church to actually get smaller.
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Where you don't need to know everybody at your campus, but you do need to know and be known by someone.
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And so, with that in mind, Kinect groups are.
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I'm getting back to the question you originally asked, Dina.
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I know you'll get there.
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I might uh might wind my way there.
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We're all in for the ride.
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So Kinect groups are um, there's so much beauty and flexibility with how we how we structure this, where we say somewhere in the the four, five, six to maybe 12 to 14 range, number of people that commit to consistently getting together to um get to know one another, to study God's word together, to discuss what's going on in their lives and to pray for one another.
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And Kinect groups look, there are some groups that meet every week and they've been meeting for not just years but decades.
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There are groups that because of life stage, they say, well, we can get together twice a month or even once a month, or we meet during our Kinect group seasons, where it's like we're gonna meet together for these eight weeks and then we're gonna take a break.
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There are Kinect groups that it's been the same leaders for a number of years.
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And there's groups where they rotate leaders throughout.
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There's been groups that are birthed out of other groups.
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There are groups that meet on church on our church campuses.
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There are true groups that meet in homes.
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There are groups that meet at coffee shops.
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I um read that we have a new young adult group starting that's meeting at Sozo Coffee House downtown in downtown Omaha.
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There's another group, young adult group, that's uh um uh you help me fill out or you help me create the form.
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It's like a it's like a walking group around.
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They meet at different parks.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And hopefully you're kind of getting the picture.
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The point is we call a connect group.
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So certainly you connect with God, but importantly that you connect with other people, other Christians, other believers.
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The Bible says iron sharpens iron.
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We all need encouragement.
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And and and that that that certainly happens when you come to a service on a Sunday and you, you, you, you are being led in worship and you hear God's word, but how much more when someone knows your name, they know your story, they know your struggles, they know your temptations.
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They you know that they're praying for you, and they know that you're praying for them.
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And I think that's where the beauty of following Jesus becomes less of a me and God thing, and it becomes more of a we and God thing.
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And all that happens in Kinect groups.
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That's beautifully put.
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That's it.
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That's all we need.
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Kate, do you have any kind words to say about what I just said?
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I'd agree with all of it.
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Great, thank you.
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You can put stop.
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Kate said Connect Group Pro.
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I was just as you were talking, I was just thinking about like all the different groups I've been in at King of Kings.
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And I joined King of Kings shortly after graduating college.
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So I was in my young 20s, and I was in a, you know, a young ladies' group then, all ladies, and one of them was Jenny Thompson, and we were both in our 20s, and now we're much older.
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Um, and we're still in a group together.
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Wow.
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Now there were many years between there, we weren't in a group together, but um, just it's amazing how God's worked.
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When I was had young kids, we had a group that met in our home, and we had all the kids come and and one family had older kids who were in charge of the young kids, and they'd either be in the backyard or in the basement.
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And then there was a season that the adults took turns being with the kids, and we even had like a little curriculum for them to do in the in the basement because what an example for them to see their parents gathering around the word of God, but then to teach them how to do that as children.
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Like that was a gift to our family.
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So yeah, they look different, they serve different purposes at different stages of life, but they we do it because it's the model Jesus laid out in the Bible.
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Tell us more, Kate.
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What do you mean?
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Well, he, you know, he gathered his disciples together and he did that on purpose for the gospel message to spread, obviously, and to plant churches, but also I think he knew there's no way I can leave this to one other man to do.
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And they were ruined when Jesus was killed and they even scattered, scattered, but you know, eventually they came back together and they walked the road, you know, together.
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And sometimes Jesus, before he died, sent him out in twos, and he was always building community, always throughout his life.
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Amen.
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Yep.
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I really like when you were talking, Tyler, about how you talked about um it just allows us to be smaller.
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I know sometimes when um part of my role is welcoming new people in here at the Millard campus.
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And it it's a deer in headlights look sometimes when people come in, because we are a large campus.
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And I think sometimes when you walk in the room and you don't know anyone, it feels like you don't know everyone.
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And that's a very overwhelming feeling.
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And so if you find those six to 12 people that you get to know better and feel comfortable with and they know your story, it makes a huge difference in how you feel when you walk into the room where there's hundreds of people that you may not know all of them, but you do know your group.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, it may it makes all the difference.
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Um, and so we know that some the people listening on the other side, some of you have been in a uh Kinnect group before, some of you have been in the same group for years, and I know a number of you aren't in a group for whatever reason.
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Um there there are certainly seasons to life, and there are times where committing to a group is easier and versus not.
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So, like my my wife and I, we got three kids, 10, 8, and four.
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Um, and so everything with scheduling is more challenging, right?
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Yeah, but I would also maybe just uh uh push a little bit against the busy narrative um because you like God made you for relationships and you need friends in your life, you need brothers and sisters in your life, and you need those to be fellow believers.
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Connect groups are not the only way that this can happen.
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I've I've seen I've seen this happen on serving teams, right?
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We do these pizza with purpose events where we're saying, hey, come discover your purpose.
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And as you're as you're serving and leading God's kingdom, you become more of who he made you to be.
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Um but I think connect groups is a really, really great way to do it.
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And how much more when you're like opening God's word together, which itself carries power, and then you're doing that with other people, it creates a bond that you really can't um put into words.
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The other thing I'll I'm gonna say is that there might be some people that have been burned in the past by groups where um maybe you you you were vulnerable and maybe you know you were ignored or mistreated or something like that.
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Um, one, I I do pray that we can put you on the path towards healing.
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But also if you are in that spot where the devil wants you is to isolate, and that is a really dangerous place to be.
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And so if you're in a spot where you're like, try it at once, never doing that again, man.
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If I could just gently encourage you, what does it look like to try it again and say, what does it look like to be safer?
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Maybe you need to meet with your campus director first and kind of explain what what what didn't go well last time so we can help you.
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I know um if if if I were if you're meeting with me or meeting with Peter or Seth, like we'd be honored to do that because we want you to be put in a spot where you can grow.
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Um uh Kate, on the other hand, she's stepping out of the campus role.
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So you have you have about a month to meet with her and then no care.
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But that's it all what you're gonna do.
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You can still meet with me.
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Your job is to care.
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I'm going nowhere.
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I'm really excited for this, by the way.
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Like you're you're gonna do a great job.
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Um but yeah, like the if there was hurt in the past, don't let that stop you from what God wants to do.
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It's very possible the next group that God puts you in is going to be the vessel for healing.
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Um, and I would hate for you to lose out on that opportunity.
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There are a couple things we do with groups that I think make make things easier.
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So, one is we do try to build them out by season.
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One of the big fears when I'm talking to potential people who are either looking at leading or joining, they're like, So am I signing up for a lifetime?
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Forever.
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No.
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No.
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But it can feel that way if it's like, hey, we're starting a group.
00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:22.559
Do you want to come join us?
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:26.480
It kind of left open-ended, like, ah, like I'd love to try it out.
00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:31.519
And so for many of our groups, we do it by seasons, where we look at the fall and the winter.
00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:41.279
And there are some groups that do seasons in the spring and summer as well, but certainly the fall and the winter, where somewhere in the kind of the eight to 10 week range, where it's like, hey, commit for this.
00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:45.440
That's enough time to really kind of know if it's gonna work or not.
00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:52.640
Um, and like there's just no shame or worries if you make that commitment and then you get to the end of it, like, hey, this wasn't for me.
00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:59.839
I'd love to find a different group, and maybe I'll start my own group, um, or maybe I'll just meet up, schedule a meeting with Kate every other week in her new care role.
00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.920
Um bring it on.
00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:09.839
But don't let that fear of a um uh like permanent commitment get in the way.
00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:16.799
Um, and then the other thing is we're continually building out more and more groups in different settings.
00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.000
So many of our groups meet on Wednesdays at campuses.
00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.920
Our Fremont campus is kind of still building towards that.
00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:34.640
Um, but if if you're like, man, I Mondays is really the best, best time to meet, and I'm not seeing that available, well, maybe that's an indication that God's asking you to start your own group.
00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:54.960
Um the there's this great story in the Gospels where um, I think it's Luke 5, but where uh the miraculous catch of fish, Jesus and Peter, and there's the idea of in ministry, there is a there is a catch, as it were, of a fish to come, but we have to strengthen the nets.
00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:56.799
We have to be prepared for it.
00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:08.240
Um, and so it could be that even if there's not already a group rearing to go, maybe this is a strengthening the nets season where God's asking you to step in to be a leader.
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:12.880
And then you who knows the who the Lord might bring to you, but you're ready for it.
00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:17.759
Um, we uh we kind of have a regular rhythm of trainings.
00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:23.680
One of that's one of my kind of responsibilities is to make sure our leaders are equipped and resourced and trained.
00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:25.119
Am I doing a great job at that?
00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.440
I don't know, but I'm I'm learning.
00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:30.559
Um You're doing a fabulous job.
00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:38.960
But uh, like we'll we'll we have another training coming up at the end of August, both for current and prospective leaders.
00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:44.160
Um, and uh, Kate, actually, uh, I'm talking about this publicly on the podcast with you for the first time.
00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:53.839
I probably should have had a prior conversation, but we're gonna talk about what it looks like for that connect group to be the point of caring for one another within the congregation.
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:57.920
Um, and so like we had a story out of um Fremont.
00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:02.559
This would have been back in November, and this Kinect group had only been together for about four months.
00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:08.559
Um the uh there was a there was a new mom, uh, mom and daughter.
00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:14.960
Mom was probably in her 80s, daughter in her 50s, both single, and they they were loving Fremont.
00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:20.640
They got connected with um some people and started coming to the the Thursday Connect group.
00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:25.440
The mom suffered a stroke on this on a Sunday night.
00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.759
Daughter found her the next morning.
00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:38.000
And even before Christy and I found out that Ann was in the hospital, their connect group leaders were there in the hospital with her.
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:45.519
And I'm like, Lord, that is a picture of what the church is.
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:58.480
The church is not the the paid professionals who have all the experience doing the ministry and like, well, we can only you can only do something if you talk to to Greg or Zach or or Peter or Tyler or Seth first.
00:20:58.559 --> 00:20:59.599
No, no, no, no, no.
00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:06.000
This is God releasing his church to care for one another, to lead one another, to disciple one another.
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:10.000
And I I I I remember talking with those connector bleeders.
00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:13.599
I said, thank you so much for being there for them.
00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.680
And of course, they're like, Well, where else would we be?
00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:20.000
And like they they weren't even thinking strategically, oh, we but we better show up.
00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.279
But no, it's just what we do.
00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:22.319
We care for these people.
00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:24.319
They're they're they're family now.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:38.480
Um, and that's so in some ways, our our August training is just going to be an affirmation of where people already are and they're already feeling it, giving them permission, but then also giving some practical skills of like, well, what does it look like to care?
00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:44.880
Are there some boundaries we want to create so that no one's being overextended, but we're serving one another in love?
00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:54.319
Um, and so if you're listening to this and you're interested in like, man, I maybe God is calling me to be a leader, um, reach out to me, TylerKingKings.org, um, so we can get you connected.
00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:57.119
There'll be some communication coming out as well for that training coming up.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.759
Again, it's at the end of August, Saturday, the 29th.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.039
I really liked how you use the word releasing there, releasing God's people to care for each other.
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:15.359
And it just gives me the mental image of being behind the gate, like pushing against it, that you have the hunger and the passion and you're just ready to point me in the right direction, fire me out.
00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:15.839
Absolutely.
00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:28.640
I want to ask each of you if it's okay, um, um, if you could share a time in your life when being a part of a Kinect group was was really a blessing.
00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:32.559
Like the Lord really worked through that experience.
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:35.680
You want me to go?
00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:37.279
Go ahead.
00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:42.799
So um I have two examples, but actually the funny thing is, neither one of them are for me.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:49.839
Oh, but because I was a part of one of them and just heard about the other and knew the family, um, they really like affected me.
00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:52.480
Like, so one of them is very similar to your story.
00:22:52.559 --> 00:23:04.559
It involves a stroke, but it was a there was a family at my last church who was in their Kinect group and um they had a very young child, and I think she was nine months when she had a stroke.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.920
And a child going through something like that, totally unexpected.
00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:14.240
You know, they sent out a text to our senior pastor and to their Kinect group explaining what was happening.
00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:15.920
They were heading to the hospital.
00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:20.880
They did not know cause what was going on, what the outcome would be.
00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:23.519
Um, our senior pastor received that text.
00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:25.359
He was, we were in a meeting together.
00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:30.559
He relayed the text to the group, went and packed up his things and headed to the hospital.
00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:34.000
By the time he got there, half of the Kinect group was already there.
00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:44.640
The other half of the Kinect group was organizing a meal plan for the family for the week, like going to the grocery store to buy things to start cooking for meals to prepare for this family.
00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:48.480
Like you said, that is what they're just caring for each other.
00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:54.799
But it was before, like I said, our pastor got the text, packed up, went to the hospital, and they were already in action.
00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:55.680
So beautiful.
00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:56.319
Yes.
00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:00.480
Um, it I'm just tearing up when I like just the impact that that had.
00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:05.279
Um, but for me personally, like it was a Kinect group that I was a part of.
00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:08.559
Um, and there was a couple, it was all married couples.
00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:16.640
And at the time I was married, at the time I was in this group, and it was all married couples, and our children would come and play together and the older kids would watch the younger kids.
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:17.519
It was great.
00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:20.160
Um, and then one of the couples got divorced.
00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:22.160
And it was very hard.
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:25.119
And it eventually broke our Kinect group apart.
00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:40.000
Um, but in it, the way that people ministered to each other, the way that the women of the group surrounded the woman that was going through the divorce, and the men of the group touch group, touch base with the man in the story.
00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:48.799
It wasn't taking sides, and it wasn't a right or wrong, or you have to stay together, or you have to do this for your marriage.
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:51.200
It was just walking with them.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:57.359
And I think that that is an important part too, because we all experience high highs and low lows in life.
00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:05.839
And it's not that your group is there to fix it for you, they're there to sit in the mud for with you and they're there to celebrate the joys with you.
00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:14.640
And I just remember how grateful that couple individually was for the people of the group that that just walked with them.
00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:15.599
Yeah.
00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:27.279
Yeah, I can remember a ladies' group I was in when my kids were young, and Rebecca had to have a uh she was born with a tethered spinal cord.
00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:29.759
So she had surgery on her spine at eight months old.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:32.799
And I was just petrified.
00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:39.279
Like it didn't matter how many times people told me, like, this is this surgery happens often, she's gonna be fine.
00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:42.079
You know, like, nope, I wasn't believing them.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:45.759
You know, I just I kept envisioning terrible things.
00:25:46.079 --> 00:26:02.319
But um, the ladies in my Bible study group, they just passed one card around and they wrote scripture, they wrote down truths, and I can't tell you how many times I got that card out and read it.
00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:07.039
Because, like you talked about, you know, Satan loves to isolate us.
00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:13.519
And that's when I my mind would wander to these horrible places about what could happen to my daughter.
00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:16.480
But I literally would get that card out.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:23.920
I knew these women, I knew they loved me, they loved my daughter, they loved the Lord, and they reminded me of truth.
00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:24.319
Yeah.
00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:32.799
And and how God commands us to think of these things, think of the truth, think of the character traits of who he is.
00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:37.279
And it really helped me get through that time.
00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:39.839
So yeah, that was a gift.
00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:41.599
And I'm sure they had no idea.
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:43.519
They were just writing something down.
00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:50.160
They probably had no idea I was gonna read it 999 times, but I sure did.
00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:58.559
You know, it's such a trite phrase, and but like it it we say it over and over again because it's true, we are better together.
00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:07.440
Um, your life is better when you are known and you know that others know you.
00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:25.920
Um when I think about when groups have been most transformational in my life, it's when we've, especially with in a just with other guys um committed to holding one another accountable to like, yeah, we're gonna take this following Jesus thing seriously.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:36.160
Um, I think we all know this in our relationships where it's like, yep, surface level, maybe I'll share a little bit, but then there's all this space of like, can't really share that.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:39.680
They're gonna think I'm a weirdo or I don't want to be that one, right?
00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:45.119
And it's usually that space of vulnerability that we actually most need to talk to people about.
00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:50.640
And but it needs to be in a safe Christian environment.
00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:54.160
And it it's not gonna happen on your first connect group meeting.
00:27:54.240 --> 00:28:02.799
In fact, if you're if you're envisioning that as a leader, I would say slow your roll, learn each other's names and jobs first.
00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:09.279
But like over time, um, the Lord can do it.
00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:21.440
And um, if we're gonna be following Jesus on this journey together to have that space to, you know, we we say one of our values is authenticity, that we're authentic and we sharing our lives with one another.
00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:27.599
That means that there, there, there is that handful of people that know me really, really, really well.
00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:32.000
Not hiding anything from them because we're all on the same journey together.
00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:35.440
Um, yeah, man, there's so many good things that God does.
00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:37.039
Can I share two more things?
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:39.039
You can share whatever you want.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:41.839
We got all the time we want to take, Tyler.
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:44.160
Go ahead, Tyler.
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:46.240
Take it away.
00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:50.319
Um yeah.
00:28:51.279 --> 00:29:03.039
When I think about what God does in groups, I guess just to make this really, really practical, um, we we do have a group finder on our website.
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:05.200
King of Kings.org slash groups.
00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.440
KingKings.org slash groups.
00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:10.079
And like it is as easy as it sounds.
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:16.319
You identify your campus, you see what's available, and and you you say, oh, interesting.
00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:18.240
You can even see pictures of the leaders.
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:34.960
If you ever are one, if you're like, I don't know how confident I am with this technology, or or you're like, I don't know how I feel about this, go to your next steps room, your next steps area on a Sunday, and we'd love to get you connected so that you're the don't don't let that hold you back.
00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:47.200
Um, and then especially as we look towards the fall, um the kind of beginning the school year is a great time to like say, what new habit am I going to develop?
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:52.880
And so if you have been in a connect group that you've been taking time off, well, then let's re-up that.
00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:57.519
And then if you haven't been in one, man, take the step, make the commitment.
00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:16.559
Again, we're not saying for the rest of your life, but for that kind of eight to 12 week season, and and maybe even like write down in your own personal journal what you what you would what you're praying God would do in your life over those over that three months, and then come back to it at the end and see what God did.
00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:20.400
Like when we say we transform lives, God does that.
00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:22.480
God does that in our lives.
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:31.440
But it often takes us, it takes us taking a step of discipleship and obedience to put ourselves in the position for God to transform our lives.
00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:43.359
Um and yeah, the in terms of types of groups, Kate, you said you actually are a part of two groups right now because when you when you're only at one, why not go for a second?
00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:44.559
For sure.
00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:47.119
There's one group at Northwest.
00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:53.680
I I'm not gonna say I have a favorite, but there's one group that um I just adore.
00:30:54.000 --> 00:31:05.359
Um, and these people I would say are 50 plus and they have um so much fun together, they decided to bring their dinner each Wednesday night.
00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:15.200
So they actually have dinner together first, and then they do the questions based on the past Sunday sermon sermon, which is the curriculum we provide for groups.
00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:16.720
So that's another thing to know.
00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:20.480
If you're interested in being a group leader, we give you all the tools you need.
00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:21.920
You have to come up with nothing.
00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:30.799
Anyway, there's a young man who's still exploring Christianity, investigating it, which you are invited to come before you believe.
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:36.880
Anyway, this young man wanted to join this group, and I was there that Wednesday too.
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:43.519
And he has been struck one thing he's been struggling with is finding a job that he likes and that can pay the bills.
00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:46.400
Common problem when you're a young adult.
00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:51.200
So he just said to the group, like, how did you guys find your jobs?
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:51.920
Wow.
00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:58.079
And each person in the group just it made me think of it when you said learn the names and what they do for a job.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:32:02.400
But that's literally all we did that night for like an hour and a half.
00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:19.200
Each person, but I learned so much about each person in the group because I was like, oh man, I didn't know he worked for the railroad for 30 years, you know, and and each person kind of told their story, how they came across their job, how they saw God working through their profession, the people they met.
00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:21.440
And it was like one of my favorite groups.
00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:28.240
So sometimes it's not even deep content, it's just being, you know, open to share.
00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:31.759
And and sometimes it's not even for you, it's for the other person.
00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:37.200
You know, there's someone who just needs to say the thing, you know, whatever's going on.
00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:40.000
And there's someone like, I'm willing to listen.
00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:42.799
So I mean, that's invaluable, I think.
00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:46.160
That is just like wearing kind of the pastoral hat.
00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:48.079
Like, that's just like the Lord, right?
00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:59.680
Where like the leaders, if they had a plan, it was two bullet points of one, introduce members to share about yourself, right?
00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:00.960
Right, right.
00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:08.079
And then like it in and you you guys just take the step to do that together, and then something beautiful happens.
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:08.559
Right.
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:10.799
Like that that sounds like God.
00:33:11.119 --> 00:33:14.640
Well, and actually their plan that night was to discuss the sermon.
00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:16.880
And I don't think we ever got to that.
00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:25.359
And that's another thing, you know, that God God works in unexpected ways sometimes, but each person could see this young man is struggling.
00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:28.799
He would appreciate some honesty from the rest of us.
00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:30.880
So the plan went out the window that night.
00:33:31.039 --> 00:33:31.680
Yep, good.
00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:35.519
And it was a beautiful evening, and we prayed over him.
00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:36.240
So good.
00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:42.319
And here's a picture of people who are genuinely wanting to encourage this young man.
00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:44.319
And so it was a great night.
00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:54.960
So there's a verse that I reference when I talk about connect groups with people, and it's Hebrews 10, 24, and it says, and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:58.160
And I love that verse and I love what that encompasses about groups.
00:33:58.319 --> 00:34:00.079
But right after it is verse 25.
00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:06.880
And verse 25 says, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.
00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:20.960
And I think I like that part better because it's all too easy for the busyness to creep in and to say, even if it's, oh, I'm not gonna make it to church this Sunday, or oh, I'm not gonna make it to group, or I don't have time to be in a group right now.
00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:32.400
God knew, like, we were gonna make these excuses when, you know, and it says right in the scripture, not giving up, meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.
00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:33.519
He knew.
00:34:33.760 --> 00:34:37.679
And he's telling us right there, no, we need to keep encouraging each other.
00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:40.960
And so I think that that feeds right into being in a group.
00:34:41.119 --> 00:34:46.079
And I do know people where it literally is very difficult to find a time.
00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:48.719
But we have some groups that even meet online.
00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:51.920
I mean, yes, do I think face-to-face is better?
00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:52.960
Personally, yeah.
00:34:53.199 --> 00:35:00.880
But you are still in community when you are meeting face to face on a screen and sharing about each other's lives in that way.
00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:08.880
I will take a group meeting weekly on Zoom for two years any day over a group not meeting at all.
00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:10.000
Yeah.
00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:11.760
And you'd be surprised.
00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:13.840
There's a group that meets at Northwest at 6 a.m.
00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:14.800
on Monday morning.
00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:18.239
So there are a variety of times and places.
00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:18.800
Yeah.
00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:25.199
I already kind of said this, but it strikes me like, man, if you are a beyond Sunday podcast listener, all 14 of you.
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:27.119
Dina, you keep making that joke.
00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:28.320
There are more than that.
00:35:28.639 --> 00:35:34.000
But like it makes it feel exclusive, and then we feel cool.
00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:37.440
Or something else.
00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:38.480
I'm just kidding.
00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:39.280
Yeah.
00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:52.800
But if if you are a listener which tells us that you really care about what God's doing, King of Kings, you feel involved and invested here, it's really possible God might be calling you to be a Kinet Group leader if you're not already.
00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:58.559
What I love about it is it's one of the best places within our ministry.
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:08.960
I mean, we talked about the word release earlier, like in the best of ways, where we we we support, we resource, we bless, we encourage.
00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:19.119
But there's very little where we say, well, if you have to do it, it's much more of meeting with group leaders and saying, Well, what do you feel like God's calling you to do?
00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:23.760
And um, now if you say something that's out of bounds, we will tell you it's out of bounds.
00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:26.079
Let me just tell you, that's never happened for me.
00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:29.679
It's it's it's like, oh, that sounds awesome.
00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:31.760
You might think about it doing it this way and this way.
00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:35.599
Here's a resource I might point you to, and we'll put it on the website.
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And we can't wait to see what God does.
00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:40.880
Yeah, I just it's possible God's calling you to make that step.
00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:46.079
And I can tell you, I don't know what campus you go to, but there is a need for leaders at every campus.
00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:52.159
Here at Millard, Seth and I right now organize the groups, and I am desperate for more leaders.
00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:54.480
I'm not saying we don't have room for people.
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We do because there is a constant shifting and people will always make room.
00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:09.199
But there are a lot of our groups that are considered full because they have reached that 12, 14, 16, you know, mark of people.
00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:14.079
And there is a level of where it is better when you keep the group smaller.
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You're able to know people more.
00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:17.679
And so we are needing more groups.
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And I am right now planning for fall, like gearing up, trying to find new spaces on campus for groups to meet in because all the spaces are full.
00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:28.320
So it's an amazing problem to have.
00:37:28.480 --> 00:37:28.719
Right.
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But don't sit back and think that we don't need leaders.
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If you're feeling that nudge, just know there is a need for it.
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And like Kate said, we give you everything that you need.
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And it is not a hard job.
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Like it really is not a hard job.
00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:44.880
You're totally right on the need.
00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:47.440
I would also just emphasize the opportunity.
00:37:47.599 --> 00:37:51.519
Like, honestly, it's a lot more facilitation than leading, right?
00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:56.400
Kate, you hit the nail on the head of, you know, it's not like you're writing a curriculum every week.
00:37:56.719 --> 00:37:57.039
Right.
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It's done.
00:37:58.079 --> 00:37:58.719
That part's done.
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That's my job.
00:37:59.679 --> 00:38:00.480
Good job, caller.
00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:06.079
I'm the one studying Obadiah so that I can prepare a Bible study that they you can facilitate for your group.
00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:22.400
But man, the opportunity to kind of have a front row seat to God working in people's lives, that is so worth the investment of the time and the commitment and the text chains and the all the RSVPs, all that sort of thing.
00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:27.920
Because you get to see what God is up to in transforming lives.
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And he chooses to use us to be a source of encouragement and godly wisdom and blessing to his people.
00:38:38.079 --> 00:38:39.599
Like there's no greater privilege.
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And then I think that just feeds the desire to be together more.
00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:52.800
We have a group here at the Millard campus who it used to be two groups, and they were both groups of six or eight people would show up each week.
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And then one set of leaders needed to step away for something that was going on in their personal lives.
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And so they reached out to me, let me know, and asked, is there another group that the rest of their group could join together?
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Well, we found a group that had about six people.
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So we combined them.
00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:14.079
So they were coming in all different ages, different life stages, and kind of mesh together.
00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:15.599
This started last fall.
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So they met through the Connect group season last fall.
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They continued to meet in the winter season.
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And then they reached out to me at the start of the summer and said, We want to meet.
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Can we have a room on campus?
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Because they wanted to continue being together.
00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:30.480
Yeah.
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We had a young lady in her 20s, and she really had a heart to lead a young adult small group.
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And some Wednesdays there was maybe one other person, and she would join the 30, 40s group.
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But she wasn't discouraged.
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She kept coming.
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And slowly God would bring another young adult, a young married couple.
00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:56.239
But by the end of the spring, there were about eight young adults.
00:39:56.480 --> 00:39:56.960
Let's go.
00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:03.840
Yeah, which is like a testimony to her faithfulness to keep coming, to be flexible.
00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:05.440
She hopped in another group.
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She wasn't discouraged.
00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:10.079
She didn't, she didn't say, you know what, this doesn't look like it's gonna work out.
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:14.480
That was just a blessing to me and an encouragement to me, especially in her 20s.
00:40:14.639 --> 00:40:17.440
You know, like you don't see that often.
00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:21.840
God was good and faithful, and it was beautiful what he did in that group.
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Praise God.
00:40:23.039 --> 00:40:29.920
So, like Tyler said, there is a page on the website where you can find out more about groups, king of kings.org slash groups.
00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:42.400
The Connect Group season, um, as far as what happens on campus on Wednesday nights, which is a larger, more um popular night for groups to meet, looks different at each campus.
00:40:42.559 --> 00:40:43.360
Check it out.
00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:45.920
Ask the campus director, find out more.
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Some of our campuses have students' ministry going on, some of our campuses have kids' ministry going on.
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Just ask, find out what may work for you.
00:40:55.920 --> 00:41:01.920
But now, my question is what can be prayed for for Kinect groups as we start to wrap up today?
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What can our listeners, whether they're in a group or looking for a group, what can we all be praying for?
00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:09.760
That's a great question, Dina.
00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:18.639
I would encourage our people who are listening to kind of put on their King of Kings hat as a whole.
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So not like my campus or my ministry or that sort of thing, but like as a whole.
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:30.960
And what would it look like for you to be praying for our current Connect group leaders?
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You can go on the groups finder page, kingofkings.org slash groups, certainly to go find your group, but also you then can see all those group leaders.
00:41:41.039 --> 00:42:03.280
And you can be praying for this upcoming season that the Lord would be already preparing the people that he's called for those groups, and that each week the meetings are happening, that the Holy Spirit would be at work through the Word of God, that there would be safety and vulnerability and joy and friendship.
00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:08.880
You can pray for those that are on the fence of whether they're going to join a group or not.
00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:12.800
And maybe they are in that spot that they've been burned or hurt in the past.
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And man, what would it look like for the Lord to just kind of gently nudge them to say, yes, I'm gonna give it a go again.
00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:21.760
And would you pray?
00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:27.519
You know, the Lord says this pray to pray to the Lord of the harvest that he might send laborers into his harvest.
00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:29.840
You know, we pray that in seminary all the time.
00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:33.119
The harvest is plentable, but the workers are phew.
00:42:33.679 --> 00:42:34.239
Thank you.
00:42:34.400 --> 00:42:36.239
Kate and I are going on the road next week.
00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:38.559
Uh that'd be fun.
00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:42.400
I'm just gonna, yeah, I'll say I'll say the first part of the Bible verse, and then that's right.
00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:56.800
Yeah, but like pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would raise up more leaders, and it might so happen that as you're praying for that, the Lord might nudge your heart to say, Oh, God, are you asking me?
00:42:58.000 --> 00:42:58.960
He might.
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:05.599
Yeah, I had that exact same verse that you were talking about, Dina, Hebrews uh 10, 25.
00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:07.119
But I'm just gonna finish it.
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:18.639
It says, and let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:26.320
Like there's nothing else we're preparing for that's more important than when Jesus returns or calls us home.
00:43:26.559 --> 00:43:30.159
You've probably heard this, but busy is being under Satan's yoke.
00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:31.519
That's foolishness.
00:43:31.679 --> 00:43:34.079
Everyone has the same 24 hours in every day.
00:43:34.320 --> 00:43:38.400
What we need to do daily is figure out what are our priorities.
00:43:38.719 --> 00:43:43.760
And as Christians, we're called to know him and encourage others.
00:43:44.079 --> 00:43:47.039
And this is a perfect opportunity.
00:43:47.280 --> 00:43:48.400
So don't miss out.
00:43:48.639 --> 00:43:50.320
Our time is limited.
00:43:50.719 --> 00:43:56.000
And when he returns, we want him to find us doing what he's called us to do.
00:43:56.239 --> 00:43:56.800
Amen.
00:43:57.039 --> 00:43:58.320
I have one final thing, Dina.
00:43:58.400 --> 00:43:59.679
I know we're already at 45 minutes.
00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:02.480
I I have the worst have him on this podcast.
00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:06.000
The yapper.
00:44:07.519 --> 00:44:16.960
Um, if you have a story of how God has worked in your Connect group, um, I'd love to hear it.
00:44:17.119 --> 00:44:20.880
And so you can, again, you can email me, Tyler at kingofkings.org.
00:44:21.039 --> 00:44:26.400
It's very possible that your story can be an encouragement to others.
00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:30.800
Um, and that might be just the encouragement they need to take a step of faith.
00:44:31.119 --> 00:44:35.840
Yeah, I just want to really encourage that, just the way that we've been sharing some of these stories.
00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:39.760
And hopefully you as a listener maybe felt something during some of those.
00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:45.920
Or, oh, that reminded me of this story in my life, or oh, that makes me want to go join a group.
00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:50.239
Sharing those stories is a way that God nudges people too.
00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:56.880
And so email Tyler with your story and watch for Tyler and Kate on the road with scripture show.
00:44:57.039 --> 00:44:58.400
I don't know what that first.
00:44:58.800 --> 00:44:59.519
There you go.
00:45:00.159 --> 00:45:02.320
It's now it's like a trivia show.
00:45:02.480 --> 00:45:03.119
It'd be fun.
00:45:03.679 --> 00:45:06.639
Peter's gonna open for us on banjo and it'll be great.
00:45:06.800 --> 00:45:07.760
It'll be great.
00:45:08.079 --> 00:45:09.280
I really like that idea.
00:45:09.519 --> 00:45:13.280
Coming, coming soon to a campus near you.
00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:17.280
You guys thought I was going into care ministry.
00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:21.039
Thank you guys for being here.
00:45:21.199 --> 00:45:26.880
And next week we will dive a little bit deeper into another ministry of King of Kings.
00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:30.159
Um, I'm trying to remember our schedule to even think what it is.
00:45:30.320 --> 00:45:30.719
Community.