The Circle
How do we move from contact or acquaintance to friend and disciple?
How do we proclaim Jesus in our everyday lives?
Conversations to consider:
Conversation #1
The Inner Process
💡 Bottom Line
The inner portion of the circle shows the process of how people move from initial contact to closer relationship. As we build genuine friendships, we hope to also build discipling relationships.
💡 Explain
The inner portion of the circle charts how we move from “contact” to “acquaintance” to “friend” to “disciple.”
Here are some take-aways:
Relationships don’t happen all at once — they are formed slowly over time and conversation
Embrace the moments that come — building over time means small and big moments alike matter
Don’t rush in — we can’t skip the steps, trust is building and must be respected
🙋 Ask: how did you come to have some of your best friends?
TIP: Explore the small and big moments that made your friendship, the good and the bad. Are there any patterns we notice, or encouragements we can draw?
💬 Discuss
Circles | A circle is a symbolic shape — it is always starting, never ending; a sense of always being in motion. Relationships can always start or start anew; they are always building and changing. How does this engage your attention differently with the people around you? How does this give you a sense of hope for those relationships?
Roll with It | Circles roll — when there is momentum, they roll quick; where there are bumps, they bump along. How can you be more flexible and “roll with it” in the relationships you have now? Where is the momentum in your favor? How can you deal with the bumps you’re experiencing?
Patient & Purposeful vs. Passive | While the process of building relationships is gradual, it won’t happen without intentional action. Where do you tend: patient yet purposeful or passive? Where can you improve? Do you put “too much” on relationships too soon, or do you hesitate to “advance” in the process?
⏭️ How do we engage others well? The Outer Ring shows us the way.
In a Picture
Conversation #2
The Outer Ring
💡 Bottom Line
We are intentional in relationships to build trust and to share Jesus. The Outer Ring shows us how to be trustworthy, have quality conversations, and introduce others to God and Jesus.
💡 Explain
The outer ring of the circle shows how we can engage others to build trust, engage conversation, and share God.
Here are some take-aways:
Serve & Bless: Think “tangible action to add to others lives.” This is an expression of our Identity and a way to show God’s grace and care. This also builds trust as others see we genuinely care for them and will continue to invest in relationship with them.
Their Story: Think “what makes them them?” This is a matter of taking an interest in them rather than simply getting to “our thing.” Whether a quick conversation or a longer one, we can ask good questions and listen genuinely to the responses. This continues to build trust and create common ground; you will also hear more ways to serve & bless or to connect your own story and God’s story to theirs.
Our Story: Think “what makes us us?” This is an expression of who we are and how we became who we are. Sharing ourselves in return further builds trust and creates common ground. Even in points of contrast, like different experiences or values, the relationship can grow and also increasingly engage how God is a part of our story (or could be part of theirs).
God’s Story: Think “how is God part of my day to day life?” This is an expression of how your faith is a real part of your life — from things you do on your own to engage with God or ways our GC or church connects to bless and care for one another. As they share their story, you may also find ways to demonstrate how God shapes your approach to work, family, or other areas discussed.
Hero Jesus: Think “how has Jesus changed my life?” And “how could Jesus change theirs?” Jesus is the Hero of God’s story and or ours — this is simply a matter of shining the light on how He has changed your life or why you needed Him to. We all have broken parts of our story, and we all need help. He is how lives are restored, and He can change their lives too!
💬 Discuss
Which of these do you find “easiest” to do? Which do you find hardest?
How can you ask better questions to learn peoples’ stories? Are you a good listener? (Would others agree?)
How is God a natural part of your day-to-day and your conversations? Do you feel odd bringing Him up — why or why not?
What stories do people around you tell? What values do those stories represent? (If you don’t notice any, you might need to ask and listen better!)
What stories do you tell? What do those stories reveal about you and how you live your life?
⏭️ How do stories shape our lives? From our stories to God’s story, stories matter.
Pause to Practice
Right now: Practice having a conversation where you only ask questions
Set a timer for 5min (or more)
Designate a talker and a questioner
Practice responding with only another question
Switch roles then reflect on the experience
Ongoing: Practice mentioning God, Jesus, or your faith in natural conversation
Brainstorm a few ways to do this
Intentionally try this for the next week
Discuss and reflect on the experience
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What would our GC look like, feel like, or sound like if we improved at asking questions, listening to answers, and engaging one another’s stories?
Conversation #3
Storyformed Living
💡 Bottom Line
How we tell stories reveals how we perceive our lives. The distinct difference between a disciple of Jesus and a non-believer is who is the center of our stories.
💡 Explain
Everyone has a “story” — what makes them “who they are” and where they see life going.
The central question is whose story is it?
📜 God’s Story: Genesis 1-3 —> Gospels and Beyond
In God’s story according to what Scripture reveals, we are linked to God in the core of our being yet attempting to live without Him. This of course has damaging consequences but is not the final word: He offers a way to restore us to Him!
Creation = God is the Creator and Originator of all things
Fall = Humankind rebelled against Him and separated from Him
Redemption = Whereas the result of the fall is ultimately death, God saves us by His action and free gift
Restoration = Humankind can experience life with God again and help others experience the same
❌ Our Story without God
In our story without God, we determine what we become, we excuse our faults by some outside influence, and we choose what we are made acceptable by or what we can accomplish within our own efforts.
Creation = I exist for ____
Fall = What’s wrong in my life is ____
Redemption = What will fix my life is ____
Restoration = Once this happens, I will finally ____
✝️ The Gospel in our Story
In our story with Jesus, He becomes the Hero of our story gone wrong. We can be honest about our misplaced priorities, our choice to sin, and its consequences. The Gospel changes everything, and that simply becomes a backdrop to His great work to save us!
Creation = I have lived like I exist for ___
Fall = What’s wrong in my life is ___ (my choice and my sin)
Redemption = Jesus changed my life when ___
Restoration = God is giving me new chances everyday to ____
💬 Discuss
Which of these do you find “easiest” to understand? Which do you find hardest?
Can you retell God’s story in a brief, clear way? (Practice right now with a partner!)
Can you retell the Gospel story in a brief, clear way? (Practice right now with a partner!)
Think of stories people around you tell? Can you see their Creation/Fall/Redemption/Restoration responses in there?
Think of stories you tell others daily? (How your day was, what happened this week, etc.) In those stories, do you see and hear a story with or without God? How could the Gospel story be better heard in your daily stories?
⏭️ How do stories shape our lives? From our stories to God’s story, stories matter.
Conversation #4
Bless & Serve - Ask & Listen
💡 Bottom Line
We must become intentional about how we bless & serve others, and how we ask questions to hear others’ stories. As we improve in this “gospel fluency,” we will be able to hear opportunities to engage others with the gospel — and then do so!
💡Explain
Today’s goal is simply to drive our recent conversations into intentional practice. We want to move from talking about these ideas to really practicing them with one another and with our names & faces that we have identified.
We will discuss the ideas and suggestions below, then adopt one practice to take up for one week. Let’s explore the ideas, add our own, and begin growing in our ability to hear and speak the gospel naturally — or our “gospel fluency.”
🤲 Bless & Serve
Ideas to bless & serve others:
Bring them coffee or a favorite snack
Buy breakfast or lunch for them
Help with a house project or tidying up an area
Give a card or gift for special occasion
Offer to bring a meal or to babysit and send them out
💁 Ask
Ideas to ask better questions of others:
Can you tell me about your family — where/how did you grow up?
Did you have a favorite coach/teacher/etc.? What made them so meaningful?
What are some of your best memories of/from ___?
What would you say are some of the most formative experiences of your life?
What have been your best and worst jobs?
How do you like to spend your days off?
What are some of the best places you’ve traveled to?
Note: any great follow-up response is “why” or “tell me more…”
👂 Listen
Ideas as you listen to others:
How does their story sound like a creation or fall?
How did they not live by faith? / How could they have lived by faith?
How does the Gospel speak to their story?
Where in this story are we struggling to believe the Gospel? (Where aren’t we living like it’s really true?)
What about Identity are we struggling to believe and live from? What is God’s answer to that?
Note: the goal is to learn more about who a person is, not just what they do, to hear what they value and how they make choices. You want to get better at hearing the inner story that shapes others so that you can begin to understand how God’s story relates to theirs.
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Act on the Plan
Name your practices, ideally one from each area — bless & serve, ask, and listen.
Set your time period, at least one week, before gathering again to discuss
Be specific, saying “I will [action] on/when [time] with [person].”
Re-group to reflect! See what you gain, learn, and can improve on together.
🙏 Pray together
TIP: Focus your prayer time on building relationships with your names & faces, on becoming more aware of peoples’ stories, and being emboldened to share God’s story and Jesus’ role in your life…