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Models and Practices
A brief description of some practices we'd like to institute, as a means of reinforcing our values, achieving our goals, and inaugurating a model for other groups that will be duplicated from this one.
Growth is expressed primarily in these two ways:
Individual growth: is understood as process or movement. The Adult Bible Fellowship is not just a place; it is an experience. Our goal is not just to get people into the ABF, but through it, and onto additional things (which may be another ABF experience).
Corporate growth: is understood as multiplication or duplication. The Fellowship grows larger, only to “birth” another Fellowship that can sustain itself independently and ultimately duplicate itself as well.
We begin this Fellowship with the knowledge that it can become a new “model” in Hatcher’s discipleship development process. Knowing this, we’ll try to establish practices that foster these understandings of what is meant by “growth.”
Flexibility: Stay out of the rut!
Visible sign: Paying attention to all five purposes.
In our 40-minute setting, there isn’t time to do everything every week. We’ll rotate around — with different emphases each week. It’s a way to keep things moving!
Connectivity: Open up to people — without shutting others out!
Visible sign: Table-top groups.
Table-top groups are a way to keep connections tight, although the Fellowship is growing larger.
Portability: Keep it light!
Visible sign: Our storage bin.
The Fellowship Hall is not “ours.” We have no place to call “our own,” but place is not what’s important to us. Everything we need can be stored in one large rubber container.
We’ll keep record-keeping to a minimum. We won’t keep an “enrollment” on the church computer — we’ll just maintain our own roster. We’ll turn in a “count” by phone or by e-mail after each meeting of the Fellowship.
Duplicability: Prepare for it!
Visible sign: Teacher Apprentices.
The Fellowship includes apprentices, those who are actively preparing to become leaders of additional groups as they’re created.
Duplicability: Anyone can do it!
Visible sign: Low profile for the teacher/leader.
Our funnel model informs us that the Adult Bible Fellowship is content-oriented and teacher-focused. In this particular setting, though, it’s inadvisable to make it teacher-dependent. There are two potential ways to reduce the focus on the teacher.
· Use video-driven content.
· Regularly use the assistance of the apprentice(s).