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| Community--Doing Life Together |
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Resources for Small Groups
 Experiencing Community by Thom Corrigan (view book)
This seven-session small group study guide is designed for those who are looking to start a small group as a means of "doing life" with others. The study guides members of a beginning group through the first steps of life together by covering the basics of group life: the nature of life together, how to pray, share, and encourage, the nature of a group covenant, and service. The study uses The Message by Eugene Peterson and is filled with questions that will help a beginning group become authentic with one another. This study is appropriate for beginning groups only.
 Regroup: Training Groups to Be Groups by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, and John Townsend (view guide / view DVD)
Both experienced groups and beginning groups will find this four session DVD driven study a powerful resource for developing a healthier small group atmosphere that fosters spiritual transformation. The study is designed to guide a group to discover how to communicate and connect in ways they never have before. The DVD incorporates winsome humor and dialogue and couples them with powerful scriptural truths in a way that is easy to understand and apply. The DVD also has the added bonus of thirteen additional tips for how to "do life" together in a more effective manner. This resource is appropriate for all groups.
 Groups: The Life-Giving Power of Community by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson, and Judson Poling (view book)
Being in community with others does not always come naturally or easily. Sometimes we need some help along the way. In this seven-session small group study guide, small group members will unpack some key principles that will guide them toward the life-transforming power of community. Each lesson in this resource incorporates short readings, a Bible study, and a spiritual exercise. Topics range from friendship, how to know others and be known, how to handle conflict, how to forgive, and how to create an inclusive community. This resource is appropriate for beginning or maturing groups.
Resources for Individuals or Small Groups
 Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connecting Relationships by Randy Frazee (view book)
God has placed in each of us a great desire for community. However, the practice of community often is squeezed out by the numerous activities of life, all of which seem important. In this book, Randy Frazee offers a path to simplifying our lives with what he calls a "Hebrew Day-Planner," so that we can connect with God, family, and others. This is a practical book with room for notes, small group questions, and suggestions for various levels of re-orienting our lives. This resource is suitable for groups and for everyone that has ever felt they are just too busy with life, much less life in community.
 Everybody's Normal Until You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg (view book)
Perhaps one of the greatest questions we ask as we consider journeying with others is whether we can get close to people without being hurt or hurting others? In this work, John Ortberg discusses the difficult truth that everyone is slightly irregular in some way. We all have flaws. In order to live in community, we have to approach one another with an "as is" policy. However, this is easier said than done. Ortberg provides practical, real world guidance for the practicing of "as is" community. In this book, one will find principles that will deepen one's understanding of how to practice acceptance and grace, how to handle conflict and confrontation, as well as how to show gratitude. This book is appropriate for groups and anyone who has ever struggled to connect in a deep way with others.
 Becoming a True Spiritual Community: A Profound Vision of What the Church Can Be by Larry Crabb (view book)
The longing in many of our hearts is to be loved unconditionally, accepted, and supported because deep down we understand that we exist in a state of brokenness. Finding a place or persons who will respond to us in this way can be difficult. Larry Crabb states that the Church is meant to be such a people. Crabb notes that the Church is nothing more than a people journeying together toward God, a people who love unconditionally, accept freely, and support one another in a safe way. The Church is a place of community. In this work, Crabb provides a powerful vision for how the Church can develop and maintain this kind of community. This book is appropriate for small group leaders and for anyone interested in developing community among God's people.
 Refrigerator Rights: Creating Connections and Restoring Relationships by Will Miller and Glenn Sparks (view book)
A network of close relationships, those with whom we share "refrigerator rights" is the stuff that gets us through life. However, our American culture and lifestyle many times pushes us to isolation. Very often we move to isolation and are unaware that our choices are moving us in this direction. Will Miller and Glenn Sparks note the power of relationships and provide practical advice for negotiating our culture and lifestyle choices that mitigate against meaningful relationships. This book is appropriate for any person who wants to understand how culture is affecting our ability to connect with others in deep ways.
 Connecting: Healing for Ourselves and Our Relationships by Larry Crabb (view book)
God designed us to live life together, but what power exists for us when we actually choose to live in this way? In this book, Larry Crabb contends that God has placed in the context of community the power to bring healing to our deepest wounds, the diseases of our soul. In this work, one finds that the greatest need in our modern world is community and the great power that is released when people lock arms and journey together. This book is appropriate for small group leaders and for people who are hurting and want to help people who are hurting.
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