Roll-out the programs

Spirit & Truth courses can make up a small or large part of your church program. Glean ideas from the list below about the potential elements of a roll-out in your setting.

.Familiarise yourself with the content

• Understand where each book fits in to the journey of discipleship
• Understand at the outcomes of each course (re:FORM – A Plan to Change, and; re:FOCUS – A Plan to re:FOCUS) – and define what you would like to achieve in your own context.

.

Appoint a Church Director

• Someone needs to run point on the program. It may be the pastor, but it can just as easily be another capable member of the church.
• Church Directors carry the responsibility for implementing the programs and building the teams.
• Ensure it is someone who has time, and a heart to see people grow and be challenged.

.

Allocate Group Facilitators

• You will need enough facilitators (and potentially co-leaders) to accommodate groups of 4-7 participants. Any more will reduce the effectiveness of the group meetings.
• Facilitators should be empathetic people who will walk through the content with participants and can facilitate a group discussion.
• If a Church Director is in place, have facilitators register using the discount coupon provided to the Director. This effectively gives free access to the group-time videos that introduce each session.
• Church Directors can download and print the manual for running two workshops for Group Facilitators and also have complimentary access to the online training.

.

Allocate other key roles

• Prayer ministry team (if required) : People who are competent and sensitive who can pray for participants at retreat or combined group times
• Logistics and administration: To coordinate registrations, dates, retreat set up etc.
• Worship Director: To oversee worship sets at retreat or combined group-times.
• Retreat session speakers: Gifted speakers who can teach the sessions at retreat.

.

Plan your retreat

• Set a date and place for your retreat, planning on holding it after week two of the content in each course.
• You can run a retreat for either course, or join the streams together at one location, with combined sessions as suited. Detail in the manual.
• Download the Retreat Director Manual
• Allocate the various roles to trusted people within your church

.

Promote the course

• Use the provided graphics and promo pack for each course to spread the word on social media or email.
• Link promotions to your online registration page using your churches CMS solution such as Elvanto or Planning Centre.
• If no online registration is possible, use the flier/registration form template provided in the graphics pack for your course.

.

Running the weekly group-time setting

• Option 1: The most impacting way to run the course is to have all groups meet together in a central location.
  • Begin the setting with live or video worship (30 min.).
  • Watch the video introduction for the relevant course.
  • Break-out to rooms for each group meeting.
• Option 2: Have groups meet in homes.
  • Begin by watching the video introduction for that course/session.
  • Conduct the group meeting as normal.

.

Have a testimony night

• Prior to the last week, approach some participants to share with the larger group their story of transformation.
• Either dedicate part of the final group-time meeting, or a separate time at church for people to hear testimonies.