1. Deacon & ABF Leader Training
Welcome!
Jeff - Welcome & Prayer
Jim – Purpose of our training 3x per year with entire ABF Leadership Team
Ensure we are considering the 5 purposes of ABFs
Experiencing interactive bible study
Promoting life transformation & spiritual practices
Connecting guests & new members
Linking for care & small groups
Involving people in serving opportunities

2. “…following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it.” 1 Peter 1:22
Adult Bible Fellowships serve to:
advance the gospel within our church and community
through connecting people with resources and environments
which promote life transformation and loving community.
If we could boil in down into one mission statement if you will it would be this:
Following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended upon it!
Sometimes we make things overcomplicated and are not sure what our exact purpose is – Lencioni at the Summit highlighted this:
Mission Statement for a well know office technology company – can you name it?
Read it:
Following the truth – gospel that saves us but also the gospel that changes us
Love one another – especially those within the family of God but to those outside as well
As if our lives depended upon it – AA – desperation of a drowning swimmer

3. Tonight’s “6x6” Agenda Church Year Emphasis – “The Big Story”
Message from Larry
Sermon Series Plan
Teaching/Life Transformation Plan
Annual Bible Reading & Devotional Reading Plan
Spiritual Practices
CORE
Prayer
The big message for the year AND how we are going to as ABFs tie in to that big message

4. Church Year Emphasis “The Big Story”
To address the problem of biblical literacy
Today’s church attendee is different from most of our growing up experience
To resource people in the area of the Scriptures
When it comes to personal spiritual practices such as daily Bible reading, reflection on Scripture, solitude, prayer, and tithing the results show extremely low levels of people practicing these on a regular daily basis.
Daily Reflection on Scripture – 13%
Daily Bible Reading – 16%

5. ABF Year Emphasis Teaching/Life Transformation
Multi Year Scope & Cycle
Annually
2X - Direct Scriptural Study (History, Literature, Gospels, Letters, etc…
1X – Topical Study (Life You’ve Always Wanted, Peacemaker, Family/Stage of Life
1X Church Calendar or Church Emphasis Lessons (Lent, Advent, GPS, Deacon)
1X Electives

6. Annual Bible Reading & Devotional Reading Plan
Option One - Daily readings centered on and around the specific upcoming week’s text
Multi distribution of plan – in-service scripture sheets, website, etc…
The key text Larry will preach on will come will include a couple of questions to engage individuals and families
Option Two - Daily devotional readings
Through the Bible – Through the Year – John Stott

7. Spiritual Practices
Approximately one in ten respondents to the Reveal Survey indicated they are “stalled” in their spiritual lives and approximately two in ten said the church is not helping them in their growth. When asked why they are spiritually stalled the top four answers were:
Lack of discipline in spiritual practices
Letting other activities take precedence
Conflicting Responsibilities
Lack of accountability/encouragement
I want to talk about spiritual practices as a whole:
Hand out Reveal Survey
Remember survey data – 1 in 10 stalled – 2 in 10 said the church wasn’t helping
WE WANT TO HELP!
Why they’re stalled – we own half 1 & 4 and individuals have to “rearrange” their lives 2 & 3

8. Spiritual Practices/Disciplines
Discipline: Any activity I can do by direct effort that will help me do what I cannot do by direct effort now.
Spiritual Discipline: Any activity that can help me gain power to live life as Jesus taught and modeled it.
Can you give some examples of this?

9. Spiritual Practices (Disciplines)
Richard Foster: Spiritual disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can change us.
Henri Nouwen: Spiritual disciplines create space in which God can act.

10. Spiritual Practices (Disciplines)
Monthly Practice - Reflection on Scripture, Living in Community, Servanthood, Prayer
Read while on my study break
See practices – encourage through resources and practical ways to try some

11. The purpose of the CORE Series is to make sure that every follower of Christ at VRBC has a firm grasp of the biblical, theological and historical knowledge representing the core of the Christian faith.
October World Religions and Atheists Too: What’s the Difference?
January - Spiritual Disciplines: Being a Lifelong Apprentice of Jesus
Spring – The Story of Christianity – The Book of Acts Continued
Deirdre

12. Transformation really is possible if we are willing to do one thing . . .
and that is to rearrange our lives around the things that Jesus said and did.
Dallas Willard
Remember we’re not about information solely but transformation
This happens as we rearrange our lives around godly habits

13. Prayer Time
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephes. 3:14-19
Hand out intercessory prayer sheet
Go to ABF room to pray