Discovery Groups are smaller groups of 3-5 people and are ideal for those looking to go deeper with others beyond traditional LIFE Groups.  These 3-5 people are the same gender and could all be fellow believers, could come from your LIFE Group, be a mix of folks from different LIFE Groups, could include seekers, nonbelievers, neighbors, coworkers, so on and so forth. They are highly flexible, reproducible, and cross-cultural!

Each person in a Discovery Group gets 15 minutes of total talk time so you’ll want to carve out a good chunk of at least 1.5 hours weekly. You’ll also want to pick a book of the Bible to study together. I’d recommend not picking a long book, especially to begin with. One of Peter or Paul’s letters could be great! You don’t have to do prior personal Bible study to be a part of a Discovery Group. The Discovery Group itself is the Bible study. Although of course any study of the Scriptures you put in on your own time is still beneficial.

Here’s how Discovery Groups go. Find a time when your 3-5 people can meet. Sit down over coffee, tea, breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or whatever you fancy). Then someone leans in and ask the first question. “So guys, what are you thankful for?” Then move on to the next question.

Discovery Group Format:

Accountability (only after the first meeting):

1. How did you do with your application step from last week?
2. Who did you tell?

Personal Sharing:

3. What are you thankful for?
4. What are you struggling with? And how can we help?

Read the passage you’re studying together and then ask:

5. What do we learn about God, and Jesus specifically?
6. What do we learn about man?
7. What does this passage seem to be communicating?

Application:

8. In light of what we’ve learned, what will you do about it?
9. Who will you tell?

Things to have in mind:

1. Think groups discipleship/multiplication, not just individual discipleship/multiplication. 5 People max. Once you reach 6, multiply into two groups.
2. Think 3rd generation. A group planting a group planting a group.
3. Pray for a person of peace, someone who receives you and your words and is connected to others.

Reasons this might be awesome for our community:

• Scheduling is much easier for 3-5 people than for an entire small group.
• 3-5 people bring needed accountability that’s difficult to come by in a one-on-one interaction.
• This can be taken anywhere in the world easily, without years of training.
• This is conducive for anyone and everyone. (in families, with coworkers, in neighborhoods, etc.)
• These questions cut to the heart quickly, stays focused on the Scriptures, and pushes people to share with others.
• This helps cultivate a culture of gratitude.
• Leadership requires very little prep or training. Just be willing to ask the questions and pay attention to the time!

Who knows what God might do through a few good questions and His Word?  Consider jumping into (or starting!) a Discovery Group today!

If you'd like help connecting with a Tallgrass Discovery Group, contact Ben Deaver at bendeaver@tallgrass.church.