Before completing Small Group Registration ’23-’24, please review the following short videos for clarity on what it means to be a part of OVERFLOW and the purpose of Small Groups. Registration helps OVERFLOW staff manage the size of each Small Group so that students have the best opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and for Small Group Leaders to better come alongside them in their discipleship to Jesus. Additionally, the act of registering for Small Groups provides students an opportunity to take ownership of their commitment to their Small Group for the year.
REGISTRATION FEE: $20
($10) Formation Journals provide an intentional and practical way to spend time in scripture and in prayer each day while staying up to date with where we are at each week on Sundays and Wednesdays. 2023-2024 Small Group Registration covers the cost of two Formation Journals (Fall / Spring). We are asking students to bring their Formation Journals each week to Small Groups.
($10) Leader Dinners: Each week our small group leaders are often coming from work and it is a tremendous blessing to help provide dinner for them each week. We will have more opportunities to sign up to bring meals throughout the year but a $10 contribution from every student will help cover almost half the Wednesday Night meals
Meet our Youth Staff! We would love to meet you in person and get to know you! So feel free to reach out and set up a time to meet or hope on a phone call.
By the time our youth graduate High School, we hope for them to develop:
- Intimacy with Jesus
- Foundation In What They Believe and Why It’s True
- Cultural Discernment
- Meaningful Intergenerational Relationships With Other Followers of Jesus
- Biblical Vision for Life and Work
Ultimately, parenting is by far the most formative factor in inviting youth into Christian adulthood, and yet, having a strong support system to compliment that work is how we see our role.
We aim to provide spiritual guidance for our youth as we invite them and guide them into deep and resilient discipleship to Jesus. Our hope is that they would grow in their knowledge and love of God while developing habits and practices to continue to grow in maturity as they transition from “Youth” to Christian adulthood.
- Weekly Biblical teaching to Junior High & High School specifically on Sunday mornings
- Space and guidance for prayer
- Direction for foundational rhythms and practices of Jesus
- Weekly Small Group Discussions
- Directed worship through music, art, prayer, etc.
- Opportunities for meaningful relationships with other followers of Jesus
We invite every student to be consistent and participate in the life of our Church. Here are some of the core ways students can be consistent:
- Wednesday Nights
- Sunday Mornings
- Everyday Life
- Trips, Service Projects & Events
7:00p-7:35p | Welcome, Connect & Intro to Discussion
7:40p-8:40p | Small Group Discussion
8:40p-9:00p | Worship & Prayer
9:00p | Benediction & Dismissal
9:00p-9:20p | Optional Extended Worship & Prayer
Students are organized in small groups according to grade and gender with an adult leader who will remain their leader each year.
SMALL GROUP SPLITS
Our hope is that each student is in a Small Group of 10 or fewer students with one Small Group leader for the best opportunity to participate, learn, grow, and be known. If a group has more than 10 students we will begin the process of finding an additional, qualified leader and splitting the group. In the event of a small group split, we will take into prayerful consideration feedback from leaders and students. We cannot guarantee each request will be met and we ask that each student/parent approach splits with flexibility, trust, and understanding.
Small Groups is one of the best contexts for us to invite youth into discipleship with Jesus through spiritual guidance from a consistent adult leader and weekly biblical study and discussion.
We define discussion as two or more people seeking Truth together. For that reason, Scripture (the Bible) is the focal point of our discussion time. The hour we spend in discussion is not a time for teaching, “therapy”, or just catching up. There is space for that at other times but this time is for discussion.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT EXPECTATIONS & GUIDELINES
- Be Present: I understand that the goal of our time together each week is to grow in my relationship with God and others. I will do my best to be focused on what is happening in the moment and to be intentional with my time. I acknowledge it is important to show up on a consistent basis and participate in discussions by actively listening, sharing, and asking honest questions.
- Love Others: I will do my best to treat everyone with dignity, respect and love. I will do my best to not just focus on my own needs and desires but to look to the interest of others as well. I will be inclusive and inviting. I will resist cliqueness and will pursue meaningful relationships outside of my own friend group. I will respect OVERFLOW leadership.
- Be Chivalrous: [For the Guys] I will be respectful to all ladies. I will open doors, use manners, respect their space and privacy and be mindful of my conversations. I will do everything I can to make the ladies feel loved, respected, empowered and valued.
- Receive and Reciprocate: [For the Girls] I will receive the guys’ chivalrous acts with gratitude and I will reciprocate with respectful actions. I will respect their privacy and be mindful of my conversations. I will do my best to make the guys feel loved, respected, empowered and valued.
- Be Mindful of What I Wear: I will be mindful of what I wear at church gatherings and in my daily life. I will pursue modesty and personal style with joy. I understand that an OVERFLOW leader may lovingly ask me to change into an OVERFLOW t-shirt or wear a sweatshirt over what I am wearing, and I will receive this accountability with humility and grace.
- Not “Mess Around”: Lets have fun but in the right way. We do not tolerate deliberate disrespect, distraction, coarse joking harassment or bullying. If this behavior persists after clear warnings and a parent meeting, there will be consequences as severe as time off from Small Groups until the behavior is reconciled. We all make mistakes and there is grace for that but we do not tolerate behavior that jeopardizes the safety of the group.
- Be Trustworthy: We commit to being a Small Group who can be trusted with each other’s ideas, thoughts and feelings. We commit to do everything we can to make our Small Group a SAFE place for everyone in it to share, be heard, and grow.
- Bring Bible & Formation Journal: We commit as a Small Group to bring and use our Bibles during small groups.
- Rest from Electronics: We commit to have all phones turned in at the Phone Fellowship Table.
WEDNESDAY SMALL GROUP DISCIPLINE
Each week in small groups, our goal is that every student has the opportunity to connect with God and each other. If a student is inhibiting this from happening (being distracting, disrespectful, etc.), we will give them one warning in group. If the behavior persists, we will send them outside the small group room for two minutes to reflect and gather themselves. We will have a conversation with them afterwards to clarify why they were sent out and move forward. Additionally, sending a student out will usually be followed by a phone call to their parents the next day to explain what happened. Our hope is to partner with parents in this.
Leader Guidebook Pdf HERE (Coming Soon)
Leader Guidebook Paperback HERE (Coming Soon)
Leader Guidebook Pdf HERE (Coming Soon)
Leader Guidebook Paperback HERE (Coming Soon)
Please reach out with any questions or concerns. We would love to see you at Parent Night on August 30th 7:00-8:30p at Grace Fellowship Church.
Follow the link to the Registration Form Below
