Leading Soul Care Small Groups and Using the Video Series
(DVD or Streaming)
There are several different ways people work through Soul Care:
Join the eCourse (see tab above)
Bring Soul Care to your small group by using the DVDs or online streaming (group packages of Soul Care books/resources are available)
Bring Soul Care to your church with small groups working through the Soul Care book and/or videos
Host a Soul Care Conference
Attend an upcoming Soul Care Conference live or online
Whichever method you choose, plan on it being an interactive journey where you apply the teachings of Christ to your life and experience transformation through Christ!
We are often asked how to “do” Soul Care by both individuals and small group leaders and churches. While it can be done successfully in many ways, here are some tips to help you get the most out of the material!
1. Don't just read the book and/or watch the videos.
This is material that needs processing. We are a "knowledge based" discipleship culture. Jesus is an "obedience based" discipleship teacher. Knowledge without obedience leaves us more like the Pharisees and less like Jesus. So, please, find others that are interested in integrating the materials with you and go through it together. We have found that same-gender triads (groups of three) work best. They are large enough so that there is community but still small enough to allow time to process with one another fairly deeply. The issues that will be discussed are pretty tough; people tend to be more honest if they are processing with others of the same sex and not family members.
2. Take your time through the material.
Be careful that you are not simply quickly reading one chapter or watching one video. The goal is not to know the material. These are principles of freedom in the Word of God, but they can only lead to freedom if we integrate them into our daily existence. Work through them slowly so they become part of your life. If you need more time to assimilate, process, etc., then take more time, rather than seeing it as an eight week course. Often people will find themselves working through the material again and again as different issues arise. This is how normal growth occurs! It is beneficial to both read the book and watch the videos as we seek to implement these truths into our lives.
3. Focus on application.
Whether you are working through the material with friends or leading a group or a bunch of groups, we cannot stress this enough. The material is to be applied, not memorized or even just understood. If you are asking questions as a group leader, don't focus on what the material says, focus on how your group members will apply the material in their lives. (Ex., not so much "Why should we forgive?" but instead, "Who do you need to forgive?") And the ultimate goal is that we learn to bless those who curse us and forgive those who sin against us day by day. There are questions at the end of each chapter of Soul Care for discussion which are helpful to work through as well as in the "Experience" sections for each principle in the Soul Care Conference Participant Guide pdf.
4. Set ground rules for the group.
It is crucial to set the culture of the group at the start. This includes the confidentiality of what is shared by members, so that people feel free to share from the heart. Explicitly stating this expectation of members helps them to safeguard others’ experiences. Do not just assume that people will keep confidences, ask them to assent to this standard. There are helps in the Participant Guide that help you to coach people both how to tell their stories and how to listen to others’ stories, so that we listen well without interrupting, without moving the conversation to our own experiences, and without giving judgement or advice. Keep triads the same throughout, try to avoid having people switch groups so community and trust can develop.
(More helps specifically related to the video usage below.)
Video Series Helps:
Intro: Intimacy with God 44:22 (corresponds to the Introduction and Gateways to Life Change chapters in the book)
Overcoming Lies/Securing Identity 42:23 (corresponds to Principle #1: Identity in the book)
Repentance 35:56
Family Sin Patterns 22:57
Forgiveness 34:55
Healing Wounds 43:31
Overcoming Fears 34:51
Deliverance 49:47
We suggest reading through the Introduction and the chapter entitled Gateways to Life Change in the book and discussing it in your first week. Then in the second week, watch and discuss the video segment on intimacy. Then follow along with the 7 principles in order (which are in both the book and video). Some people take a week per principle and some go longer than a week for processing so they have more time to go deeper into them. It is most effective to do the book/DVD with one or two other followers, so that you can mutually benefit from the community you will experience. We were not meant to walk alone.
If you do not have someone to process with, we suggest that you join a Soul Care Conference . There you will be put into a triad group for ministry times and to begin to process through the material.
The video series is available as a 2-DVD set or for rental streaming on Vimeo on Demand. (If you rented the video on streaming, you may share your screen with your group or your church or whomever, but you may not share your log-in with more than one other person.)
We pray you will gain freedom from areas that have hindered you for years, that you will experience God’s power in your life, and that you will find community with your brothers or sisters as you work through these principles.
Blessings!