GIG team lessons - Ministry Exchange (MX)

GIG Curriculum Fall 2004

This GIG curriculum is designed for students whose assignment in the
chapter is specifically to do GIGs, groups investigating God otherwise
known as nonChristian Bible studies, and want to be supported in their
attempt to reach out. The curriculum is designed for using it every other
week for the purpose of encouraging, equipping and motivating the students
to be a witnessing community.

At HCC & USF our leadership, includes Bible study leaders and GIG leaders,
meets once a week for 1 ½ hours. We split the teams up every-other week
and have workshops dealing specifically with the concerns intrinsic to that
team’s leadership focus. The other weeks we deal with material that both
teams need to participate in namely typical leadership passages,
shepherding concerns and chapter business.

Table of Contents: Christian Charm School 2 The Invitation 4 Your story 5 Practice GIGs 6 The Gospel Presentation 7 Salvation in the Word 9 Evangelism Through the Word 10 GIGs at a Glance 11

Christian Charm School
Christians should develop their ability to interact with new students and
strangers in order to be an inclusive witnessing community. This
simulation should be complemented with a short explanation of group
dynamics and nonverbal communication.

I suggest a short time of unpacking what makes us uncomfortable and what
helps ease that feeling when we are strangers thus connecting us to the
plight of new comers.

Charm school is about finding common ground

1 Cor.9- 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Visual suggestion: Draw two circles each to represent you/them respectively. Illustrate
that each person (circle) is made up of different experiences, hobbies,
thoughts, and relationships. Illustrate that when common ground is found
that the two circles become linked or overlap building trust between the
two individuals.

Social skills lesson 101

Observe-
Notice things about an individual: What they wear, insignias on bags, who
they hang with, how they sit/stand things they say/or don’t say in class.

Be friendly-
Non-Verbal communication is essential: Smile, look at their eyes, face them
while talking, shake hands, and introduce them to others

Ask questions-
Students should be able to transform information gathered from observation
into genuine questions. People love to talk about themselves. Use any
excuse to gain conversation thus common ground.

Finding common ground:
This simulation is to ease students into feeling confident when interacting
with new students by way of creating common ground with them. (This feels
weird but many of the introverts are thankful afterwards.)

-Students list off three areas of conversation they are comfortable
with. (Movies, music, sports.encourage students to identify what experiences are in their circle which common ground can be build upon. If list is wanting encourage students to begin following entertainment, politics, sports in order to become incarnational witnesses.) -Each student develops 5-10 go-to questions that will engage genuine dialogue about topics new students are comfortable with. People feel welcomed when they are able to talk about themselves so encourage students to develop questions that allow for genuine dialogue. -In groups of 3 students practice these questions and conversations with least known leaders in room.

The Invitation

Students should be able to invite another student with confidence into a
GIG. This simulation is designed to assist students to know who to invite,
how to invite and what to specifically say during the invitation.

List 3 students who you hope to do a GIG with this semester.

Invitation (Role Playing exercise)
Students will break up in pairs and ROLE PLAY inviting their friend to do a
GIG.

Practice mentioning these points during invitation: “It’s Bible discussion” Time- “it’s only 30min” & when “let’s do it right now” Disarm fear- “you won’t be yelled at, it’s not boring, not church.”

Spend time interceding for courage to give many invitations and for the
students that will be invited.

How to tell your story

Our students’ experiences with Jesus are more valid today than in years
past.
We need to help students become articulate connecting their emotions, to
how they’ve grown and how God has provided for them.

Acts 9- For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah. . Paul didn’t “know” much but can still proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. . Notice it was the changed man that amazed the crowd. . Knowledge and powerful words/arguements didn’t come until later

Exercise:
Your story – Get into small groups (3 people) – have students spend a couple minutes reflecting on the questions in
silence – Write out a 3-minute testimony presentation using the questions as a
guide w/o using language normal people can understand. Encourage students
to make it a story and not just the facts. – Share within the groups what Jesus has done in your life.

. What is the greatest most dramatic need that God has met in your life (or in the last three years)? Or what is the most remarkable thing that God has done in your life (or in the last three years)? . Briefly describe what the need was before God met that need. Or briefly describe what your life was like before God did this remarkable thing in your life. Use only three to four sentences. . Briefly describe what God did in your life. Use three or four sentences only. . Describe how things have changed in your life since this happened. Use a story to illustrate, but only for 3 minutes.

Practice leading GIGs

Many of our students need to have hands-on experience with a GIG before
they engage in one with a nonbeliever. This simulation is designed to grow
students’ confidence using the Word in GIGs by practicing an actual GIG.

Tips during a GIG

1. Give real life examples from your life (be vulnerable) 2. Make the Bible study your own (?’s flow from your lips) 3. Listen to them.not just preach

Exercise:
Give students 35 minutes in pairs (15 minutes each) to practice different
GIGs on each other.

Afterwards debrief with the students on the difficulties/success they
experienced.

The Gospel Presentation

Many of our students would have difficulty sharing the gospel when the time
comes in a GIG so this simulation is to empower students with several
gospel presentation formats.

Exercise:
Split into groups of three and practice these illustrations of the gospel.
-Explain verses in language normal people can understand

Romans Road

Rom 3:23- all have sinned
Rom 6:23- sin is death
Rom 5:10- while enemies God saved us by his life
Rom 10:9,10- confesses and believes Jesus is Lord
Rom 8:31-39- new life without condemnation or separation from God

Bridge diagram

-Draw it out and explain it in language normal people can understand
God created us
We rebelled against him, separating ourselves
Everything we try to do to restore the relationship fails
But God loved us,
God came to in Jesus to suffer our debt through the cross and bridged the
gap
Now he calls us to trust in him as the way and life to God
Are you ready to trust Jesus?

Use a metaphor

If the world was made through Christ then all things reflect him even if it
is in a broken way. This means that we should be able to communicate the
gospel through objects or metaphors, allowing nonChristians to connect with
a real image of themselves, Jesus and the atonement he gives us.
We want our students to at all times be equipped to share the good news of
Jesus so push them to image how they might do this in class, in the dorm or
at work.

Exercise:
Talk about the elements of the Gospel:
Sin: separation/rebellion from God
Need for Payment: Death, judgment
Atonement: Jesus’ Death & Resurrection
Repent and Believe: accept the gift

Send students out in small groups to stores in order to find metaphors ($1)
for sharing the gospel.
Once they return have the students share the good news of Jesus using their
metaphors with the other groups.

Be aware that many of the groups will make the gospel out to be a self-help remedy, “Jesus makes everything better.” (band-aid, makeup) but this is not the gospel. We should help our students understand that Jesus doesn’t just cover our sin but eradicates it or take away the problems in life but gives us a new life, restores our life and puts a new spirit in us. It is not a self help strategy to accept Jesus, it is to understand that we are total failures and without Jesus we will surely die.

If there is not enough time to go find metaphors at a store then ask
students to find one with the stuff they already have on them.

This exercise can be augmented by asking the students to support their
metaphors with Biblical support or proof texts. The references can be
directly related to the metaphor or with the gospel element it illustrates.

Ex. match illustrates light – John 1 we need a light to pierce the darkness
of death

Spend time in prayer asking for boldness to share Jesus

Salvation in the Word
In doing the work of evangelism students need to recognize what scriptures
speak to our salvation and the work of Jesus.

Do you know salvation passages?

Demonstrate the contrast between passages that show Jesus’ power but not
salvation and a passage that shows the work of Christ. (power: Mark 4-
Jesus calms the storm, shows divinity and power but not salvation.
Salvation: John 13- show Jesus’ nature and the work of Christ in
cleansing)

Exercise:
Get in groups searching for 20 scriptures that reflect salvation. (Maybe
provide concordance)

In a collective group, debrief how the scriptures demonstrate the work of
salvation and how they would be used in the context of a conversation with
a nonChristian.

Optional:
After a time talking about those scriptures and how they demonstrate the
work of salvation, spend time identifying which ones reflect the concepts
of mercy, grace, love, peace, etc. This will assist in students building a
Biblical theology of these essential concepts.
Evangelism through the Word
NonChristians have a different experience in life than many Christians due
to worldview and lifestyles. These experiences cause questions that the
evangelist must address through the Word of God. The exercise will be
challenging to some students because it will force them to deal with these
issues through the Word rather than their intellectual arguments. This
exercise will also edify many students who secretly have these questions
but are afraid to ask for the answers.

Exercise:
In small groups have students develop questions that nonChristian students’
have about God or the Bible and are struggling with in such a way that it
keeps them from committing to Jesus. (I have to become a good person before
I follow Jesus, Why can’t “good” people go to heaven, doubt that God
exists, Jesus doesn’t really claim to be God, can I believe in evolution
and become a Christian, why does God let bad things happen (why is there
suffering).)
After SG has decided on 4-5 questions spend 10 minutes in silence as group
members find scripture to reference in dealing with each situation.

Come together in small groups and discuss what scriptures everyone has
discovered and what avenues they would take as a group to evangelize
through the Word.

Take time to pray for nonbelievers.