Author: Mark Hood

2/9/24

Dear Growth Group leaders,

This week we come to the conclusion of our short series ‘Talking about Jesus with others’.

Our topic in brief is: addressing our hesitations, so that we might be more ready to ‘cross the painline’ (Rico Tice) and speak.

Below are some questions that you might use.

Two notes here:

1) Only after preparing the questions and recording a chat with Jaden (below) did I come to realise a four part study is too ambitious for some groups.
So I’ve cut down this study and given you Option A (shortest); B (three parts) and C (the original four parts).

In the end, the main intention of this study rests with the last two questions: what are our hesitations & how does the Bible acknowledge and address these?

2) As this is our last study in this series, can you please – as leaders – reflect on how your groups have received this and write a short summary in your GG report?
Has this been an effective way to do evangelism training? Has it given helpful prompts to speak about Jesus? Any other thoughts on this subject?

Thanks for your hard work. I’m praying for you.

Next week we’re back to our sermon series (Romans 15:14-33).

in Christ, Mark

Mark and Jaden: Word Dwell Richly Podcast – Talking with others about Jesus Week #5/5.

26/8/24

Dear Growth Group leaders,

Please find below a set of questions for our Groups this week.
The conversation Jaden and I had about these questions is also below.

This week
We’re into week 4 of 5 in our Talking about Jesus with others series.
This week we begin with Proverbs and the importance of listening.
And we move to 1 Peter 3 and the practice of sharing the hope we have with others

This dual focus may be ambitious for a 1 hr group study! I trust you’ll work out what is best for your group.

Events update
Please keep talking about and praying for our invitational events.

I’m praying that through this GG series God would be training us to speak to others.
I’m very encouraged by the number of invitations we’re issuing.

in Christ, Mark

Dear Growth Group leaders

Good to meet last Sunday. Thanks for your efforts with your groups each week.

I’m pleased to hear the positive feedback about the way group members are receiving this short evangelism training series.

Invitational Events for men and women
Can I continue to encourage you to encourage group members to be prayerfully inviting those who are not part of a church family to consider attending these events?

Every time we are able to prayerfully invite someone, that’s a win. All the better if our invited guests attend! I’d like to see some RSVP’s start rolling in this week. You can direct GG members to our website RSVP here.

I should also add, if you’d like to get more invitations, I can print more. Or you can here are the invitation files (.png format).
Sausage-making invitation
Marmalade-making invitation

Our Growth Group study this week

Week 3 of 5 sees us focusing on WHEN to talk about Jesus with others. Specifically, is there ‘an ideal time’ that we should be waiting for?

Attached below are some questions you may find helpful. Adapt as is appropriate to you and your group.

The study is in two halves. But the sheet will look like the first half takes most of the time. Don’t let the space & number of questions on the page mislead you. I hope you could get through to reading and exploring 2 Timothy 4:1-5 as a group at least by the half-way mark of your time in God’s word (if not sooner than this).

And if you finish quickly, spend more time praying for our witness as a church this week!

Jaden and I recorded a conversation about these questions last Thursday.

in Christ, Mark

P.S. here’s my prayer for us this week:

Heavenly Father, Might the greatness of your judgement and the brightness of your kingdom lead our church to continue to hold out out you and your sure promises to save. Help us not lose our head and hide in fear. Save us and those we know from half-truths, myths and lies that lead us astray. Teach us and help us to teach others of your ways. in Jesus’ name we pray.

12/8/24

Dear Growth Group leaders,

Thanks for meeting yesterday afternoon: a worthwhile time together.

Find below part 2 in our GG series: WHAT is the good news we get to speak about? The focus passage is Ephesians 2:1-10. We’ve borrowed material here from the Matthias Media short book, Six steps to talk about Jesus with others – including their 4 part summary.

This, of course, is just one good way to summarise the good news (we could’ve got a similar summary from other passages too). This one from Ephesians 2 brings out the hard points to talk about as well as the easier points – hence it’s value for us.

Jaden & I recorded a quick chat about these questions late last week. Listen here:

Go well in your groups this week.

in Christ, Mark

Mark Hood Redeemer Church 13/07/23

We pray and work to have Kiwis to engage with God’s gospel story, so it is entirely reasonable to set ourselves as a church family to engage with the Māori story of Matariki.

I confess to being ignorant when it comes to understanding the value and meaning of Matariki to fellow Māori Kiwis. So I’ve sought to investigate with an attitude of genuine enquiry, seeking to know ones’ neighbour and to better appreciate our nation’s public holiday Friday.

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars visible in mid-winter, and for many Māori this marks the start of the new year. It gives opportunity for people to come together, reflect on the year that has passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. Different iwi mark Matariki in different ways…

read on below for more…

Faithful in prayer week 9 – 24/6/24

Dear Growth Group leaders, 

Find attached some questions you could use for Growth Group in this week ahead. Our passage is Luke 22:31-53. Our focus is Jesus’ prayer in v42. 

Below is also a link to our word dwell richly podcast chat concerning these questions. 

With the Men’s Convention this Tuesday night (and God-willing, a good number of us attending), this may well change plans for which groups / who meets.
In the event that a group meeting can continue, here are some questions. 

On page 2 of the attached are our plans for the weeks ahead. For our final week of term (week commencing 1 July), I’m preparing a short paper to help us reflect on what we’ve covered in prayer, some steps to grow in prayer, and then my plan is our groups will spend an extended time in prayer. More on that next week. 

I’m praying for you. 

in Christ, Mark 

Faithful in prayer week 8 – 17/6/24

Dear Growth Group leaders, 
We’re moving around different parts of the Bible in this ‘Faithful in prayer’ series. I hope you and your groups are coping with & benefitting from this whole-Bible approach to prayer. 

And I hope you are able to continue to pray for the names of people that were noted in our 1 Thess 1 study week 4. 

Next week we come to John 17 – Jesus praying. The aim is to see what & who he prays for, and to join in praying for the same kinds of things Attached are some questions you could use / adapt as needed. 

On page 2 of the attachment is a quick plan of where we’re headed over the next three months. In summary: after prayer & Romans 12 ,we have our normal 2 week holiday break scheduled. Then we’re into evangelism training before we come to Romans 15-16. 

Owing to my holidays (2-23 July), I’d like to defer our next GG leaders meeting to Sunday 4-Aug 3:00pm at our home please. 

Thanks for all the ways you are loving and caring for God’s people and leading us into his word and his ways. in Christ, Mark 

7/6/24

Dear Growth Group Leaders, 

This week in our series on Prayer, we’re getting more practical. Praying in a certain way, praying for various priorities, who to be praying for, and what to be concerned to pray.

I hope therefore it is an instructive week for our groups, helping us take small steps forward in our practice of prayer.

Particular helps

I don’t mention this in the Word Dwell Richly podcast with Jaden, but as I think about it now, this would be a good week to briefly share one or two helps to pray. By this I mean tools that can be used to help us remember to pray for certain people, priorities, and events:

• Some use journals to write down lists;
• others have folders with prayer updates that they add in.
• The CCA diocese shares points each fortnight to help us pray.
• I use prayermate a very helpful app on my phone to help me with names, events and particulars to be bringing to God in prayer.

Below are some questions we’ve drafted for Colossians 4:2-18. As per usual, please adjust these to best suit you & your group.

And our Word Dwell Richly chat is here.

Go well with your groups this week. I’m praying for you.

in Christ, Mark

2/6/24

Dear Growth Group leaders, 

Find below some possible questions to use with your groups in the week ahead.

This time we’re meeting head on the issue of when God’s answer to our prayers seems to be ‘no’ / ‘not yet’ / ‘something different’. 

From my own pastoral experience, its this common experience that can put some people of persevering in prayer. 

Without in any way wanting to minimise the grief of an apparently unanswered prayer, at the same time, God urges us continue with him. 

Psalm 44 models this approach for us. 

Hope it’s a helpful week together as you meet. 

in Christ, Mark

27/5/24

Dear Growth Group leaders 
Please find below a set of questions you might consider using with your Growth Group this week. 
This week as we continue to grow in prayer: God’s sovereignty and our prayers. More than one person has said to me: “Since God is in charge of everything and knows / controls all things, why pray?” – A very understandable question, a likely roadblock to our prayers, an issue that is worth addressing. 
And it’s interesting – the first Christians in Acts 4 – noticed the same dynamic and it led them into prayer. 
Below is also a chat with Jaden and I explaining the logic of them.

Hope this is helpful. 
I’m praying for you and your group this week. 
in Christ, Mark