B.L.E.S.S. // The Journey

Groups start Sunday, January 19, 2024

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no commandment greater than these.”

- Jesus (Mark 12:30-31)

How does Journey work?

A community-wide “Journey” focuses the entire church on one topic for five weeks. Everyone—from kids to seniors—will be on the same page, learning about the same topics, and growing in similar ways. For these five weeks, the Journey is the main thing. Everything else shuts down. Everyone participates. Everyone is challenged. And together we grow.

A Journey consists of three parts: the weekend message, personal activation, and small group interaction. TIP: we’ve seen the most growth happen when people attend the weekend service AND meet with a small “Journey Group” each week.

What is the “BLESS” Journey?

This year’s Journey topic, BLESS, is a set of five everyday practices intended to help people intentionally love their neighbor and be a blessing in the world.

The 5 BLESS practices are: 

• Begin with prayer: Pray for and with people who are not yet saved.

• Listen with care: Ask questions, especially about their spiritual story.

• Eat together: Show hospitality and build relationships.

• Serve in love: Care for others and let them care for you.

• Share the story: Share your story and the good news of Jesus.

These practices are based on the life of Jesus and are intended to help people BE the church to others in their everyday lives. By incorporating these practices into our lives, we can build Gospel relationships with friends and family.

What are the dates of the BLESS Journey?

The Journey will launch on Sunday, January 12th with groups beginning the week of January 19th and running through February 16, 2025.

*IMPORTANT DATE - LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE*

Join us for a special day of service as we show love to our community through meaningful projects that make a difference! "Love Where You Live" Day is an opportunity for Journey small groups to come together, build relationships, and serve our neighbors in practical ways.

How can I join a Journey Group?

CLICK HERE to register for a group online. Or, consider asking a group of friends, neighbors, or people with whom you serve to form a Journey Group together. We will have a super simple user-friendly Group Discussion Guide available for anyone who hosts a group, in addition to the personal BLESS Guide for each participant.

*If you do form a Journey Group on your own, please let us know so we can be praying for you, and can help serve and support you as you host. Just email monroe_groups@gfc.tv.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What’s the cost to join?

  While there is ZERO cost to participate in a Journey Group, we are asking for an optional $10 donation to help cover the cost of creating and printing the resource materials.

• Where will my group meet?

  Your group host will let you know the specifics for your group once you sign up online. We’ll have Journey Groups meet in homes or other locations around Monroe, in addition to onsite at Grace.

• What if I cannot make all five weeks?
  Five weeks may seem long, but it goes by fast. To get all God has for you, we recommend engaging as fully as you can. If you have to miss a week, you can still engage with your Journey Group through the materials distributed on Week 1, just let your group leader know in advance which week you will be missing. If you know you are going to miss more than 2 meetings, we ask that you wait until the next season of groups. This ensures the best experience for you and the rest of your group. 

• When will I get my book? What other materials will I need?
  All Journey materials will be available at our Kick-off the first week of the session on the first Sunday before groups begin, January 12. If books are lost throughout the 5 weeks, you can always redownload the participant guide above! You’ll also want to get your hands on a Bible for the series. Host materials will available both online and in old school paper form at the beginning of January. 

• If I don’t consider myself a believer, should I participate in B.L.E.S.S?
  Absolutely. We welcome people from all different places of their spiritual journey. You will be asked to read from the Bible and complete some individual challenges, but your questions are welcome and expected. Just know your host may not have all the answers; hosts are just people willing to facilitate your experience and are not authorized counselors or Bible scholars. But we are willing to help in any way we can. 

• I’m already in a Grace group. Are we going to be asked to split up for the Journey?
  We strongly encourage you to expand your group (to no more than 12 people), or to consider breaking up into multiple groups. Given the number of people who are not currently in small groups, and the need for hosts, we’d love for you to consider having your current group multiply, either temporarily or permanently. Also, being a host is an awesome experience and it will stretch you in new ways, so we totally recommend it. 

• If I miss a Sunday gathering during the series, can I still be in the group?
  Sure! Our weekend messages are posted online so you can catch up if you have to miss. The weekend experience is a large component of the journey, but it is just one of three important components. The weekend message, individual work and small group materials are all integrated so you’ll have the best experience participating in all of them.

• I’ll need to miss a meeting. Can I still be in a group?
  Of course. Just let your group host know in advance when you won’t be able to attend. If you have to miss a week, you can still engage with your small group through the materials distributed on Week 1.

• Have more Questions?
  Questions are welcome! We’re here to help. Send an email to monroe_groups@gfc.tv.