Week 7: We Are Yours

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal)

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants talk about an act of love someone else has shown them.

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes)

Read: John 17:6-19

What might Jesus mean by stating that his disciples “do not belong to the world” (v. 16)? [Our values come from being part of the kingdom of God, not from this world.]
What might it mean when Jesus observes that we have been “sent into the world” (v. 18)? [We, individually and as the church, are the embodiment of God’s love in the world.]
How does it make you feel when Jesus asks the father to protect the disciples from the evil one (v. 15)?
How is the church “one” (v. 11)?
How is the mission of the church connected to glorifying God? [The mission of the church is accomplished through the acts that we do as a community and as individuals that glorify God.]
How does our church glorify God? How does our church intentionally display God’s love for the world?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End by praying the following or a similar prayer:

Loving God, give us a renewed assurance of your steadfast love—your love that will never leave us, never forsake us, and never let us go. Your love that seeks us and draws us closer into your holiness. Grant us a holiness of heart and life that we might glorify you in all we do and say. Amen.