20:21 Group Primer

What are 20:21 Group?

20:21 Groups are the practice of discipling and discipleship within OCC. It is where everyone who so desires can get into a small, intimate circle of friends and do the gracious work of helping each other to know ourselves and the gospel more fully. The principles of 20:21 Group are 1. that we are called to make disciples, and Christ will build his church and 2. By the power of the Holy Spirit, each one of us is equipped to disciple others. In other words, discipleship is not the purview of the professionals.

Why 20:21?

The name of the groups comes from John 20:21 – “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Just as we receive Christ’s word and power, we are called to turn and give that to others. Matthew 10:8 says much the same thing about the Holy Spirit – ‘Freely you have received. Freely give.’

20:21 groups are small enough so that no matter how young or inexperienced we are in the word of God, we can begin this process of both giving and receiving. It is a process of breathing in the oxygen of God’s life giving spirit and breathing it out onto others that is the dynamic of a growing Christian community.

20:21 Group meet once a week or every two weeks, for an unbounded period of time. 20:21 Group should primarily be spiritual friendships not a program you commit to. If worship is where we ‘share a moment’ and neighborhood groups are where we ‘share a mission’ then 20:21 Group are where we truly share our lives. Our vision is that OCC be filled with people who graciously and powerfully disciple others.

How do 20:21 Group Form?

As organically as possible. Often 20:21 Groups can arise out of a Neighborhood Group, but they can be called together by anyone who desires to grow in Christ. If you would like to join a 20:21 Group, and don’t know where to start, reach out and connect with Josh.

Sometimes a leader will call people together, but it is not necessary for a leader to start a group. Within a 20:21 Group, a leader will probably emerge, but each person in the group has permission to speak to the other.

A suggestion is to connect with someone you already have an existing relationship with, and then seek together to invite someone to join you. Coinciding schedules is probably the most important determinant for whether a group will be sustainable or not.

The best 20:21 Groups are three people – with three people we can allow different perspectives to speak into our lives. More than three it makes it more difficult to schedule and you probably won’t get enough time to share. If you invite a new person into the group, that’s great – but it probably means that the group should either split to two new groups of two, and seek a new person to join, or one person can spin off to start a new group.

What Happens in 20:21 Group?

Friendship, real conversation, prayer for each other and others, and Scripture exposure. It is not a Bible study, but a way to proclaim the gospel to one another for the purpose of change.

Friendship: Get to know one another. Know each other’s families and backgrounds. Take some time to hear each other’s stories. It is appropriate to spend the first 3 weeks allowing each person to share their story.

Real Conversation: Shoot the breeze, but make sure to go deep. Don’t allow the time to get away from you. The time doesn’t have to be over coffee or food, but make sure you sit down and talk directly to each other.

Prayer: Pray for each other, and for other people.

Scripture Exposure: Open the word and read a passage each week. We are learning more and more how to support you in this aspect of the group. We want to provide you with notes and training on the road.