Discovery Group Guidance

TRAINING & COACHING

 

“Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch to assist many others
who were teaching and preaching the word of the Lord there.”
Acts 15:35 (NLT)

Whether you're in the process of praying about who to invite to a Discovery Group—or already facilitating one—Oakdales role is to equip and encourage you. Start your own, but don't go it alone!

Discovery Groups are a new concept and learn-by-doing experience for all of us. So we must trust in God and rely on the Holy Spirit like never before. Pastor Roy Moran, whose church near Kansas City was an early Discovery Group adopter, says, “Since this is not leading-edge but bleeding-edge stuff, it becomes vital to have a value of training, coaching and mentoring at the heart of catalyzing a movement. Movements live and die on good mentoring and coaching.”

BOOT CAMP

This experience is for anyone who is praying about starting a Discovery Group and wants “basic training” in the format and process. Three 90-minute sessions model and enable you to practice facilitating a Discovery Group. The Boot Camp repeats monthly, and is currently being held over Zoom. For details, contact Anne Jordan, or Christy Long, .

PEER COACHING

Those who are facilitating a Discovery Group need to be part of an ongoing peer-coaching group that can guide you and troubleshoot difficulties.

We are aware that “coaching” has a negative connotation in our culture. Americans don’t seek nor especially appreciate coaching. But what we offer is entirely different from the unfortunate reality of a screamer with a clipboard on the athletic field or a disciplinary action in the workplace. Our model is based on the biblical principle found in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

The purpose is to get together to tell powerful stories; share victories and challenges; ask and answer questions; encourage, learn from and pray with a group of your peers—some of whom will be a step ahead of where you are, having experienced what you are experiencing, having already seen what you’re hoping to see, and can speak from having “been there, done that.

Coaching Groups are currently meeting via Zoom on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30 p.m. For details, contact Anne Jordan,