Life! for Singles: Group Leader's Manual

By Lainey Hitchman and Roy Hitchman

A course leaders manual for young singles right through college student to single professionals helping them look at who they are, where they are going and evaluate their friendships and relationships.

Comprising 9 flexible units which can be completed over 9 weeks or even a year. Our advice is that the facilitator does no

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hitched Publishing
• Release date: Mar 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781911176114

Book preview

Acknowledgments

We would like to take this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge all those who have helped in the formation of Life! For Singles. Their encouragement and input has been invaluable.

We would like to thank the wide age range of singles that have asked the difficult questions, shared their experiences and given their insight to make sure this course hits the mark. We would also like to thank all the married couples who shared the things they wish someone had told them when they were single. This joint feedback has provided a very special dimension to this course which would not have been possible without a team effort.

A special thanks goes to Jason Phillipps who had the original concept to encourage singles to be ‘without equal’. His vision started this journey which resulted in this course being a reality.

Finally, thank you for investing in this course. We pray that you will grow and be transformed as a result of participating in the group and that your life will be the best it can possibly be.

Welcome to

Life for Singles

We welcome you to our ‘Life for Singles’ facilitator team! As a group facilitator you have a unique opportunity to be influential in the lives of a group of wonderful single people. At the same time as being a fantastic chance to speak into their lives there is a great responsibility in conducting a course.

With this in mind we are praying:

• That you will be able to shoulder that responsibility by bringing the needs of the group to God in prayer.

• That you will have the bravery to answer difficult questions according to the Word of God rather than societies standards.

• That you will have the wisdom you need to encourage the singles to be the best that they can be and to reach the potential they have in God.

• That you will be a Godly model for them in your words, attitudes and actions.

• That you will be blessed as you invest in the lives of others

In Jesus name AMEN.

2 THESSALONIANS 1:11 & 12 (NLT)

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

GROUP SIZE RECOMMENDATION:

Since a key element of a successful ‘Life! for Singles’ course is discussion it is important to recognise that group size will play a role in the freedom the participants feel to interact and be vocal. While extroverts may be comfortable speaking in larger groups the introverts will shy away from expressing their opinions. A group which is too small can also have its drawbacks. Our recommendation is that group sizes should be between 7 and 14 participants. Having said that it may be taught to larger groups with smaller ‘break out’ discussion groups.

AGE GROUPS:

While the material in ‘Life! for Singles’ has been designed to be generic the group discussions are intended to bring differentiation. Issues that singles face will vary depending on their age group. Be sensitive to this. If you already have set age brackets in your youth, young adults group flow with those in planning your ‘Life! for Singles’ course although it is recommended not to make that age bracket too large.

WHAT ABOUT OLDER SINGLES?

The course is suitable for older singles too. It is recommended that older singles are able to go through a group which is specific to their age bracket.

‘LIFE! FOR SINGLES’ UNITS:

There are nine units in the ‘Life! for Singles’ course. We use the word unit rather than lesson to express the fact that each unit does not need to be covered in one evening. Each unit can be divided into separate lessons which will allow more time for discussion of the topic. This built in flexibility will enable a youth leader or course facilitator to extend the programme over a number of months if they so wish.

SETTING

An informal setting is best, the participants will be more relaxed if they can sit on a sofa and chat.

MEETING FORMAT

Tailor the meeting to the needs of the group. If you normally hold a youth meeting which has a set time for study then use this material during that section.

If this is a meeting that you have put together for the purposes of working through a course then bear in mind that worship, prayer and fellowship are key ingredients to a good meeting.

PREPARATION:

TEACH WITH TRANSPARENCY:

Be willing to be transparent as you teach the course. While visual aids and object lessons are encouraged they will not make as much impact as your personal testimony. Don’t just share the victory share the process. It is important that the singles can identify tangible steps to the goal.

TEACH THEN LISTEN:

Don’t be tempted to do all the talking! Make sure everyone has a chance to share during the discussion time. (Not for every question but during the course of each lesson).

PRAYER:

In addition to preparing well and being organized ensure that you spend a lot of time in prayer. It is God who has the power to change people and it is important to commit to praying for those you teach.

week

Intro

Introduction

GOAL OF THIS UNIT:

To give the group an opportunity to get to know each other.

To discuss what being single means to them.

To gain an understanding of what they expect to receive from the course.

To lay the foundations of the single course and to explain what the goals and aims of the course will be.

ITEMS NEEDED / PLANNING NOTES:

Pens to take notes and fill in personality tests

Name badges if the group does not know each other

PRAYER FOCUS:

That the members of the group will understand the need to commit to investing time in the course.

For the group to relax quickly and start on the process of getting to know one another.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS:

Those who have come with their own agenda and who want to steer the direction of the course.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COURSE FACILITATORS

GOAL OF THIS UNIT

Each unit has a page designed to help the course faciliators focus on the goals of the unit. Many of these goals are best achieved through discussion. Keep that in mind when planning how much of each unit you will cover in one lesson. There are no set lesson breaks giving flexibility to the group facilator to decide. It is however recommended to conclude at a natural break in the material.

ITEMS NEEDED / PLANNING NOTES

There is also a space to write any items needed or planning notes for each unit. It has been designed for headlines rather than detailed planning.

PRAYER FOCUS / NOTES FROM PRAYER TIME

A prayer focus and a place to record notes from your prayer time has also been included. It is through the power of prayer that you will see the most transformation in the participants lives. Don’t neglect to pray for them. We recommend that you pray for each individual in the group and become aware of their prayer needs.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

You should also be aware of potential problems you may face before or after each lesson. Ask God for help to guide the discussions in the right direction.

MANUAL LAYOUT

In your manual the plain text will also be in the participant’s manual.

FACILITATOR INSTRUCTIONS

The writing in the light grey box is specifically for you! It may contain instructions, additional questions you can ask or more information on a topic. It may also suggest you include a personal example or an illustration to explain a point.

Your manual will include smaller pictures and the layout may be slightly different than the participants.

Your page numbers will correspond to the participants page numbers for ease of navigation. Make it easy for them to follow the teaching by telling them when you move on to the next point or page. These are easily identified by headings or subheadings within each unit.

SCRIPTURE VERSES

Are highlighted by a rounded box like this. In most cases the participants will also have the full scripture written in their manuals. Encourage them to read the scriptures when you teach but be sensitive to anyone who has reading difficulties.

USING THE NAVIGATION BUTTONS

The navigation buttons are visible to both participants and to the faciliators. As a facilitator you can determine how much time you would like to allocate to each activity. Recommended times have not been stipulated but be aware that time will fly by especially during discussions. Using a timer to help focus the discussion for the group may keep the discussion on track.

Life applications are written in this font. They are instructions to the participants to think about and / or apply a pricinple to their daily lives.

Preface

Being Single

Who is single? We were surprised when the pilot course ran that many who we thought would be the first to sign up for the course didn’t. Then we discovered an important truth, the word ‘single’ means different things to different people. For some they only consider themselves single if they are not in a relationship at all, if they are dating then the title no longer fits. For others they use the term to mean someone who is older and isn’t married yet so they don’t feel that the term applies to anyone who is under twenty five. It’s probably best then to explain what we mean by the term ‘single’. When we use the term we simply mean people who are not married yet.

Unfortunately the term single has many negative connotations. As a result many singles don’t like the label that society has placed on them. The word ‘single’ has many positive associations too. You are original, you are special! You are without equal! Did you know that you are without equal, distinct, unique and unrivaled?

Singleness however can be treated either as a trap or as an opportunity. Grasp this time as an opportunity to discover who you really are - then it can become a valuable investment for your future!

Life! for Singles

has been designed to help you

Learn! about yourself

to guide you through significant choices, to

embrace yourLife!

Our sincere prayer is that as you work through this course you will discover your true value and worth. You will learn what makes you unique and of great value. The aim of this course is not to prepare you for marriage; it is to prepare you for life. Whether you find a spouse or remain single, we hope to enable you to

Do life abundantly!

JOHN 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and