Small Group Guide

Group Preparation Inviting a Group to Do Storyline

Before Your First Meeting

Storyline can be completed with a small group in only seven weeks.

Here are step by step instructions for using the material in your

small group.

Let everybody know they need to pick up a copy of Storyline. The book

is not available in bookstores, so attendees will need to think ahead. You

can send out an email or post the link on Twitter/Facebook. Discounts

are available if you order as a group - storylineblog.com/shop

Here are some things you might want to include in your email:

• Storyline is about learning to write a better story with your life.

• Storyline will allow the group to get to know each other in a

better way.

• Storyline is about helping people become disciples of Jesus.

• Storyline is a small-group program with an online component,

allowing us to share what we are learning with each other.

• The book, audio book and online Dashboard will cost $29.95 (or

less if you order a case).

• When people buy the book, they can email their receipt to

don@storylineblog.com to get the audio book for FREE.

Once your group has met once, we recommend keeping things loose.

But here are a few suggestions for each week:

Week OneIntroduction

Unless everyone has read the first section on their own, read through

pages 1 – 16 as a group. Consider using these discussion questions to

stimulate conversation:

1. Have you ever thought of God as having had a story?

2. Does the story of God feel like it explains life as we know it?

3. Before we get started, what do you think your subplot might

be in the story of God?

Before ending the night, ask the group to read pages 17 - 40 and be

prepared to share their timeline (pp. 38 and 39) the next week.

This week, ask each person to share their timeline. Essentially, this will

facilitate the sharing of each other’s life stories. We’ve found that this

exercise alone will help a group bond much more quickly than casual

meetings. There’s no pressure here as a leader except to facilitate the

time well. If you have a larger group, you might want to break up into

two or three rooms. A group of five will take approximately an hour to

share their stories. Here are some more tips:

• Actually have each individual hold up their timelines (pages 38

and 39) and go through each positive and negative turn. If it

helps, go first and with each turn, explain how you felt during

that time.

• Let the group know this isn’t a time to teach, chime in or offer advice. There will be a strong temptation to do all three, but

that’s not necessary at this time. This is a time where people just

get to share the events of their lives in safety.

• As you end the night, explain the following week is going to

present a challenge. Before you meet again, people will be asked

to find redemptive perspectives on their negative turns. You

might want to close by praying together that God will help each

person see their negative turns from His perspective.

Assign the group Module Three (pp. 41 - 48). This will be the only

assignment for the week.

Week TwoModules One and Two

This week may be a challenge. You’ll want to make sure the group

stays on track. Those who like to teach will want to take over the

group making the discussion theological or philosophical, but

this would be a mistake. Simply explain to the group as you get

started that feedback should be kept to a minimum, and should be

encouraging. Here are some tips on facilitating week three:

• Read through the introduction to Module Three

• Explain that you’d like to reserve this time for encouragement and affirmation, rather than teaching or discussing theology or philosophy.

• Invite people to open up their timelines again (pp. 38 and 39) and share some of the redemptive perspectives they found regarding their negative turns.

• End the evening by praying for each other.

This may be a sensitive time for some. That’s one of the main reasons

we don’t want to get into harsh theological discussions this week.

As the leader, just keep things gentle and kind. If your church has a

counseling ministry, recommend it to those who may want to work

through their negative turns with a professional.

For the following week, assign Module Four and Five, including all the

reading from pages 49 – 68.

Week ThreeModule Three

Redeeming Negative Turns

Modules Four and Five will be very fun. In these modules,

participants will define their roles and their ambitions. Here are some

opening discussion questions to ask:

• Do you believe God gives you the freedom to choose what you’d like to do with your life?

• Does the freedom to choose what you’d like to do with your life frighten you? If so, why? Let this discussion go for about 20 minutes, then invite people to share what roles they are living and what ambitions they have for those roles. The questions might sound like this:

• On pages 67 - 68, you should have written some ambitions for each of the roles you play in life. Anyone care to share?

And that’s really it. You’ll have a great time just sharing what each

of you want to do. Remind the group to plot out their stories using

MySubplot.com and as you share your stories, encourage one

another by commenting on your pages.

Assign Module Six to the group before you leave for the evening,

including all the reading from pages 69 - 74.

Week FourModules Four and Five

The inciting incidents module is going to be fun. For this one, you’ll

want a huge piece of butcher paper or a white board.

After everybody gets comfortable, ask people if they came up with any

inciting incidents to help move them toward their ambitions. If it helps,

read the intro to Module Six.

The key with this week is to find somebody who struggled with the

assignment. You’ll want to get out the white board and play the “What

If?” game as a group. Once you identify somebody who wants to play

the “What If?” game, ask them to come sit on a chair and then you start

taking suggestions from the group. Choose one of the participant’s

ambitions and begin writing all the suggestions on the board. Here are

some step by step tips:

• Explain how the “What If?” game works.

• Choose a participant.

• Have the participant choose only one ambition.

• Open up suggestions to the group and write all of them down, no matter how absurd.

• Ask the participant to identify inciting incidents from the long list that might be realistic.

• Help the participant narrow it down to at least one inciting incident.

• Repeat this process with a different participant as long as you like until you are ready to end the group time.

Assign the reading of Section Three along with Module Seven for the

following week (pp. 75 - 88).

Week FiveModule Six

Week five could be a little tough for some. You might want to read through Section Three with a hi-lighter before the week begins. You’re bound to get some questions and push back. But don’t worry, the truths in Section Three are rather obvious and quite Biblical.

Essentially, the principles are as follows:

1. Conflict existed before the Fall of Man.

2. A darker form of conflict entered the world after the Fall of Man.

3. Both good conflict and bad conflict operate in the world today.

4. We have been lied to if we believe there is not supposed to be conflict in life.

You may have to explain to the group that you will not get all the

answers tonight, but you’d like to move on with the assignment.

From there, here are some discussion questions you can ask to

stimulate conversation:

• Does it help for you to understand that conflict is a part of life?

• Did you think you weren’t supposed to be experiencing conflict?

• What conflict are you currently experiencing in life and how can that conflict be good for you?

• What is some of the conflict you anticipate experiencing as you live out the stories you are planning?

From there, assign Section Four and Module Eight for the following week (pp. 89 - 100).

Week SixModule Seven

Module Eight may be another creative assignment for your group. You’ll want butcher paper or the white board again for this one.

Essentially, you’ll be guiding your group to get creative about some climactic scenes they can head toward in accomplishing their ambitions. Here are some suggestions on facilitating week seven:

• Open by reading the intro to Module Eight.

• Ask people to share the climactic scenes they came up with in their various Storylines.

• Ask if anybody had trouble coming up with a climactic scene.

• Use the white board or butcher paper to brainstorm with the participants what climactic scenes might be helpful. Use the same process you used in creating inciting incidents.

• Lastly, ask the group how the climactic scene of hearing God say, “Well done my good and faithful servant,” changes the way they would live life.

Close the group in prayer, asking God to guide and protect each person on their path to hearing God say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

To close the group, read the Closing Thoughts out loud before you disperse (stop right before you get to What To Do Now).

Explain you’d like to continue to encourage each other using MySubplot.com. Ask the group to use the comment section to spur each other on.

Week SevenSection Four and Module Eight

After a week, call each member of your small group and ask them

how their stories are going. If there are any follow up concerns about

somebody’s negative turns, talk through any progress they may have

made in finding a counselor or therapist. During each call, encourage

your group and tell them why you enjoyed getting to know them and

their story. Remind them their story matters.

And that’s about it! Leading a group through Storyline is easy

and fun. We hope you enjoy the process and are grateful you care

enough about people’s stories to be their guide!

Follow Up

Have feedback?feedback@storylineblog.com