One Matters Resources
We understand the importance of making disciples and nurturing spiritual growth within our congregations. Transformation is happening every single day across the South Georgia Conference!
This year as we focus on our conference theme of "One Matters," your conference staff wants to walk alongside your local congregation and resource you in your disciple-making efforts. Each month we'll roll out a toolkit designed to empower clergy and laity in their sacred mission of cultivating meaningful connections and fostering transformative discipleship. A single challenge question will be presented, followed by accompanying resources tailored to address that specific challenge.
As we embody this theme over the next year we can collectively make an even greater impact in our communities, guiding individuals toward a deeper relationship with Christ. We invite you to explore this toolkit and join us in this shared mission!
MAY 2024 TOOLKIT
One Question
May's challenge question is this: How do I start a faith conversation with an unbeliever?
Often, it’s hard to share our faith. We don’t want it to be awkward or come across judgmental. As the Bible says: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
You may be in a conversation with someone and want to talk about faith, but don’t know how to get there. How can you start shifting the conversation toward faith? This month, we’ve added a few simple ideas to help us be equipped and ready as we look for the opportunities God gives us.
One Resource
Resource: 7 Q's for Faith Sharing
Whether it's used as a small group resource, as a supplement in your church bulletin, or for your own personal reminder, this handout shows 7 different questions that open the door to faith sharing in a relaxed, natural, non-threatening way.
One Training
Open the Door to Faith Sharing
In this 16-minute video, Anne Bosarge breaks down the why, the what, the where, and the how of faith sharing. The "who" comes when we ask God to show us the people and give us the courage to step into those conversations!
One Book
“Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations" by Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright with Leslee Bennett
We live in a broken world. And the gospel is how God puts broken people back together again. Once we repent and believe in Jesus, God’s Spirit helps us recover and pursue His design. Authors Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright outline a reproducible method of sharing the gospel that has been tested in the real world. Turning Everyday Conversations Into Gospel Conversations is a simple strategy to train new and seasoned believers to join God in His reconciliation work, equipping believers to use the innovative "3 Circles," a user-friendly evangelistic tool for a new generation.
It doesn’t matter if you have been a Christian for decades or days, you can learn to do what God asks us to do—to make His appeal to others through us (2 Cor. 5:20). This short training manual will empower and inspire millions of Christians to turn hundreds of millions of everyday conversations into gospel conversations.
One Celebration: Game Church grows connections, shares Jesus
Rev. Matt Stout, pastor of Garden City UMC, has pioneered an innovative ministry: Game Church. Born out of his love for Dungeons & Dragons, this bi-monthly gathering - meeting every other Thursday night at Savannah Game Lions in Pooler, Ga. - is a one-of-a-kind intersection where faith and gaming converge. Read the article here.