Steve’s second talk was entitled ‘Planting communities of Grace‘. He opened by reading 1 Timothy 3, and then briefly spoke about groups and the 5 stages of a ‘group’ defined by Dr. Bruce Tuckman:
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning (he added this one at the end)
Steve stressed that the forming stage was the time to build a ‘dynamic of Grace’ into the structure, the DNA of the group. Then in to 1 Timothy 3:
The need for stand-out godliness (v.1-13)
- The principle to be ‘above reproach’ (in all things)
- Leaders should model real-life, practical holiness
- A love for strangers – “Grace with clothes on”
The means of stand-out godliness (v.16)
- ‘The Mystery’ – godliness revealed in Jesus
- Through relationships, lived out in real life
- Grace – to be loved and lived
- Chief of Sinners + a lover of grace and people
Where it comes together (v.15)
- In the church!
Steve then brought up two final thoughts:
- “litter the world with communities of grace”
- (point 5) Adjourning – keep going, keep replication, keep planting communities of grace
