Countdown to Neon Faith
Neon Faith is our new church-wide series complete with a devotional and Small Group study. It’s all about discovering the power of God moving in your daily life, and renewing your passion for Him. It is about shining God’s light brightly in a hurting world. Experience the adventure God has for you today through faith’s transforming power. The adventure begins Sunday, October 18 at 5:00 pm with a LAUNCH PARTY for all of our Small Group leaders and Host. The actual Kick-Off Weekend will be the weekend of October 23 and 24th. Be sure to buy the Neon Faith kit that includes the daily devotional, a DVD of the weekly Small Group teachings, and an awesome t-shirt!Small Group Connection Event
Heads up open and new group leaders!
If you are a current Small Group Leader and searching for new members to join your Group, please make sure you have someone present at the Connection Event and that your Small Group is listed at www.centralsmallgroups.com.
If you have any questions about how to list your group, click here for more information or call Marvin at (702) 735-4004.
Remember, God doesn’t want us to “do life” alone – it’s so much better together! In Small Group, we go through the ups and downs of life with others. Together, we learn to live as a Christ-follower with people on the same journey. Small Groups are all about doing life together, meeting new people, having fun, and growing in your faith. Check it out!
Doing the journey together!
Summer Small Group Connection
This weekend, Central is hosting a Summer Small Group Connection. Jud is going to challenge all of us to use the summer as a time to get connected in a summer Small Group. The Connection will be held immediately after each service out on the patio – look for the white tents and orange balloons. If you are searching for new members to join your Small Group, please make sure you have your Small Group listed at www.centralsmallgroups.com. If you have any questions about how to list your group, click here for more information or call Marvin at (702) 735-4004.
Remember, God doesn’t want us to “do life” alone – it’s so much better together! In Small Group, we go through the ups and downs of life with others. Together, we learn to live as a Christ-follower with people on the same journey. Small Groups are all about doing life together, meeting new people, having fun, and growing in your faith. Check it out!
Let’s do the journey together!
Highlights from Baptism Celebration Weekend!
What an AWESOME weekend @ Central! We prayed for 500 to be baptized on Baptism Celebration Weekend and God showed up! BIG TIME! If you missed all the excitement, click on the picture and check out the Highlight video! Please say a special “Thank you” to all of your Small Groups members for their prayers and participation! You guys absolutely ROCK!!! If you have someone in your Small Group that has asked Jesus to be leader of their life, then please talk to them about their next step…baptism!
If you or someone in your Small Group was baptized, please let us know and if you have pics, send them our way! Thanks for your leadership…it truly does matter!
P.S. My son, Breydon, was one of the 1,428 that were baptized! The pic is of our special moment! Thanks for all of you that pray for our family! God Rocks!
BIG Ideas for SMALL Groups: Conversation Starters
Looking for a way to get your Small Group talking?
I came across a cool idea that I believe every Small Group leader can use to get even the most introverted person to be involved! The Conversation Starter is called TableTopics. Here are a few ways that the TableTopics can be incorporated into your next meeting!
- Plan a ’60s, ’70s or ’80s themed party with the TableTopics Decades conversation starters! (Have members dress the decade, have a creative menu for the evening, have music playing from the decade, think of your own…)
- Use TableTopics to lighten the atmosphere and it is a great way to make newcomers or “quiet” members feel included.
- Make up your own TableTopics that would include questions from your study or the Bible. This conversation starter will be a sure way to create interest and bring fun and creativity to your next Small Group discussion!
What could be more fun than having your entire Small Group involved in what is happening at your meeting! This is an exciting way to get out of the “norm” and allow your Small Group to relax and have fun!
What are some ideas that you have used that have been successful in creating an environment that got the entire Small Group involved?
Thank You!
Thank you…Thank you…Thank you! I wanted to say a special “Thanks” for all of your hard work and service this past weekend! The Easter services were so amazing and I know that many people felt welcomed because of you and your Small Group being willing to serve at Central this weekend! Because of your willingness to serve, we were able to see God do some amazing things all across the Vegas Valley! Many of you prayed, served and invited your friends, your family, co-workers, and some invited your 1Life! It was a huge privilege to meet many of those that you and your Small Group had invited and was also great seeing many of our Small Groups serving together!
Because of your efforts, our preliminary Easter count is 28,157 for all of our campuses. This is record attendance over last Easter, which was 23, 154! Can you believe God brought 5,000 more people than last year? Better than that, we were able to see a record number of decisions with 641 naming Jesus the leader and forgiver of their life. Can you imagine all the lives and families that will be impacted for eternity because of God’s grace and your willingness to be involved in what God is doing in the Vegas Valley? Thanks again! Tell us a God story that God did through your service this past weekend! If you had your 1Life, or someone you invited that experienced God this weekend, please take a moment and share!
Your leadership does matter! I really do appreciate you!
Silence Can Be Golden
The other day I was talking to a Small Group Leader and they were a little panicked about “silence” in their Small Group. Silence can be a good thing in a Small Group environment. Listening to people seems to be a lost art. Many times our culture will not allow for time to just slow down and be quiet…silent. Many times a leader will jump in during the silence because they feel obligated to speak. Some of the greatest times that God has spoken into my life, has been times of complete silence! Silence if used correctly can be golden…especially in a Small Group Setting! .
- Silence during the discussion time allows members the opportunity to give their personal input. Eventually if you wait long enough, someone may speak up!
- Silence gives you as the leader a break and being perceived as a “know-it-all”.
- Silence will allow time for your members to hear from God.
- Silence works patience! Silence will seem longer than it really is but WAIT it out! You may never know what God will do through the silence!
What are some other ways that you have seen God use silence in your Small Group?
UnCertainty:What Is Your Greatest Fear?
Central is currently in a weekend series entitled Un Certainty. Uncertainty leads to fear. Fear leads us to make decisions and choices we wouldn’t normally make. In the midst of economic crisis, loss of jobs, banks in crisis, and the continued war, how are you handling all of this uncertainty? Here is the question…”What is your greatest fear?” Whenever I thought about the question, I decided to make up a new phobia or fear (it is probably already a listed phobia but I wanted it to sound like it was my idea). My new phobia is connectophobia: the fear of not being connected. I don’t want to miss anything and I will continually check my email, twitter, facebook account, MySpace, online campus, and my voicemail. Maybe that will lead to a disorder of OCD.
Well, anyway, I feel like I am getting better at dealing with it, but there are times when I have this fear overwhelm me that I might miss something. Anyway, enough about my fears and phobias, if you can’t think of a phobia, I thought I would list several of the top phobias listed in the world and maybe you can find one to fit you!
Some fears may be listed more than once
A
Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing
Aerophobia- Fear of swallowing air
Ambulophobia- Fear of walking
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up
Anemophobia- Fear of wind
Anthrophobia- Fear of flowers
Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof ofthe mouth.
Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers
Aulophobia- Fear of flutes
Auroraphobia- Fear of Northern Lights
B
Barophobia- Fear of gravity
Basophobia- Fear of walking
Batophobia- Fear of being close to high buildings
Bibliophobia- Fear of books
Blennophobia- Fear of slime
Bogyphobia- Fear of the bogeyman
C
Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting
Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors
Chaetophobia- Fear of hair
Chionophobia- Fear of snow
Chromatophobia- Fear of colors
Chronophobia- Fear of time
Chronomentrophobia- Fear of clocks
Cibophobia- Fear of food
Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed
Cnidophobia- Fear of string
D
Deciophobia- Fear of making decisions
Dendrophobia- Fear of trees
Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body
Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of school
E
Eisoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors
Eleutherophobia- Fear of freedom
Eosophobia- Fear of daylight
Epistemophobia- Fear of knowledge
Ergophobia- Fear of work
Ereuthophobia- Fear of the color red
G
Geliophobia- Fear of laughter
Geniophobia- Fear of chins
Genuphobia- Fear of knees
Geumaphobia- Fear of taste
Gnosiophobia- Fear of knowledge
Graphophobia- Fear of writing
H
Heliophobia- Fear of the sun
Helmintophobia- Fear of being infested with worms
Hemophobia- Fear of blood
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words
Homichlophobia- Fear of fog
Hypnophobia- Fear of sleep
I
Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish
Ideophobia- Fear of ideas
K
Kainophobia- Fear of anything new
Kathisophobia- Fear of sitting down
L
Lachanophobia- Fear of vegetables
Leukophobia- Fear of the color white
Levophobia- Fear of objects to the left side of the body
Linonophobia- Fear of string
Logophobia- Fear of words
M
Melanophobia- Fear of the color black
Melophobia- Fear of music
Metrophobia- Fear of poetry
Mnemophobia- Fear of memories
Mottephobia- Fear of moths
N
Nebulaphobia- Fear of fog
Neophobia- Fear of anything new
Nephophobia- Fear of clouds
Nomatophobia- Fear of names
O
Octophobia- Fear of the number 8
Ommetaphobia- Fear of eyes
Oneirophobia- Fear of dreams
Ophthalmophobia- Fear of opening one’s eyes
Ostraconophobia- Fear of shellfish
P
Panophobia- Fear of everything
Papyrophobia- Fear of paper
Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th
Peladophobia- Fear of bald people
Phengophobia- Fear of daylight
Phobophobia- Fear of fear
Photophobia- Fear of light
Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking
Pogonophobia- Fear of beards
S
Sciophobia- Fear of shadows
Scolionophobia- Fear of school
Selenophobia- Fear of the moon
Siderophobia- Fear of stars
Sitophobia- Fear of food
Sophophobia- Fear of learning
Stasibasiphobia- Fear of walking
T
Thaasophobia- Fear of sitting
Trichopathophobia- Fear of hair
Triskadekaphobia- Fear of the number 13
V
Verbophobia- Fear of words
X
Xanthophobia- Fear of the color yellow
So see which kind of weird & funny phobia you suffer. What is YOUR GREATEST FEAR?
Join us this weekend for the second part of our two-week series as we look at how face our uncertainty and learn to fear the right thing with “The Greater Fear.” If you can’t join us on campus, please check us out online.
WARNING: Central Small Group Website Orientation
Hi Small Group Leaders,
God continues to do truly amazing things at Central. This past weekend, 323 people received Christ! As you know, we are now entrusted with the privilege of helping these new believers grow in their journey to follow Jesus. We are thankful for Small Group Leaders like you who are willing to partner with us.
Speaking of Small Groups, we wanted to make you aware of your exciting NEW Small Group web site. We hope to launch this site next week. This site is loaded with things that will serve you and those checking out Small Groups:
*GROUP FINDER…will allow people to join a group online
*GROUP MANAGER…the leader will be able to communicate and update their group members
*CENTRAL ONLINE STORE…will allow people to purchase and download curriculum
*LEADERSHIP TRAINING & VIDEO TIPS
*ONLINE SMALL GROUPS FOR ONLINE CAMPUS
*CALENDAR, BLOGS, FORUMS, DISCUSSION BOARD & MORE
To orient you to this new site and assist you in creating your own user profile (similar to facebook), we have set up TECHNO TRAINING gatherings. We are asking that all of our leaders attend one of these gatherings:
Trainings will be held in the Small Group Office Area:
>Wednesday, March 11 6:30-7:30pm
>Thursday, March 12 12:30-1:30pm
>Saturday, March 14 4:30-5:30pm
>Sunday, March 15 9:00-10:00am
*If you own a laptop, please bring it.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Essentials of a Great Marriage
Central Couples Small Group Connection has a totally exciting Small Group opportunity for you and your spouse to be with other couples and experience incredible time of fun, snacks, creative and interactive Small Group study, and a relevant challenge–all designed to encourage and empower your marriage! Come and hear from some of Central’s pastors and their spouses as they share their story about the BIG 6: Essentials of a Great Marriage!
You and your spouse are invited to join Central Couple’s Small Group Team every Saturday from 4:30-5:30 pm in the Theatre at the Henderson Campus. All you have to do is “show-up” and the Central Team will take care of the rest! Childcare is provided!
centralcouples