FACILITATOR TRAINING MANUAL - Amazon S3...Sometimes it is wise to suggest a Facilitator applicant works through the program as a participant before being accepted as a Facilitator

Facilitator Training Manual © 2019 freedomsession.com Page 1

FACILITATOR TRAINING

MANUAL

Name: __________________


Liability Disclaimer: Freedom Session is designed to be offered through the local church. This training is provided to assist the local church and/or those offering Freedom Session in private settings to more effectively lead people into a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ through whom freedom and healing are available. Freedom Session Ministries claims no authority over or responsibility for churches and/or individuals who offer Freedom Session as a program and accepts no responsibility for how these materials are used. All individuals taking Freedom Session and/or Authentic Living are doing so at their own volition and, if so desire, become accountable to their local church or the group who has decided to take Freedom Session together.

Anyone under the care of a psychologist or psychiatrist is encouraged to seek approval from their professional care provider prior to taking Freedom Session or becoming a Freedom Session Facilitator.


Freedom Session Facilitator & Leadership Training (filmed live in 2018) How to host an effective Freedom Session Training Seminar 5

If you are launching Freedom Session for the first time 6

Condensed ½ Day FS Training option (for veteran directors only) 7

If you are launching Freedom Session as a small group 8

01: HEALING-DISCIPLESHIP @ 30,000 FEET? 9

02: CAN I DO THIS/ IS FS MINISTRY FOR ME? 13

03: PREPARING for a life-changing SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE 15

04: FACILITATOR SKILLS AND BEST PRACTICES 19

05: DIFFICULT PERSONALITIES AND HOW TO RESPOND 23

06: DISCIPLESHIP: a long obedience in the same direction 31

07: DO YOU LOVE ME? 37

Appendix 1: Pre-training Orientation - WHY AM I HERE? 39

Appendix 2: Preparing for Small Group (sampler) 43

Appendix 3: the Salvation Sircle (sampler) 45

Appendix 4: Facilitator Application (sampler) 47



How to host an effective Freedom Session Training Seminar This Facilitator Training Manual is designed for use with the FS Facilitator Training videos (filmed live in 2018) that are available through www.freedomsession.com. While the Freedom Session and Authentic Living workbooks have been designed to be self-explanatory, it is highly recommended you adequately train your potential Facilitators, even if they have ministry and/or counseling experience.

These training sessions can be covered in a Friday night – Saturday format, a weekend retreat or over a series of 1 - 1 ½ hour seminars. You can cover them in order or create a custom training experience for your team. If you are hosting a FS training event in your area and would appreciate additional support, please contact [email protected] in Canada or [email protected] in the United States.

Consider having potential Facilitators fill out a ministry application prior to your seminar. Character, integrity, teachability and submission are critical qualities to look for in a facilitator. One of the most repeated novice mistakes of a FS Director is failing to screen potential facilitators to ensure a reasonable degree of spiritual and emotional health. We have included a sample Facilitator application form in Appendix 4 on page 47. Sometimes it is wise to suggest a Facilitator applicant works through the program as a participant before being accepted as a Facilitator.

Watch the training videos in advance of your seminar. Make your own notes. Envision your group working through the exercises. Plan out your breaks according to the time frame allotted on the videos.

Have name tags for your Facilitator trainees. If possible, group your trainees in groups of 6 with people they may not know as that is the experience FS Participants will likely have. Some churches will get together with other churches in their city to hold their FS training together.

Have samples of the Freedom Session workbooks available for your Facilitators to view, especially for those who have not completed the journey. You will need samples of Participant Guide 1 – facing the truth for Training 03: Preparing for a life-changing SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE. We also suggest you purchase multi-colored Bic pens from Freedom Session International or your local office supply store, one for each of your trainees.

Please note: It is important to direct those watching the FS Facilitator Training videos to the appropriate page number at the beginning of each Training Session. The instructor on video does not always mention the corresponding page number in this training manual. You can find the correct page number in the table of contents on page 3.


If you are launching Freedom Session for the first time In an ideal world, those considering serving as FS Facilitators have completed FS as a participant. However, this is not always possible, especially when you are launching FS for the first time.

If this is your church’s situation, you have two options:

Option 1: Run a FS Pilot Group prior to Facilitator Training

1. Select a group of potential FS Facilitators and run a FS “pilot” group. Specifically, you are looking for 6-10 authentic, relatively healthy Christ-followers who care about hurting people and are willing to commit to a 7-week pilot of meeting together.

2. Supply each of the participants with a copy of Participant’s Guide 1, explaining they will be responsible to complete a 1 – 1 ½ hour homework assignment each week. Do not allow anyone in the pilot who is not willing to make the homework commitment.

3. Use the FS Director and Facilitator Briefings (found in the FS Tool Kit files of “Freedom Session Complete” on USB (or DVD) for your own preparation. You will be directing the FS Pilot in the same way you will direct the eventual FS ministry.

4. Meet for 7 weeks (Sessions 1-7), using the FS Teaching Videos (not the training sessions) and break into gender specific small groups for the discussion times. Use gender specific small group discussions even if you have married couples in the pilot. There is a deeper level of sharing when you separate men and women. Make sure you provide Facilitator Briefings to whomever you would like to lead the small group for the opposite gender.

Note: there is no teaching video for Session 05, GOING DEEPER. Refer to Session 05 in the Participant Guide and Facilitator Briefings for instructions.

5. At the end of 7 weeks, you will have a potential team of FS Facilitators to invite to the training seminar. Each of these will have some experiential knowledge of the impact of FS in their own lives and potential impact the journey can have on participants. This will give them a measure of credibility as they lead others towards freedom and healing. They can also be asked to share personal testimonies of how God has worked in their hearts as you advertise your launch date.

To run a successful Freedom Session Pilot group, you will need the following materials: • One of the Freedom Session Ministry Kits – “FS COMPLETE on USB or DVD.” • Enough Participant Guide 1 workbooks so that each member has one.

Option 2: Invite “new to FS” potential Facilitators to a pre-training experience of FS 01

Plan an evening during which your team will experience a slightly modified version of Freedom Session 01 – WHY AM I HERE? For specific instructions, refer to APPENDIX 1 on page 44. Listening to the FS 01 teaching video and completing the small group discussion questions (provided in Appendix 1) will give potential Facilitators an idea of the teaching content, style and overall intensity of the FS journey. If possible, invite the spouses of any potential Facilitators who are married so they understand what their partner will be leading and working through. Some of them may even sign up to serve!


Condensed ½ day Freedom Session Training Seminar This option is ONLY recommended for experienced FS Directors who have run FS numerous times. It is particularly helpful for established FS ministries where many of the Facilitators have already been through the training. This option doesn’t really save any time – it simply spreads the training out and requires you to schedule additional team meetings. It will also necessitate your ability to make two of the training videos available to your team. If using an on-line format (on your church website) for this, please password protect the link you create to view the videos.

Pre-Training Day For your new FS Facilitators: Arrange an evening for those new to FS to experience Option 2 on the previous page. This must occur at least one week in advance of the ½ day training to allow adequate time for them to complete the new pre-training day exercise.

For your new and returning FS Facilitators: Ask all Facilitators to watch FS Training video 02: CAN I DO THIS | IS FS MINISTY FOR ME?

Training Day (cover the following four training videos in this sequence)

01: HEALING-DISCIPLESHIP @ 30,000 FEET?

04: FACILITATOR SKILLS AND BEST PRACTICES

06: DISCIPLESHIP: a long obedience in the same direction

07: DO YOU LOVE ME?

Immediately Prior to your FS launch Ask all Facilitators (new and seasoned) to watch the FS Training video 03: PREPARING for a life-changing SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE prior to FS launch night. This is the one that will equip and/or refresh them with the practical tools needed to prepare for small group discussion.

Team Night Require ALL FS Facilitators to attend a team night about four weeks in to view and discuss FS Training video 05: DIFFICULT PERSONALITIES AND HOW TO RESPOND


If you are launching Freedom Session in a small group format For those offering Freedom Session in a small group and/or home format, the training is as essential and applicable. It is a good idea to select an Assistant Facilitator for your small group and invite them to experience the training with you.

If you are new to FS, it is highly advisable that you follow Option 2 on the page 6, prior to watching the training videos.

Throughout the FS year, you will want to read both the FS Director and FS Facilitator Briefings as you prepare for your weekly meeting. You will find both Briefings in the FS TOOL Kit that came with the FS COMPLETE on USB or DVD ministry kit.


Training 01 HEALING–DISCIPLESHIP @ 30,000 FEET “I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the [unsaved]. I am sending you to them to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, so that they might receive forgiveness of sins and find a place among those who have been made holy by faith in me.” ACTS 26.16 “This will fulfill what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have destined you to become a beacon light for the nations and release salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” ACTS 13.47

EXERCISE: In groups of three to four, take two minutes to craft your best one sentence, FS description.

Freedom Session is…

As a church, as a ministry and even as an individual Christ-follower, we’ve been given one task.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. MATTHEW 28.18-20

From a ministry perspective, FS is 100% devoted to the commission of ___________ _____________!


WHERE FS FITS in the DISCIPLESHIP STRATEGY of the CHURCH

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” JOHN 15.15

WHERE the FACILITATOR FITS in the FS DISCIPLESHIP STRATEGY The primary role of a FS Facilitator is to:

____________ ________________________...

of ________________ people.

who will make ____________________.

The key to a good FS experience is the __________ ___________ Experience:

The key to a good Small Group Experience is the ________________.

The keys to being a good Facilitator are:

• ____________________ “Walk before Me and be blameless…” GENESIS 17.1 “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer,…” 1 TIMOTHY 3.1ff

• ____________________

• ____________________

• _____________… which will be the evidence of your _____________.

Facilitator Training_01 © 2018 freedomsession.com

Community

Discipleship• Bible knowledge• Freedom Session• sp. gifts• ministry skills• l’ship training

HEALING MINISTRIES• counseling• prayer ministry• recovery ministry• support groups• deliverance

2



1

3

2

54

687

10 - 12

9

82

The FS TOOLS to get you there

2. S

eren

ity C

ircle

(1,

p.25

)

3. A

.L.E

.R.T

. (1

, p.3

6)4.

Insa

nity

wor

kshe

et (

1, p.

47)

5. GO

ING

DEEPER

(1, p.55)

8. S

tren

gths

Inve

ntor

y (1

, p.8

3-84

)

9. M

IRRO

R In

vent

ory

(1, p

.99-

122)

10. F

indi

ng “l

ife” i

n th

e pa

in…

(1, p

. 123

)

11. S

HIE

LD In

vent

ory

(2, p

.17-3

6)

13b.

Con

fess

ion

(2, p

48)

14. GO

ING

DEEPER (2, p.55)

15. F

orgi

vene

ss “c

heck

” (2,

p.5

9-60

)

16. F

orgi

vene

ss “c

ard”

(2, p

.72-

73)

18. A

men

ds “c

ard”

(2, p

.92)

19. “

Soul

Tie

s”(2

, p10

0-11

1)

20. “

New

Nam

e” (2

, p11

4)

21. S.T.A.R.T. (3, p.15 & Authentic Life Journal)23a. Freedom

Ladder (3, p.35)23b. D

efects of Character (3, p.37)24. Authentic Life Plan (3, p.54)

26a. Comm

unicate with Rules (3, p.61)

26b. Spontaneous Inventory (3, p.63)27a. A.B.C.D

.E. Resolving Conflict (3, p.79-80)

28. T.H.A.N

.K.S. (3, p.92)

27b. Boundaries (3, p.88)

13a.

CLO

SET

Inve

ntor

y (2

, p.5

3-54

)

In most situations, when participants struggle, stall or become stuck, they fail to apply the FS __________ that address that issue. – Chris Pettit. (FS USA Director)


1

3

2

54

687

10 - 12

9

facing the truth finding

freedom

authentic living

3

The FS 12 Steps to WholenessSee p. 12 for explanation of each step.


AN OVERVIEW OF the FREEDOM SESSION JOURNEY

Step 1: We admitted that, in our own strength, we are powerless to rise above our hurts, resentments, unhealthy behaviors and attempts to control. Our lives have become unmanageable.

Step 2: We came to believe that God exists, that He loves us deeply and that, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we can be healed and fulfill the purposes for which we were created.

Step 3: We made a conscious decision to turn our lives, our pain and our will over to the care of God and the leadership of Jesus Christ.

Step 4: We took an inventory of our lives, facing the truth where we’ve been hurt, how we’ve hurt others and the secrets we carry in our hearts.

Step 5: We broke the power of shame by confessing to God and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, the lies we believed and secrets we vowed to take to the grave.

Step 6: We humbly asked God to forgive our wrongdoings and, based on His forgiveness, chose to also forgive ourselves. We then forgave those who hurt us, releasing our bitterness and trusting God to bring about justice in His way and timing.

Step 7: We admitted our shortcomings, pride, sinful tendencies and selfishness without excuse. We repented and asked God to replace our character defects with His character.

Step 8: We accepted responsibility for how we have harmed others, made a list of those we’ve offended and became willing to make amends to them all.

Step 9: We made specific and direct amends to those we have hurt whenever possible, except when to do so would further injure them or others who are innocent. For such persons, we made specific and indirect amends.

Step 10: We entered an authentic relationship with God, learning to hear His voice and understand His will for our lives through Bible reading and personal interaction with the Holy Spirit.

Step 11: We determined to live authentically with ourselves, creating a “life plan” to establish priorities, develop integrity and formulate the values by which we will live.

Step 12: We committed to live authentically with others, taking responsibility for our attitudes, judgments, behaviors and boundaries. Realizing our own shortcomings, we offer the same grace to others that God has extended to us. As God gives opportunity, we will share our story of finding healing, freedom and purpose for life with others.


Training 02 CAN I DO THIS? Is FS MINISTRY for ME?

ACTS 3:1-81 Observations: WHAT DO YOU NOT HAVE?

EXERCISE: What do you not have as you enter into this year of ministry? What are the legitimate reasons Satan, a critic or even a friend in your life could give that you should not be involved in this ministry?

WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

1. You have a _____________ ______________ of finding and meeting Jesus in your wound, pain, sinfulness and brokenness.

But in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is within you. 1 PETER 3.15

The role of a FS Facilitator is not to counsel, heal or teach but to help lead others to the place you found freedom and healing.

2. You have your ___________________.

ACTS 8:18-23

Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

1 Unless otherwise marked, all Bible references are taken from the New Living Translation (NLT).


3. You have your _________________ _________________.

OTHER QUALITIES WE LOOK FOR:

• CHARACTER

• C___________________

• C___________________

• C___________________

• C___________________

FS 20 Week Commitment: 2

Freedom Session “game day”: 6.25 – 9.45 PM weekly. If you have a vacation or travel already planned during the FS schedule, please let us know on your application and we can discuss. Otherwise, we expect you to make FS a weekly priority commitment.

Complete your own FS homework (~1.5 hours/week) and spend another 30-45 minutes preparing to lead your small group discussion. If you are or have an Assistant Facilitator, you will likely have another 15-minute weekly telephone meeting.

In addition to the formal weekly commitments, FS Facilitators/Assistants are asked to love, care and pray for 6-8 individuals assigned to their small group. This may include an additional phone call, an email/note, and possibly the occasional one on one.

There will be two (2) evenings on your regular FS night during the 20 weeks where you are asked to host an offsite “Going Deeper” night. These evenings are written into the program and designed for sharing each other’s stories and discussing some of the FS materials at a deeper level. These are intended to occur on your normal FS evening and can be hosted in your own home or another location. If desired, you can schedule the GOING DEEPER night on a different evening so long as your entire group can attend.

You are asked to attend two (2) mandatory Team Meetings over the 20-week duration of FS as scheduled by your FS Director. In addition to these, you will be expected to attend the 15-20 minute pre-session Director’s Briefing on FS nights.

In addition to the 20-week FS commitment, most FS ministries (>90%) offer Authentic Living directly following FS. If so, your commitment is 28 weeks.

2 This is the typical commitment seasoned FS Directors expect of their teams. We strongly suggest you offer Authentic Living as part of the Freedom Session journey. If you start in early September, you can be finished by Easter. If you start in January, we suggest you at least complete Session 21 (1st session of Authentic Living) by the end of June and complete Sessions 22-28 in September. In some locations, running straight through the summer has also worked well.


Training 03 PREPARING for a life-changing SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE The role of a FS Facilitator is to create an _________________ that helps participants _________________ biblical truths through _________________ and _________________.

The small group meeting is the primary environment you are responsible to create. 1. Be an ACTIVE participant yourself

o Select an authentic ISSUE to work on o Be an active learner during large group o Be faithful in your own HOMEWORK (your Inventory should be much easier)

2. Plan and RESERVE your weekly preparation time

o Complete your own FS homework w/in _____ hours of FS

o Complete your FS Facilitator prep within ____ hours of FS

3. Buy a FS _________________ _________ and become “best friends” with your _________________ _________________.

• See Session 03 in Facing the Truth (page 33) and FS 03 Facilitator Briefings (page 13).

• Use GREEN to transfer any suggestions or questions to ask from your Briefings

• Use RED to mark how much time you will allow for each question and whether you will discuss in complete group, triads or 2’s.

• Use RED to underline or circle critical words, phrases, etc. in your Participant Guide.

• Use BLUE for any corollaries or ideas/exercises you come up with on your own.

• Use BLACK for any notes / thought you write down during large group.


Memorize the FS fall back questions:

§ What did you learn about yourself in this exercise?

§ What did you learn about God?

§ What did you learn about your life-situation? Authentic Discussion skills and comments:

One of your roles is to push for depth. The way you push for depth is:

• Ask for specifics i.e. Session 03: Behind the Mask: question 1 (If you could be any character from a movie or book, who would you choose?). How would your life improve if you were that person?

• Challenge participants to go a little deeper. You know, I’m going to take a risk on asking you to go just a little deeper on that question. What did you really mean when you said ____________________?

Never accept an “I don’t know.”

Respond with: You know what? I think if you just pushed yourself a little deeper, you do know. You do have an opinion on this. Don’t worry about being 100% right. Just give it your best shot. You’re worth it!

“You can make up for a lot of inexperience, with excellent preparation.”

Note: we have provided a sample of the author’s actual small group preparation for FS 03 (page 37 in Participant Guide 1 – facing the truth) in Appendix 2 on page 43 of this manual.


03 SOBER-MINDED and A.L.E.R.T. FACILITATOR BRIEFING

Synopsis: Session 03 begins by helping participants understand the full meaning of “salvation” which includes the idea of being set free, made whole and delivered. By asking how “saved” people are, we are not questioning a person’s eternal destiny or suggesting a “works salvation” but helping participants realize there are areas in their lives that their faith has not yet affected. These are likely the areas God wants to deal with in FS whereas we tend to avoid them through various escape behaviors that, from this point on, we will call a “drug of choice.” We all have a most frequent and most damaging “drug of choice,” behaviors we use to escape or medicate our pain and avoid conflict. Many participants are still in denial about these and will minimize, deny or justify their indulgences. This week’s homework is designed to help participants become more honest in this area.

A related and second theme in session 03 is defining sobriety much deeper than merely resisting unhealthy habits and behavior. A unique FS tool called the A.L.E.R.T. Plan gives participants a practical tool to resist indulging their “drug(s) of choice” and becoming more aware of why they are using them.

The final theme we address in this session is masturbation and its unhealthy effects. This is a highly controversial topic and not all will agree with our perspective. However, other than saying “don’t do it,” few openly teach on masturbation and it is a common issue many who attend FS question or struggle with. Rather than taking a sin/not sin approach, Ken focuses on five undesirable consequences habitual masturbation tends to produce.

Behind the Mask (page 37) 10-12 minutes All three “Behind the Mask” questions are intended to be discussed as a whole group.

1. Use as written. The key point of the question is the “because...” which gives participants a safe way of beginning to expose an area of their life that may not have turned out the way they had hoped. We don’t need anyone to go really deep but if an answer is too superficial, follow-up with: “How would your life improve if you were that person?”

2. Use as written, working your way around the circle. Encourage participants to give a “short edition” example of what their denial strategy looks like. Thank each member for sharing.

3. Ask all group members to make their commitment to the group by signing the Participation Agreement on page 06. If a group member is unwilling to make this commitment, gently release (dismiss) them from the rest of your Small Group at this point. Do not let them remain in group. Consider: If someone came to Small Group tonight, knowing they would not sign the agreement, they came with confrontational motives. You can use the following text to release them. “Thank you for your honesty. We will miss getting to know you in a deeper way but we respect your decision to not make the commitment with the rest of us. Now, we ask that you respect our decision to move forward without you. The rest of our discussion requires the Small Group commitment so I’m asking you to honor that. If you still wish to attend the Large Group teaching, please talk with our FS Director to see if that would be possible.” At the end of the evening, Group Members can exchange contact information (page 07).


Session Reflections 20 minutes

4. Read off the opening statement in question 4 as a Large Group and entertain a few responses. Don’t spend too long on this question. It is intended for long time church attendees who have never really considered salvation referring as much to our earthly lives and relationships as the afterlife.

5. Use as written, going around the circle. Right now you are only looking for a level.

6. Spend the majority of your Session Reflections time on this question, breaking down into smaller groups of 3-4. If participants didn’t have enough time to complete the Moment of Truth questions during the Large Group teaching, you may want to give everyone 30-60 seconds to read over and add any additional thoughts to the questions before they answer.

Homework Review 25-30 minutesWe suggest staying in groups of 3-4 during the entire Homework Review.

7. Use as is. Each participant answers the entire question before moving to the next person.

8. Use as written. Participants will need a good 60 seconds to determine which question to share from. If a participant seems to share lightly, and you feel they trust you, you may want to ask if that was really the most challenging of the questions. Make sure each also answers what they learned about themselves.

9. Use as written, remembering that question 11 has 10 sub-questions. There is no way a participant cannot see any of the issues covered in the sub-questions. For repeat FS attendees, this often reveals the next issue God wants to work on in their lives.

To end your Small Group, you could bring your sub-groups (of 3-4) back together to say the Serenity Prayer together but the Large Group teaching ends with the Serenity Prayer so it may feel awkward to repeat it.

Instead, consider having each participant ask God (don’t call it prayer for now) to help the person on their right (or left) with one of the painful/difficult situations they are facing. We realize some may feel uncomfortable praying or talking to God but if you give them an example and down play the “big dealness” of it, your Group may respond better than you think. Teaching people to pray and connect with God personally is one of the greatest gifts we can offer them.


Training 04 FACILITATOR SKILLS & BEST PRACTICES

1. Assume _________________ responsibility for the 6-8 individuals entrusted to you.

2. Keep group members from falling behind, especially through Inventory & Amends.

Work hard at not letting them “fall” behind!

§ Cast a vision for completion, healing and success

§ Check homework

§ Leverage positive and negative peer pressure; consequence & reward

§ Hold additional Inventory work nights

§ Set minimum levels for inventory where necessary

3. Keep group members from quitting.

Apply everything you are learning today. Then pray like mad! § In the end, count the “yes” votes.

§ You aren’t responsible for everyone to complete FS.

§ You are responsible to create a safe and attractive atmosphere, lead by example, prepare well, love & encourage your participants.

§ Pray for your participants. Believe in them.

4. ___________ for __________ of your small group members.

EPHESIANS 3.20


5. Teach your Small Group Members to _____________.

Person:

Problem:

Petition:

aPpreciation:

6. Know the FS Small Group Rules (PG page 05) & Participation Commitment (PG page 06) and

refer to them when necessary.

Rules 1 & 2: covered in Training 05, “Difficult Personalities and How to Respond.” Rule 3: Confidentiality vs. Anonymity:

This means: What is said in the group stays in the group.

My story is mine to tell when I am ready to tell it and to whom I share it with.

Rule 4: Crosstalk:

What it is?

Crosstalk is when two or more participants engage a conversation that excludes the rest of the group and/or when one participant advises, responds to or interrupts another small group member.

What to do about it?

Don’t allow it! • Refer to the Small Group Rules on page 05. • Consider yourself the Parliamentary “speaker” in the House. • Be very “frugal” when you personally engage in cross talk.


Rule 5: Homework:

Homework not done by an individual:

§ Refer them to the Small Group Participation Commitment they made on page 06.

§ Determine the exact nature of the struggle and what they made more important than keeping the commitments they made to themselves and the group.

(this is the text the FS Author uses when confronting this issue) I’m going to ask those of you who’ve not completed your FS homework to do something that may sound unfair at first – I’m going to ask you to let the rest of us know what it is that you made more important than keeping the commitments you made to yourself and the rest of us.

Completing our homework was one of the commitments we made to each other and part of our healing and growth will involve taking responsibility for our decisions. If I don’t complete mine, I will go first. For tonight, we’ll start with ___________.

§ Let participants who have not done their homework know they won’t be allowed to share during Small Group (out of respect for those who kept their commitments).

§ Release them from Small Group. GIVE THEM the TIME to complete their homework.

§ Arrange for accountability; tighten up their FS3 Triad commitments.

Homework not done by an entire group:

§ Ensure you are doing yours!

§ Ensure you are reserving enough time for Homework Review discussion during the SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE.

Rarely will an entire group not do their homework if the Facilitator is doing his/hers and spend time on the Homework Review during the SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE.

§ Refer participants to Small Group Participation Commitment they made on page 06.

§ Start a weekly Homework check until Triads begin taking this on themselves.

Rule 6: Offensive language

Give grace when appropriate, challenge if becomes frequent.

Rule 7: Cell phones

Address it up front and hold to the rule yourself.


7. If you are a Lead Facilitator, train your Assistant Facilitator to be _____________ _________ you.

Strategically use the assistant in creating 2 smaller groups within the group.

Embrace the FS Leadership Training Engine philosophy3 I plan I do you watch we debrief we plan I do you watch we debrief we plan I/you do I/you watch we debrief we plan you do I watch we debrief we plan you do I stay away you debrief me we plan we do we support/help we debrief

Cover for each other being sick or on legitimate vacation.

8. Respond to any pre-Christian resistance towards FS teaching with grace and confidence.

Challenge their struggle from PROVERBS 16:25

The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a wo/man – the way you’ve been living – and it leads to death. In other words it doesn’t work out so well. The other way to live is trying out God’s way - the way that seems right to God – that HE says, leads to life. FS will take you on a journey where you can test it and see for yourself which is better. But please don’t throw it out before you give it a chance. We’re not here to push our beliefs on your but to offer God’s pathway of healing and take the journey together.

9. If your and your participant schedules allow, hold _________________ group events:

MARK 3.13-15 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

10. If “Group Conflict” arises, handle as taught in Session 27 of Authentic Living – getting real

with God, myself and others.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E. 3 This is not covered in the FS Training videos. It is a commonly understood training strategy in which the Lead Facilitator gradually invites the Assistant Facilitator into the preparation as a “contributing opinion,” then assigning the Assistant increasing roles in the actual small group time with the eventual goal of equipping them to lead a small group meeting themselves.


Training 05 DIFFICULT PERSONALITIES & HOW TO RESPOND

FS tends to attract “EGR” (_____________ _____________ _____________) Personalities

A C E

Note: the A.C.E. conflict resolution strategy is designed to be used when resolving conflict with an individual (“ace” refers to one) versus a group. For Group Conflict Resolution, use the A.B.C.D.E. conflict resolution model taught in Authentic Living.


The following conversations are real and provide examples of what the A.C.E. acrostic “sounds like” in live ministry situations. Rather than memorize the text, we encourage you to become familiar with the A.C.E. tool so that you can respond in any situation. 1. Dale / Dorothy the DOMINATOR:

FS PG01 p. 12 Behind the Mask #1 My name is ________ & I’m came to FS tonight b/c…

Well, most people around here know me. I’m Dorothy and I’m a regular here at Freedom Session. A few years ago I went through AA and NA. I’ve been through a couple of self-help seminars and I’m really here to see what I can learn this year. I love this place. Specifically, I think this year I’ll be looking into my subliminal codependent issues – you know the ones we can’t see right away.

Talk about struggles, I’ve lived through them all. Three marriages, bankruptcy…

“Wooaah. We need to just focus on this one question right now. Give us the [à hand gesture ß] condensed version: What are you struggling with right now?”

2. RECOVERY Rick / Rhonda: (17 years of recovery, sober for 7. Life is a mess.)

on virtually any Question

“I’ve completed the 12-steps a number of times. I’m here to support the others.”

“You know, I’m kind of in that same boat but each year I pick a new issue in my life I want to deal with. I find that if I’m not growing and learning myself, I really have very little to offer anyone else. Besides, every time I work the steps of FS I find God revealing new areas He wants me to apply them in. Why don’t we both give it our best shot this year?”

Or

“Look, I’m here for the support, not to share my life with people I don’t even know. We don’t have to share anything if we don’t want to, you know.”

“I know that’s typical in many recovery groups and I respect that. But Freedom Session is a little bit different. And part of our small group participation agreement is to participate to the best of our ability in group discussions, activities / homework (p. 07).

Those who do share in group tend to do a whole lot better than those who don’t.

I’ll give you a pass this week but, for next week, I’d like you to read over the Small Group Participant Agreement on page 06 and decide whether or not you want to be part of a group like this.”


3. NO ISSUE Norm / Norma FS PG01 p. 12 Behind the Mask #1 My name is ________ & I’m came to FS tonight b/c… “I don’t really know why I’m here. Bob / Betty said I should come.”

“OK, good. But while you’re here, why don’t you think about one of the greatest hurts or frustrations in your life and work on that. I’m sure if you really put your best effort into it, you’ll figure out [God will reveal] why you’re here soon enough.”

Or

“Can I give you an extra assignment? I’d like you to go back to Bob or Betty and ask what issues or hurts in your life they think you could work on. Just don’t be offended with what they say.”

4. SUPPORTIVE Sam / Sally FS PG01 p. 24 Homework Review #7 discussing Q. 2a on page 15:

The greatest pain in my life is:

“I’m actually doing pretty good. I’m here because I told my husband I’d come if he’d come. He’s the one surfing the net for porn.”

“Okay, I can see that. The good news is that if you are open to looking a bit deeper into your own life, I can promise you God will show you a pathway to freedom / healing regardless of whether or not your husband changes.”

“Can I make you a deal? For the next four weeks, I’d like you to listen and do all your homework without even considering how it applies to him. Ask God to help you begin to deal with the pain in your own life that he and others have caused you.” “We can’t do anything about him. We can do something about you. What do you say?”


5. BLAMING Bob / Betty

FS PG01 p. 24 Behind the Mask #3 At the end of tonight’s teaching, it was suggested that the best thing you could do is stop hiding and be honest with yourself, God and those in your Small Group...”

“This is stupid. This group can’t help me. What are you going to do? Pay my mortgage? Find me a better job? Convince my kid to get rid of the loser she’s dating?”

“If my wife hadn’t have run off with my best friend, none of this would have happened.”

“Wow! It sounds like you’ve had a pretty tough couple of years.”

“You know you’re right. We can’t do any of those things. But what we can do is walk with you as you go through it. And we can challenge you to look into your own heart to see what’s there.” “We’re just asking for a chance.”

6. Cindy / Carl the COUNSELOR

FS PG01 p. 37 Homework Review #9 discussing Q. 11 on pages 29-32:

Question 11 walked you through 10 unhealthy behavior characteristics. What did you learn about yourself by completing this exercise? Any surprises?

(Sally) “Well, I learned that I really procrastinate a lot.”

Cindy: “You know what you need to do? Write down all the things you need to get done and then make a deadline for each one. Then write each one down on the calendar. Next, take a different colored pen and write down when you’ll start on the project…”

“Cindy, I need to interrupt you right there and remind you that group time is for sharing what is going on for us. Not fixing someone else.”

Cindy: “Well, you’re not the only one with good ideas you know. I thought group time is for support and helping each other. There’s a lot of us here who’ve been through what Sally has and could really help her you know.”

“Cindy, I’m sure you have a lot of great ideas and you are more than welcome to ask Sally if she’d like to hear them after group.”

“But during group time, we’re asking each of us to share about what we’re dealing with and learning in our lives.”

“How about you? What did you learn about yourself as you answered these questions?”


7. DENIAL Dave (attending but not making progress)

FS PG01 p. 48 Behind the Mask #1a The last time I acted out this way [with my drug of choice] was...

“...6 months ago.”

“Wow! That’s excellent! What I’d like you to do is pick a new issue in your life you’d like to deal with.”

or “... yesterday.”

“What does acting out look like for you? What did it look like for you yesterday?”

“Is this something you want to get a handle on / beat?” “How badly?”

“OK, let’s try to help you get a week of sobriety under your belt.” When are you the most vulnerable / most tempted?

Arrange accountability as appropriate.

8. SPIRITUAL Sandra / Spencer FS PG01 p. 24 Homework Review #7 discussing Q. 2 on page 15:

The greatest pain, fear or challenge in my life is:

“I don’t really have any personal pain or fear right now. Jesus took that all away. My greatest challenge is reflecting the love of Jesus to those around me in a way that brings fruit.”

“What impressed me most about tonight is how, with Christ, I really don’t have to worry about all this stuff. As long as I’m walking in the light with Jesus, everything just works itself out somehow.”

“Sandra, if Jesus was leading our small group instead of me, and He asked you what you would like Him to do for you, are you sure that is what you would say?”

if she becomes vulnerable/authentic: “Okay, I’d like you to read off the “note” under Session Reflections #1 on page 24.

“Thank you Sandra. Now, on that issue, what are the ways you tend to avoid facing and dealing with this struggle, pain or issue?”

If Sandra stays in spiritual mode: “Sandra, if that is really true, then I’m not sure Freedom Session is the place for you. But before we jump to that conclusion, I’d like you to go back to 3-4 of the significant people in your life and ask them what issues/habits or character issues they see in your life they’d like you to work on.”


9. Other people/issues that tend to show up in small group: a. the NEW COMER in Session 03

Your responsibility in this situation is to teach the group to accept him/her and make the newcomer feel at home. suggestions: § welcome him/her § go around the room with introductions [Behind the Mask] § pick one of your growing participants and have them share what God has been

teaching them so far § ask the new person to share with the rest of the group why they’ve come to Freedom

Session § after small group, spend a few minutes helping set him/her up a plan to catch up on

the missed teaching. The newcomer should start at Session 1 and complete two Sessions per week until they’ve caught up.

b. the JOKER

“Can I speak into your life for a minute? You have a good sense of humor and that’s a good thing.

But I’ve been noticing that you seem to use humor (a lot) whenever there is an awkward moment or you’re asked to share a bit deeper. I’d like you to think about that and now that you’re aware of it, I’m encouraging you to resist making a joke next time you feel uncomfortable.”

c. the SILENT participant

FS PG01 p. 37 Homework Review #9 discussing Q. 11 on pages 29-32: Question 11 walked you through 10 unhealthy behavior characteristics. What did you learn about yourself by completing this exercise? Any surprises?

“You know Carol, you really seem to be a deep thinker. It would really help us to get to know you better if you’d be willing to open up just a little more, I know that this will feel hard or strange at first but I’d really like you to give it a try.

I’ll go on to someone else. In the meantime, I’d like you to think about what you learned about yourself by answering all those questions and share it with us.”

d. the no HOMEWORK participant

“Hey Jim, it looks like you haven’t got your work completed. Tell you what, we’re going to go around and have everyone who has done their work share. Then if there is time, we'll give you a chance.”


e. the no homework GROUP

“OK, we’ve got a problem here. We’ve all made commitments to each other and we’re not keeping them. Let’s go around the room and have each person share what we’ve made more important than keeping this commitment to ourselves and each other.”

f. the no SHOW

Give them a phone call something like this: “Hey Jim, missed you on Thursday and you’re really a good addition to the group. You can catch up by watching the session on line. Will we see you this coming week?”

g. the no hope MARTYR

Do not offer them public pity.

Treat them deliberately cheerful.

“It’s no use, this isn’t going to make any difference in my life. I’ve tried things like this before and nothing ever changes.”

“Well, while you’re here, why don’t you give it your best shot?”

If they threaten to not come back next week:

“That’s really a choice you need to make. I know I’ll be back and I really hope you re-consider. But you’re here now so let us help you make it worth your while.”

h. the “RUNNER”

Ensure they are safe (you can send someone out from your group to check on them). Then, let them run; confront it later, acknowledging that they can run out if they want but that you are believing/expecting better from them.

i. the helpless VICTIM

“Sounds like you’ve had some pretty tough things happen in your life. I’m really sorry you had to go through that.”

“But this is where we find ourselves today, and the truth is neither of us can do much about what has happened, but you can do something about how you respond. So if you’re willing, I / we would like to walk with you to find a new and healthier way to respond. None of us have to live as a victim of our pasts.”


j. the perpetually LATE Address it privately first, helping them see that it is disrespectful to the rest of the group. Invite them to work on this area of their life. (it likely happens a lot for them)

k. the faithful but FEARFUL of going deeper

“WOW, it sounds like there is a lot of hurt an inch or so under that response. Any chance you would share a bit of that with us?”

l. the CRITICALLY wounded

“Thank you for being honest and real with us. It really sounds like you are upset right now and that’s OK. We’re just going to give you some space. I’m really glad you came.”

Q & A

An A.C.E. Practicum:

• In pairs, take turns playing the role of EGR participant and Facilitator.

• Then evaluate each other’s response on how well you each used the A.C.E. model.


Training 06 DISCIPLESHIP: a long obedience in the same direction4 Discipleship is a process: It is not a course or set of activities/disciplines. It is something that “happens” to an individual that includes the mind, will and emotions. Discipleship does not happen on its own. There are always at least two people involved. In its most common form, a disciple is: a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher. Ultimately, we are committing ourselves to make disciples of Jesus. The best way to do this is to follow Jesus ________________ and disciple others to follow _______ as we follow ____________. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. Note: If you are using this training manual in a weekend retreat format, please use the Bible marking and journaling process you were taught in Authentic Living - Session 21 to study the Luke 9 passage on the following page. Give each Facilitator trainee 15-30 minutes to work through the passage and S.T.A.R.T. acrostic. If you are using this training manual in a one-day seminar, please simply ask people to focus in on what God has been saying to them so far in the training so they are able to work through the salvation sircle on page 33.

4 Eugene Pederson: (human) author of The Message translation.


LUKE 9.57-62 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

LUKE 14.26-33/35. 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Scripture

Thoughts

Application:

R T


Salvation Sircle ROMANS 8.1 There is therefore no condemnation… ROMANS 12.1-2 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…

Note: the salvation sircle is designed to be learned in such a way that you can teach it to others. Practice drawing the circle and four squares and then filling in as you teach/share the illustration.

SAYING

STRUGGLE SURRENDER

SUPPORT

What is wrong? What is right? What if I don’t?

JOHN 16.8 ..of sin …of righteousness …of judgement

Fear: If I obey God, I am afraid that... Flesh: The pleasure/relief/behavior/attitude I don’t want to give up is... oFfense: I don’t feel this is fair because...

CRISIS OF FAITH: (MK 9.23-25) Lord, I choose to believe… Lord, I surrender my unbelief that…

R

… & believe MARK 1.15 …& be baptized ACTS 2.38

…& turn to God ACTS3.19 i.e. CHANGE

(180) the way you

act think

epent

CRISIS OF DECISION: What does God want me to do?

What I will do: When?

Plan Public Prayer Phollow up When?

What is God saying to me?



Note: the salvation sircle is designed to be learned in such a way that you can teach it to others. Practice drawing the circle and four squares and then filling in as you teach/share the illustration

SAYING

STRUGGLE SURRENDER

SUPPORT





R



(180) the way you

act think

epent







Note: the salvation sircle is designed to be learned in such a way that you can teach it to others. Practice drawing the circle and four squares and then filling in as you teach/share the illustration.

SAYING

STRUGGLE SURRENDER

SUPPORT





R



(180) the way you

act think

epent







Training 07 DO YOU LOVE ME? JOHN 21.15-19

1. If you love Me, you will…







Commitments and Covenants: The following questions provide an excellent Freedom Session team debrief and time of sharing.

What has God been saying to me during this seminar?

What is my specific offering, my commitment to Jesus and the rest of us?

§ am I willing to become a FS Facilitator or Assistant Facilitator if asked?

§ am I willing to become a FS Participant if asked?

§ other:

Why am I doing it?

Pray for each other. And have a great year!


Appendix 1: WHY AM I HERE? Pre-training Orientation for those new to Freedom Session The Pre-training orientation is for those who are new to FS to enjoy a slightly modified experience of Freedom Session 01. On a weekend retreat, this option can provide a great Friday night experience. If using a one-day FS training Experience, we suggest you invite any new to FS potential Facilitators to come together before hand to watch Session 01 and walk through the small group discussion as provided below. You will need access to the Freedom Session 01 – WHY AM I HERE? teaching video.

Welcome/Introductions • If you are experiencing “WHY AM I HERE?” Pre-training Orientation as a group, mix up your

groups, seeking to find yourself in a group with the people you know the least. This will simulate the experience of the participants who will register for FS. An ideal FS small group for training is 6 people.

• If you have a large group being trained, we suggest you divide into gender-specific Training Small Groups of 6.5

Facing the Truth – adapted from FS Participant Guide 1 – facing the truth, page 09 Reality Check

In Training Small Groups of 6, give your name and then answer the following questions. The two questions can be answered together.

• Why are you here? I know you were invited, but…

• Why did you say yes to attending the FS training?

“Trapped in a Box” Additional Exercise (optional) • Close your eyes and imagine you / your group accepting this mission:

• Your Mission, should you choose to accept it, is to…

o Serve a roast beef meal for four without the use of an oven, microwave, toaster oven, slow cooker, hot plate or BBQ. Your meal must include a meat, 2 veggies, one starch & a sauce.

o You cannot order take out, have the food delivered or hire a caterer.

Sub-divide your Training Small Group into triads (3’s).

Brainstorm your best ideas and strategy to accomplish this mission.

5 If you don’t have a number of trainees easily divisible by 6, improvise but discourage groups larger than 8.


01 © 2016 Freedom Session Resources 20

Behaviors

blame

medicate

withdraw

ESCAPE

Behaviors

TRY HARDER

spiritual disciplines

confession repentance

good workssacrifice

MARLEE SIMON

SHAMETRY

HARDER

WM E

Play FS 01 “no game version” video 00.00 – 24.31 (Use the “NO GAME” version)

Pause video before Ken tells his story.

FS3 Triad Experience (from Participant Guide 1 - facing the truth, page 10)

• take 60 seconds to answer the three questions below before discussion.

Simon and the Hamartolos Reflections:

1. Who do you more closely identify with? r Marlee r Simon Why?

2. On which side of the “Coping with Pain” diagram do you spend most of your time? r Escape r Try Harder

3. Have you

r always lived on that side? r tried both? Why did you switch? Or Why did you stay?

Play My (ken’s) Story 24.31 – 40.00 or have a FS Director / Facilitator share their story

The Beginning of My “this year” Freedom Story… (PG 1 - facing the truth, page. 11) At Ken’s or your FS Director’s prompt, write out your prayer below: Jesus, if you are willing, this year I would like you to...


SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE (from Participant Guide 1 - facing the truth, page 12)

• skip Behind the Mask discussion

• Discuss Q. 2 under Session Reflections as written.

• Walk through the Rules discussion in the Homework Review section.

Further explanation on a few of the rules.

• The dating rule: This applies to those who are not currently dating and requires that they do not begin a romantic, dating or sexual relationship with a fellow participant of FS during the course. (This includes the scenario where one of them drops out of FS.)

The reason for this is simple. People register for FS for a reason – pain, fear, regret, guilt, shame, etc. – and when a participant begins a romantic relationship, he/she generally enters an infatuation stage in which they feel a wave of positive emotion and may no longer feel the need to deal with their own brokenness, dysfunction or past mistakes.

If the person a participant wishes to date is worth the effort, they should WANT to wait until both of them have completed FS and dealt with any residual pain or unhealthy behavior patterns from previous relationships.

While we do not require participants to refrain from entering a romantic relationship with partners not registered for FS, we do recommend singles consider remaining single for the duration of Freedom Session.

• The homework requirement: Very simply, FS participants who do their homework tend to do well. Those who don’t do their homework, tend to not do well. The #1 reason people drop out of FS is because they fall behind so we have made weekly homework completing part of the FS Participation Agreement that FS small group members make TO EACH OTHER. Those who are unwilling or unable to complete the weekly FS homework assignment are generally not allowed to attend the small group. We take making and keeping our commitments seriously.

• No “cross talk:” Cross talk is entering a conversation with another participant that excludes the others, challenging and debating another’s answer or offering “helpful” suggestions for another participant. Frankly, this is rude. Each participant should rather focus on sharing what is going on for them and allow the FS Facilitator to lead the group as they have been trained and coached.

• No cell phones: Again, talking, texting, engaging social media or monitoring emails during small group is rude. If a participant has a babysitter and is feels they cannot turn the cell phone off for one hour, they should entrust the phone to their FS Facilitator or Director.

Optional: • If desired and/or needed, discuss questions #2, #3 & #8 from the “On Your Own” section on pages

15 – 17 from FS Participant Guide 1 – facing the truth.



Appendix 2: Preparing for Small Group

Note: this a replica of the author’s preparation for leading the FS 03 small group experience on page 37 of Participant Guide 1. It is included as an example of how to use your FS Facilitator Briefing as you prepare.



Appendix 3: Salvation6 Sircle7 ROMANS 8.1 There is therefore no condemnation… ROMANS 12.1-2 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind… \-> what \-> how God is looking for men/women who think, live and act differently

6 “Salvation” in this context is used according to its original biblical meaning: “set free, made whole and delivered.” 7 © 2019, Freedom Session Resources. Permission for personal or ministry usage in small groups is permitted with appropriate credits: © 2019, ken b dyck, Freedom Session Resources. Other requests to reproduce can be made by contacting [email protected].

HEBREWS 4.12

The rhema of God…

SAYING

STRUGGLE SURRENDER

SUPPORT


JOHN 16.8

..of sin …of righteousness …of judgement


CRISIS OF FAITH: I believe. Help my unbelief! (MK 9.23-25) Identify what God wants you to believe and choose to believe it.

Lord, I choose to believe… Lord, I surrender my unbelief that… Identify & confess any unbelief you have that contradicts what God wants you to believe. Then surrender them.

R


…& turn to God ACTS3.19

i.e. CHANGE (180) the way you

act think

epent




another level of “salvation” is

experienced

These are our pre-suppositions

What do I sense God saying to me?

NOTE: the point of the salvation sircle is to memorize the outline so you can reproduce it from memory. Refer to FS Training Video 6 for the appropriate order in which to draw.



Appendix 4: FS Facilitator Registration8 September 2017 (Village Church) FS Facilitator Application Serving as a Freedom Session Facilitator or Assistant Facilitator is an honor and one of the most dynamic, challenging, and rewarding ministry experiences offered at Village Church. Those who join our team will experience God using them to restore brokenness, put marriages back together and give people a vision for their lives as they take responsibility for their choices and surrender their “victim” cards. You will have a front row seat to watch God perform miracles! If you have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, are relatively healthy (emotionally), we invite you to consider serving with us. It is advantageous if you have been through FS as a participant but we are also looking for authentic people who are willing to take the program while they help others on the same journey. As a Facilitator, your primary role will be to lead participants through the small group experience after the large group teaching time. We will train and support you with detailed “briefings” that coach you through your small group preparation. An added benefit to those who serve is the healing God will accomplish in your own life as you surrender new areas to His leadership and love. Every Facilitator is required to complete their own FS homework and apply it to the next area in their life God wants to deal with. This applies to ALL Lead or Assistant Facilitators, even those who have completed FS and/or have served as a Facilitator before. While FS is an exciting and rewarding ministry, it’s not for the faint of heart. We are ministering to real people with real lives. Please carefully consider the following weekly commitment and training outline: FS 20 Week Commitment: Freedom Session “game day”: 6.25 – 9.45 PM weekly. If you have a vacation or travel already planned during the FS schedule, please let us know on your application and we can discuss. Otherwise, we would expect you to make FS a weekly priority commitment. Complete your own FS homework (~1.5 hours/week) and spend another 30-45 minutes preparing to lead your small group discussion. If you are or have an Assistant Facilitator, you will have another 15-minute weekly telephone meeting. In addition to the formal weekly commitments, FS Facilitators/Assistants are asked to love, care and pray for 6-8 individuals assigned to their small group. This may include an additional phone call, an email/note, and possibly the occasional one on one. There will be two (2) evenings on your regular FS night during the 20 weeks where you are asked to host a “Going Deeper” night offsite. These are evenings for sharing each other’s stories and discussing some of the materials at a deeper level. These are written right into the program. They will likely occur on your normal FS evening or any time slot you and your group members can all attend. A Going Deeper night can be hosted in your own home or at another location. You will be required to attend the Village Church FS training day on June 17 2017. If you are unable to attend this training, you likely need to wait until our next launch before receiving the training and serving on the team. Additional Team Meetings will be held on September 10, 2017, November 26, 2017 and each week at 6:45pm before the session. These are also considered mandatory. WHAT DO I DO NOW? Please complete the Facilitator Application by July 3, 2017. http://thisisvillagechurch.com/freedomsession/. In completing the FS Facilitator application, I am confirming: * my willingness to participate as a Facilitator / Assistant Facilitator * my willingness / availability to attend FS Training Day, the 2 additional team meetings & 20 weekly briefings / sessions. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY FS FACILITATOR APPLICATION? We will contact you to set up an interview to discuss your application and discern ministry fit. If you are interested in taking the FS Journey whether or not you are offered a role as a Facilitator (and we encourage this), please also fill out the FS Participant Application. If you have further questions, please contact [email protected]. 8 This is a sample on-line form one church uses for Facilitator applications and is provided to help you craft your own. (This particular church is quite large and offers separate registration for Authentic Living. We suggest you include Authentic Living on your FS registration for simplicity.


• Name * First Last • Email *

• Phone * ###- ###- #### • Age *

• Gender

• Marital status *

• How long have you attended Village Church? *

• Which site do you attend? *

• At which site would you prefer to serve as a facilitator? *

• Are you a member at Village Church? *

• How long have you been a Christian? *

• Have you graduated from Freedom Session? *

Yes No • Where and when did you graduate from FS?

• Have you served as a Freedom Facilitator or Assistant Facilitator? *

Yes No • Where and when?

• What are your leadership strengths? *


• On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your ability to deal with conflict and strong personalities? (note 5 is not an FS approved number :) ) *

• Explain

• What is your natural coping strategy? *

• How does this coping strategy look in your day to day life/tensions? *

• Describe your most recent area of spiritual growth/healing *

• What are the ways in your past that you escaped pain or avoid conflict (i.e. your "drug of choice")? In other

words, what did your unhealthy behaviors/addictions look like? *

• How have you/are you walking in victory in these areas? *


• What is the area in your life right now that you would like God to bring greater healing? *

• Are you struggling with any current unhealthy behaviors or addictions? (i.e. smoking, gambling, pornography,

food addiction, controlling etc.) Please explain the struggle and the steps you are taking to deal with it. *

• Would you consider yourself under the ministry and spiritual authority of this local church? *

Yes No Explain

• Do you have any challenges or unresolved issues with any leaders within this church? *

• Do you have any concern about serving under the leadership of our appointed FS Director? *

No Yes • Do you have any concerns about serving within the Freedom Session program itself? *


• Are you currently involved in a small group or accountability group of any sort? Can we contact the leader for a reference? *

Yes No Yes & leader contact info

• If married, describe your relationship with your spouse? How do they feel about your potential involvement in

this ministry? Do you mind if we talk with them?

• Will your spouse be seeking to be involved with FS as well?

Facilitator Participant • Is there anything presently in your life that, if brought to light, would discredit this ministry or cause harm to

the reputation of Jesus Christ? (i.e. sexual relationship outside of marriage, unhealthy habits, vices, business dealings, relational conflict). *

• What is it about being involved in a ministry like this that catches your heart? *

• Why do you feel you would make a good FS Facilitator? *

• Any other comments, questions or things we should know about you?


Can you attend the mandatory FS leadership training session on: _________________________

Yes No

• It is expected that you will attend any FS team training sessions, and will be at the 20 weekly briefings and sessions. If you are unable to attend the mandatory training meetings or some briefings/sessions please explain:

• Reference If you have facilitated at FS before, one reference should be your past FS Director. If you haven’t facilitated but have graduated, your FS facilitator would be a good choice for one of your references.

•

• Reference #1 * First Last • Email *

• Phone Number * ###- ###- ####

• Reference #2 * First Last • Email *


Freedom Session International Ministries exists to…

• lead, train, equip and resource Christian leaders around the world to reconcile broken people to Jesus Christ, themselves and others.

• empower and celebrate those who are called to serve and/or support this mission through prayer and finances.

• provide a tangible, spiritual return on our partner’s investments of prayer, time and money.

Freedom Session International Ministries is funded by people like you who believe in our mission and sense God’s prompting to partner with us to expand Healing-Discipleship ministries in North America, and around the world.

If you (or family/friends) have benefited from Freedom Session, we ask you to consider partnering with us financially and in prayer so that we can continue expanding our ministry until we have a FS expression in every major centre in Canada and the USA. For more information on how to partner with us, visit us at freedomsession.com and click on Donate & Partner.

If you would like to receive our newsletters, please visit freedomsession.com.

Have Pastor Ken speak in your church, FS ministry or weekend retreat…

Pastor Ken has served in pastoral ministry for over 30 years and is a sought after speaker on many topics. If you are interested in having Ken speak in your church or area, please peruse the various retreats, seminars and speaking themes offered at freedomsession.com. There you also will find a link to invite Ken to Speak.

Learning to Hear God’s Voice & OBEY © 2017 Freedom Session Resources page 54

© 2019 freedomsession.com

Documents

FACILITATOR TRAINING MANUAL - Amazon S3...Sometimes it is wise to suggest a Facilitator applicant works through the program as a participant before being accepted as a Facilitator