LTG- Life Transformation Groups

Cultivating a Life for God, by Neil Cole

Although this book has the worst cover design I've ever seen on an otherwise FANTASTIC book (I guess the picture is supposed to represent fruit), this book has only begun to have a huge impact on my life and my ministry. I read it straight through from cover to cover, excited about the possibilities of discipleship, evangelism, and mutual accountability, all in one easy to duplicate format. Below is a more detailed description copied from SacredOnline.org.)

Life Transformation Groups

What are they? Living life as a follower of Christ can be challenging. It can be difficult to hear God’s voice and maintain personal integrity in our fast-paced and ever-changing world. You aren't meant to do it alone. We are called to follow Christ in relationship—both with Him and with one another. One way of discovering and cultivating a deep relationship with another person is through a Life Transformation Group.

An LTG is a simple way to develop a vital spiritual walk that allows the Holy Spirit to change your life from the inside out. It’s a simple tool that you’ll find encourages you and leads you into a deeper relationship with God and int an authentic, Biblical friendship with another person.

LTG’s all have the following in common:

1. They meet once a week for at least an hour.
2. They include two of three people.
3. They are gender specific. Men meet with men, women with women.
4. There is no leader.
5. There is no workbook or training needed; just people and the Bible.
6. Each group strives for accountability and mutual confession of sin, regular personal reading of the Bible, and specific prayer.

Starting An LTG If you are interested in creating a Life Transformation Group, your first step is to pray about it. Ask God to show you whom you should partner with, and then wait until He tells you. Sometimes that means someone will approach and ask you to form a group with them. Or, God will lay someone’s name on you heart to approach.

Second, talk the person God reveals to you. Ask if they would be willing to commit to a regular weekly meeting time with you, and if they feel they can be honest with you about their life. You also need to know if those things are true for you. Do you feel as if you can commit to this other person? Can you be honest with them?

Then, set aside a regular time each week to accomplish the following:

Talk about your lives. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:24-25 that we need each other. We need to develop relationships that are built around mutual honest confession and prayerful support. Use a set of agreed-upon questions to direct your conversation. Starter questions are included below. As your group develops, you may want to adjust the wording of the questions, or include additional questions that pertain to your individual lives.

Be accountable for reading the Bible. Decide on a book of the Bible you and your partner will be responsible for reading this week, with a goal of reading 20-25 chapters each week. If the book you chose is shorter than that, agree to read it several times during the week. If the book is longer than 25 chapters, divide the book into parts. When your group meets, ask if the reading was completed. If anyone was unable to complete the reading, the whole group repeats the same reading again for next week, until everyone has completed reading the chapters. This repetition is often helpful as theHoly Spirit will reveal new truths in the text each time you read it. Once everyone has read the assigned chapters, move on to either additional chapters or another book of the Bible.

Pray for specific people and problems. Each group member should identify two or three people in their lives to pray for. Write down the names of these people in a place you will refer to—perhaps on a bookmark in your Bible. Each member of the group will pray for everyone on the list by name as they read their Bibles during the week. You are also encouraged to pray for you LTG partner and any challenges he or she might face.

Where to begin? If your group includes people who are new or who are exploring a relationship with Jesus, consider beginning with one of the Gospels, like Luke or John. If your group includes people who have walked with God for a while, consider reading a book one of you hasn’t read before, or begin with one of Paul’s letters, like Philippians.

Why Two or Three? LTG’s are limited to two or three people because the smaller size makes it easier to establish community, practice accountability, maintain confidentiality, schedule regular meeting times, and invite others to join in.

Sample Character Conversation Questions

• Have you been an example this week to the greatness of Jesus Christ in your words and actions?
• Have you been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed your mind to entertain inappropriate sexual thoughts about another person this week?
• Have you lacked integrity in your financial dealings or coveted something that does not belong to you?
• Have you been honoring, understanding, and generous in your important relationships this week?
• Have you damaged another person by your words, either behind their back or face-to-face?
• Have you given into an addictive behavior this week?
• Have you continued to remain angry toward another?
• Have you secretly wished for another’s misfortune?
• Did you finish the reading and hear from God? What are you going to do about it?
• Have you been completely honest in answering these questions?

Each group member should also create one personal accountability question tailored to his or her life.