Letter from Mark  Important Dates  Frequently Asked Questions Many Rooms Lent What happened to Many Rooms Lent? Many Rooms Lent has received an upgrade! This year, our Small Groups will meet in a similar fashion to previous years. We will provide a written and video curriculum for the Small Groups (specially designed for and written by BAPC). The sermons on Sundays will continue to correspond with the Small Group study guides. How is This is My Body, L.A. different from Many Rooms? This is My Body, L.A. will give some small groups the opportunity to pair with another group (hopefully from a different church, ethnicity, or denomination) for one to four opportunities after Lent. What will happen after Lent? In the Easter Season (between March 23 & May), some of our groups will have the opportunity to meet with a group from another church, ethnicity, or denomination to have dinner together (possibly once in their home, once in your groups home), and one or two times to serve together (hopefully one of those times will be on May 3-4 for Big Sunday Weekend). Joining a Group What happens in a Small Group? We will take some time to get to know each other. After that, it is really up to the group. During this Lent season Many Rooms Small Groups will exchange thoughts in response to each week's teaching help each other grow in our understanding and experience of God, pray for one another and reach out to our neighbors. And we will ask God to uniquely infuse each week with his spiritual power and presence. How do I find the right group? We have all of our available Small Groups listed online for your perusal. Go to the Many Rooms Home Page and click ‘Join a Group’ for instructions on how to find a group that works for you. You may also stop by one of the patio tables on January 20, 27, or February 3. There you will be able to browse through a list of available groups, and even talk to a few Small Group Leaders to find out more about some groups. I have kids. Can they participate? Yes. For children of all ages there are discipleship communities meeting, each sponsoring Many Rooms Small Groups. Contact the Children’s Discipleship Department for information about small groups for your child at 818-788-4210 x163. Leading a Group I'm interested in leading a group for This is My Body, L.A. Great! We are looking for leaders to start new groups throughout Los Angeles, as well as current leaders to re-commit to take part in This is My Body, L.A. We will be having orientations for both new and continuing leaders on Jan. 13 (12:15-1p.m. or 7:15-8p.m.) and Jan. 20 (10:15-11a.m.). You may also meet with your Coach at your convenience. How do I receive the resources? The study guides, DVDs, and Leader Handbooks will be made available to Leaders who have completed the orientation starting January 20. Leaders can pick up their materials from their Coach, the church office, or on Sundays after each service at the table in the Welcome Center. What is covered in the orientations? As you have already realized at this point, This is My Body, L.A. involves some new aspects. The orientation is designed to make sure that every Leader has the information and resources they need in order to lead a group for This is My Body, L.A. New Leaders will also be briefed on the basics of Small Group leadership with Bel Air Presbyterian Church. How do I find out who my coach is? It is our hope that every Leader is begin equipped and supported by a Coach. If you don't remember who your Coach is, you can look it up by logging in to the Small Groups web site. Just go to www.belairpres.org/manyrooms, click "Manage My Group," Log in, and then click the "Coaching Group" to find out who your Coach is. How do I update my group page online? The primary way that people find out about available groups and that we have an understanding of what groups are currently meeting is through the list of groups on the web site. Whether or not your group is open to having another person join it, we need to make sure that your group information is up to date. To update your group page, go to www.belairpres.org/manyrooms and click "Manage My Group." How do people join my group? People will join your group in one of three ways:     (1) Find Me: Leaders gather participants by personal invitation at church, among friends, and on the patio (after each service on Jan. 20, 27 and Feb. 3. Contact Jen to help after two of these services).     (2) Let Me: For those who prefer to browse groups on their own, Leaders describe their group clearly and attractively in the web site group page and respond personally and quickly to all inquiries.     (3) Help Me: For those who prefer assistance, staff or volunteers at the church will browse open groups and suggest a group to the inquirer. I have more questions, who should I talk to? We hope that many of your questions will be answered in the orientation, but if that is not the case, please feel free to contact your Coach with further questions. Coaching What's the scope of my role? The role of a Coach is to equip and support 6-12 Small Group Leaders. During This is My Body, L.A., that means: Praying for them; Helping them to navigate the orientation for Lent 2008 and to find a group to pair up with for the Easter season field trip (you will be given the necessary materials and information later); Meeting together with your group of leaders once to celebrate what God is doing through your groups and through This is My Body, L.A., and to answer any questions your leaders might have; and Providing ongoing support, as well as a direct connection to the Discipleship team, should your leaders have ongoing issues in their groups. What should I do if a leader doesn't return my calls? Not every Leader requires the same amount of support. While it can be frustrating when a Leader doesn't return your calls or emails, we encourage you to continue to pray for them and send them an email or give them a call once in a while. You would be surprised how much Leaders appreciate this kind of contact, even if they don't have anything specific that they need to respond to you about. If you have asked a Leader a specific question and they aren't responding to you, you might first make sure that you have the correct contact information for the Leader. What if a leader isn't leading anymore? We recognize that groups transition often in Los Angeles, and if you find that a Leader in your Coaching Group is no longer leading, that's okay. Consider contacting him/her to debrief the experience, and to find out how the group is continuing. The group may have disbanded, another person may be leading the group now, or the group may just be on a brief hiatus. One of the leaders I am coaching is going to be moving in a few months. It's nice to know this in advance. Now that you are aware of it, talk with the Leader about how they see the group transitioning as they prepare for their move. You might see if the Leader knows of anyone else in the group who might want to lead it (if that's the case, ask the Leader to encourage that new person to complete a Leader Application (available at www.belairpres.org/manyroom, "Resources") and attend the next Leader Orientation. If nobody else is able to lead, encourage the Leader to contact the Connector for their neighborhood if anyone would like help with finding a new group. What if the group splits? Growth is a normal part of group life. Part of this growth involves groups dividing. Consider what caused the group to divide. If it was due to numerical growth or a change in schedules, talk to the new Leader about completing the Leader Application and attending one of the orientations. If the group is splitting because of interpersonal conflict, talk to the group Leader and encourage him/her not to use the split as a way of avoiding the issues, but to deal with them openly together and to see if reconciliation is possible. One of my leaders has identified someone new to lead the group, now what? That's great! Ask the Leader to encourage that new person to complete a Leader Application (available at www.belairpres.org/manyrooms, "Resources") and attend the next Leader Orientation. The orientation will give the new Leader the tools and resources for leadership with Bel Air Presbyterian Church. They will also enable BAPC to get to know this Leader better. Should I be calling someone in the Deacon leadership for my neighborhood? Maybe. The Deacons of the church help to provide care and support for members of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in the neighborhoods--a very similar role to the one that Small Groups play. Consider forming a relationship with the Deacons in your neighborhood to see how you can partner together to make an impact in your neighborhood. Contact the Office of Caring Ministries at 818-788-4200 x147 to find out who the Deacon or Deacon Facilitator in your neighborhood is. How does our relationship change once a Leader stops leading? This depends in part on the relationship you had while the Leader was leading. Some Leaders will be thankful for a short debriefing conversation with you. Other Leaders will have enjoyed your relationship so much that they'll want to continue that relationship. And that's okay. You might consider having one such former Leader continue being a part of your Coaching Group for the sake of your relationship with him/her, and for the insight that person might bring to the rest of your Coaching Group. Should I be looking at the web site and looking for new leaders? While we will contact you if we have a Leader that you might Coach, it's never a bad idea to check your Coaching Group page on the web site to make sure that you have the most up to date list of Leaders that you are Coaching. You might also take a few minutes a couple times a year (maybe at the end of each Small Group season) to reevaluate your Coaching role and to see if you can coach one or two more Leaders for the upcoming season. If that's the case, contact jen@belairpres.org to see if there are any Leaders in your neighborhood in need of a Coach. One of the leaders I am coaching is leading two groups--one in my neighborhood and one with another ministry. Does he need to be doubly coached? One of the roles of a Coach is to connect the Leader to the church. For this reason, we ask that Leaders who are leading multiple groups (for example, one with fifth graders on Sunday mornings and a group in Brentwood on Tuesday nights) are coached by the Coach for each community they are connected with. The Children's Discipleship Coach will be able to support the Leader in age-specific needs, while the Brentwood Coach will link that Leader to the network of Small Groups in Brentwood and can provide greater insight into reaching that neighborhood. Didn't see what you're interested in? Submit a question to info@thisismybodyla.com. Additional FAQs are available at www.belairpres.org/manyrooms.