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Week 2 MEETING GUIDE ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS FACILITATE GROUP PRAYER CREATIVE PRAYER GUIDE NAMES OF GOD PRAYER EXERCISE

INDIA WILLIAM CARY RAMAKURI Tell me more about your mission? Our motto is "Making Jesus Known". We travel to villages in the rural cities of India and preach the gospel to unknown people groups regardless of the creed, culture and background. We believe that the gospel of Grace has the power to change anyone. Our primary goal is to train people in the Word and send them out to these rural areas to serve. We also plant churches in places where Jesus is unknown and people don't have the Bible translated in their language. We strategically train people from the same culture who can speak the same language and place them as overseers of the church in that area. What are some victories I can celebrate with you? After the devastating season of the coronavirus pandemic, many young men and women came to the Lord and received Him as their personal savior. What are some of the challenges you face? The constant oppression on small churches by nationalist political parties. How can I pray for you? Pray that even in oppression and persecution, the gospel message is preached. How can I support you? Please email missions@cedarbrook.org . Where can I learn more? Please email missions@cedarbrook.org or visit https://www.aenonchurch.com/ . global missions

WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN P & J BELL Tell me more about your mission? We are working through East-West Ministries in the Western Mediterranean to help engage, evangelize and empower local believers in the region to go and transform their communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We, along with our regional teams, are praying for God to shift this geographically strategic region from “receiving” to “sending” laborers back into His harvest field of unreached people in North Africa and Europe. Due to security concerns of working in this area of the world, we cannot use our full names on public websites. What are some victories I can celebrate with you? After our quick move in the fall of 2020, we have made several local friends - from a kabab shop owner with four wives, to a younger man who recently became a believer and now reads with P weekly. What are some of the challenges you face? Adjustment to a new culture, a new language, and all of the complications of doing that in a world-wide pandemic. How can I pray for you? Please pray for revival in the region we serve, unity among believers on our team, and our marriage. How can I support you? https://www.eastwest.org/udm-9583/ Where can I learn more? eastwest.org global missions

PERU MOISES BUENDIA Tell me more about your mission? My mission is to teach the Word of God to children, and to help them grow in the ways of the Lord, so that they are men and women of good in society who honor the name of God and love their neighbor. What are some victories I can celebrate with you? Despite the separation and confinement that the pandemic has created for us, our ministry brings us together. Among children and adolescents, 65 participate in our Sunday Bible School. They faithfully attend and receive the teaching of the Word of God via the internet. Their parents are learning also because many of the parents help their children get online. What are some of the challenges you face? Not having a location of our own for our church. How can I pray for you? To wisely lead God's people, both children and adults. How can I support you? Praying, visiting our ministry, and sending teams. Where can I learn more? Email missions@cedarbrook.org to learn more. global missions

EMPOWER: Ministry Leader Development In October 2024, Pastor Jonathan encouraged the church family to take a survey to get a sense of how the church and her people were doing spiritually and personally. For the most part, the survey confirmed what we were already hearing and experiencing, but it also unveiled some areas of actionable intelligence that would strengthen and empower Cedarbrook to become radical in following Jesus on mission in this next year. Three insights from the survey which God is now positioning Cedarbrook to capitalize on related to this Empower initiative is as follows: 65% of you responded that the church doesn’t empower young people to develop as leaders. 72% of you responded that there was no clear pathway for a person to become a leader at this church. 84% of the leaders in this church believe that there are not enough leaders in the church to operate effectively. The implications of each of these insights are as follows: Younger people feel undervalued and unseen in the church's leadership structure. A lack of clarity about leadership roles and progression can discourage potential leaders. The church will struggle to meet its mission and vision due to a shortage of leaders. How can Cedarbrook capitalize on these insights? At Cedarbrook, we evaluate potential leaders and develop leaders based on the four “C’s”: character, competency, compatibility, and capacity. To be a leader at Cedarbrook, whether that’s a leader in Promiseland or in Student Ministries, or in Life Groups, Alpha, ESOL, MomCo, our Board of Directors, or Elder Team, an individual must possess or develop these essential criteria. To accelerate the growth and development of our ministry leaders, we're focusing on three key areas: Implementing a Formal Leadership Development Program : Providing structured training and mentorship to equip leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge. Creating Clear Leadership Pipelines and Pathways : Establishing a clear progression for leadership roles, offering opportunities for growth and advancement. Funding Leadership Development Opportunities : Investing in our leaders by supporting their attendance at conferences, workshops, and other training events. A Formal Leadership Development Program This year, we will be developing a leadership development curriculum covering leadership skills, biblical knowledge, and church ministry for new Life Group leaders. As it currently stands, our existing groups cannot absorb the current demand for Life Groups and so developing Life Group leaders is paramount to discipling people in small groups at Cedarbrook. Goals Q1: Research other leadership development programs Q2: Develop a leadership development curriculum based on Cedarbrook mission, vision, and values Q3: Pilot the leadership development curriculum Q4: Tweak and revise the leadership development curriculum A Leadership Pipeline and Pathway Currently, the way people are identified for leadership roles is informal and training is often times trial by fire. This year, we will be focused on systematizing the training of those identified for leadership roles to transition leaders well and help them succeed from the get-go. Goals Q1: Identify key leadership roles that need a pipeline and pathway within the church Q2: Develop a clear pathway for progression within these roles Q3: Communicate these pathways to church members identified for potentially fulfilling those roles Q4: Implement a system for tracking individual leadership development and pipeline availability Funding Leadership Development Opportunities Investing in our leaders is an investment in the future of Cedarbrook and the kingdom of God. While our internal leadership development program is crucial, attending industry conferences and seminars offers unique benefits. These events provide opportunities for our leaders to: Learn cutting-edge leadership skills Network with other ministry professionals Gain exposure to best practices Bring back innovative ideas to enhance our leadership development programs By sending our leaders to these events, we’re empowering them to grow, learn, and lead more effectively. GIVE

CAMBODIA CHOMNO IN Tell me more about your mission? Our mission is to equip and empower the church to strengthen the quality of life of disadvantaged rural people and vulnerable children by cultivating hope for the future, where self-reliance among the communities is obtained through the support from CHO’s income generating projects. What are some victories I can celebrate with you? Being able to provide health training and relief packages for and seeing the blessings is a victory that we would like for you to celebrate with us. We also would like for you to celebrate the 12 people who offered their lives to God. What are some of the challenges you face? The Corona pandemic is one of the biggest challenges that we are facing now because we are not able to do our normal work. Keeping the church pastors, leaders and members motivated is very challenging. They not only struggle with meeting their physical needs, but emotional and spiritual as well. Another challenge is providing training to the community. Although we cannot meet in groups, we can do house visits - but it takes longer to reach everyone. And we must keep in mind the safety of the staff and the people they come in contact with at the same time. How can I pray for you? Please pray that we will continue to have funding to help support the poor people with some more covid relief packages. Please pray that our leaders and pastors continue to be encouraged and motivated. Please pray that we all stay healthy. Please pray that God provides us with wisdom on how to help and lead his people. How can I support you? We would love for Cedarbrook to continue to help support the health project because it is really needed, especially during times like these. If possible, we would like to have more teams from Cedarbrook church to come and help us here with our ministry in the community. We need skilled people to come and train our staff in areas of computers, English, pastor training, as well as doctors or nurses to come and work alongside our staff. Where can I learn more? You can go to our website at www.cambodianhopeorganization.org to learn more about us. but the website is not updated yet because we don't have anyone with the skills to help out with that. global missions

Week 3 MEETING GUIDE WHAT IS FASTING? FASTING WITH A PURPOSE PRAYER EXPERIENCE

bcaccd38-561c-4fd8-a198-c708b0d85e1d Fishers of men: a disciple is committed to the mission of Jesus A fully-formed disciple of Jesus will live as Jesus lived: loving others as we love ourselves, caring for the marginalized, and sharing the good news of Jesus wherever we are. We do not have to quit our jobs and move to a foreign country to participate in the mission of Jesus. We do it right where we live and work and play. Each month on this page we will offer practical guidance on how to join Jesus in the work he is already doing in the lives of those around us. Begin with Prayer BOOKS How to Pray: a Simple Guide for Normal People by Pete Greig Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney ARTICLES 10 Daily Prayers to Boost Your Outreach by Kevin Harney The Importance of Prayer in Evangelism by Matt Slick VIDEOS Why Prayer is Critical for Evangelism by Jerry Root How to Pray for Others by Allen Carr NOTES COMMENTS hands page

Access tools, training, and support to lead your Life Group with confidence. Explore resources to help you grow spiritually, build community, and lead with purpose at Cedarbrook Church. LIFE GROUP LEADER RESOURCES 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 28:19-20 ESV Thank you for serving as a Life Group Leader here at Cedarbrook Community Church. Below you will find resources that will help you to make disciples...who will make disciples.

ae2c3f52-757a-4aa3-b165-588710781846 Fishers of men: a disciple is committed to the mission of Jesus A fully-formed disciple of Jesus will live as Jesus lived: loving others as we love ourselves, caring for the marginalized, and sharing the good news of Jesus wherever we are. We do not have to quit our jobs and move to a foreign country to participate in the mission of Jesus. We do it right where we live and work and play. Each month on this page we will offer practical guidance on how to join Jesus in the work he is already doing in the lives of those around us. Loving Our Neighbors During a Pandemic BOOKS The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon The Hopeful Neighborhood by Don Everts ARTICLES How to be a Compassionate Neighbor During a Global Health Crisis by Evelyn Allen 9 Ways to Love Your Neighbor in This Pandemic by Justin Early ORGANIZATIONS THAT NEED YOUR HELP Clarksburg Closet https://www.cedarbrook.org/clarksburgcloset Clarksburg CAN http://www.clarksburgcan.org Germantown Help https://germantownhelp.org Damascus Help http://damascushelp.org Upcounty Hub at Black Rock (Germantown) https://www.blackrockcenter.org/upcounty-hub Wumco Help (western MoCo Poolesville based org) https://wumcohelp.org A Wider Circle (Gaithersburg area) https://awidercircle.org Interfaith Works (down county - Rockville area) https://www.iworksmc.org Red Wiggler Community Farm (Clarksburg area) https://redwiggler.org NOTES COMMENTS hands page

EMPOWER: Missions Projects In October 2024, Pastor Jonathan encouraged the church family to take a survey to get a sense of how the church and her people were doing spiritually and personally. For the most part, the survey confirmed what we were already hearing and experiencing, but it also unveiled some areas of actionable intelligence that would strengthen and empower Cedarbrook to become radical in following Jesus on mission in this next year. Two insights from the survey which God is now positioning Cedarbrook to capitalize on related to this Empower initiative is as follows: 52% of all respondents said the church doesn’t provide adequate opportunities to help the suffering or marginalized in society 67% of all respondents said the church is not involved enough in addressing injustices in society The implications of each of these insights are as follows: There is a hunger within our Cedarbrook family to address societal issues as they relate to suffering and marginalized in society. We are uniquely positioned and have an opportunity to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). How can Cedarbrook capitalize on these insights? Bolster reach and effectiveness of Cedarbrook’s own relief ministries (Clarksburg Closet, Clarksburg CAN, public school outreach, etc) Develop and grow missions partnerships ministering the gospel and aid to suffering and marginalized people groups Bolstering Cedarbrook’s Own Relief Ministries Our volunteers are the heart of our benevolence and relief ministries, including Clarksburg Closet and Clarksburg CAN. However, their dedication is often stretched thin due to limited resources. To ensure we can continue to provide essential support to those in need, we aim to enhance our organizational capacity. This will allow our volunteers to spend more time connecting with individuals and less time on administrative tasks. Goals Q2: Digitize inbound requests and outbound fulfillment tracking Q4: Systematize volunteer recruiting and scheduling Developing partnerships ministering to marginalized people Similarly, our ability to minister to unreached, marginalized people groups is limited to the availability of our dedicated volunteers. As a church, we believe God is calling Cedarbrook to be a disciple-making, missional church committed to planting new churches in the Baltimore-Washington DC metro area and beyond with the goal of reaching unreached people groups with the love of Christ. Goals Q1: Expand and develop our lay missions team to be able to fully support existing local and international missions partnerships and grow our missions capacity Q3: Extend our local and international missions partnerships by 20% Q4: Identify and build capacity for two short term mission trips for 2026 GIVE

Week 9 MEETING GUIDE