Huddle FAQs

A Huddle is a gender-specific closed group of 2 to 5 believers (including the leader) who meet together weekly for the purpose of focused spiritual transformation. A person joins Huddle by invitation only and commits to a duration of time.

While City Groups and Studies exist for the purposes of community growth and fellowship, they are an entrance into community. City Groups and Studies are designed for all to get involved in the group, and additionally, in the church. A Huddle, on the other hand, consists of believers who desire a deeper walk with Christ. A Huddle makes disciples who will then go on to make more disciples.

The format of a Huddle is not one of a teacher-student, but a round table discussion. A discipleship relationship is “more personal, more practical, and more powerful. A teacher shares information, while a discipler shares life; a teacher aims for the head, while a discipler aims for the heart; a teacher measures knowledge, while a discipler measures faith; a teacher is an authority, and a discipler is a servant. This blueprint, sketched by Jesus Christ through His personal example, is how discipleship is accomplished in the lives of believers, and, ultimately, within the local church.” - The Invested Life, Joel Rosenberg and T.E. Koshy

The only absolute requirement for leading a Huddle is that you be intentionally pursuing Christ. As such, you have the tools you need to lead a Huddle.

As a Huddle Leader, you set the tone of the group’s atmosphere. You are not lecturing students; you are cultivating an intimate, accountable relationship with a few close friends. A Huddle is personal, practical, and powerful. A teacher shares information, while a discipler aims for the heart; a teacher measures knowledge, while a discipler measures faith; and a teacher is an authority, while a discipler is a servant. - The Invested Life, Joel Rosenberg and T.E. Koshy

Because accountability works well in a smaller setting, the ideal size of a disciple-making group is 2 to 5 total. We recommend that you do not have more than 5.  If your Huddle grows larger, it will be more effective to multiply so that everyone has time to share and less chance to hide.  Remember, the purpose is to have a space to be fully known and this takes time, intentionality and trust.

The first step in establishing a formal disciple-making relationship is choosing disciples. Jesus, our example in selecting disciples, spent time in prayer before selecting men (Luke 6:12-16). The word disciple means learner. Begin by asking God to send you a group of men or women who have a desire to learn and grow as you follow Jesus.

Your Huddle should consist of F.A.T. believers: Faithful, Available, and Teachable. A faithful person is dedicated, trustworthy, and committed. Consider a potential disciple’s faithfulness by observing other areas of his/her spiritual life, such as church attendance, City Group involvement, or service in the church. Faithfulness is determined by a commitment to spiritual things.

Discern an individual’s availability by his willingness to meet with and invest in others. Does this person carve out time to listen, study, and learn from others? Is he accessible when called upon? Does she have a regular time with God of reading the Word and praying? Availability is measured by a willingness to serve God.

A teachable person has a desire to learn and apply what is taught. One who is teachable is open to correction. Recognize teachability by observing one’s response to God’s Word. A teachable person not only listens to what is taught, but also applies it to his or her life.

After discerning that an individual is faithful, available, and teachable, prayerfully approach him or her and ask, “Would you be interested in studying the Bible, praying together and being in a community of vulnerability?” Many people are open to that. All you have to do is ask. We don’t recommend that you say, “Would you like for me to disciple you?” as this question may come across in a derogatory manner. Keep in mind that men should disciple men, and women should disciple women.

Find a meeting place away from the church. Restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, diners, and homes are all good options. Meeting outside the church in the community encourages your group members to publicize their faith, teaching them it is okay to read the Bible at a restaurant or pray in public. Be sure to select a place that is convenient to all group members.

If you are able, meet once a week for about an hour to an hour and a half. You can meet more frequently or less frequently depending on your season of life, but if you meet less than once a week, it will take longer to build bonds of trust.  It is important to remember that discipleship is about the relationship between you and your group members, not about checking a requirement box. Disciple-making is a way of life, not a program.

Yes, and it is not negotiable. The first time you meet with a potential group, explain how important it is to commit to the Huddle. Allow potential disciples to opt out of the group on the front end after understanding the expectations spelled out in the beginning. Remember, you are looking for people who want to be discipled, people who have a desire to grow and learn. An unwillingness to commit reveals that they are not ready to be in a Huddle.

Here are some elements that your weekly meetings can include:

• Open with prayer. Ask each person to share one prayer request at the start of each meeting. Assign a person to pray over the requests and ask the Lord to sharpen each of you through your relationship.
• Have a time of intentional conversation by briefly sharing the highs and lows of the week. You can also share celebrations and praises. Discuss what the Lord is teaching each individual for that week.
• Check in on your personal spiritual disciplines.
• Share what the Lord is revealing to you in his word.
• Choose a discipleship book that challenges the Huddle and discuss one interesting point from the weekly reading.
• Invite confession of sin and secrets.
• Share prayer requests and close with praise and prayer:
Where have you seen God at work in your life this week? Who in the group do you need to encourage today? How can the group pray for you? Who are you seeking to share the gospel with and how can we pray for them?
• Application questions that facilitate discussion:
  
  • What are you hearing from God, and how are you responding?
  • What is God teaching you, and how is it affecting your life?
  • What promise can you claim?
  • Is there an action or attitude to avoid?
  • What is the overall principle to apply?

We all sin and we all need to repent of that sin. Each person confesses how you have sinned against God this past week and then repent (turn) from your sin. Encourage one another to believe and respond to the good news of the gospel. Questions to ask:

• What are you trusting in besides God?
• How have you been resisting God?
• What is isolating you from God and other relationships?
• How have you been stewarding your time?
• Is there anything you are tempted to keep secret?
• How has anger, anxiety, fear or shame shown up this week?
• Are you in conflict with anyone?

• Practice it yourself.
  James 5:16 says to confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. Why? So that you may be healed. Confessing to others where you fall short of the glory of God or build your own kingdom rather than resting in Jesus brings healing! This practice of regular confession in the presence of other believers allows us to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to encourage and exhort one another in the Gospel.
• Place the focus on Jesus
  Biblical confession is never meant to be shameful and moralistic, starting and ending with how we’ve messed up. Biblical confession is meant to be grace-filled and gospel-driven, acknowledging our brokenness and need of a Savior. We are to be ambassadors of God, teaching and admonishing others in all wisdom with the Gospel, singing and praising God in thanksgiving for the radical grace He has shown us.
• Prioritize time for it
  To the degree that we intentionally set time aside to confess our sin, internally to God and externally to others, to that same degree we will find it harder and harder to grieve the Spirit by holding onto an unrepentant heart. Confession and repentance feed off each other – biblical confession leads to true repentance and true repentance gives you a greater and clearer picture of just how wide the chasm is between you and God, and thus just how wide the cross of Jesus is.
• Pursue repentance
  How we approach confession is crucial to how we repent – are we nurturing a community of worldly grief or godly grief during confession? Repentance isn’t simply a box to check off, but it’s a lifestyle of continually taking on a posture of humility, and it’s for our good and God’s glory. He loves us so much he desires for us to walk in ways that lead to our flourishing.  When we repent, we are agreeing with God that his way is good, beautiful and true.
  In repenting, we see the glorious grace God shows us time and again – Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us to approach the throne of grace in confidence, knowing that those who are willing to turn from their sin receive full acceptance in Jesus Christ. This is true whether it is our first time turning from our sin or the 10,000th time. What good news! Our confidence is Christ’s faithfulness, and He was faithful – completely. Therefore, because of His life, death, and resurrection, we have access to complete unending grace from the Father!
• Build a culture of safety.  Giving others our undivided presence, listening well, avoiding advice-giving or fixing and keeping confidences provides the loving environment needed for people to come out of hiding.
• Pray
  While it may seem simple, something often overlooked is prayer. James 5:16 doesn’t simply tell us to confess our sins to one another, but to pray for one another. That’s because prayer is powerful and prayer works! It’s only God that can change the human heart and stir our affections for Jesus. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit to convict hearts, both ours and others, and to lead them to repentance.

A disciple is someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him in his or her daily life. It means that we want to learn from His teaching and from the model He gave us as we strive to put God’s Word into action with God’s help. To disciple others means we are helping others to do the same.

There is no shame in not knowing all of the answers to every question. Simply admit that you don’t have all the answers, but the group can discover the answers together. Ask your pastor or another spiritual leader to help you with the answer. Never give the impression that you have all the answers.

These are some reasons for asking someone to leave the group: they don’t possess a teachable spirit, they are not faithful to attend meetings, they are not participating in Bible reading, they are living a lifestyle of blatant and unrepentant sin.

Teachability is an indispensable quality for growth. One situation where someone may be asked to leave is if he or she monopolizes the group discussion week after week. Begin by having a conversation with the person. See this as a discipleship opportunity. They may listen to your feedback and change. However, if they don’t, it may be time to ask them to leave the Huddle for sake of the overall health of the Huddle.