Our Strategy

You, the Church & Care Groups

God has brought you into fellowship with Tabernacle of Joy. Although we are a large group of people, we are also a conglomerate of many small groups. The church community exists to help each other grow in our relationship with God and one another. In a large size group, it is difficult to ensure each member receives proper care. As such, at TJ, we have many care groups that are smaller in size. The purpose of these care groups is to form a godly community where care is given to each member, encouraging each other on this journey of spiritual growth and pursuit of God.

Purpose of Care Groups

By being in a Care Group, we discover our unique design and the way God has gifted us to bless the body of Christ. In doing so, we learn to love others by adding value to others through the talents and abilities God has gifted us with. At the foundation of all we do is the love of God that propels us to love Him back and to love what He loves.

Care Group Leaders

Every care group is headed by a care group leader and at least one assistant leader. These leaders are put in place to give you the pastoral care that every member in the body of Christ needs. Pastors in the church care for every member in the church through these care group leaders. These leaders are responsible for their member's growth and well being, always being connected to the Pastoral Leadership of the church, giving feedback and seeking counsel for the care of their members. Care group leaders are here to help every member in their journey in knowing God.

Care Group Members

This is you and me. As members, we make up the care group. Care groups are often grouped according to similar demographics and seasons of life. Within a group you might find new converts and others who are matured believers. The wonderful thing about care groups is the commitment to one another. It is not only the leader's role to cultivate growth in a member's life, but members also play a crucial role in spurring one another on to good works, looking out for one another, encouraging and also cautioning one another. This is all part of community and family life and the beauty of the body of Christ. We are all different but yet when we come together, we each have something to bless another with.

Our Journey

We begin this journey of growth by learning to trust God. This is foundational to our relationship with God. We discover His character and His ways and learn to trust Him more and more. Next, we discover how to honour God in our daily lives. In other words, our inward belief now takes on an outward expression. The overflow of God's reality in our lives naturally finds ways to serve God and others instead of ourselves. Our impact on the world is made when we invest more and more in the lives of others by making disciples.

Care Group Activities

Care group activities are designed to facilitate the growth process of every member. There are a range of meetings every care group member will participate in. There are formal meetings where the whole group comes together for a focused time of purposeful discussion, teaching or sharing. There are informal meetings where members spend time with one another building friendship and outreach activities where members bring unsaved friends into a non-intimidating community of believers. Leaders also meet with members one-on-one for a time of coaching, mentoring and deeper sharing. Meeting types are organic and are crafted according to the needs of the group and individual members.

Discipleship happens in these small group settings where Next Steps can be taught and DMLab resources can be used to facilitate conversation and discussion.

However, one must remember that every care group is part of a greater body. Involvement in a care group does not negate the need to be part of the bigger body. Every care group comes together for Sunday Service, Prayer Meetings and other main body ministry for the general direction and flow for the whole church.

For more information of care groups contact admin@tabjoy.org

We want to encourage you to

01

Show Up

02

Pursue God

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Join in

04

Be real

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Be the Church

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Be together

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:19

As a church, we are called to teach all nations and make disciples. God is looking for a church who will be committed to Him, a church of disciples.

The difference between a convert and a Disciple

We all begin our journey as new converts. A convert is a person who recognizes sin in his or her life and subsequently responds to the gospel by being born again according to Acts 2:38. The journey begins with faith and obedience but does not end there. A disciple then takes a step beyond his or her conversion in Christ.

A disciple is one who embraces and obeys all the teachings of Christ and endeavours by word and deed to make more disciples.

Disciples continue on the journey of pursuing God, allowing Him to transform them into the likeness of Christ from the inside out. That includes trusting in the ways of God and obeying His teachings. Being a disciple requires commitment to God and a lifestyle of obedience in following Him. In other words, belief is translated into an outward expression in the way they live, bringing honour to God alone.

Plan of Discipleship

Jesus commanded us to go and teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things that were told to them. The way every believer grows in spiritual maturity is to know the Word and apply it to their lives. This best happens in the community of small groups, where there are teachers and mentors who teach us the Word and exemplify how the Word can be lived out in our lives.

Discipleship happens in small groups through a 2-prong approach:

Systematic Approach

This is done through our discipleship program called Next Steps. Next Steps is a structured approach to disciple-making, using a standardised curricula to teach bible truths. These courses are conducted in classrooms of small groups and can be described in 3 categories:

Essential

Classes that deal with stages of Christian life are called "ESSENTIALS." These classes cover foundational principles for the Christian life, such as the love of God, prayer, giving, reading the Word, spiritual authority etc.

Enrichment

Classes that deal with different seasons of Christian life are called "ENRICHMENTS." An example of an enrichment type class would be classes on parenting, marriage, singleness etc. These are very specific seasons that might not apply to everyone but for some are crucial and relevant.

Equip

Classes that are designed to develop special skill sets in individuals so as to "EQUIP" them to do ministry. Classes include photography, graphic design, sound training, music training etc.

Find out more about Next Steps at nextsteps.tabjoy.org

Organic Approach

Discipleship happens best through relationship. While having a standardised approach is necessary, we must not forget the relational aspect of learning. In this approach, creating an environment of one-on-one interactions is key. We do this through our online platform called Disciples Maker's Lab (DMLab).

This platform has a variety of resources covering a wide spectrum of topics. Most of these resources are in short videos and come together with a set of discussion questions. The key in using this tool is to choose a video relevant to a specific need.

After watching the video together, mentor and mentee will share their thoughts in a meaningful way with each other. Each video is accompanied with suggested discussion questions to help encourage open sharing and reflection. This is a flexible and open way of learning that incorporates mentoring from a disciple-maker to a disciple.

This is what the discipleship journey looks like! God calls everyone and anyone who is willing to go on this personal journey of experiencing God and allowing Him to transform them into His likeness. It is filled with excitement and fulfilment!

Find out more about DMLab at dmlab.tabjoy.org