Welcome back to Zúme Training. In this session, we’ll learn how a 3/3 (NOTE: PRONOUNCE AS “Three-Thirds”) Group is a method of meeting that helps followers of Jesus help one another follow Jesus more closely.
Jesus said -- “where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” That’s a powerful promise, and one that every follower of Jesus should take advantage of. But when you come together as a group, how should you spend your time?
A 3/3 (NOTE: PRONOUNCE AS “Three-Thirds”) Group is one that divides their time together into 3 parts, so that they can practice obeying some of the most important things that Jesus commands.
This is how it works:
In this session your group will be guided through a SHORT version of a 3/3 group to help prepare you for a FULL version in real life. Remember the session on spiritual breathing? Breathe in, hear from God. Breathe out, obey what you hear and share it with others. That’s what a 3/3rds group is all about. A 3/3 Group is one that divides their time together into 3 parts, so that they can practice hearing from God and obeying and sharing some of the most important things that Jesus commands.
This practice session should last a little over an hour, and it will move quickly. If you have a large group or one that likes deep discussions, you might want to ask one member of the group to help keep you on track with a watch or timer.
In real life, these steps will move at a slower pace, but while you’re practicing be sure to keep going so you don’t run out of time. Don’t skip any steps - they’re all important!
Remember a 3/3 Group is not the same as a Bible Study - that's on purpose! Treat this experience as an opportunity to learn a NEW way to meet and see what good God has planned for your time together. Ready to go? Let’s get started!
We’ll spend the first third of our time looking back by caring for each other through giving thanks, sharing our struggles and praying for other members of our group. We’ll also check in to see if each person in the group has had the opportunity to obey and share what they learned the last time we were together.
Step One - “Giving Thanks.”
Take some time to have each person share something they are thankful for. Push pause on this video and do that right now… Are you still there? Really, we want you to hit pause, and have each person in your group share something you’re thankful to God for. We’ll be here when you get back. (2 minutes)
Step Two - “Sharing your Struggles” and “Praying for One Another.”
Now have each person in your group briefly share something they are struggling with. Have someone else pray for them about what they share. Press pause, then share and pray. (8 minutes)
Step Three - “Focusing the Group.”
Every time you meet, you’ll want to take time and remember why you’re together - to love God, to love others, to share Jesus, and help others share Him too. There are lots of ways to focus the group on the mission, but for this practice session have someone read Matthew 22:37-38 out loud to the group. Press pause, then read. (2 minutes)
Step Four - “Checking In.”
This is the part that some groups want to skip, because it means asking questions that can sometimes be hard. Please don’t skip.
Jesus loved His followers enough to ask hard questions. If we want to be like Jesus, we should love one another enough to do that, too. In this step, you’ll have each person in the group report on whether they obeyed what they heard.
God ask them to do the last time you were together. In each Zúme session, we’ve modeled these commitments in our Looking Forward step where we ask you to Obey, Share, and Pray. We model accountability in our Looking Back step where we ask you to Check-In on those same commitments.
If you haven’t been spending a lot of time on these steps up to now in the training, this is a good time to start.
Part of loving God is to obey what He tells us. Part of loving one another means helping someone obey what they hear from God. Love means taking someone’s commitments seriously - and showing them love graciously - all at the same time.
Press pause and have each person answer the following questions:
(12 minutes)
As we finish up the Looking Back section of our 3/3 group, here’s something to help your sessions go even better:
ZÚME COACHING TIP
Sometimes in a group, one person might be the one who ends up talking most of the time. Don’t let this happen. Everyone in the group has value, so make sure everyone gets a chance to share. If others aren’t getting a chance to speak, gently remind whoever’s talking the most that each person should be heard.
During the middle third of our time together, we invite God’s Holy Spirit to lead our group to better understand God’s Word. We’ll read a passage from the Bible out loud and then ask and answer some simple questions as a group to help explore and understand better God’s purposes and plans
Step One - Invite God’s Holy Spirit to Lead
Take a moment to pray. Talk with God simply and briefly. Ask His Holy Spirit to teach you from the passage you are about to read. Press pause and pray. (2 minutes)
Step Two - Read God’s Word and Ask Questions
Have someone in the group read from the Bible. For this practice session, read Luke 18:9-14. When you’ve finished reading, the group should answer these two questions:
If there are oral learners - people who don’t read well or prefer to learn by hearing - in your group, make sure you read through the passage at least twice.
Press pause, then read and answer the questions. (10 minutes)
Now have someone else read the same passage a second time, and then have the group answer these two questions:
Remember stick to the passage and keep it simple! (10 minutes)
That’s the end of the Looking Up section of our 3/3 group, and here’s something to help your sessions go even better:
ZÚME COACHING TIP
When you’re studying God’s Word, focus on His words instead of other books, teachers, or opinions. Instead of asking, “What do you think this means?” ask “What does this passage say?” If someone in your group likes to teach, gently remind them that God’s Holy Spirit and perfect Word can teach the group. We’re all here to learn, together. And don’t be afraid of silence or a pause in the discussion. God is working even when it’s quiet. Stay focused on His Word, stick to the passage, and trust God to do the rest.
In the last third of our time, we’ll focus on looking forward to discover how we can obey and train others by what we’ve learned from God’s word. Each member of the group asks God a few simple questions and then waits for His answer in prayer. Then we share and practice our commitments and pray to end our time, together.
Step 1 - Praying for God’s Purpose
Have each person in your group pray silently and ask God these questions:
Press pause and then pray. (5 minutes)
Ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you specific answers, specific names, and specific steps that you can take in the time between now and when your group meets again.
Step 2 - Gathering Commitments
Ask each person in your group to share what they heard from the Lord for each question. Someone may not have heard anything from the Lord on one, two, or even all three questions. They can simply report that they didn’t hear.
But remember, the group should hear from the Lord. Jesus said - “My sheep hear My voice.” And the more specific your obedience steps are, the easier it will be to obey them before we meet again.
Press pause, and then share what you’ve heard. (10 minutes)
Step 3 - Practicing your Plan
Before you end your time together, have your 3/3 Group break into smaller groups of two or three and practice what you’ve heard the Lord ask you to do.
Remember - practice isn’t obeying, training or sharing, but it does get you ready to do those things better. Have each smaller group end its practice time together in prayer. Pray specifically for those people and plans God has put on your hearts.
If you have oral-learners in the group, set aside part of your practice time to re-read the passage of God’s Word you read earlier. This will help the entire group be ready to share with others they meet between meetings.
Press pause, then break into groups to practice and pray. Anyone who doesn’t have specific commitments should practice sharing their testimony story or God’s Story. (10 minutes)
COMPLETING OUR TIME TOGETHER
As you bring your group back together, take a moment to celebrate! You’ve completed the Looking Forward section and have now practiced the entire 3/3 Group format.
Your group will continue to practice without this video guide in later sessions. Be sure to take turns letting others guide the group through the process. You don’t have to be a gifted teacher, just follow these simple steps. Before you go, here’s one more suggestion to help your sessions go even better:
ZÚME COACHING TIP
Around the world, 3/3rds groups often share the Lord’s Supper, or a meal and more casual conversations as part of their time together. God gave us this kind of fellowship -- intentional learning and growth and intentional living and relationship to help strengthen, encourage, and build us up to be more like His Son, Jesus.
And that's it - your group has now practiced all three parts -- Looking Back to check in on what we've accomplished since the last time we met, Looking Up to understand what God has for us to learn in this time together, and Looking Forward to put into action what God has put on our hearts while we're apart.
3/3 Groups - a simple and practical way to meet that helps us become more like Jesus.