This is an art, not a science. That being said, most churches that need this material will show similar characteristics. They will have some or all of the following elements in their current church life: They are hard-hearted (calloused), contentious, rebellious against God-ordained authority, fatigued, busybodies, unfocused, operating out of a sense of duty or obligation, and without joy and celebration. Churches that definitely need this would include ones who are “stuck” in their preferences, operate in their own agenda, have power dynamics at work, or are functioning in a codependent way with immature leaders who insist on having their own way. On a less dramatic note, if the church’s life in Christ has become stale, dry, routine, boring —or worse, if they are angry, frustrated, and miserable— then this workshop would be a good starting place for them. 

Only you know how ready your congregation is for a study like this. If your people are eager, then I suggest you do all four sessions (give or take, four hours in length total), back-to-back in a workshop format. Claude King and I would both affirm that all four sessions would be in the best interest of the church. However, there may be situations where it is better or even prudent to do a shorter one, two, or three-session format. If they need a slower pace to digest the material, do them in a weekly fashion over the course of a month. If they are only ready to be introduced to the concept, then do a one-session overview and reflect on their results before you do more. 

I cannot say this strongly enough, though: Please do not choose to do the one-hour overview simply to rush through the material and complete it! That’s diametrically opposed to what we’re hoping to accomplish here—the spending of time with God, the wooing of the Spirit, and the yearning to return to a closer relationship with Jesus than we have currently. You cannot rush the process; however, we do hope your congregation will make the most of it. 

It would be best, in our opinion, for the pastor to experience the material first, if he is going to lead the workshop himself. Then, he can lead the church through the study in a subsequent opportunity. However, if he brings in an outsider to lead the study, then the leadership of the church—including the pastor—would be a good place to start before others participate. A follow-up offering would allow the entire church to go through the workshop, as needed and desired. 

It is likely best to have this individual be a part of the group study. However, you will certainly want to saturate your study in preparatory prayer, especially for this person and his or her involvement. Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction and repentance to the heart of this individual. In addition, you may want to personally meet with him or her beforehand to make sure the purpose of the study is understood and that the appropriate expectations are met. Do not let a troublemaker hijack the group dynamic with bullying or offensive behavior. Keep on track as there is little time to digress or follow rabbit trails. Be sure to have another elder or deacon prepared to help you if the person in question begins to cause difficulty for the rest of the group. 

In the first place, this practice is fundamental to the “remembering” nature of what must happen in the hearts of God’s people. Many have likely not reflected on Jesus’ gift of salvation in many, many years. They have forgotten, or taken for granted, the precious nature of God’s grace in redeeming them. In the second place, it may surface some unregenerate members in your church, as they will not have a Jesus story to tell or remember. This may, in fact, be the reason your church finds itself in the situation it is in and why it is not in love with Jesus as it should be. 

In our opinion, absolutely not. Repentance is a missing ingredient in most local churches today. In the passage of Scripture foundational to this particular study, it is critical. In fact, it could be argued that without it, the church cannot return to the love relationship with Jesus that its people need. There is a spiritual reason, as opposed to other reasons, the church is in the situation it now faces. Repentance is God’s antidote to correct this course and move the church back to a place of following Him in the right direction. 

The action plans are what make this experience more than simply an intellectual exercise. They move the church into action. Behavior is evidence of heart transformation. So make sure that the learning experience is completed with follow-up actions for those involved. Hopefully, these will include spiritual disciplines and church unity events that will help the body move closer and more joyfully toward Christ. This may even mean giving yourself permission to eliminate some things from your personal or collective calendar to focus more clearly on your relationship with Christ. 

No, they are not a necessity, but rather a reinforcement of the truths already shared. However, visual and musical elements “speak” to a different part of our brain, and, often, to our heart. They evoke emotion, as well. If our whole being is to love God first, then we must move beyond only the mind, to involve the emotive, the kinetic, and even the behavioral, as well. You may find better videos and if so, by all means, use them! However, the objective with the workshop material is to not only satisfy the mind, but to move beyond it, and satisfy the heart and to let the Holy Spirit bring His transformation to our entire being and to the church, which belongs to Jesus Christ, for His glory and honor and for our good.