T-Life Group Rhythms
Essential rhythms for transformational groups
Healthy, transformational groups grow through consistent practices that help people know Jesus, care for one another, and live out their faith.
This section will help you make room for Scripture, prayer, communion, and meaningful connection—both during your gatherings and throughout the week. Start with one rhythm your group needs to strengthen, and build from there.
What Belongs in a T-Life Group Gathering?
Make room for what matters.
T-Life Groups meet at least twice a month to grow in relationship with Jesus and experience community together. Your gatherings don’t have to look exactly alike, but these essential components help keep your time purposeful:
Relational connection: Create space for people to be known, welcomed, and cared for.
Scripture and application: Explore God’s Word together and talk about how to live it out.
Interactive conversation: Invite people to participate, ask questions, and learn from one another.
Prayer: Pray with, for, and over one another.
Relevant engagement: When prompted by T-Life Group ministry leadership, discuss opportunities to participate in the life and mission of Relevant.
Communion: Share communion at least three times a year. We typically invite groups to do this in February, June, and October.
Create an environment where people can engage
Aim for a welcoming, comfortable space with minimal distractions, where people feel safe to share honestly.
These components give your gatherings direction without requiring a rigid agenda. Be intentional about what you prepare, while staying attentive to the people in front of you.
Need help planning? Read Prepare for Your Gathering →
Prayer with, for and over One Another
Help your group grow comfortable talking with God together.
Prayer is an essential part of your group’s life together. You don’t need polished words or a complicated format. As a leader, you can model simple, honest prayer and help others feel comfortable participating.
Make time to pray
Leave enough time to pray together instead of letting prayer requests take up all the remaining minutes. Invite people to briefly share what they’d like prayer for, then bring those needs to God.
You might say: “Let’s each share a brief prayer request so we have time to actually pray for one another.”
Keep participation invitational
Some people are comfortable praying aloud; others are just beginning. Invite participation without putting anyone on the spot. Let people know they’re welcome to pray silently or pass.
Model short, conversational prayers that show people they don’t need special language to talk with God.
Try a simple rhythm
Choose an approach that fits your group:
Pray as a whole group. Invite volunteers to pray for the needs shared.
Pray in pairs or smaller groups. Give people more time to share and pray personally.
Pray from Scripture. Use a verse from your discussion to guide your response to God.
Pause and pray in the moment. When someone shares something significant, ask, “Would it be okay if we prayed for you right now?”
Include gratitude and growth
Along with asking for help, thank God for how He is working. Pray about what you’re learning, where you need courage to obey, and the people you hope to impact for Jesus.
Remember people between gatherings
Follow up on what someone shared: “I’ve been praying for you. How are things going?” Ask permission before sharing their request outside the group.
Small, consistent moments of prayer help your group learn to depend on God and care for one another.
Study & Application of Scripture
Help your group understand God’s Word and live it out.
Studying Scripture together creates opportunities to ask questions, learn from one another, and respond to what God is teaching us. Guide your group beyond discussing what a passage means to considering how it shapes everyday life.
Interactive Conversation
Make room for people to participate and learn together.
T-Life Group gatherings include conversation that invites people to share, ask questions, and listen to one another. As a leader, your role is to facilitate—not to do all the talking or have every answer.
Use the 20/80 principle as a helpful reminder: aim to speak about 20% of the time and make room for group members to contribute the other 80%. This isn’t a stopwatch rule; it’s a way to remember that everyone has something to bring.
Ask open-ended questions, allow time for people to think, and follow up with curiosity. Help the conversation stay connected to Scripture while making space for honest questions and different experiences.
Relational Connection
Help people know one another and experience community.
Relationships grow as people consistently make room for one another. During your gatherings, create opportunities for people to share about their lives, remember what others have shared, and offer encouragement.
Connection also continues between gatherings. Your Relational Ministry Action (RMA) rhythms help you intentionally care for the people you lead:
Two contacts each week: Reach out to group members outside your gathering to check in, encourage them, or follow up on a prayer request.
One appointment each month: Spend time with someone individually or in a small huddle to deepen relationships.
One Round Up each month: Bring people together for a shared church experience, such as attending a Sunday gathering together, Encounter, or Serve Day.
These rhythms help you know your people beyond what they share during group. Encourage members to build those relationships with one another, too, so care and connection become part of your group’s culture.
Relevant Engagement Conversations
Help your group stay connected to the life and mission of Relevant.
When asked by T-Life Group ministry leadership, make time during your gathering to discuss church-wide opportunities, initiatives, or next steps.
Use the information and direction provided to help your group understand what’s happening, why it matters, and how they can participate. Give people room to ask questions. If you don’t know an answer, follow up with your coach or Anna.
These conversations help your group see how their smaller community is part of what God is doing through Relevant.
Communion
Remember, self-examine, and praise Jesus together.
Communion helps us remember what Jesus has done and respond to Him together. The bread represents His body given for us, and the wine or juice represents His shed blood. As we take communion, we express our fellowship with Jesus and our unity with one another in Him.
T-Life Groups take communion at least three times a year. We typically invite groups to do this in February, June, and October.
Why We Take Communion
Remember
Remember Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins, His resurrection, and His promised return.
Self-Examine
Reflect on your relationship with Jesus. Is there sin to repent of or a next step He is inviting you to take? Reflect also on your relationships with His Church. Is there something to confess, someone to forgive, or a relationship to reconcile?
Praise
Praise Jesus for who He is, what He has done through His death and resurrection, and what He has promised to do.
Leading Communion in Your Group
Have bread and small cups of juice or wine ready before you begin. Gather everyone together and walk through these steps:
1. Explain
Briefly explain what communion is and why we take it. Use the explanation above to help your group understand what you’re doing together.
2. Self-Examine
Allow a few quiet minutes for people to pray and reflect on their relationship with Jesus and with one another. You may invite people to share what God has brought to mind, without requiring anyone to share publicly.
3. Challenge & Pray
Encourage everyone to surrender to Jesus as the Leader of their life and respond to whatever next step He is inviting them to take. Have one or more people pray for the group.
This can also be an opportunity to invite someone who has never put their faith in Jesus to respond to Him as the Forgiver of their sin and Leader of their life.
4. Distribute
Give each person a small piece of bread and a cup of juice or wine.
5. Serve
Read 1 Corinthians 11:23–24. Say, “This represents Christ’s body broken for you,” and eat together.
Then read 1 Corinthians 11:25–26. Say, “This represents Christ’s blood shed for you,” and drink together.
6. Praise
Close in prayer, praising Jesus for who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do.
Start with One Area to Strengthen
As you reflect on your group, which of these rhythms needs more intentional attention? Choose one practical action to take at your next group meeting or between meetings.
You don’t have to lead alone. Your coach and Anna are available to help you think through what your group needs and how to move forward.