Melissa Joy Miller
Where Words & Art come together to
Create Beauty & Nourish Souls
Formerly called
Start your Own One Voice Group
“Experiencing “One Voice” with Melissa and several sisters in Christ stimulated my desire to learn more.
—Susan
Starting your own One Voice Group is simple and rewarding. Just gather a few friends who are ready to study the Bible together for 7-8 weeks. Choose the book of the Bible you want to study together, then start going through One Voice, practicing the skills you learn as you let the Holy Spirit teach and lead you all!
Jesus' instructions for disciples
Jesus gave us such a clear and simple formula for making disciples.
“Calling the Twelve to Him, He began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.”
Mark 6:7
I believe that by choosing to lead a group through this content, you have spent time sitting at the feet of Jesus, just like the disciples did. Now, you are being sent out, by the Spirit of God, to make disciples, calling people into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God. I hope that you can find someone to lead alongside you, to share the responsibilities of communicating with your group members and facilitating the discussion. I trust the Holy Spirit in you to gather your group and to lead them in the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. I am praying for you as you step out in faith that you will wear your spiritual armor well, and will have great wisdom and discernment as you facilitate your gatherings in the coming weeks.
I am here for you! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me. If you're interested in starting a group and want to talk it though and learn more, please email me and we can set up a zoom call!
I bless you as you lead others to heart of God,
Melissa
Tips for Facilitating a
One Voice Conversation
I’d like to offer a few thoughts for your consideration as you practically prepare to lead your sessions, and prepare those attending to know what to expect.
Worship
I like to begin each session with singing in order to align our hearts with the Lord in worship. I do this as an example, praying that each person will incorporate this rhythm into their own personal time with the Lord, whether they sing out loud, or echo the words of music they listen to. If you, or someone else in your group, feel comfortable beginning each gathering time with a simple song of worship, I encourage you to do that! (It is also a great way to get everyone in their place and start on time) Then, lead in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to be present, and give wisdom and counsel in your gathering.
Group Intro Questions
After taking time to worship and leading a prayer, if the members of the group are new friends, take a few minutes to get to know one-another. Here are 4 questions that I like to ask each person. You can write them on a sheet of paper and pass the questions around so they're easy to recall and answer. 1. Of all the places you might have lived, where have you lived the longest? 2. How would you describe the season of life you are currently in? 3. What is your favorite season of the year? 4. What do you hope will change in your life as a result of going through One Voice? Questions 2 and 4 are the most important for you , as the leader, to pay attention to. They will give you a glimpse into where each participant is in their life right now and what they are hoping and expecting from the One Voice study with you.
Timing
Let the ladies know what time you plan to start and end your discussion. It will be up to you to lead so that you start and end on time. If you would like to offer margin for catching up, consider inviting them to arrive 15 minutes early and/or stay after.
Bible Study Progression
If you’ve chosen to go through the book of Ephesians, you and your group can follow the schedule in the back of the book. Before they come to the first meetings, ask them to read the first 6 chapters and have their supplies with them the first night. They will practice the skills in the week following the first meeting. They will also read the next chapter in preparation for your second gathering, and so forth. If you have chosen to study another book, which is great, you need to clarify for everyone what chapter or verses to study each week. I encourage you to create a simple document that lists the book of the Bible, the dates of each session, and what they need to read in preparation for each session. Be careful not to choose a book that is too long for the purposes of this study. You want them to work at getting comfortable using these skills without being overwhelmed with too many chapters in the Bible to cover.
Conversation Purpose and Objective
At the beginning of your first meeting, take a couple minutes to clarify the purpose and objective of your conversations so that the ladies know how to use their time when it’s their turn to share. They will also know what to bring up during the chatting time that you’ve built in. Purpose - To give each person a chance to talk about their progress with the new material each week and to share what the Holy Spirit taught them. Objective - To give each lady a chance to share so that the group can benefit from what the Spirit taught each person. As a leader, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you as you facilitate the conversation each week. Your primary goal is to give each person a chance to share what the Spirit taught them that week. If you find that the conversation takes a turn away from the objectives, or that one person seems to be going down a rabbit trail that could be reserved for the chatting time, you can gently express appreciation for what’s on their mind. Validate what they are going through, then ask if you can keep talking about it at the end. (Then remember to ask them about it once everyone has been dismissed) Redirect your attention to someone who hasn’t shared yet and ask, “ {name}, what did the Lord teach you this week?” Or, “{Name}, how did this week’s One Voice chapter and Bible study go for you this week”. “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10
Gathering Progression
As the leader, it is up to you to use the time well. Here is an example to follow. Worship Prayer Briefly review the last chapter and the new concepts everyone was practicing that week as they studied the assigned chapters. Open the discussion by asking, “How did your study go this week, and what did the Holy Spirit teach you?” *If there is silence at first, that’s ok. The Holy Spirit speaks well in silence. Let it linger, perhaps longer than you’re comfortable with, before making eye contact and calling on someone who looks ready to share. Once everyone has had a chance to share, briefly remind them to read the next chapter in One Voice, and the next chapter(s) in your chosen Bible study. 6. Benediction
Questions and Theological Discussion
I hope and pray that practicing the skills in One Voice will prompt questions and deep theological thoughts! It is so tempting, because it’s so fun, to process and teach to these topics when they come up in a gathering. However, remember, the goal in One Voice is not to be the teacher. The goal is to provide the space for each member to go through the, often uncomfortable, process of learning to let the Holy Spirit be the teacher. So, when questions about Biblical content arise, affirm that having questions is a sure sign that they are growing! Then encourage them to write their question(s) in their binder so that the Holy Spirit can teach them in His way and His time. You’re teaching them to be comfortable with not running to get the answers from other teachers, but to rest in the ‘unknowing’ while they wait for the Holy Spirit. You’re trusting that the Holy Spirit will teach them well, and when He does, it will sink into their souls so much deeper than when we teach them. The same is true for theological discussions. These are good inasmuch as people are sharing what they are learning, and the topics and truths they are wrestling with. Instruct the ladies in the beginning and help them refrain from commenting and adding onto what the others are sharing, unless it is just what they have been learning themselves, that week.
Benediction
On the last page of the book, I have included the blessing that was given to Aaron and his sons. They were to pronounce this blessing over the Israelites so that God would put His name on the Israelites and bless them. (Number 6:27) It is a beautiful way to bless one-another before you end each week’s gathering. I encourage you to ask your group to refer to that page and read it all together at the end of each gathering. By the end, they will likely have it memorized.
"Leadership is influence.
No More.
No Less"
-John Maxwell
Suggestion for Group
Bible Study
Week 1. Chapters 1-6 (Since these are for preparation)
Chapter 1 — Introduction
Chapter 2 — Getting Organized
Chapter 3 — Prepare to Listen
Chapter 4 — Prepare to Write
Chapter 5 — Prepare to Study God’s Words
Chapter 6 — Prepare to Detour
Week 2. Chapter 7 — Who Does God Say He Is?
Week 3. Chapter 8 — Who Does God Say I Am?
Week 4. Chapter 9 — What is the Gospel?
Week 5. Chapter 10 — The Truth About Lies
Week 6. Chapter 11 — Faith Over Fear
Week 7. Chapter 12 — Resolved
Chapter 13 —To Be Continued…
Each week, briefly talk through the assigned chapter(s) in the
book. Then, update each other on your progress.
After taking through the content of the book, your primary questions is,
"What did the Holy Spirit teach you this week?"
I believe the One Voice study has equipped me to walk in a daily sustained freedom in Christ.”
—Stefani
“I recommend this method of studying the Word of God for people of all ages and walks of life.
— Shera
