Introduction

The booklet is based on three important truths.
1) Everyone is very valuable in God’s sight. God has made this clear to us many times in the Bible. For example, Jesus says, “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:40) Jesus looks at the way we treat the least respected person in our lives as if that is the way we treat Him.
2) Every Christian has been called to love their brothers and sisters, serve others, and grow in Christ. Every believer has something stirring, maybe very deep in their heart, moving them to love, service, and growth. In the first chapter, we’ll look at some specific commands that show God wants us all to love, serve, and grow.
3) God has called leaders to help their brothers and sisters love, serve, and grow. Paul wrote, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Unfortunately, the church sometimes tends to create spectators who watch others preach, sing, and serve. Some are spectators because no one has tapped into the passion that is in their heart. Others are spectators because they choose to draw back because of fear, complacency, or past disappointments. Still others get overlooked, maybe because someone thinks they are too young, too old, or lacking ability. Leaders have the privilege and responsibility to help people move from being spectators to really living a Christian life.
The strategy of Mercy Night is to make teams the primary spot for helping people love, serve, and grow. The goal of this booklet is to help team leaders and future team leaders for Mercy Night see how they can develop a group of 4 to 12 people who will love, grow, and serve together.