What is a TRIO?
A TRIO is 2-4 Christ-followers who have committed themselves to share LIFE, SCRIPTURE, PRAYER & MISSION through intentional friendship, thus becoming increasingly dedicated followers of Christ.
TRIOs are self-organised and are comprised of same-sex Christ-followers choosing to commit themselves to meet with one another regularly.
Each group finds a healthy rhythm that is light enough not to be a burden and yet regular enough to significantly influence their lives.
We believe it is God’s will for us to have close, intentional relationships that help us to grow in our relationship with God and faith, obedience and love. After all, we were made in the image of God, who has always been in an eternal relationship, Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 teaches us that two people are better than one and that three are even better when it comes to being faithful and fruitful through all of life.
What do you do in a TRIO?
Every TRIO will be different because we are all unique, and so each group will find their rhythms that breathe life and momentum into the relationships. As the church, we do not specify a curriculum to follow but do encourage there to be balance in the four elements that TRIOs form around:
Share Life: Get to know one another’s lives, struggles, hopes, dreams, fears, weaknesses, gifts…This takes time and vulnerability. Regular meetings & regular communication with each other are essential for this depth of relationship to grow. The more you share vulnerably, the more impact you will have in each other’s lives.
Share Scripture: There are many ways to do this, but committing as a TRIO to the Reconciliation Road Church Bible Reading Plan is one way we recommend. Sharing Scripture can also be done by discussing and applying the Sunday message together or by reading a book together based on Scripture. TRIOs help us to anchor our lives on regular Scripture reading & meditation.
Share Prayer: Pray when you’re together and when you’re not, keeping in contact through messaging at key moments in life when you can stand and pray for one another.
Share Mission: TRIO members help one another get onto God’s agenda for their lives, urging one another to live wholeheartedly for Him who died for us (2 Cor 5:15). TRIO members seek to activate all the gifts God has given each one of us, using them to build up Jesus’ church & spurring one another to commit to the church’s rhythms & to sharing your faith at every opportunity.
Who Should be in a TRIO?
Our desire is for every member of Reconciliation Road Church to be committed to a TRIO or a Community Group or both if that is feasible.
How to start one?
- Acknowledge God’s wisdom! Agree with God that two are better than one and that three are unbreakable. Recognise the value that being in a TRIO would add to your follow-ship of Christ.
- Recognise friendship as a dynamic and mysterious blend of serendipity, intentionality, vulnerability and risk. Speaking to someone else, trying to initiate a TRIO, can be a vulnerable thing, but it is worth it! “The best things in life are on the other side of a difficult conversation.”
- Pray and ask God to lead you to some true spiritual friends in the church, people with whom you can grow and share life, Scripture, prayer & mission together.
- Act by initiating a conversation about starting a TRIO with one or two other people
- Commit to meeting together and growing in vulnerability as a group of friends. Be patient and intentional as you increasingly share life, Scripture, prayer & mission. Invest the time needed to get to know each other’s hopes, fears, dreams, and weaknesses.
Trio Discussion Starters: These helpful discussion starters are intended to help you discuss things that will spur each other on as you seek to follow Jesus. You don’t need to do them every time you meet & you don’t need to do them all – they are simply a resource. You can download and keep this on your phone:
Each TRIO member takes a turn in asking one of these questions of another group member. Once they have answered, they then take a turn to ask any one of these questions of another member, repeating this pattern for some time and then praying for one another.