Resource Spotlight:
Strengthened Through Groups September 2019 - Danah Himes
As a minister to college students, deep and meaningful conversations are a regular part of my life. I work in an environment that is spiritually nurturing and fulfilling. When I get home I am content to shift into the roles of wife and mom and I tend to be satisfied by simply doing life together. Fortunately, our family rhythms include seasons of my husband and me being in a Small Group, together. Usually when we are approaching that time to start back up, being in a Group can feel like another “thing” to add to the weekly calendar, and, for me, an unnecessary thing. Until we get started.
It did not take long to realize that being in a Group, together, is good for our marriage. Every week we come together around a theme related to our faith or passage of scripture. We are asked questions, reflect and share our thoughts and experiences. We take time to consider how we need prayer, and we pray in group. We are given space to sit...with all distractions, to-do lists, and children aside. We listen to one another. We continue to get to know each other: how we think, how we process, how we feel, how we encourage and minister to others, how we need prayer.
Sometimes buried stuff comes to the surface in group…a source of tension, unrealized emotions, a marital struggle we haven’t acknowledged yet. But every week driving home from Life Group I feel closer to my husband. By having this weekly time to slow down, reflect, and engage in deep and meaningful conversations together, we allow space for the Spirit to help us see one another through His eyes. We are reminded of the real purpose of marriage and how blessed we are to have one another. Like Priscilla and Aquilla (Acts 18) we experience the joy of sharing life, marriage, and God’s kingdom purposes…together.
Strengthened Through Groups September 2019 - Danah Himes
As a minister to college students, deep and meaningful conversations are a regular part of my life. I work in an environment that is spiritually nurturing and fulfilling. When I get home I am content to shift into the roles of wife and mom and I tend to be satisfied by simply doing life together. Fortunately, our family rhythms include seasons of my husband and me being in a Small Group, together. Usually when we are approaching that time to start back up, being in a Group can feel like another “thing” to add to the weekly calendar, and, for me, an unnecessary thing. Until we get started.
It did not take long to realize that being in a Group, together, is good for our marriage. Every week we come together around a theme related to our faith or passage of scripture. We are asked questions, reflect and share our thoughts and experiences. We take time to consider how we need prayer, and we pray in group. We are given space to sit...with all distractions, to-do lists, and children aside. We listen to one another. We continue to get to know each other: how we think, how we process, how we feel, how we encourage and minister to others, how we need prayer.
Sometimes buried stuff comes to the surface in group…a source of tension, unrealized emotions, a marital struggle we haven’t acknowledged yet. But every week driving home from Life Group I feel closer to my husband. By having this weekly time to slow down, reflect, and engage in deep and meaningful conversations together, we allow space for the Spirit to help us see one another through His eyes. We are reminded of the real purpose of marriage and how blessed we are to have one another. Like Priscilla and Aquilla (Acts 18) we experience the joy of sharing life, marriage, and God’s kingdom purposes…together.
The Path to Maturity August 2019 - Brad Himes
Recently I had the opportunity to write for Christian Standard's The Lookout magazine. The topic was on spiritual maturity.
Spiritual maturity is a challenging topic, but one that all followers of Christ must earnestly pursue. It's important we reflect on our journey and take steps to grow in our faith. In addition to growing in our own faith we need to be involved in the lives of others as our faith is not meant to be lived out in solitude. Jesus calls all who follow him to be disciples who make disciples.
Groups are an excellent opportunity to invest in our own (and others) development of spiritual maturity. Much like many aspects of our faith, this is a lifelong journey so let's choose the path to maturity.
To learn more you can read the article below, just click "Download File". Also, The Lookout magazine is offering a free download for the entire issue, click here to check it out!
| The Path to Maturity - Brad Himes |
What's Really Happening in Your Groups? July 2019
How would you know if your group is healthy? Would you base it on attendance, commitment level, or study type? How about the involvement of group members engaging in group prayer or reaching others outside of the church?
Pastor Jason Sniff, Dr. Ryan Hartwig, and Dr. Courtney Davis have been collecting data from hundreds of groups over the past few years and have identified areas where we need to be on the lookout. A small snippet of their findings can be found here with more details coming soon.
We encourage you to spend some time reflecting on their findings and consider what is really happening in your group(s)
Refocus Your Group January 2019
It’s a New Year and new semester for groups. Whether you are leading a group that is just getting started, or your group has been together for a few semesters, now is a great time to refocus your group's commitment and expectations .
At the beginning of each series, we like to take a few minutes to review our schedule, introduce the study, and discuss some of the group ground rules. Reviewing the ground rules helps to (re)focus the group on topics that if not discussed, have the potential to damage the relationships within the group. Remember, the leader(s) sets the pace in the group and by reviewing these expectations, the group has a much greater opportunity to build trust and respect even when differences of opinions arise.
TIP: Provide a copy to each member in your group and when talking about the ground rules, be sure to approach it from a compassionate but serious perspective.
Click below to download our FREE “INTRO SHEET” template. Revise and edit it to fit your needs. It includes sections for your schedule, childcare instructions, ground rules, and more! NOTE: Click here to contact us if you need it in a different format other than Microsoft Word.
| Intro Sheet - The Groups Conference |
Christmas Witness December 2018 - Brad Himes
I was recently asked to write an article for Christian Standard’s: The Lookout magazine. The topic was on being a witness during the Christmas season.
As I reflected on the topic, I realized how it can be challenging at Christmas to focus on what matters most. The two topics that kept coming to mind were: avoiding distractions and living out our faith.
The Christmas season is strange when it comes to distractions. For example, the very person who we celebrate is pushed aside by our overwhelming desire to chase after activities, tasks, and general holiday busyness. On the other hand, it is easy for us to become so caught up with our distractions that we miss sharing with others WHY we celebrate at all. Our conversations stay on the surface level and we overlook (or sometimes ignore) opportunities to live out our faith.
You can read the article below, just click "Download File". Included in the article are tips on “how to tune out the noise” and to ”live out our faith”. Also, The Lookout magazine is offering a free download for the entire issue, click here to check it out!
| Christmas Witness - Brad Himes |
What Others Believe November 2018
Danah Himes, one of our past speakers here at The Groups Conference, was recently asked to write an article for Christian Standard's: The Lookout magazine. Issue 12 in 2018 focuses on the theme of how the church grows through a variety of avenues as well as the importance of understanding what others believe.
Danah wrote her article titled "What Others Believe: The Non-Religious". In her article, she not only digs into current statistics from Barna and Pew; but also, she provides practical insight on how we can engage with others who may have no faith or religion. Our response to people who believe differently than us should not be one of division, but one of understanding, communication, and seeking common ground. As we reflect on these statistics, I encourage the church to remember that we are called to be ambassadors for Christ... let's be sure to live out our true identity.
"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20
You can read Danah's article below, just click "Download File". Included in the article are additional resources for further study on the topic. Also, The Lookout magazine is offering a free download for the entire issue, click here to check it out!
| What Others Believe - Danah Himes |
Discovery Bible Study October 2018 - Brad Himes
In the fall of 2018, I was invited to attend a Discovery Bible Study training led by Jim and Vicki Egli. The core of this method is to help create an environment of prayer, accountability, and obedience to God's word. The Egli's shared the challenge that many of us face when we reflect on our lives compared to Christ's instructions in:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20
In The Great Commission, Christ specifically tells us to "teach them to obey" His commands, but often times we focus merely on teaching the commands and miss the importance of obedience. After using this method over the past year, I have found it to be very helpful to grow and stretch me in new ways. As Jim stated in one of his articles:
TOO often we learn but do nothing, deceiving ourselves into thinking we are growing spiritually (James 1:22). But we aren’t growing, we are just getting spiritually fat!
For more information on this method or to connect with Jim & Vicki, click here.
