Canton Repository article about Rivertree's sex series

Rivertree, in case you have a hard time keeping track, is the church where Toby Thomas serves. Here's a link to a story on their current series on sex. It's getting lots of media attention.

Main Session videos and notes from NewSpring's Unleash conference

At our March Small Talk meeting I told you all about some of the stuff I learned at NewSpring's Unleash conference. If you're interested in hearing/learning more, you can watch the main sessions on video here: http://www.newspring.cc/236463.ihtml.

As for the small groups breakout sessions, the notes are posted here: http://www.newspring.cc/files/Templates/Unleash%202007/docs/Creating%20Community%20in%20a%20Large%20Church.pdf

Great meeting yesterday. Thanks for the discussion and the ideas.

Keepin' in Touch

I found a great way to add to your communication efforts. It is called PowerCall.

Basically it will call everyone in your congregation or select groups in a few minutes. Leaving them with a personal message from you using your voice. This cost less than sending out postcards....postage, printing, and man-hours. 16 cents a call.

For a quick demo call:

Gene A. Newell Jr.
Corporate Relations Manager
888-481-3727 ext. 193

Their website is www.ocmusa.com/powercall. However, I suggest calling. The demo is quick and you actually get to see how it works.

I like to try to fill all the gaps that can come up in communication. I plan to use this in addition to emails, announcements, etc. If you have questions and do not want to call Gene first, email me at TThomas@RiverTreeChristian.com.

Toby

Too Many Christians

I listened to a podcast of an interview with Erwin McManus yesterday on the Catalyst Monthly site that totally blew me away. If you have listened to anything "Erwin" before, you know that this guy is totally focused on removing the church as a obstacle to people coming to know Jesus. His statements will make you think and evaluate.

Here's the site, http://www.catalystspace.com/content/podcast/default.aspx. Listen and you'll understand the title of this blog. It really brings home Acts 15: 19. Can't wait to hear what you think.

Jumping in the deep end

Here we go..I've never blogged either. I have been posting comments so I'm not completely lame. Scott's admonishment today really made me feel like I wasn't pulling my weight, so I thought I better hold my nose and take the plunge.

I took another plunge Saturday evening. We held our first HOST event. When we were at Saddleback they explained that they refer to their small group leaders as hosts.

H ave a heart for people

O pen your home

S erve a snack

T urn on the DVD

We decided to take the same approach. We asked 30 people if they would come and explore the possibility of being a small group host. 26 of them came Saturday evening to our program.

We called our event Extreme Makeover, Church Edition. Everything we did that evening was centered on that theme. We even borrowed New Pointe's idea and had a Trivia Quiz based on the TV show and gave away gift cards to Lowe's for the winning table. It was a terrific event. We answered questions, shared our vision and encouraged them that they could host a small group.

Everyone at our event signed up to be in a Turbo Group for the next six weeks. We are dividing into four small groups to experience group life and have some hands on training as leaders. We are using Andy Stanley's study, Go Fish.

I have never held a program ( I was Director of Christian Education for the past 7 years) that was blanketed with more prayers or as passionately planned as this was. Our Small Group Advisory Board worked tirelessly to make this night as impactful as possible. This is such a leap into deep water for us. We know we are in way over our heads but it is what we are being called to do.

I know we are going to take in some water and flail about until we get this up and running. In the meantime I will be watching all of you perfect your strokes in the deep end. Aren't we lucky to be in this together?

Starting Pointe

It's been five days since anyone has blogged! Many of you have NEVER blogged and few have commented on any of the blogs that have been posted.

Helllloooo, is anyone out there or do we have this small group, saving souls, know where God is leading me thing down to a science already? I need to be better at it too, so here you go.

I want to tell you about a new Starting Pointe class the we started this past Sunday. One of the ladies on staff and I are leading it and as we asked everyone to introduce themselves to the group we had three scuds fired at us from out of the blue.

One lady would not look up or make eye contact with anyone when she talked, another lady said that she felt the Bible was alot like Santa Claus in that it is fun to believe in but you can't really take it seriously and the only guy in the room besides me said that he doesn't believe in hell and he has been a Christian for 30 years!

Three of the people in the group have been coming to NewPointe for less than 90 days and one lady said that it was her first day in the building. Amazing!

Boy do we have our work cut out for us every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM!! Do the words "please pray for us" seem appropriate here? It continually amazes me who God gathers into various environments for the specific purpose of doing something huge in their lives and it humbles me to think that I get to have a ring side seat and watch it unfold before my very eyes.

For me, Starting Pointe is one of the coolest of environments for just the reasons that I mentioned above. We have been blessed to hear story after story about people coming face to face with Christ for the first time and eagerly exploring faith and what it means to be a Christ follower (sometimes with a little baggage).

Starting Pointe is alot like a greenhouse. We get to plant the seeds in an environment carefully created for the best potential growth and then let God do His awsome thing.

Please pray for us and Starting Pointe (That means you too Dick). Thanks.

Fellow groupies. I'm in the process of revamping our small group format. I'm reviewing the leaders, hosts and coaches' job descriptions. I would greatly appreciate if you would be able to share what your using. I'm not out to reinvent the wheel nor is this rocket science, but it would help to see what I'm missing. You can email it to me at dmiller@stowalliance.org Any suggestions that you may have are welcomed also. This is the one time when I will be able start with a fairly clean slate, so I want to do it right. Thanks.

On Board!

Hi everyone,

I've got my blog finally up and running! Thanks John for a relevant blog that keeps me coming back for more and one of the inspirations for me entering the blog-o-sphere!

Dick Wolf and I have been talking adult ministries for a number of years and now I've stepped into helping him develop a coaching to small group leader structure. We've had our first meeting of coaches and have begun to lay the ground work for what looks to be an awesome (and much needed) adjustment.

Aside from helping him at Living Water I think I've also got the responsibility of posting on this blog on his behalf. Unless I can convey that blogging is fun and ultimately addictive I may be our voice on here for now.

-Marc

Barna research on small groups

I was helping Dwight do some research the other day and I came across this stuff on Barna's site. Thought you all might be interested in it:

In Barna Research Group studies, small groups are defined as groups that meet during the week for the purpose of prayer, Bible study or spiritual fellowship, excluding Sunday school or other church classes.

Participation

• Participation in a small group in a typical week, 1994-12%, 1996-17%, 1997-18%, 2000-17%, 2001-16%, 2002-18%, 2004-20% 2005-23%, 2006-23%
• 20% of men participated in a small group that met during the week for the purpose of prayer, Bible study or spiritual fellowship (excluding Sunday school or other church classes) compared to 9% in 1994. (2006)
• Women's participation in small groups has risen to 26% in 2006, compared to 19% in 1996.
• Participation in small groups in the West has doubled from 11% in 1994 to 22% in 2006.
• Black adults are more likely (43%) to attend groups during the week as are Hispanics (20%), whites (20%) and Asians (21%). (2006)
• Born again Christians (35%) are more likely than those of a non-Christian faith (20%) to have attended a small group in the past seven days. (2006)
• Protestants are over two-and-a-half times more likely than are Catholics to participate in a small group in a given week (32% to 12%, respectively). (2006)

The following population segments are more likely than average to participate in small groups:

• evangelical Christians (55%) (2006)
• blacks (43%) (2006)
• born again Christians (35%) (2006)
• non-mainline attenders (37%) (2006)
• residents of the South (28%) (2006)
• females (26%) (2006)

Here's the link to Barna if you want to read more.

Ten Observations from Churches Who “Get It”

Here's a link to an interesting article: Ten Observations from Churches Who “Get It”.

You may also be interested in Tim Stevens' comments about Granger based on the same article.

Cincyreds = Eric

Hey all, I have just finished watching the Reds beat the Cubs on Opening Day, so I had to call myself that. This blog is going to be a great tool for use and encouragement.

Something that I heard at Saddleback is still sticking... Is there something we as SmallTalk can do for the global crises as drawn out in the peace plan? It has really brought to my attention the global problems of pandemic disease, extreme poverty, and others that are killers. It is on my heart to help and really continue to make my faith more and more real every day.

Even the small things like Free Trade coffee and being active in missions are a start. Lets live out Christ's great commission every day as we encourage each other as small group leaders!

Love you all in Him,
Eric

My First Time

This is my first ever blog post. What an exhilerating feeling!

Thought this might be of interest. John turned me onto this site last week and I have found it fascinating. Check out www.churchhop.blogspot.com and get some insight as to what visitors to our churches might be feeling and seeing. Some of the comments are out there but I have read some interesting observations as well.

I'm looking forward to the ideas that this blog will generate. Don't be bashful, if I can do it so can you.

next Small Talk meeting

April 25, noon, Hog Heaven in Canton. I think somebody said they wanted to talk about recruiting SG leaders. Is that what I heard?

Anyway, think on that...bring your ideas...or just post them here so we can start chewing on them and then we'll be even more prepared to talk about it at our next meeting.

worth checking out...

Okay, this isn't really related to small group ministry...per se. But it's totally worth checking out. File this one under "Ideas I can take to my next staff meeting and look like a hero."

This Web-site is called Planning Center. And it's sweet. It'll organize and help plan your church's worship services and events for you. It'll also help organize and inform your volunteers. Looks like NewPointe is getting ready to subscribe to this service.

Go to this page and watch the 5-minute demo. It'll give you an idea of this service's capabilities.

This is going to help our Group Life department with Group Link, Aqua, and Married Life Live!, just to name a few.

Just thought I'd pass along that tip.