The love a small group showed for a woman going through cancer is opening her to God's love for her.
by Life Together
In the middle of a frenzied school year, a small group of women gathered week after week to grow in Christ. Marci told the group that her sister-in-law, Meg, was struggling with cancer. None of the other women knew Meg.
Marci's heart was broken over Meg. Meg had never pursued any type of relationship with God, and Marci feared her eternal destiny was hopeless. Also, the cancer was immobilizing her ...
The story of a group that cared for a couple in their small group during the wife's illness.
by Life Together
Five years ago, my wife, Margaret, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Like everyone who hears this news, we were traumatized, but we trusted God for a miracle. After the doctor operated, he said they were able to get all the cancer and there was no need for follow-up treatment. We thanked God, rejoiced in her healing and got back to our "normal" life.
That life would be short-lived, however. A year-and-a-half ...
Sharing your faith in Christ might not be as difficult as you think.
by Life Together
Does the very thought of sharing your faith with an unbeliever make you sweat? If so, as a leader you understand exactly what the rest of your group feels regarding evangelism. There's nothing more important for a leader than empathy.
Because you know how they feel, a principle you need to pass on to your group is how simple and natural it can be to offer Christ's love to people.
Technology provides valuable tools for group preparation and group time.
Bruce Umpstead
Applying technology effectively in any situation is challenging, but I find it especially difficult in training because teachers and small group leaders must spend their time understanding the small group content and process. This leaves precious little time to learn new technology. It can be even more difficult in Christian education and discipleship because leaders serve almost exclusively in volunteer, ...
Going beyond the act of hearing can bring a load of blessings to your group.
Janet McMahon
Several years ago I found myself in a small group of women that met on Saturday mornings. These were women I had known for a while; they were friends of mine. The group had a simple format—we would read a few verses from the Bible, read a meditation, and then ask the same three questions every week.
I had been a part of many small groups before, and I was expecting all of the usual good stuff—sharing, ...
Joining a small group helped a mother embrace her new role.
by Life Together
Melanie was in the middle of pursuing her Ph.D. in History when she found out she was pregnant. Academic achievement was always her first priority. Children would come after her career. Perhaps they'd never come. She always said, "I'll never, ever have kids. I was not meant to be a mom!"
But nine months later she found herself swaddling a wailing baby who swathed her in sour-milk spit-up. Far from ...
How the Samson Society is helping men escape from the trap of sexual addiction
John W. Kennedy
Eight Christian men gather for a barbecue around a fire pit on a crisp November evening in Franklin, Tennessee. While conversation may touch on baseball, country music, or theology, it will certainly hit on a topic most evangelical gatherings avoid: sex addiction.
Some 15 churches in the city of 56,000 support Samson Society meetings, and these men represent a wide spectrum of denominations. Like the ...
Do a thorough evaluation of neglected areas of your life.
Sue Skalicky
Spring cleaning can include organizing and cleaning the garage, the basement, and the attic. Spring cleaning is taking the time to clean the corners of the kitchen counter or dust the ceiling fan blades. Although a deep-cleaned home can help produce temporary feelings of well being, it has yet to be credited with positively changing a life. However, taking time to dust off a journal, dial up a neglected ...
Some ways to help you evaluate what's important by the perspective of loss.
Sue Skalicky
Group Outreach
I just returned from taking 20 high school journalism students to Nashville, TN, for the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention. For the past three years, many of these kids have attended this convention during which time they have been awarded a prestigious place in the list of the top 10 high school newsmagazines in the nation.Last year, in Chicago, they took first ...
How to personalize prayers for children who may wander.
Sue Skalicky
Group Outreach
I had reached the end of myself. I longed to wake up and have it all be a nightmare. I wept in my bed, knowing that downstairs, directly below me, my 15-year-old daughter—smelling of smoke and having confessed to me hours before the drugs and the sex—was curled up in her fuzzy green blanket searching for answers to the ache in her heart. My heart also ached as my mind fitfully ...
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