The Power of Food and Community Formation, Part 2
Last month, I began a series of posts on the power of food and community formation. Throughout Scripture, shared meals around a shared table become the primary vehicle through which God shares and invites His people into the redemption of His kingdom. Not only did God use the table to invite us into redemption, but […]
The Power of Food and Community Formation
Food and small groups. To many of us they are probably inseparable. You can’t have a small group without food (it is after all the S of Saddleback’s HOST model). And where there is food, there is probably a small group. But why? Have you ever stopped to consider the power of food in both […]
7 Lessons I Learned from My First “Lobby”
I just returned from attending my first Small Group Network Lobby Gathering, and I am already looking forward to the 2018 So Cal Lobby (Register HERE), which is March 13-15, 2018! While Derek Olson captured some of the best of the best quotes from the Lobby, I want to share some of the lessons I […]
Ruling the Roost
I don’t know about you, but my 2017 has gotten off to a hectic start. I blinked and February is almost halfway over, and don’t even ask me about what happened to January. (Are we sure it even existed?) Sadly, our culture has somehow equated busyness and stress with productivity. And in the church it […]
4 Tips for Caring for Leaders in 2017
One of our primary tasks as small group point people is to shepherd our small group leaders. Small group leaders cannot shepherd their people if they do not feel cared for and supported. One of the key phrases I like to use when it comes to spiritual growth is model & invite. We as leaders […]
Receiving in the Midst of so Much Giving
Recently during a staff devotional, my senior pastor was leading us through discussion on the announcement regarding the birth of John the Baptist found in Luke 1:5-25. If you are not familiar with the story, here is a summary: Zechariah, a priest from the line of Aaron, and his wife are both described as “upright […]
Becoming a Discerning Leader
I was recently challenged by a quote by Ruth Haley Barton: The spiritual leader is distinguished by his or her commitment and ability to guide the discernment process so the community can affirm a shared sense of God’s desire for them and move forward on that basis (Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership). I don’t […]
Dealing with Disappointment in Community
Last month, I wrote a blog about Bonhoeffer’s challenge to us about not approaching community with our list of demands, but rather to enter into community as thankful recipients of what God has already done. But even when we do not demand our vision for community but gratefully receive where God has placed us and […]
6 Reflections on Community Inspired by Bonhoeffer
My church has recently launched a series on community called Better Together. In conjunction with the sermon series, I, in collaboration with my senior pastor, wrote a small group curriculum to compliment the series. I love community, which is why I love small groups. Like many of you, I work hard on our small group […]
The Only Basis for my Leadership
A few weeks ago, I invited some dear friends of mine, Matthew and Monica Green, to conduct some training for my small group leaders. They used 1 John 1 as their guiding text throughout the training. What I especially loved about what they shared is that they combined in such a seamless manner both a […]
