As you know, we’re working on a new curriculum that equips people to use their friendships as a platform for ministry. Last week, we brought a few experts to our offices to discuss the viability of such an idea. Here’s an excerpt from our discussion … Tim’s last point is an often-overlooked one. And we forget that, among other things, people need relational … [Read more...]
The lay counseling conundrum
This week Jeff Forrey and I sat down with a counselor and two communication specialists. And don’t worry. It wasn’t because our work relationship is deteriorating. We actually brought them to our offices to discuss a new project we’re working on. More on who joined us and why in a bit ... But first I wanted to mention that during our discussion, one of our guests, Brad … [Read more...]
Our 2016 CareLeader Survey Results
This summer, we asked CareLeader Weekly readers to respond to a survey that would give us important feedback so that we can serve you better. We were so blessed by the number of people who took the time to fill out the survey! Thank you! In this article, I want to share with you a little of what we learned and some suggestions about how we might use this information. At the end … [Read more...]
Are your small group leaders making these 6 mistakes?
Batman and Robin, Bo and Luke Duke, Bert and Ernie, pastors and home group leaders … Okay, that analogy fell apart—fast. But the point is that in many churches, pastors and home group leaders share care ministry responsibilities. Home group leaders coordinate care for members and notify their pastors when a member’s needs require additional pastoral care. But sometimes … [Read more...]
“Pastor, how do I love my rebellious teen?”
I said I will always love [my daughter] Hannah, but I didn’t always like Hannah,” shares Rhonda. “Anything I asked her to do, she wanted to do the opposite. She was angry at life. She was not a pleasant child at all. “The emotional outbursts—it was hard. I had to come to a place where I would have to say to her, ‘You need to go into another room; we can’t talk about this … [Read more...]