This is a two-part session. Be sure to register for both Part 1 A-01 and Part 2 B-21.

Session Description:
Join Saddleback pastor Steve Gladen for a three-hour, roll-up-your-sleeves breakout on how to plan and execute a new small groups ministry model for your church. Steve has over 20 years of experience in growing groups in "churches of small groups," and in transitioning other churches from "churches with small groups" to "churches of small groups." Be ready to work through the specifics of your own church as this experienced architect, builder, and team leader helps guide you through the hidden dangers, past the bottlenecks and dead ends, to the plans for a vibrant, dynamic new small groups ministry.

Category: Leading a Small Groups Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Purpose Driven Small Group Leader Resources

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Steve Gladen
Steve Gladen has been on staff at Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest, C.A. since 1998. He has focused on small groups in several churches for almost twenty years. Steve oversees 2,500 adult small groups at Saddleback and loves seeing a big church become small through true community developed in group life. Steve oversees the strategic launch and development of small groups and oversees the staff of the Small Group Network. Steve co-wrote several books including 250 Big Ideas for Small Groups, Building Healthy Small Groups in Your Church, and Don't Lead Alone. Steve does consulting and seminars championing small groups and what it means to be Purpose Driven in a small group ministry. Steve and his wife, Lisa, reside in Southern California, have two children, Erika and Ethan, and have been married since 1989.

Session Description:
You have just been commissioned by leadership and given the responsibility of adding a small groups ministry to your church. Before your excitement turns to frustration and you become a church statistic, join us for a breakout that will give you the building blocks to carve out a thriving small groups ministry in a traditional church setting. This breakout is formatted to introduce key principles, and is followed by a processing environment. Bring team members and staff, or join with other church leaders, as you lay the foundation for a successful small groups future in your church.

Category: Leading a Small Groups Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Willow Creek Small Groups Advanced Training
Maximum Impact
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Team
Walking the Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue & Greg Bowman
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend
Starting Small Groups by Jeffrey Arnold
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Leading Congregational Change by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, & James H. Furr

Comments
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Barry Sink
Barry joined the staff of Calvary Church in Naperville, Ill. in 2001. His primary focus is in the area of assimilation and communication. He also serves on the strategy and creative teams. His role targets connection strategies, serving opportunities, and communicating the vision and values of Calvary Church. Previously, Barry served as a pastor of small groups for eight years in North Carolina. He does consulting, serving seminars, and small group training and retreats. Barry received his B.A. from John Wesley College and his master’s of divinity from Regent University. He is a licensed consultant with Natural Church Development, Turning Point Ministries, and has developed a ministry placement seminar titled “Serve U.” He also works with the WCA in its small group advanced training events.

Session Description:
The impact you have as a coach is directly proportional to the depth of your relationship with the person you are coaching. In this breakout, a professional coach shows how he develops transparent, life-changing relationships quickly. You'll explore a revolutionary paradigm for how to build authenticity and see it modeled. You'll also get a chance to practice several practical storytelling skills that foster authenticity with a peer. Additionally, we'll discuss the practical details of how to launch and structure an effective coaching relationship.

Category: Training and Supporting Leaders
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

The CD of this session will be available for purchase at the Group Life Store for 30 days following the conference.

Related Resources
Coach 22
TOUCH Outreach Ministries
Christian Coaches Network
Leadership Coaching by Tony Stoltzfus
A Pocket Guide to Coaching Small Groups by Randall Neighbour
Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore
Peer Coach Training Program by Tony Stoltzfus
How to Ask Great Questions by Karen Lee Thorp
Christ-Centered Coaching by Jane Creswell
Coaching Small Group Leaders by Les Brickman (CD)
Powerful Questions: Problem Solving by Tony Stoltzfus (CD)

Comments
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Tony Stoltzfus
Tony is a full-time Christian coach and coach trainer and the author of Leadership Coaching, a ground-breaking how-to book on coaching skills and values. He is a co-founder of a professional Christian coach training school and his passion is building leadership character. Tony develops training resources for bringing coaching into the church through his online resource center at www.Coach22.com. He also coaches pastors and ministry leaders through www.CoachingPastors.com.

This breakout is repeated in A-07 and C-47. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Spiritual growth only comes by the Holy Spirit, but there are things that small group leaders can do to create environments that will allow the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. In this breakout, you'll learn some principles and practices that contribute to emotional health in small groups, so that members have a safe place to experience life-giving and life-changing community. You will have the opportunity to assess the current health of your small group in some key areas and to determine practical next steps to take toward greater emotional health.

Category: Advanced Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
There are no related resources available for this session.

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Beth Leonard
Beth has over 10 years of experience leading various aspects of small group ministry in the local church in both volunteer and paid staff positions, including directing the small group ministry in a church of 3,000. Her first love is training and leadership development, particularly in the area of creating transformational environments in small groups. She also teaches and facilitates during WCA Small Groups Advanced Training. Currently, Beth is working with Tapestry Community Church in Roswell, Ga., helping to design their small group and spiritual formation structures. Beth's family includes her husband, Don, two daughters, Hannah and Katelyn, two Shelties, and a cat.

This breakout is repeated in A-09 and C-49. Be sure to register only once.

Featured breakout for session C

Session Description:
During this breakout you’ll discover how to enhance your small group experience using a practical and energizing Bible study method. The Liquid Method is a learning model that multiplies leaders, creates energy, and moves small group leaders from being teachers to shepherds. This method helps people observe, understand and apply God's Word to their lives in a way that is both relational and relevant. You will have an opportunity to see how the Liquid Method works and experience firsthand how effective it is in taking God's Word through your life and the life of a small group.

Category: Beginning Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
www.experienceliquid.com

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Jeff Pries
Jeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. Jeff also produces Liquid, a series of four separate films, each based on specific passages from the Bible. The Liquid experience is designed to help small groups take God's Word through their lives. Jeff and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 11 years, and they have four children under the age of 10.

Chris Lagerlof
Jeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. Jeff also produces Liquid, a series of four separate films, each based on specific passages from the Bible. The Liquid experience is designed to help small groups take God's Word through their lives. Jeff and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 11 years, and they have four children under the age of 10.

This breakout is repeated in A-11 and B-31. Be sure to register only once.

Featured breakout for session B

Session Description:
Soul health determines so much, yet many have never even considered the well-being of their soul or intentionally cared for it. This breakout features time for learning, individual reflection, and honest discussion. It aims to help you better recognize attributes of the soul, understand the process of spiritual formation, and identify practical ways to restore health and life to the soul. The One who restored David’s soul in the Psalms is able to do the same for us today.

Category: Spiritual Formation
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Soul Care
Spiritual Formation Forum
Renovaré
Upper Room Ministries
Discovering Soul Care by Mindy Caliguire
Spiritual Friendship by Mindy Caliguire
The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg
Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Write for Your Soul by Jeff & Mindy Caliguire
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie
A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelley
Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster
Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
Power, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God by Marva Dawn
Hearing God by Dallas Willard
The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen
Connecting by Larry Crabb
The Safest Place on Earth by Larry Crabb

Comments
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Mindy Caliguire
Mindy Caliguire and her husband, Jeff, planted a church in the Boston area, where she served in a variety of leadership roles for 10 years and launched Soul Care, dedicated to helping people restore health to their souls. She served in the area of spiritual formation at Willow Creek Community Church from 2001 to 2004, concentrating on membership, the ministry of prayer, small group curriculum, and "soul care": for individual staff teams. In 2005, she re-engaged with Soul Care, serving churches and organizations through leadership consulting and retreats. Mindy also serves as the Midwest regional director for the Spiritual Formation Alliance, building partnerships and creating formational events. Whether formally or informally, Mindy mentors leaders, focusing on re-establishing their spiritual vitality as the primary step towards a lifestyle of sustainable ministry and leadership. Mindy's books include Discovering Soul Care and Spiritual Friendship.

This breakout is repeated in A-13 and B-33. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
More people now live in suburbs than in cities and small towns combined. But it can be hard to connect with people in suburbia. How do we build community in a fragmented, anonymous suburban culture? This breakout will look at the cultural forces shaping suburban people and explore the challenges and opportunities facing churches and small groups in a suburban context.

Category: Place-Based Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
The Suburban Christian Blog
Missio Dei Suburbia Blog
Moving into the Neighborhood Blog
“A Theology of the Suburbs”
“The Gospel and the God-Forsaken: The Challenge of the Missional Church in Suburbia”
The Suburban Christian by Albert Y. Hsu (Chapter 1)
The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Making Room by Christine Pohl
Justice in the Burbs by Will & Lisa Samson
Picture Windows by Rosalyn Baxandall & Elizabeth Ewen
On Paradise Drive by David Brooks
Sprawl: A Compact History by Robert Bruegmann
Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods by Dan Chiras & Dave Wann
Suburban Nation by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, & Jeff Speck
Bourgeois Utopias by Robert Fishman
Building Suburbia by Dolores Hayden
Crabgrass Frontier by Kenneth T. Jackson
American Dreamscape by Tom Martinson
The Suburbs by J. John Palen
The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg
Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam

Comments
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Albert Hsu
Al Hsu [pronounced “shee”] is an editor at InterVarsity Press, where he acquires and develops books in such fields as discipleship, spiritual formation, cultural critique, church and mission, and multiethnic issues. He is the author of three books: Singles at the Crossroads, Grieving a Suicide, and most recently, The Suburban Christian: Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty. He and his wife, Ellen, have two sons, and they serve as worship leaders at their Anglican church plant in the western suburbs of Chicago. He blogs at thesuburbanchristian.blogspot.com.

This breakout is repeated in A-15, B-35, C-55, and D-75. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Experience the new ReGroup™ DVD training tool in our hands-on lab. This revolutionary product features four, one-hour sessions with Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, and John Townsend that are designed to help new and existing small groups develop healthy group skills. In this lab, Project Director Wendy Seidman takes a few minutes to describe the overall tool design and gives you a quick tour of the DVD. You can then interact with the product at computer workstations and ask our roving product experts questions about the tool and potential applications. The lab is open throughout the conference, but you'll need to register to hear the presentation.

Category: Training Lab
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

This breakout session is not available for purchase.

Related Resources
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Wendy Seidman
Wendy is the executive director of content development and training for the Willow Creek Association. She is responsible for the quality of the content delivered in workshops, conference breakout sessions, conference main sessions, and regional training events that the WCA produces in the U.S. She is also responsible for the quality of WCA training products such as: the Network training course for spiritual gifts; Becoming a Contagious Christian training course; Good Sense Budget Course; Good Sense Counselor Training; and An Ordinary Day with Jesus spiritual transformation course. She has been with the WCA since 1991 and prior to that, she worked for Shell Oil Company in the training and development area. She has a master's degree in religious education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a B.S. from Indiana University.

This is a two-part session. Be sure to register for both Part 1 A-02 and Part 2 B-22.

Session Description:
The establishment of a thriving small groups ministry is best accomplished in an overall church culture that highly values community. Yet many point leaders find themselves in churches where there is a significant gap between the ideal and reality. Examine the steps necessary to reshape the current culture and to encourage community as a way of life.

Category: Leading a Small Groups Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
There are no related resources available for this session.

Comments
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Scott Christenson
Scott was called to start a small group ministry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Palatine, Ill. in 1998. After serving as minister of discipleship for six years, Scott transitioned to the senior pastor role in the fall of 2004. Today, he especially enjoys helping other mainline churches build prevailing small group ministries. He and his wife, Linda, have two sons.

This is a two-part session. Be sure to register for both Part 1 A-04 and Part 2 B-24.

Session Description:
What does it look like to intentionally invest in the life of a small group leader? Identify four key practices at the core of successful coaching and walk away with simple tools that you can use to nurture the soul and improve the skill of each of your leaders.

Category: Training and Supporting Leaders
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Promoting Growth in Your Leaders with Mike Hurt (2007 Group Life Conference Breakout)
Responding to People in Crisis with Joe Besenjak & Kyndra Singer (2007 Group Life Conference Breakout)
Extraordinary Coaching Relationships with Tony Stoltzfus (2007 Group Life Conference Breakout; Available for 30 days only)
Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue & Greg Bowman
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Team
Making Small Groups Work by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Walking the Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Developing the Leaders Around You by John Maxwell
Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership by Carl George
Sacred Companions by David G. Benner
Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction by Heather Webb
Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

Comments
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Greg Bowman
Greg Bowman has been involved in small group ministry for over 20 years as a small group member, leader, coach, staff member, and consultant. As executive director for adult ministries at the Willow Creek Association, Greg provides strategic leadership for the development of resources and training tools that impact ministries around the world. He also speaks on the topic of small group ministry at national and international WCA conferences and training events. Prior to working at the WCA, Greg served for seven years as a small group pastor for Willow Creek Community Church. Before coming to Willow, Greg built and led small group ministries at churches in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Bloomington, Ind. Greg is co-author of Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders with Bill Donahue. He has a bachelor's degree in Christian ministries from Cincinnati Christian University. Greg and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, Courtney, a son-in-law, Ed, and a son, Chris. They recently became grandparents. They live in Elgin, Ill.

This breakout is repeated in B-26 and D-66. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Spiritual formation is our goal for everyone. But what exactly happens in the heart of an individual during the life-change process? How is this facilitated by participation in a small group? This breakout is about spiritual formation in the heart of an individual and how to facilitate life transformation at a personal level.

To learn practical ideas on how to facilitate spiritual formation in a small group setting, see breakout A-06 or C-46 "Guiding a Group to Spiritual Maturity."

Category: Advanced Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
The Relational Way by M. Scott Boren
Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud
How People Grow by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg
Simple Church by Eric Geiger & Thom Rainer
The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge
An Invitation to the Spiritual Journey by John Gorsuch
The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet Hagberg & Robert Guelich
The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen
Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun
Prayer by Philip Yancey
Invitation to a Journey Robert Mulholland
Here and Now by Henri Nouwen
Renovation of the Heart Dallas Willard
The Great Omission Dallas Willard

Comments
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Rex Minor
Rex Minor is Executive Director of Transformational Communities at The Chapel in Grayslake, IL. Previously, Rex was the pastor of adult discipleship at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA, and was in senior leadership at Willow Creek Community Church as the director for small group leadership development. Rex's goal is to improve the quality of the small group experience and to see that every small group has a vision for reaching out to neighbors and friends to include them in community. He believes that life change happens best in the context of small groups. Before his involvement with small group leadership at Willow, Rex was director for community care ministries, encompassing pastoral care, recovery groups, and support groups. Prior to coming to Willow, Rex was in private practice as a marriage and family therapist. Rex and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 25 glorious years and have three children, Mallory, Paige, and Trent.

This breakout is repeated in A-08 and B-28. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Difficult people know how to push all the wrong buttons and can often cause problems in a small group. How can the leader handle these people in a way that helps them grow, and at the same time maintain group unity? Identify how your leadership style can impact group problem-solving. Explore how to employ healthy group boundaries in order to maintain community and provide balance in your group.

Category: Advanced Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Honest to God? by Bill Hybels
Descending into Greatness by Bill Hybels & Rob Wilkins
Changes That Heal by Henry Cloud
Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Team
Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
Hiding from Love by Dr. John Townsend
Restoring Your Spiritual Passion by Gordon MacDonald
The Lies We Believe by Dr. Chris Thurmond
The Marriage Builder by Larry Crabb
Healing for Damaged Emotions by David Seamands
Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus & Marie Chapian
The 12 Steps: A Spiritual Journey by Ron Halverson
Birthright by David Needham
You Gotta Keep Dancin' by Tim Hansel
Love Is a Choice by Drs. Robert Hemfelt, Frank Minirth, & Paul Meier
Codependency by Pat Springle
Can Christians Love Too Much? by Dr. Margaret Rinck
Inside Out by Larry Crabb
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Comments
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Marie Shepherd
Marie Shepherd is an area pastor with Neighborhood Life at Willow Creek Community Church. She’s been on staff for 17 years. She is excited to live out the vision of Neighborhood Life at Willow: “Love God and Love your Neighbor.”  Her responsibilities as an area pastor include the leadership, shepherding, and development of small groups as well as neighborhood teams in her geographical area. With such a people-intensive ministry, Marie has had lots of opportunities to practice the values and principles taught in this breakout.  Marie lives in the North Chicago suburbs and has three grown children and four grandchildren.

Ray Ercoli
Marie Shepherd is an area pastor with Neighborhood Life at Willow Creek Community Church. She’s been on staff for 17 years. She is excited to live out the vision of Neighborhood Life at Willow: “Love God and Love your Neighbor.”  Her responsibilities as an area pastor include the leadership, shepherding, and development of small groups as well as neighborhood teams in her geographical area. With such a people-intensive ministry, Marie has had lots of opportunities to practice the values and principles taught in this breakout.  Marie lives in the North Chicago suburbs and has three grown children and four grandchildren.

Session Description:
Open groups are vital to a healthy, growing small groups ministry, yet maintaining them is often more easily said than done. This breakout will focus on how to build an open group mindset, discuss practical ways to add people to a group, consider the dynamics when people are added, and facilitate time for peer discussions and planning next steps for your personal group or ministry at your local church.

Category: Beginning Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Church Teams Software for Small Groups
Small Group Leadership: Dramas that Teach (DVD and downloadable user guide)
Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Walking the Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
The Relational Way by M. Scott Boren
The 8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders by Dave Earley

Comments
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Eric Camfield
Eric is the director of small groups ministries at Christ Church of Oak Brook. A large part of Eric’s role is the development and navigation of building place-based group life in the context of a traditional church in the western suburbs of Chicago. Over the years, Eric has worked in corporate sales, served with Athletes in Action as the director of international baseball, and prior to coming to Chicago, was a small group minister in Ohio, building a small group ministry from scratch while providing leadership in transitioning the church to a church of small groups. Eric is currently finishing his master’s degree in small group leadership from Lancaster Bible College. He is married to Suanne and has two great kids, Sadie (5) and Clay (4). You are most apt to find Eric at Starbucks, Panera Bread, or one of the many Chicagoland golf courses.

Session Description:
When you hear the phrase "Neighborhood Hospitality" do you think of over-the-hedge chit-chat? Block parties? Waving goodbye to your neighbors as you drive off to church? Jon and Kelly Peacock describe their approach to hospitality as Geographical Acupuncture. It’s a combination of missionality, incarnational living, and the power of proximity as practiced by Willow’s Axis ministry, where Jon is leading a new wave of twentysomethings to invest their lives in missional communities. It's more than just a strategy for reaching and loving our post-Christian neighbors; it requires a whole-life commitment. If you enjoy the status quo, you might want to choose a different breakout. This one will rock your world.

Category: Place-Based Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Just Walk Across the Room
Acts 29 Network
Exiles by Michael Frost
The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch
Making Room for Life by Randy Frazee
They Like Jesus but Not the Church by Dan Kimball
Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer
Growing True Disciples by George Barna
The Book of Acts by Luke the physician

Comments
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Jon and Kelly Peacock
Jon Peacock has been on staff at Willow Creek Community Church for three years, first as a division leader with the sports ministry, then as a community pastor in Neighborhood Life. In the fall of 2006, Jon was handpicked to lead the revitalized Axis ministry (rumors of whose demise have been greatly exaggerated). With the role of lead navigator for Axis came the chance to re-imagine and recreate innovative strategies for reaching 18-20-somethings in Chicagoland. Along with his wife, Kelly, Jon jumped into the new challenge head-first. Jon was raised in the Chicago suburbs, where he was under the ministry and care of the most influential person in his life, his pastor and father Dr. Walt Peacock. His college experience included playing Division One baseball at both the University of Kentucky and Illinois State, where he excelled on the field and not so much in the classroom. He's addicted to americanos and enjoys long walks on the Willow campus.

Kelly Peacock's heart for living missionally was ignited through multiple trips overseas, serving and living in a post-Christian culture in Slovenia. Kelly also traveled as an adult mentor with the African Children's Choir, where God grew her heart for the nations and increased her desire to bring His kingdom to her own neighborhood. She and husband, Jon, have key roles in the leadership of Willow’s Axis ministry. Kelly is a missionary/barista at Starbucks and works in the Student Development office at Judson College in Elgin, Ill.

Session Description:
The diverse perspectives, opinions, and real-life experiences of singles provide a unique opportunity to build a healthy spiritual community within the context of group life. Join us as we navigate the off-road realities of building healthy groups within the context of perpetual turnover, relational conflict, and a myriad of life experiences with a group of people who have incredible opportunities for impact and influence.

Category: Overcoming Challenges
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
There are no related resources available for this session.

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Steve Yarrow
Steve is the adult ministries pastor at Christ Community Church in St. Charles, Ill., where he provides directional leadership and oversight for group life. In his role, he loves seeing the total life transformation that happens when people experience God in community. He also consults with churches around the nation on various aspects of small groups. Steve and his wife, Elissa, have enjoyed serving in churches in Minneapolis, Minn.; Dallas, Texas; and now in Chicagoland.

This breakout is repeated in C-41 and D-61. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
From participating in a group to leading one, from coaching leaders to point leadership — leading people through change is potentially the most important (and difficult) leadership task we face. Often we concentrate our change initiatives on externals: casting vision, clarifying direction, and coordinating strategy. But have you ever considered what's going on in the mind and heart of a participant in the change process? Where do things like push-back or buy-in come from? As a leader in group life, what can we do to shepherd people through change in a way where they are helped more than hurt? During this breakout, we will focus on the individuals in our groups and talk about how we can sensitively and effectively move people in the direction we feel God leading us to go.

Category: Leading a Small Groups Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
The Change Monster by Jeanie Daniel Duck
Polarity Management by Barry Johnson
How to Change Your Church (Without Killing It) by Gene Appel & Alan Nelson

Comments
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Ben Lockyer
In 2001, Ben joined the staff of Southridge Community Church in St. Catharines, Ontario, to begin to explore small group ministry. As a member of the management team, he now serves as the director of ministries and has successfully transitioned a traditional church into a church of small groups. He oversees a team of staff, coaches, leaders, and numerous volunteers. Ben has been married to his wife, Tracey, since 1999, and they have three children.

Session Description:
Many traditional churches are becoming open to small groups ministry but have very definite ideas for how they are to operate that may seem limiting to a point person passionate about small groups ministry. This breakout will give you the tools to properly access your ministry culture, build bridges with other departments, create strategies that champion the larger vision of the church, and create a culture where a small groups ministry can thrive amidst the giants of your past. Join us in an interactive environment where we will grow together, and leave with tools to bring community to your church culture, regardless of size, history, or structure.

Category: Leading a Small Groups Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Church Smart
Church Community Builder
SmallGroups.com
Reveal
Willow Creek Small Groups Advanced Training
Maximum Impact
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Team
Walking the Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue & Greg Bowman
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend
Starting Small Groups by Jeffrey Arnold
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Leading Congregational Change by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, & James H. Furr


Comments
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Barry Sink
Barry joined the staff of Calvary Church in Naperville, Ill. in 2001. His primary focus is in the area of assimilation and communication. He also serves on the strategy and creative teams. His role targets connection strategies, serving opportunities, and communicating the vision and values of Calvary Church. Previously, Barry served as a pastor of small groups for eight years in North Carolina. He does consulting, serving seminars, and small group training and retreats. Barry received his B.A. from John Wesley College and his master’s of divinity from Regent University. He is a licensed consultant with Natural Church Development, Turning Point Ministries, and has developed a ministry placement seminar titled “Serve U.” He also works with the WCA in its small group advanced training events.

Session Description:
Much of the impact of coaching flows from helping people take responsibility to steward their own lives instead of solving their problems for them. In this breakout, a professional coach will show you how to draw solutions out of others, instead of telling them what to do, in a way that reinforces their dependence on God, builds confidence, and results in real change. We'll demonstrate and discuss several powerful asking techniques, then give you a chance to practice with a peer so you can add these techniques to your own tool kit.

Category: Training and Supporting Leaders
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

The CD of this session will be available for purchase at the Group Life Store for 30 days following the conference.

Related Resources
Coach 22
Touch USA
Christian Coaches Network
Leadership Coaching by Tony Stoltzfus
How to Ask Great Questions by Karen Lee Thorp
Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore
Peer Coach Training Program by Tony Stoltzfus
Coaching for Christian Leaders by Linda J. Miller & Chad W. Hall
Asking to Win by Bobb Biehl
Powerful Questions: Changing Perspective by Tony Stoltzfus (CD)
Powerful Questions: Problem Solving by Tony Stoltzfus (CD)


Comments
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Tony Stoltzfus
Tony is a full-time Christian coach and coach trainer and the author of Leadership Coaching, a ground-breaking how-to book on coaching skills and values. He is a co-founder of a professional Christian coach training school and his passion is building leadership character. Tony develops training resources for bringing coaching into the church through his online resource center at www.Coach22.com. He also coaches pastors and ministry leaders through www.CoachingPastors.com.

This breakout is repeated in A-07 and C-47. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Spiritual growth only comes by the Holy Spirit, but there are things that small group leaders can do to create environments that will allow the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. In this breakout, you'll learn some principles and practices that contribute to emotional health in small groups, so that members have a safe place to experience life-giving and life-changing community. You will have the opportunity to assess the current health of your small group in some key areas and to determine practical next steps to take toward greater emotional health.

Category: Advanced Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
There are no related resources available for this session.

Comments
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Beth Leonard
Beth has over 10 years of experience leading various aspects of small group ministry in the local church in both volunteer and paid staff positions, including directing the small group ministry in a church of 3,000. Her first love is training and leadership development, particularly in the area of creating transformational environments in small groups. She also teaches and facilitates during WCA Small Groups Advanced Training. Currently, Beth is working with Tapestry Community Church in Roswell, Ga., helping to design their small group and spiritual formation structures. Beth's family includes her husband, Don, two daughters, Hannah and Katelyn, two Shelties, and a cat.

This breakout is repeated in A-09 and C-49. Be sure to register only once.

Featured breakout for session C

Session Description:
During this breakout you’ll discover how to enhance your small group experience using a practical and energizing Bible study method. The Liquid Method is a learning model that multiplies leaders, creates energy, and moves small group leaders from being teachers to shepherds. This method helps people observe, understand and apply God's Word to their lives in a way that is both relational and relevant. You will have an opportunity to see how the Liquid Method works and experience firsthand how effective it is in taking God's Word through your life and the life of a small group.

Category: Beginning Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
www.experienceliquid.com

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Jeff Pries
Jeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. Jeff also produces Liquid, a series of four separate films, each based on specific passages from the Bible. The Liquid experience is designed to help small groups take God's Word through their lives. Jeff and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 11 years, and they have four children under the age of 10.

Chris Lagerlof
Jeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. Jeff also produces Liquid, a series of four separate films, each based on specific passages from the Bible. The Liquid experience is designed to help small groups take God's Word through their lives. Jeff and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 11 years, and they have four children under the age of 10.

This breakout is repeated in C-51 and D-71. Be sure to register only once.

Featured breakout for session D

Session Description:
Contemplative prayer is one of the oldest, most fulfilling Christian spiritual disciplines in the history of the church, yet it has virtually disappeared amidst the busyness of modern life. In this breakout, find out how you can give your small groups a structure of prayer that uses Scripture and silence to invite God's presence and direction, and provides a way to incorporate the vital discipline of listening prayer into everyday life. Be Still will help to start a movement of prayer in your community that invites the presence, power, and direction of the living God!

Category: Spiritual Formation
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

This breakout session is not available for purchase.

Related Resources
Be Still Small Group Curriculum
Be Still Small Group Participant’s Guide

Comments
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The creators of Be Still

Session Description:
Life change happens best in community ... but how does that really work in an urban culture? Can people of very different cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities weave their hearts together that they might "be one," as Jesus prayed? This breakout will focus on the unique complexities of the urban mind-set and the urban way of life that can become real barriers to real community.

Category: Place-Based Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
There are no related resources available for this session.

Comments
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Steve Wu
Steve spent years working in California’s Silicon Valley, providing leadership in various capacities to Genesis Technology, Inc. and Twin Peaks Software. Then, 12 years ago, he started a church and most recently served as a pastor at Crosswinds Church in the San Francisco Bay Area. Wu is now committed to building Willow Creek Community Church’s Chicago regional campus.

This breakout is repeated in A-15, B-35, C-55, and D-75. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Experience the new ReGroup™ DVD training tool in our hands-on lab. This revolutionary product features four, one-hour sessions with Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, and John Townsend that are designed to help new and existing small groups develop healthy group skills. In this lab, Project Director Wendy Seidman takes a few minutes to describe the overall tool design and gives you a quick tour of the DVD. You can then interact with the product at computer workstations and ask our roving product experts questions about the tool and potential applications. The lab is open throughout the conference, but you'll need to register to hear the presentation.

Category: Training Lab
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

This breakout session is not available for purchase.

Related Resources
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend

Comments
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Wendy Seidman
Wendy is the executive director of content development and training for the Willow Creek Association. She is responsible for the quality of the content delivered in workshops, conference breakout sessions, conference main sessions, and regional training events that the WCA produces in the U.S. She is also responsible for the quality of WCA training products such as: the Network training course for spiritual gifts; Becoming a Contagious Christian training course; Good Sense Budget Course; Good Sense Counselor Training; and An Ordinary Day with Jesus spiritual transformation course. She has been with the WCA since 1991 and prior to that, she worked for Shell Oil Company in the training and development area. She has a master's degree in religious education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a B.S. from Indiana University.

This breakout is repeated in C-42 and D-62. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
As leaders, we are good at generating great ideas and strategic plans. However, when the rubber hits the road it can be challenging to implement those ideas in a real church situation. Encounter the strategic leadership principles practiced by effective church leaders that will help your vision become reality.

Category: Leading a Small Groups Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
The Leadership Summit on Vision, Mission, and Strategy
Engaging in Strategic Leadership for Your Ministry with Greg Hawkins (2006 Small Groups Conference Breakout)
Developing a Strategic Plan — Revisited (February 2005 issue of Defining Moments monthly audio journal)

Comments
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Marge Anderson
Marge Anderson is director of ministry development for Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, Calif. Since 2004, she has pursued her passion: to see the church function well so that people can be enfolded and actively participate in the life of the church body. For 14 years, Marge held a number of key, senior-level leadership positions at Willow Creek Community Church. She helped start the food service ministry and was a director of ministry services, adult ministries connections, and neighborhood strategy support. She also had the opportunity to work on Willow’s infrastructure, produce events, and oversee the development of training and curriculum. Marge regularly consults with other churches, helping them learn how to engage and connect individuals into the life of the church.

Session Description:
Discover seven practices that will help you successfully recruit, increase, and develop your small group leadership. An essential part of the development of your leaders is to give them a great experience. In this breakout you'll learn to equip your leaders with essential qualities and practices to encourage and sustain them. This experience is designed to provide leaders with easy and effective ways to create momentum and synergy around the leadership of your small groups ministry and your church.

Category: Training and Supporting Leaders
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
www.experienceliquid.com

Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.

Jeff Pries
Jeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. Jeff also produces Liquid, a series of four separate films, each based on specific passages from the Bible. The Liquid experience is designed to help small groups take God's Word through their lives. Jeff and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 11 years, and they have four children under the age of 10.

Chris Lagerlof
Jeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. Jeff also produces Liquid, a series of four separate films, each based on specific passages from the Bible. The Liquid experience is designed to help small groups take God's Word through their lives. Jeff and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 11 years, and they have four children under the age of 10.

This breakout is repeated in B-26 and D-66. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Spiritual formation is our goal for everyone. But what exactly happens in the heart of an individual during the life-change process? How is this facilitated by participation in a small group? This breakout is about spiritual formation in the heart of an individual and how to facilitate life transformation at a personal level.

To learn practical ideas on how to facilitate spiritual formation in a small group setting, see breakout A-06 or C-46 "Guiding a Group to Spiritual Maturity."

Category: Advanced Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
The handout for this session is unavailable.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
The Relational Way by M. Scott Boren
Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud
How People Grow by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg
Simple Church by Eric Geiger & Thom Rainer
The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge
An Invitation to the Spiritual Journey by John Gorsuch
The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet Hagberg & Robert Guelich
The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen
Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun
Prayer by Philip Yancey
Invitation to a Journey Robert Mulholland
Here and Now by Henri Nouwen
Renovation of the Heart Dallas Willard
The Great Omission Dallas Willard

Comments
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Rex Minor
Rex Minor is Executive Director of Transformational Communities at The Chapel in Grayslake, IL. Previously, Rex was the pastor of adult discipleship at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA, and was in senior leadership at Willow Creek Community Church as the director for small group leadership development. Rex's goal is to improve the quality of the small group experience and to see that every small group has a vision for reaching out to neighbors and friends to include them in community. He believes that life change happens best in the context of small groups. Before his involvement with small group leadership at Willow, Rex was director for community care ministries, encompassing pastoral care, recovery groups, and support groups. Prior to coming to Willow, Rex was in private practice as a marriage and family therapist. Rex and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 25 glorious years and have three children, Mallory, Paige, and Trent.

This breakout is repeated in C-48 and D-68. Be sure to register only once.

Session Description:
Eventually, someone in your group will experience a significant crisis. While your group may desire to help, you may not know how to effectively respond to a person in pain. Explore practical ways to respond quickly and appropriately to hurting people. Identify the resources necessary to support your group as it seeks to be an agent of God's healing.

Category: Advanced Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud
Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Safe People by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
101 Ways to Create a Caring Group by Thom Corrigan
Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb
The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge
The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge
The Weathering Grace of God by Ken Gire
Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
All Our Losses, All Our Griefs by Kenneth R. Mitchell & Herbert Anderson
The Lost Art of Listening by Michael Nichols
A Grace Disguised by Gerald Sittser
That’s Not What I Meant! by Deborah Tannen
You Just Don’t Understand by Deborah Tannen
Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey

Comments
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Joe Besenjak
Joe Besenjak has been part of the Pastoral Care staff at Willow Creek Community Church since 2002 and currently serves as the director of pastoral care and executive director of the Community Care Center and Food Pantry. Joe has helped develop basic care training for ministry leaders and volunteers at Willow. He has a passion for equipping others to provide care for those in need. Joe has served in church leadership for over fifteen years and has a master’s of divinity from Northern Seminary in Lombard, Ill.

Kyndra Singer
Joe Besenjak has been part of the Pastoral Care staff at Willow Creek Community Church since 2002 and currently serves as the director of pastoral care and executive director of the Community Care Center and Food Pantry. Joe has helped develop basic care training for ministry leaders and volunteers at Willow. He has a passion for equipping others to provide care for those in need. Joe has served in church leadership for over fifteen years and has a master’s of divinity from Northern Seminary in Lombard, Ill.

Session Description:
In this breakout participants will learn how to get their group started on the right track by exploring the importance of setting group guidelines, learning how to uncover group members' unspoken expectations, and experiencing the process of writing a covenant. Participants will also receive a tool that can be used to re-evaluate group guidelines and make needed adjustments throughout the life of the group.

Category: Beginning Group Leadership Skills
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
SmallGroups.com
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Team
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend
"Tools for Evaluating Your Small Group Ministry" by Russ Robinson
Behavioral Covenants in Congregations: A Handbook for Honoring Differences by Gilbert R. Rendle (Available at www.alban.org)


Comments
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Jana Swenson
Jana Swenson currently serves as the pastor of community and equipping at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Marion, Iowa along with her husband, Jonathan, who is the pastor of worship and evangelism. The Swensons spent two years as lead pastors of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Maplewood, Minn., where they laid the foundation for a church "of" small groups. However, Jana attributes much of what she's learned about small group ministry to her experience at Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, Iowa, where she served as the pastor of small group ministry for seven years. Jana also serves as a small groups consultant to congregations across the nation. She has taught on community and small group ministry at various churches and denominational gatherings.

Session Description:
We've all heard the 30,000-foot vision for the value of neighborhood ministry, but what happens when the vision literally hits the street? John Angle is responsible for implementing day-to-day neighborhood ministry at Willow Creek's DuPage regional campus. He and his staff of area pastors deal with the practical realities head-on. Hear the latest struggles, victories, land mines, and lessons from a place-based practitioner who understands how the nuts and bolts really fit together. Take home practical tips you can use in your own neighborhood ministry.

Category: Place-Based Ministry
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
“Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities”
The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Making Room for Life by Randy Frazee
Refrigerator Rights by Will Miller & Glenn Sparks
Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels
Bowling Alone by Robert Putman
The Anxiety Cure by Archibald Hart
Luxury Fever by Robert H. Frank

Comments
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John Angle
John Angle has been on staff at Willow Creek Community Church for the last 14 years. He is the director of Neighborhood Life at Willow's DuPage County campus and oversees a team of area pastors who serve various neighborhoods. Prior to his current role, he led the adult ministries at the DuPage campus. John has also served as a division leader in the evangelism ministry, where he led a division of more than 500 people, including those in seeker small groups, new believer small groups, and international community small groups. John does various training for Willow Creek as well as for the Willow Creek Association. John is married to his bride of 25 years, Kathy, and they have five children.

Session Description:
"Doing community" in small groups is always a challenge, but it's often helpful to compare notes with those who have faced -- and overcome -- challenges in similar cultural settings. This breakout is a conversation about overcoming challenges Asian-Americans face in growing vibrant biblical communities. Whether yours is a subcongregation within an English-speaking church or a more culturally homogenous church in an Asian-American neighborhood, you'll be able to learn from others and network with peers facing similar challenges.

Category: Overcoming Challenges
Venue: Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington

Session Resources
Download the handout for this breakout. This file requires Acrobat Reader. You can download it here.

You can purchase the CD of this session at the Group Life Store.

Related Resources
Growing Healthy Asian American Churches by Peter Cha, S. Steve Kang, & Helen Lee
Invitation to Lead: Guidance for Emerging Asian American Leaders by Paul Tokunaga
More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith by Nikki A. Toyama, et al.

Comments
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Nancy Sugikawa
Nancy graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. After working in the aerospace industry in Silicon Valley, Nancy left engineering to join the pastoral staff of a multiethnic church plant in Sunnyvale, Calif. She then moved to southern California to complete her M.Div. degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Nancy served as an associate pastor at NewSong Church in Irvine, overseeing evangelism, assimilation, and ministry small groups. In 2004, she joined the pastoral staff of Lighthouse Christian Church in Bellevue, Wash., overseeing evangelism and leadership development. She is a contributing author of Growing Healthy Asian American Churches and serves on the board of Catalyst Leadership Center, an Asian-American leadership development ministry.