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Steve Gladen | Saddleback Church Lake Forest, CA |
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 GladenSteve 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 |
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Scott Christenson | Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Palatine, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Scott ChristensonScott was called to start a small group ministry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in |
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Barry Sink | Calvary Church Naperville, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Barry SinkBarry joined the staff of Calvary Church in |
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Greg Bowman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Greg Bowman |
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Tony Stoltzfus | Coach22 Virginia Beach, VA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Tony StoltzfusTony 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. |
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Scott Vaudrey | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
This breakout is repeated in A-06 and C-46. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
Life change in small groups should be the norm. In the proper environment, average people come alongside other average people in redemptive ways. In this breakout, we'll examine the developmental strategies, disciplines, and resources that will help you facilitate spiritual and emotional transformation in a small group setting.
To learn practical ideas on how to facilitate spiritual formation in individuals in your group, see breakout B-26 or D-66 "Spiritual Formation in Small Groups."
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
To Be Told
by Dan Allender
Leading With a Limp by Dan Allender
Surrender to Love by David Benner
The Gift of Knowing Yourself by
David
Benner
Desiring God's Will by David Benner
Celebration of Discipline by Richard
Foster
Prayer by Richard Foster
Abba's Child by Brennan Manning
In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen
The Emotionally Healthy Church by
Peter Scazzero
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian
by Donald Whitney
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Scott VaudreyScott Vaudrey, Willow Creek's director of internships, received his B.S. from Whitworth College, his M.D. from the University of Washington, and his M.A. in transformational leadership from Bethel Seminary. Scott spent 11 years as an ER physician in |
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Beth Leonard | Tapestry Community Church Roswell, GA |
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 LeonardBeth 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 |
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Ray Ercoli | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Marie Shepherd | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ray ErcoliRay Ercoli has been on the Willow Creek Community Church staff for 16 years and has been a small groups pastor in Community Care since 1997. He is currently the director of all workshops and support groups in Community Care. Ray came to Christ here in 1982. He has been married for 16 years and has three children aged 12, nine, and seven. |
Marie Shepherd |
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Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
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Garry Poole | Author and Speaker Lake in the Hills, IL |
Featured breakout for session A
Session Description
It seems everyone has a story to tell or an opinion to share. And to get it, you need only to ask. Questions invite people to open up about themselves and divulge their thoughts and feelings on a wide variety of topics. Asking great questions within the context of small groups is the key ingredient to facilitate captivating discussions. But as important as asking good questions is, nothing compares to the significance of developing the skill of effectively listening to one another. In this breakout, you’ll explore the art of asking great questions and listening real well.
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
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
Seeker
Small
Groups
by Garry Poole
The
Three Habits
of Highly Contagious Christians by Garry Poole
Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Exploring
the Da
Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code DVD Kit by Lee
Strobel & Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Does Anyone Know God Exists? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Reliable is the Bible? by Judson
Poling
Tough
Questions: What Difference Does Jesus Make? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?
by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Don't All Religions Lead to God? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Do Science and the Bible Conflict? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: Why Become a Christian? by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions Leader's Guide by Garry Poole &
Judson Poling
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Garry PooleWillow Creek's key evangelism leader since 1992, Garry Poole is an innovator in seeker small groups and an outreach strategist. Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity. He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters, and The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians, a small group discussion guide to equip believers in effectively sharing their faith. Garry is the primary author of Tough Questions, a best-selling series of seven study guides, along with a leader's guide, designed to get small groups discussing answers to major objections to the Christian faith. He authored (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award. Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on seeker small groups at churches around the world. |
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Mindy Caliguire | SoulCare Algonquin, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mindy CaliguireMindy 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. |
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Nate Ledbetter | Mars Hill Bible Church Grandville, MI |
Session Description
How do love and geography relate? What if “neighboring” was a way of life? This breakout will connect the changing landscape of our cities with our cul-de-sacs, and how we can take part in imagining creative, long-term solutions to poverty in our neighborhoods. We will explore various forms, both urban and suburban, such as Mars Hill’s neighborhood network alongside examples of urban community development. Let’s explore how we can redeem our histories and share our future together.
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
Christian Community Development
Association
Urban Ministry
Sub-Urban Group
The
Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
Compassion, Justice and the Christian
Life by
Bob Lupton
Restoring At-Risk Communities edited
by Dr. John Perkins
Plunge2Poverty: An Intensive Poverty
Simulation Experience by Jimmy & Janet Dorrell
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Nate LedbetterOver the last six years, Nate Ledbetter has served as a pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in |
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Albert Hsu | InterVarsity Press Chicago, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Albert HsuAl 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 |
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Neil Cole | Church Multiplication Associates Signal Hill, CA |
Session Description
Paul's last words to Timothy challenge him, and us, to engage in the most important work on earth today: making disciples who are motivated, prepared, and equipped for great works. This breakout challenges ordinary people to be heroes of God's kingdom by being a disciple and making disciples. It provides a simple and reproducible strategy that can work in any environment. This is revolutionary training that can release a wave of ordinary Christians to make and multiply disciples.
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
Church Multiplication
Associates
Cultivating
a Life for God by Neil Cole
Organic
Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil
Cole
Search
and Rescue: An Urgent Call to Make and Multiply Disciples
by Neil Cole
(April ’08)
Disciples are Made, Not Born by Walter Henrichsen
A Model for Making Disciples: John
Wesley’s Class Meeting by D. Michael Henderson
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Neil ColeNeil Cole is an experienced church planter, author, and pastor. Aside from founding the Awakening Chapels, which are reaching young, postmodern people in urban settings, he is also a founder of Church Multiplication Associates (CMA) which has helped start hundreds of churches in 35 states and 30 nations in only 9 years. Currently Neil serves as CMA’s executive director. He is responsible for resourcing church leaders with ministry tools to reproduce healthy disciples, leaders, churches, and movements. His responsibilities also include recruiting, developing, assessing, and coaching church planters. |
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Wendy Seidman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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 SeidmanWendy 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. |
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Steve Gladen | Saddleback Church Lake Forest, CA |
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 GladenSteve 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 |
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Scott Christenson | Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Palatine, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Scott ChristensonScott was called to start a small group ministry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in |
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Bill Search | Southeast Christian Church Louisville, KY |
Session Description
You have a million (or so) people wanting to join a small group, but you have no idea how you're going to get the right people in the right groups. You're not alone! Bill Search faced the issue head-on and modified a time-tested event model for use at his church. This is an easy-to-adapt model for multiplying groups using a simple, two-hour connections process. In this breakout you will actually experience an abbreviated version of this connections event with leadership-level explanations of how to do it yourself. You'll leave with a plan, a script, and all the necessary handouts to use in your own ministry.
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
Simple Small Groups
Blog
Nside Group Life
Creating Community by Andy Stanley
& Bill Willits
Simple Small Groups by Bill Search
(fall 2008)
Organic Community by Joe Myers
Comments
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Bill SearchBill is the team leader for Community Groups at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, a church with an average weekly attendance of about 18,000. He is also author of Simple Small Groups: A User Friendly Guide for Small Group Leaders [September 2008]. He has been a regular trainer at Willow Creek Association conferences and an advisor for small groups for several years. Once a small group skeptic, Bill became a true believer in the power of community after his wife, Karyn, made him join a group. They now live in the Kentucky countryside with their three children Maggie, Emma, and Jack. Bill's website is www.simplesmallgroups.com. |
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Greg Bowman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Greg Bowman |
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Mike Hurt | Parkway Church Victoria, TX |
Session Description
Intentional conversations are often a coach's most effective tool in shaping a leader. Successful coaches connect with leaders personally, encourage them spiritually, and equip them for ministry. Encounter the art of conversation and discover how to turn a simple discussion into a life-changing moment.
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.smallgroupresources.org
Coaching
Life-Changing
Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue &
Connect the Dots by Mike Hurt
Get Uncomfortable by Todd Phillips
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mike HurtMike Hurt is the Senior Pastor of Parkway Church in Victoria, TX. A leading thinker and trainer in small group ministry, Mike is passionate about finding ways to reach people who don't know Christ and to see those who do know Christ connect in authentic biblical community. He is also the author of Connect the Dots, a study that will equip groups to discover God's will for their lives. He also authored the recently released study, RePurposed, a study of Nehemiah's memoirs, which challenges groups to courageously live their convictions. Before leading Parkway, Mike served at McLean Bible Church as Director of Community Campus Development and as Small Groups Pastor. At McLean, he was the lead developer of www.smallgroupresources.org. |
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Rex Minor | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Rex MinorRex 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 |
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Garry Poole | Author and Speaker Lake in the Hills, IL |
Session Description
Spiritual seekers need a safe place where they can explore the claims of Christianity at their own pace. Within this context, seekers can openly discuss spiritual questions, express their true thoughts and emotions, and discover for themselves what the Bible has to say about life today. In this breakout, you'll learn about this innovative approach that enables you and everyone in your ministry to engage seekers in life-changing conversations.
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.
This breakout session is not available for purchase.
Related Resources
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
Seeker
Small
Groups
by Garry Poole
The
Three Habits
of Highly Contagious Christians by Garry Poole
Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Exploring
the Da
Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code DVD Kit
by Lee
Strobel & Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Does Anyone Know God Exists? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Reliable is the Bible? by Judson
Poling
Tough
Questions: What Difference Does Jesus Make? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?
by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Don't All Religions Lead to God? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Do Science and the Bible Conflict? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: Why Become a Christian? by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions Leader's Guide by Garry Poole &
Judson Poling
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Garry PooleWillow Creek's key evangelism leader since 1992, Garry Poole is an innovator in seeker small groups and an outreach strategist. Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity. He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters, and The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians, a small group discussion guide to equip believers in effectively sharing their faith. Garry is the primary author of Tough Questions, a best-selling series of seven study guides, along with a leader's guide, designed to get small groups discussing answers to major objections to the Christian faith. He authored (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award. Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on seeker small groups at churches around the world. |
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Ray Ercoli | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Marie Shepherd | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ray ErcoliRay Ercoli has been on the Willow Creek Community Church staff for 16 years and has been a small groups pastor in Community Care since 1997. He is currently the director of all workshops and support groups in Community Care. Ray came to Christ here in 1982. He has been married for 16 years and has three children aged 12, nine, and seven. |
Marie Shepherd |
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Kevin and Sherry Harney | Authors and Speakers Byron Center, MI |
This breakout is repeated in B-29 and D-69. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
"I'm looking for materials that really fit my group." "Where do I find solid, biblical, action-based resources that help build community and impact the world?" "How do I take existing resources and shape them to fit the unique personality of the group I lead?" This breakout will answer these questions and more. It will also help you develop skills for creating your own small group materials and experiences.
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
Seismic Shifts
Seismic
Shifts Blog
SmallGroups.com
Interactions Small Group Discussion
Guides (20 small group guides) by Bill Hybels with Kevin
& Sherry
Harney
New
Community Bible Study
Guides (12 small group
guides) by Bill Hybels & John Ortberg with Kevin &
Sherry Harney
Old
Testament
Challenge Small Group
Guides
(Four small group guides covering 32 weeks of study) by John Ortberg
with Kevin
& Sherry Harney
Seismic
Shifts: The Little Changes that Make a BIG Difference in Your Life
by
Kevin Harney
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
& Team
Great Books of the Bible by various authors; John
and Ephesians written by Kevin
Harney
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
by John
Ortberg; small group resources by Kevin & Sherry Harney
This We Believe by various authors;
ministry resources and small group questions written by Kevin Harney
Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool
by Randy Frazee
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Kevin and Sherry HarneyKevin and Sherry have served in the local church for 25 years. They are the co-authors of over 40 small group study guides in partnership with the WCA and Zondervan including: Interactions series (with Bill Hybels), New Community series (Bill Hybels and John Ortberg), The Old Testament Challenge (John Ortberg), and Seismic Shifts. Kevin and Sherry have also led small groups in their neighborhood, church, and for ministry leaders. |
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Eric Camfield | Christ Church Oak Brook, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Eric CamfieldEric 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 |
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Mindy Caliguire | SoulCare Algonquin, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mindy CaliguireMindy 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. |
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Jon and Kelly Peacock | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Jon and Kelly PeacockKelly Peacock's heart for living missionally was ignited through multiple trips overseas, serving and living in a post-Christian culture in |
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Albert Hsu | InterVarsity Press Chicago, IL |
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 HsuAl 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 |
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Steve Yarrow | Christ Community Church St. Charles, IL |
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 YarrowSteve is the adult ministries pastor at Christ Community Church in |
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Wendy Seidman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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 SeidmanWendy 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. |
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Ben Lockyer | Southridge Community Church St. Catharines, ON |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ben LockyerIn 2001, Ben joined the staff of Southridge Community Church in |
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Marge Anderson | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Marge AndersonMarge Anderson is director of ministry development for Calvary Community Church in |
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Barry Sink | Calvary Church Naperville, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Barry SinkBarry joined the staff of Calvary Church in |
|
Dave Treat | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
Session Description
Anyone in small group ministry knows the truth: it is challenging to find new leaders and get them started. Discover a leadership assessment tool that will identify the readiness of each potential leader in your ministry and will clarify different training paths to help these people move toward leadership.
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
Building
a Church of Small Groups by Bill
Donahue & Russ Robinson
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
& Team
Seven
Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Bill Donahue
& Russ Robinson
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
Unfinished Business: Returning the
Ministry to the People of God by Greg Ogden
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Dave TreatOriginally from |
|
Tony Stoltzfus | Coach22 Virginia Beach, VA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Tony StoltzfusTony 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. |
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Scott Vaudrey | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
This breakout is repeated in A-06 and C-46. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
Life change in small groups should be the norm. In the proper environment, average people come alongside other average people in redemptive ways. In this breakout, we'll examine the developmental strategies, disciplines, and resources that will help you facilitate spiritual and emotional transformation in a small group setting.
To learn practical ideas on how to facilitate spiritual formation in individuals in your group, see breakout B-26 or D-66 "Spiritual Formation in Small Groups."
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
To Be Told
by Dan Allender
Leading With a Limp by Dan Allender
Surrender to Love by David Benner
The Gift of Knowing Yourself by
David
Benner
Desiring God's Will by David Benner
Celebration of Discipline by Richard
Foster
Prayer by Richard Foster
Abba's Child by Brennan Manning
In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen
The Emotionally Healthy Church by
Peter Scazzero
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian
by Donald Whitney
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Scott VaudreyScott Vaudrey, Willow Creek's director of internships, received his B.S. from Whitworth College, his M.D. from the University of Washington, and his M.A. in transformational leadership from Bethel Seminary. Scott spent 11 years as an ER physician in |
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Beth Leonard | Tapestry Community Church Roswell, GA |
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 LeonardBeth 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 |
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Joe Besenjak | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Kyndra Singer | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Joe BesenjakJoe 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 |
Kyndra Singer |
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Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
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John Angle | Willow Creek Regional: DuPage Wheaton, IL |
Session Description
Doesn't it feel oxymoronic to couple "Life-Changing" and "Group Meeting"? Of course ... because it seems impossible to think of a meeting being anything less than a necessary but boring part of group life. If your group members regularly stay home to wash the cat or burp the Tupperware®, this breakout is for you! Learn how to spice up your regular small group gatherings and make them a can't-miss experience for every group member. Take away great tips on how to make your meetings truly life changing!
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
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill
Donahue & Team
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups
DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
How to Ask Great Questions by Karen Lee-Thorp
Ice-Breakers and Heart-Warmers by Steve Sheeley
201 Great Questions by Jerry D.
Jones
Getting Together by Em Griffin
New Testament Lesson Maker from NavPress
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
John AngleJohn 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. |
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The creators of Be Still |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
The creators of Be Still |
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Steve Gillen | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
Session Description
As the culture changes, our strategies must change too. In the past we expected people in the neighborhood to show up at church. Today we need to be equipped to be the church in our neighborhood. Explore how Willow is transitioning to place-based ministry and discover steps you can take to bring church to the streets of your neighborhood.
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”
Making
Room for
Life by Randy Frazee
The
Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Refrigerator
Rights by Will Miller & Glenn Sparks
Bowling Alone by Robert Putman
The Anxiety Cure by Archibald Hart
Luxury Fever by Robert H. Frank
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Steve GillenSteve has been on staff at Willow Creek Community Church for the past 11 years. In the fall of 2005, Steve became the associate director of Neighborhood Life at |
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Steve Wu | Willow Creek Regional: Chicago Chicago, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Steve WuSteve spent years working in |
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Andrew Singleton | Victory Apostolic Church Chicago Heights, IL |
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 African-Americans face in growing vibrant biblical communities. Whether your church is urban or suburban, a new church start or an established congregation, 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
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.
Andrew SingletonEducationally, Andrew is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, and has a master’s of divinity degree. He serves as a district elder and pastor of Victory Apostolic Church, which was founded by Pastor Singleton in 1996 and has grown from 12 members to over 1,600 members in 11 years, with over 60 ministries. Victory is building a $16 million, 2,500-seat church in |
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Wendy Seidman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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 SeidmanWendy 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. |
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Ben Lockyer | Southridge Community Church St. Catharines, ON |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ben LockyerIn 2001, Ben joined the staff of Southridge Community Church in |
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Marge Anderson | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Marge AndersonMarge Anderson is director of ministry development for Calvary Community Church in |
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Brett DeYoung | Southeast Christian Church Louisville, KY |
Session Description
How do you minimize competition between alternative forms of community? The enemy of transformation is saying only one method can change a person's life. This breakout will give you practical ways to reach different people groups inside and outside your church. Explore the strategies of Southeast Christian Church, which has both on-campus and off-campus ministries in which thousands participate.
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
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.
Brett DeYoungBrett has been involved in ministry since 1976 in |
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Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
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Mike Hurt | Parkway Church Victoria, TX |
Session Description
You dream that every one of your leaders will be cared for and grow deeply in their relationship with God, but you can't accomplish this alone. Clarify your understanding of the coach's role and take away real-world principles for building a coaching structure that actually works.
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.smallgroupresources.org
Coaching
Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue
& Greg Bowman
Connect the Dots by Mike Hurt
Get Uncomfortable by Todd Phillips
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mike HurtMike Hurt is the Senior Pastor of Parkway Church in Victoria, TX. A leading thinker and trainer in small group ministry, Mike is passionate about finding ways to reach people who don't know Christ and to see those who do know Christ connect in authentic biblical community. He is also the author of Connect the Dots, a study that will equip groups to discover God's will for their lives. He also authored the recently released study, RePurposed, a study of Nehemiah's memoirs, which challenges groups to courageously live their convictions. Before leading Parkway, Mike served at McLean Bible Church as Director of Community Campus Development and as Small Groups Pastor. At McLean, he was the lead developer of www.smallgroupresources.org. |
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Rex Minor | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Rex MinorRex 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 |
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Steve Yarrow | Christ Community Church St. Charles, IL |
Session Description
Ever need to "blow up" a small group? It's not small anymore, and may be getting stagnant, but nobody wants to split the group. Steve Yarrow has a passion to multiply small groups, and he understands the tension it brings when groups and leaders are frustrated by the thought of breaking up their band of brothers. In this breakout you'll find that it's more about the biblical principle of sending than ending. Learn the best way to blow up your groups, and take away practical tips on how to minimize damage.
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
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill
Donahue & Team
Seven
Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by
Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
The
Big Book on Small Groups by Jeffrey Arnold
Growing People Through Small Groups
by David Stark & Betty Wieland
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Steve YarrowSteve is the adult ministries pastor at Christ Community Church in |
|
Joe Besenjak | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Kyndra Singer | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Joe BesenjakJoe 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 |
Kyndra Singer |
|
Kevin and Sherry Harney | Authors and Speakers Byron Center, MI |
This breakout is repeated in B-29 and D-69. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
"I'm looking for materials that really fit my group." "Where do I find solid, biblical, action-based resources that help build community and impact the world?" "How do I take existing resources and shape them to fit the unique personality of the group I lead?" This breakout will answer these questions and more. It will also help you develop skills for creating your own small group materials and experiences.
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
Seismic Shifts
Seismic
Shifts Blog
SmallGroups.com
Interactions Small Group Discussion
Guides (20 small group guides) by Bill Hybels with Kevin
& Sherry
Harney
New
Community Bible Study
Guides (12 small group
guides) by Bill Hybels & John Ortberg with Kevin &
Sherry Harney
Old
Testament
Challenge Small Group
Guides
(Four small group guides covering 32 weeks of study) by John Ortberg
with Kevin
& Sherry Harney
Seismic
Shifts: The Little Changes that Make a BIG Difference in Your Life
by
Kevin Harney
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
& Team
Great Books of the Bible by various authors; John
and Ephesians written by Kevin
Harney
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
by John
Ortberg; small group resources by Kevin & Sherry Harney
This We Believe by various authors;
ministry resources and small group questions written by Kevin Harney
Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool
by Randy Frazee
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Kevin and Sherry HarneyKevin and Sherry have served in the local church for 25 years. They are the co-authors of over 40 small group study guides in partnership with the WCA and Zondervan including: Interactions series (with Bill Hybels), New Community series (Bill Hybels and John Ortberg), The Old Testament Challenge (John Ortberg), and Seismic Shifts. Kevin and Sherry have also led small groups in their neighborhood, church, and for ministry leaders. |
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Jana Swenson | St. Mark's Lutheran Church Marion, IA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Jana SwensonJana Swenson currently serves as the pastor of community and equipping at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Marion, |
|
The creators of Be Still |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
The creators of Be Still |
|
John Angle | Willow Creek Regional: DuPage Wheaton, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
John AngleJohn 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. |
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Eric Camfield | Christ Church Oak Brook, IL |
Session Description
The shift away from the church building to place-based ministry, especially in traditional churches, will require a well-thought-out change strategy. It involves bridging the history and values of the traditional church to new neighborhood, or other place-based, opportunities. In this breakout, you'll learn to use all the tools available to move to the preferred future: stories, celebrations, mass-communication channels, personal dialogue, gaining the support of key leaders, the pulpit, having existing leadership model the way, the power of "buzz," and more ... and you'll discover how to be patient with the whole process!
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
Refrigerator
Rights by Will Miller & Glenn Sparks
The
Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Making
Room for
Life by Randy Frazee
The
Relational Way by M. Scott Boren
Leading Change by John Kotter
Strategies for Change by Lyle
Schaller
Simple Church by Eric Geiger
&
Thom Rainer
The Next Generation Leader by Andy
Stanley
Culture Shift by Robert Lewis
&
Wayne Cordeiro
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett
Rogers
Unfinished Business by Greg Ogden
Applebee’s America by
Douglas Sosnik,
Matthew Dowd, & Ron Fournier
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori
Brafman & Rod Beckstrom
The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg
The Externally Focused Church by
Rick
Rusaw & Eric Swanson
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Eric CamfieldEric 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 |
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Nancy Sugikawa | Lighthouse Christian Church Bellevue, WA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Nancy SugikawaNancy graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. After working in the aerospace industry in Silicon Valley, |
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Wendy Seidman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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 SeidmanWendy 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. |
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Marge Anderson | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Marge AndersonMarge Anderson is director of ministry development for Calvary Community Church in |
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John Angle | Willow Creek Regional: DuPage Wheaton, IL |
Session Description
Doesn't it feel oxymoronic to couple "Life-Changing" and "Group Meeting"? Of course ... because it seems impossible to think of a meeting being anything less than a necessary but boring part of group life. If your group members regularly stay home to wash the cat or burp the Tupperware®, this breakout is for you! Learn how to spice up your regular small group gatherings and make them a can't-miss experience for every group member. Take away great tips on how to make your meetings truly life changing!
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
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill
Donahue & Team
ReGroup: Training Groups to be Groups
DVD by Henry Cloud, Bill Donahue, & John Townsend
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
How to Ask Great Questions by Karen Lee-Thorp
Ice-Breakers and Heart-Warmers by Steve Sheeley
201 Great Questions by Jerry D.
Jones
Getting Together by Em Griffin
New Testament Lesson Maker from NavPress
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
John AngleJohn 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. |
|
John Angle | Willow Creek Regional: DuPage Wheaton, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
John AngleJohn 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. |
|
Joe Besenjak | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Kyndra Singer | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Joe BesenjakJoe 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 |
Kyndra Singer |
|
Greg Bowman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Greg Bowman |
|
Mindy Caliguire | SoulCare Algonquin, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mindy CaliguireMindy 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. |
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Eric Camfield | Christ Church Oak Brook, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Eric CamfieldEric 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 |
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Eric Camfield | Christ Church Oak Brook, IL |
Session Description
The shift away from the church building to place-based ministry, especially in traditional churches, will require a well-thought-out change strategy. It involves bridging the history and values of the traditional church to new neighborhood, or other place-based, opportunities. In this breakout, you'll learn to use all the tools available to move to the preferred future: stories, celebrations, mass-communication channels, personal dialogue, gaining the support of key leaders, the pulpit, having existing leadership model the way, the power of "buzz," and more ... and you'll discover how to be patient with the whole process!
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
Refrigerator
Rights by Will Miller & Glenn Sparks
The
Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Making
Room for
Life by Randy Frazee
The
Relational Way by M. Scott Boren
Leading Change by John Kotter
Strategies for Change by Lyle
Schaller
Simple Church by Eric Geiger
&
Thom Rainer
The Next Generation Leader by Andy
Stanley
Culture Shift by Robert Lewis
&
Wayne Cordeiro
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett
Rogers
Unfinished Business by Greg Ogden
Applebee’s America by
Douglas Sosnik,
Matthew Dowd, & Ron Fournier
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori
Brafman & Rod Beckstrom
The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg
The Externally Focused Church by
Rick
Rusaw & Eric Swanson
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Eric CamfieldEric 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 |
|
Scott Christenson | Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Palatine, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Scott ChristensonScott was called to start a small group ministry at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in |
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Neil Cole | Church Multiplication Associates Signal Hill, CA |
Session Description
Paul's last words to Timothy challenge him, and us, to engage in the most important work on earth today: making disciples who are motivated, prepared, and equipped for great works. This breakout challenges ordinary people to be heroes of God's kingdom by being a disciple and making disciples. It provides a simple and reproducible strategy that can work in any environment. This is revolutionary training that can release a wave of ordinary Christians to make and multiply disciples.
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
Church Multiplication
Associates
Cultivating
a Life for God by Neil Cole
Organic
Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil
Cole
Search
and Rescue: An Urgent Call to Make and Multiply Disciples
by Neil Cole
(April ’08)
Disciples are Made, Not Born by Walter Henrichsen
A Model for Making Disciples: John
Wesley’s Class Meeting by D. Michael Henderson
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Neil ColeNeil Cole is an experienced church planter, author, and pastor. Aside from founding the Awakening Chapels, which are reaching young, postmodern people in urban settings, he is also a founder of Church Multiplication Associates (CMA) which has helped start hundreds of churches in 35 states and 30 nations in only 9 years. Currently Neil serves as CMA’s executive director. He is responsible for resourcing church leaders with ministry tools to reproduce healthy disciples, leaders, churches, and movements. His responsibilities also include recruiting, developing, assessing, and coaching church planters. |
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Brett DeYoung | Southeast Christian Church Louisville, KY |
Session Description
How do you minimize competition between alternative forms of community? The enemy of transformation is saying only one method can change a person's life. This breakout will give you practical ways to reach different people groups inside and outside your church. Explore the strategies of Southeast Christian Church, which has both on-campus and off-campus ministries in which thousands participate.
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
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.
Brett DeYoungBrett has been involved in ministry since 1976 in |
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Ray Ercoli | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Marie Shepherd | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ray ErcoliRay Ercoli has been on the Willow Creek Community Church staff for 16 years and has been a small groups pastor in Community Care since 1997. He is currently the director of all workshops and support groups in Community Care. Ray came to Christ here in 1982. He has been married for 16 years and has three children aged 12, nine, and seven. |
Marie Shepherd |
|
Steve Gillen | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
Session Description
As the culture changes, our strategies must change too. In the past we expected people in the neighborhood to show up at church. Today we need to be equipped to be the church in our neighborhood. Explore how Willow is transitioning to place-based ministry and discover steps you can take to bring church to the streets of your neighborhood.
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”
Making
Room for
Life by Randy Frazee
The
Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Refrigerator
Rights by Will Miller & Glenn Sparks
Bowling Alone by Robert Putman
The Anxiety Cure by Archibald Hart
Luxury Fever by Robert H. Frank
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Steve GillenSteve has been on staff at Willow Creek Community Church for the past 11 years. In the fall of 2005, Steve became the associate director of Neighborhood Life at |
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Steve Gladen | Saddleback Church Lake Forest, CA |
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 GladenSteve 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 |
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Kevin and Sherry Harney | Authors and Speakers Byron Center, MI |
This breakout is repeated in B-29 and D-69. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
"I'm looking for materials that really fit my group." "Where do I find solid, biblical, action-based resources that help build community and impact the world?" "How do I take existing resources and shape them to fit the unique personality of the group I lead?" This breakout will answer these questions and more. It will also help you develop skills for creating your own small group materials and experiences.
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
Seismic Shifts
Seismic
Shifts Blog
SmallGroups.com
Interactions Small Group Discussion
Guides (20 small group guides) by Bill Hybels with Kevin
& Sherry
Harney
New
Community Bible Study
Guides (12 small group
guides) by Bill Hybels & John Ortberg with Kevin &
Sherry Harney
Old
Testament
Challenge Small Group
Guides
(Four small group guides covering 32 weeks of study) by John Ortberg
with Kevin
& Sherry Harney
Seismic
Shifts: The Little Changes that Make a BIG Difference in Your Life
by
Kevin Harney
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
& Team
Great Books of the Bible by various authors; John
and Ephesians written by Kevin
Harney
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
by John
Ortberg; small group resources by Kevin & Sherry Harney
This We Believe by various authors;
ministry resources and small group questions written by Kevin Harney
Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool
by Randy Frazee
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Kevin and Sherry HarneyKevin and Sherry have served in the local church for 25 years. They are the co-authors of over 40 small group study guides in partnership with the WCA and Zondervan including: Interactions series (with Bill Hybels), New Community series (Bill Hybels and John Ortberg), The Old Testament Challenge (John Ortberg), and Seismic Shifts. Kevin and Sherry have also led small groups in their neighborhood, church, and for ministry leaders. |
|
Albert Hsu | InterVarsity Press Chicago, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Albert HsuAl 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 |
|
Mike Hurt | Parkway Church Victoria, TX |
Session Description
Intentional conversations are often a coach's most effective tool in shaping a leader. Successful coaches connect with leaders personally, encourage them spiritually, and equip them for ministry. Encounter the art of conversation and discover how to turn a simple discussion into a life-changing moment.
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.smallgroupresources.org
Coaching
Life-Changing
Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue &
Connect the Dots by Mike Hurt
Get Uncomfortable by Todd Phillips
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mike HurtMike Hurt is the Senior Pastor of Parkway Church in Victoria, TX. A leading thinker and trainer in small group ministry, Mike is passionate about finding ways to reach people who don't know Christ and to see those who do know Christ connect in authentic biblical community. He is also the author of Connect the Dots, a study that will equip groups to discover God's will for their lives. He also authored the recently released study, RePurposed, a study of Nehemiah's memoirs, which challenges groups to courageously live their convictions. Before leading Parkway, Mike served at McLean Bible Church as Director of Community Campus Development and as Small Groups Pastor. At McLean, he was the lead developer of www.smallgroupresources.org. |
|
Mike Hurt | Parkway Church Victoria, TX |
Session Description
You dream that every one of your leaders will be cared for and grow deeply in their relationship with God, but you can't accomplish this alone. Clarify your understanding of the coach's role and take away real-world principles for building a coaching structure that actually works.
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.smallgroupresources.org
Coaching
Life-Changing Small Group Leaders by Bill Donahue
& Greg Bowman
Connect the Dots by Mike Hurt
Get Uncomfortable by Todd Phillips
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Mike HurtMike Hurt is the Senior Pastor of Parkway Church in Victoria, TX. A leading thinker and trainer in small group ministry, Mike is passionate about finding ways to reach people who don't know Christ and to see those who do know Christ connect in authentic biblical community. He is also the author of Connect the Dots, a study that will equip groups to discover God's will for their lives. He also authored the recently released study, RePurposed, a study of Nehemiah's memoirs, which challenges groups to courageously live their convictions. Before leading Parkway, Mike served at McLean Bible Church as Director of Community Campus Development and as Small Groups Pastor. At McLean, he was the lead developer of www.smallgroupresources.org. |
|
Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
|
Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
|
Nate Ledbetter | Mars Hill Bible Church Grandville, MI |
Session Description
How do love and geography relate? What if “neighboring” was a way of life? This breakout will connect the changing landscape of our cities with our cul-de-sacs, and how we can take part in imagining creative, long-term solutions to poverty in our neighborhoods. We will explore various forms, both urban and suburban, such as Mars Hill’s neighborhood network alongside examples of urban community development. Let’s explore how we can redeem our histories and share our future together.
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
Christian Community Development
Association
Urban Ministry
Sub-Urban Group
The
Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
Compassion, Justice and the Christian
Life by
Bob Lupton
Restoring At-Risk Communities edited
by Dr. John Perkins
Plunge2Poverty: An Intensive Poverty
Simulation Experience by Jimmy & Janet Dorrell
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Nate LedbetterOver the last six years, Nate Ledbetter has served as a pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in |
|
Beth Leonard | Tapestry Community Church Roswell, GA |
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 LeonardBeth 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 |
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Ben Lockyer | Southridge Community Church St. Catharines, ON |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ben LockyerIn 2001, Ben joined the staff of Southridge Community Church in |
|
Rex Minor | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Rex MinorRex 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 |
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Jon and Kelly Peacock | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Jon and Kelly PeacockKelly Peacock's heart for living missionally was ignited through multiple trips overseas, serving and living in a post-Christian culture in |
|
Garry Poole | Author and Speaker Lake in the Hills, IL |
Featured breakout for session A
Session Description
It seems everyone has a story to tell or an opinion to share. And to get it, you need only to ask. Questions invite people to open up about themselves and divulge their thoughts and feelings on a wide variety of topics. Asking great questions within the context of small groups is the key ingredient to facilitate captivating discussions. But as important as asking good questions is, nothing compares to the significance of developing the skill of effectively listening to one another. In this breakout, you’ll explore the art of asking great questions and listening real well.
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
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
Seeker
Small
Groups
by Garry Poole
The
Three Habits
of Highly Contagious Christians by Garry Poole
Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Exploring
the Da
Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code DVD Kit by Lee
Strobel & Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Does Anyone Know God Exists? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Reliable is the Bible? by Judson
Poling
Tough
Questions: What Difference Does Jesus Make? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?
by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Don't All Religions Lead to God? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Do Science and the Bible Conflict? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: Why Become a Christian? by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions Leader's Guide by Garry Poole &
Judson Poling
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Garry PooleWillow Creek's key evangelism leader since 1992, Garry Poole is an innovator in seeker small groups and an outreach strategist. Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity. He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters, and The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians, a small group discussion guide to equip believers in effectively sharing their faith. Garry is the primary author of Tough Questions, a best-selling series of seven study guides, along with a leader's guide, designed to get small groups discussing answers to major objections to the Christian faith. He authored (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award. Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on seeker small groups at churches around the world. |
|
Garry Poole | Author and Speaker Lake in the Hills, IL |
Session Description
Spiritual seekers need a safe place where they can explore the claims of Christianity at their own pace. Within this context, seekers can openly discuss spiritual questions, express their true thoughts and emotions, and discover for themselves what the Bible has to say about life today. In this breakout, you'll learn about this innovative approach that enables you and everyone in your ministry to engage seekers in life-changing conversations.
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.
This breakout session is not available for purchase.
Related Resources
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
Seeker
Small
Groups
by Garry Poole
The
Three Habits
of Highly Contagious Christians by Garry Poole
Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Exploring
the Da
Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code DVD Kit
by Lee
Strobel & Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Does Anyone Know God Exists? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Reliable is the Bible? by Judson
Poling
Tough
Questions: What Difference Does Jesus Make? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?
by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Don't All Religions Lead to God? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Do Science and the Bible Conflict? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: Why Become a Christian? by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions Leader's Guide by Garry Poole &
Judson Poling
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Garry PooleWillow Creek's key evangelism leader since 1992, Garry Poole is an innovator in seeker small groups and an outreach strategist. Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity. He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters, and The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians, a small group discussion guide to equip believers in effectively sharing their faith. Garry is the primary author of Tough Questions, a best-selling series of seven study guides, along with a leader's guide, designed to get small groups discussing answers to major objections to the Christian faith. He authored (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award. Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on seeker small groups at churches around the world. |
|
Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
|
Chris Lagerlof | Mariners Church Irvine, CA Jeff Pries | Mariners Church Irvine, CA |
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.
Chris LagerlofChris Lagerlof is the small groups/care/evangelism pastor at Mariners Church in |
Jeff PriesJeff Pries is currently a small groups pastor as well as a member of the speaking team at Mariners Church in |
|
Bill Search | Southeast Christian Church Louisville, KY |
Session Description
You have a million (or so) people wanting to join a small group, but you have no idea how you're going to get the right people in the right groups. You're not alone! Bill Search faced the issue head-on and modified a time-tested event model for use at his church. This is an easy-to-adapt model for multiplying groups using a simple, two-hour connections process. In this breakout you will actually experience an abbreviated version of this connections event with leadership-level explanations of how to do it yourself. You'll leave with a plan, a script, and all the necessary handouts to use in your own ministry.
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
Simple Small Groups
Blog
Nside Group Life
Creating Community by Andy Stanley
& Bill Willits
Simple Small Groups by Bill Search
(fall 2008)
Organic Community by Joe Myers
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Bill SearchBill is the team leader for Community Groups at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, a church with an average weekly attendance of about 18,000. He is also author of Simple Small Groups: A User Friendly Guide for Small Group Leaders [September 2008]. He has been a regular trainer at Willow Creek Association conferences and an advisor for small groups for several years. Once a small group skeptic, Bill became a true believer in the power of community after his wife, Karyn, made him join a group. They now live in the Kentucky countryside with their three children Maggie, Emma, and Jack. Bill's website is www.simplesmallgroups.com. |
|
Wendy Seidman | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
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 SeidmanWendy 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. |
|
Ray Ercoli | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Marie Shepherd | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Ray ErcoliRay Ercoli has been on the Willow Creek Community Church staff for 16 years and has been a small groups pastor in Community Care since 1997. He is currently the director of all workshops and support groups in Community Care. Ray came to Christ here in 1982. He has been married for 16 years and has three children aged 12, nine, and seven. |
Marie Shepherd |
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Joe Besenjak | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL Kyndra Singer | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Joe BesenjakJoe 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 |
Kyndra Singer |
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Andrew Singleton | Victory Apostolic Church Chicago Heights, IL |
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 African-Americans face in growing vibrant biblical communities. Whether your church is urban or suburban, a new church start or an established congregation, 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
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.
Andrew SingletonEducationally, Andrew is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, and has a master’s of divinity degree. He serves as a district elder and pastor of Victory Apostolic Church, which was founded by Pastor Singleton in 1996 and has grown from 12 members to over 1,600 members in 11 years, with over 60 ministries. Victory is building a $16 million, 2,500-seat church in |
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Barry Sink | Calvary Church Naperville, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Barry SinkBarry joined the staff of Calvary Church in |
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Barry Sink | Calvary Church Naperville, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Barry SinkBarry joined the staff of Calvary Church in |
|
Tony Stoltzfus | Coach22 Virginia Beach, VA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Tony StoltzfusTony 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. |
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Tony Stoltzfus | Coach22 Virginia Beach, VA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Tony StoltzfusTony 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. |
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Nancy Sugikawa | Lighthouse Christian Church Bellevue, WA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Nancy SugikawaNancy graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. After working in the aerospace industry in Silicon Valley, |
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Jana Swenson | St. Mark's Lutheran Church Marion, IA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Jana SwensonJana Swenson currently serves as the pastor of community and equipping at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Marion, |
|
The creators of Be Still |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
The creators of Be Still |
|
Dave Treat | Willow Creek Association South Barrington, IL |
Session Description
Anyone in small group ministry knows the truth: it is challenging to find new leaders and get them started. Discover a leadership assessment tool that will identify the readiness of each potential leader in your ministry and will clarify different training paths to help these people move toward leadership.
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
Building
a Church of Small Groups by Bill
Donahue & Russ Robinson
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
& Team
Seven
Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Bill Donahue
& Russ Robinson
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
Unfinished Business: Returning the
Ministry to the People of God by Greg Ogden
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Dave TreatOriginally from |
|
Scott Vaudrey | Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL |
This breakout is repeated in A-06 and C-46. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
Life change in small groups should be the norm. In the proper environment, average people come alongside other average people in redemptive ways. In this breakout, we'll examine the developmental strategies, disciplines, and resources that will help you facilitate spiritual and emotional transformation in a small group setting.
To learn practical ideas on how to facilitate spiritual formation in individuals in your group, see breakout B-26 or D-66 "Spiritual Formation in Small Groups."
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
To Be Told
by Dan Allender
Leading With a Limp by Dan Allender
Surrender to Love by David Benner
The Gift of Knowing Yourself by
David
Benner
Desiring God's Will by David Benner
Celebration of Discipline by Richard
Foster
Prayer by Richard Foster
Abba's Child by Brennan Manning
In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen
The Emotionally Healthy Church by
Peter Scazzero
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian
by Donald Whitney
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Scott VaudreyScott Vaudrey, Willow Creek's director of internships, received his B.S. from Whitworth College, his M.D. from the University of Washington, and his M.A. in transformational leadership from Bethel Seminary. Scott spent 11 years as an ER physician in |
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Steve Wu | Willow Creek Regional: Chicago Chicago, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Steve WuSteve spent years working in |
|
Steve Yarrow | Christ Community Church St. Charles, IL |
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 YarrowSteve is the adult ministries pastor at Christ Community Church in |
|
Steve Yarrow | Christ Community Church St. Charles, IL |
Session Description
Ever need to "blow up" a small group? It's not small anymore, and may be getting stagnant, but nobody wants to split the group. Steve Yarrow has a passion to multiply small groups, and he understands the tension it brings when groups and leaders are frustrated by the thought of breaking up their band of brothers. In this breakout you'll find that it's more about the biblical principle of sending than ending. Learn the best way to blow up your groups, and take away practical tips on how to minimize damage.
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
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill
Donahue & Team
Seven
Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by
Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
The
Big Book on Small Groups by Jeffrey Arnold
Growing People Through Small Groups
by David Stark & Betty Wieland
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Steve YarrowSteve is the adult ministries pastor at Christ Community Church in |
|
The creators of Be Still |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
The creators of Be Still |
|
Garry Poole | Author and Speaker Lake in the Hills, IL |
Featured breakout for session A
Session Description
It seems everyone has a story to tell or an opinion to share. And to get it, you need only to ask. Questions invite people to open up about themselves and divulge their thoughts and feelings on a wide variety of topics. Asking great questions within the context of small groups is the key ingredient to facilitate captivating discussions. But as important as asking good questions is, nothing compares to the significance of developing the skill of effectively listening to one another. In this breakout, you’ll explore the art of asking great questions and listening real well.
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
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
Seeker
Small
Groups
by Garry Poole
The
Three Habits
of Highly Contagious Christians by Garry Poole
Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Exploring
the Da
Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code DVD Kit by Lee
Strobel & Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Does Anyone Know God Exists? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Reliable is the Bible? by Judson
Poling
Tough
Questions: What Difference Does Jesus Make? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?
by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Don't All Religions Lead to God? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Do Science and the Bible Conflict? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: Why Become a Christian? by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions Leader's Guide by Garry Poole &
Judson Poling
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Garry PooleWillow Creek's key evangelism leader since 1992, Garry Poole is an innovator in seeker small groups and an outreach strategist. Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity. He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters, and The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians, a small group discussion guide to equip believers in effectively sharing their faith. Garry is the primary author of Tough Questions, a best-selling series of seven study guides, along with a leader's guide, designed to get small groups discussing answers to major objections to the Christian faith. He authored (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award. Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on seeker small groups at churches around the world. |
|
Garry Poole | Author and Speaker Lake in the Hills, IL |
Session Description
Spiritual seekers need a safe place where they can explore the claims of Christianity at their own pace. Within this context, seekers can openly discuss spiritual questions, express their true thoughts and emotions, and discover for themselves what the Bible has to say about life today. In this breakout, you'll learn about this innovative approach that enables you and everyone in your ministry to engage seekers in life-changing conversations.
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.
This breakout session is not available for purchase.
Related Resources
The
Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole
Seeker
Small
Groups
by Garry Poole
The
Three Habits
of Highly Contagious Christians by Garry Poole
Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Exploring
the Da
Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code by Lee Strobel & Garry
Poole
Discussing
the Da Vinci Code DVD Kit
by Lee
Strobel & Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Does Anyone Know God Exists? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: How Reliable is the Bible? by Judson
Poling
Tough
Questions: What Difference Does Jesus Make? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?
by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Don't All Religions Lead to God? by
Garry Poole
Tough
Questions: Do Science and the Bible Conflict? by
Judson Poling
Tough
Questions: Why Become a Christian? by Garry Poole
Tough
Questions Leader's Guide by Garry Poole &
Judson Poling
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Garry PooleWillow Creek's key evangelism leader since 1992, Garry Poole is an innovator in seeker small groups and an outreach strategist. Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity. He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters, and The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians, a small group discussion guide to equip believers in effectively sharing their faith. Garry is the primary author of Tough Questions, a best-selling series of seven study guides, along with a leader's guide, designed to get small groups discussing answers to major objections to the Christian faith. He authored (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award. Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on seeker small groups at churches around the world. |
|
Kevin and Sherry Harney | Authors and Speakers Byron Center, MI |
This breakout is repeated in B-29 and D-69. Be sure to register only once.
Session Description
"I'm looking for materials that really fit my group." "Where do I find solid, biblical, action-based resources that help build community and impact the world?" "How do I take existing resources and shape them to fit the unique personality of the group I lead?" This breakout will answer these questions and more. It will also help you develop skills for creating your own small group materials and experiences.
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
Seismic Shifts
Seismic
Shifts Blog
SmallGroups.com
Interactions Small Group Discussion
Guides (20 small group guides) by Bill Hybels with Kevin
& Sherry
Harney
New
Community Bible Study
Guides (12 small group
guides) by Bill Hybels & John Ortberg with Kevin &
Sherry Harney
Old
Testament
Challenge Small Group
Guides
(Four small group guides covering 32 weeks of study) by John Ortberg
with Kevin
& Sherry Harney
Seismic
Shifts: The Little Changes that Make a BIG Difference in Your Life
by
Kevin Harney
Leading
Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
& Team
Great Books of the Bible by various authors; John
and Ephesians written by Kevin
Harney
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
by John
Ortberg; small group resources by Kevin & Sherry Harney
This We Believe by various authors;
ministry resources and small group questions written by Kevin Harney
Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool
by Randy Frazee
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Kevin and Sherry HarneyKevin and Sherry have served in the local church for 25 years. They are the co-authors of over 40 small group study guides in partnership with the WCA and Zondervan including: Interactions series (with Bill Hybels), New Community series (Bill Hybels and John Ortberg), The Old Testament Challenge (John Ortberg), and Seismic Shifts. Kevin and Sherry have also led small groups in their neighborhood, church, and for ministry leaders. |
|
Barry Sink | Calvary Church Naperville, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Barry SinkBarry joined the staff of Calvary Church in |
|
Barry Sink | Calvary Church Naperville, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Barry SinkBarry joined the staff of Calvary Church in |
|
Rex Minor | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Rex MinorRex 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 |
|
Marge Anderson | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Marge AndersonMarge Anderson is director of ministry development for Calvary Community Church in |
|
Rex Minor | Calvary Community Church Westlake Village, CA |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Rex MinorRex 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 |
|
Eric Camfield | Christ Church Oak Brook, IL |
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
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Eric CamfieldEric 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 |
|
Eric Camfield | Christ Church Oak Brook, IL |
Session Description
The shift away from the church building to place-based ministry, especially in traditional churches, will require a well-thought-out change strategy. It involves bridging the history and values of the traditional church to new neighborhood, or other place-based, opportunities. In this breakout, you'll learn to use all the tools available to move to the preferred future: stories, celebrations, mass-communication channels, personal dialogue, gaining the support of key leaders, the pulpit, having existing leadership model the way, the power of "buzz," and more ... and you'll discover how to be patient with the whole process!
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
Refrigerator
Rights by Will Miller & Glenn Sparks
The
Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Making
Room for
Life by Randy Frazee
The
Relational Way by M. Scott Boren
Leading Change by John Kotter
Strategies for Change by Lyle
Schaller
Simple Church by Eric Geiger
&
Thom Rainer
The Next Generation Leader by Andy
Stanley
Culture Shift by Robert Lewis
&
Wayne Cordeiro
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett
Rogers
Unfinished Business by Greg Ogden
Applebee’s America by
Douglas Sosnik,
Matthew Dowd, & Ron Fournier
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori
Brafman & Rod Beckstrom
The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg
The Externally Focused Church by
Rick
Rusaw & Eric Swanson
Comments
We’d love to hear what you think! To comment on this session, click here.
Eric CamfieldEric is the director of small groups ministries at |
Steve Gladen
Scott Christenson
Barry Sink
Greg Bowman
Tony Stoltzfus
Scott Vaudrey
Beth Leonard
Ray Ercoli
Marie Shepherd
Chris Lagerlof
Jeff Pries
Garry Poole
Mindy Caliguire
Nate Ledbetter
Albert Hsu
Neil Cole
Wendy Seidman
Bill Search
Mike Hurt
Rex Minor
Kevin and Sherry Harney
Eric Camfield
Jon and Kelly Peacock
Steve Yarrow
Ben Lockyer
Marge Anderson
Dave Treat
Joe Besenjak
Kyndra Singer
John Angle
The creators of Be Still
Steve Gillen
Steve Wu
Andrew Singleton
Brett DeYoung
Jana Swenson
Nancy Sugikawa