The Power of Our Words

Contributed by:
Staci Overbeck
ministry assistant

“We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” James 3:2

Ouch. Did you feel that? Probably not…but I’ll bet you have in the past…that little jab as you listened to someone who carelessly spoke without regard to the feelings of others. It may have been intentional or purely accidental, as we never know the path that someone else has travelled.

Brief Touch, Lasting Impact

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

I was recently reminded of one of my "Most Embarrassing Moments," and it got me thinking. It's amazing to me how even the smallest encounters in our lives can have a lasting impact on those around us. Whether it's an occasion that will forever inspire laughter, life lessons, tears of joy, or even tears of pain, we rub shoulders with various people in and out of every season of life. With each exchange, we brush by them through shared life experiences that impart on them a piece of ourselves. It definitely makes me think twice about how I allow even the shortest interaction to transpire.

Signs of Life part 4: Mission Engaged

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

It's crazy how quickly the time flies. Just the other week I shared with my wife how shockingly fast a year goes by anymore. So it really comes as no surprise that it's been almost eight months since I started this series of posts that talk about our value structure at PCC. Well, now is when I make good on the promise of finishing that series.

Livin' On a Prayer

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

The title for this may have less to do with the actual post itself, and more to do with my love for 80's hairbands. But it is about prayer, so that has to count for something. How is your group doing when it comes to praying together? If you're like most groups, you've probably experienced a few of the following scenarios:

How NOT to be an Annoying Leader

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

I was sitting in my kitchen this morning, sipping some coffee, and I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my Saturday morning. So, naturally, I decided to write a quick post.

Same journey. Different places.

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

One of the greatest benefits of authentic community is the opportunity to benefit from the life-experiences and spiritual journeys of others in our group. The fact is that each of us have something to give, and something to gain, when we're connected in community. The reason for that is because all of us are at different places. My journey may be further along than others, but not as far someone else. And regardless, we can learn from each other.

Calling in the A-Team!

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

Wouldn't it be cool if we had a place every weekend where people could talk to people about getting connected in a journey group? What would make it even cooler is if group seekers were able to actually talk face to face with other people who are already experiencing life together in their journey groups. I mean, who better to share about what journey groups are like than those who are actually in one and experiencing it? Take that a step further, and imagine, if you would, a world where someone who was interested in finding a group could leave a weekend service, walk up to a kiosk, and access GroupFinder right there to begin the process of getting connected.

Well, you don't need to imagine too hard, because the Connection Kiosk is here.

You may have noticed over the past several weeks that journey groups now have a kiosk display in the atrium. Over the next several weeks, you'll begin to see several changes that will transform that kiosk into a place where group seekers can gather more information on groups, access GroupFinder to begin the process of finding a group, and where leaders can pick up their resources.

We're designing the graphics, and getting the necessary components together to make that happen. Now what we need is a team of people to staff it!

We're in the process of developing a team of groups who will serve together to staff the Connection Kiosk. We're calling this team the Assimilation Team, or... the A-Team. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it. Reminds me of one of my favorite TV shows growing up.

We want groups to join the A-Team because we believe that your experience in a journey group will make you the perfect person to help others start the process of finding a group. And besides, serving together as a group is already one of the ten habits of a journey group. What better way for your group to serve together than by pointing other people to community in a journey group.

Serving as part of the A-Team is a very simple way to get involved. Read below for an official team description that provides more details.

Team Description:
Pathway Community Church exists to intentionally influence people to seek a genuine and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our strategy for developing genuine and growing followers of Jesus Christ is to see each person at PCC end up in a journey group. We've determined that because we believe it is the best environment for sustaining spiritual transformation through authentic relationships. In order for people to realize the power of community, however, we have to work at providing points of connection that are simple and effective.

The Assimilation Team, or A-Team, is a compilation of groups working together to staff our Connection Kiosk each weekend. The goal is to have enough groups serving that one group would only have one service per month*. This is an ongoing commitment by the group, and they will be scheduled accordingly. The primary role of this team is to provide a friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic introduction to the connection process to those who are interested in joining a journey group, and are looking for more information.

As a part of this team, you’ll have the opportunity to share your journey group experiences with group seekers, and help them understand what they can hope to expect in their own journey group. You will also be able to point them to the next step in the connection process. The Connection Kiosk should be a place that is buzzing with excitement about getting people connected, and the A-Team will play a huge part in that. 

Responsibilities:
1.    Have at least 3-4 individuals from your group present when scheduled to serve.
2.    Arrive at the kiosk 15 minutes before the service scheduled, and stay until 15 minutes after the service scheduled.
3.    Wear the custom designed A-Team T-Shirt, along with your I.D. lanyard, when serving at the Connection Kiosk.
4.    Call team leader ahead of time if you will be unable to serve your shift. Find a replacement, if possible.
5.    Attend the one-time A-Team Orientation prior to serving. This orientation will cover the connection process, how to get someone started, what you should share with group seekers, and what you shouldn’t share with group seekers. It will also cover a crash-course in using GroupFinder, as there will be a computer at the kiosk where group seekers can actually log in to complete their profile or register for GroupLaunch.

Requirements:
1.    That you’re part of an active group at PCC.
2.    You and your group have a passion for seeing others experience the benefits of community you enjoy together.

Time Commitment:
Less that 2 hours per month*

*Based on the number of groups who actually commit to serving on this team. If fewer groups commit, then the number of services per month will increase, and so will the time commitment.

Did you catch the part where it mentions a cool custom designed t-shirt? Not only is this a fun way to serve and help others get connected, but it's also a fashion statement. Seriously... what more could you want? (T-shirts may not come in until second quarter - disclaimer)

If you think your group would be interested in joining the A-Team, let me know. You can email me here at eric@pathwaycommunity.org. We'll be planning an orientation for the team kick-off for sometime in February. Join my group and others who are already a part of the A-Team, and we'll get to work pointing the way to authentic community in journey groups. It's going to be fun!

Unqualified Leadership?

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

Lately, the Journey Group Leadership Team has been talking a lot about the leadership of our groups. How do we want leaders to emerge? What type of person should we encourage to step up and facilitate their group? How can we avoid putting the wrong person in that role? And once they're in that role, how do we resource, train, and equip them?

These are tough questions. In theory, it should be easy. You just write up a job description, promote the opportunity, and follow three easy steps to developing leaders, right? Then why is it maybe one of the toughest challenges I've faced in ministry? To simplify the answer, it's because the right people don't always step up, and the wrong people sometimes do... and that's if they step up at all.

At Pathway, we've identified journey groups as the environment in which we want people to end up. We've determined that because we believe it is the best environment for sustaining spiritual transformation through authentic relationships. But you can ask anyone who's had any involvement with small groups on any level, and they will tell you the same thing: groups are only as effective as their leaders.

We're in the process of redefining the group leader's role in journey groups. We're revisiting how we will raise up leaders, the process of putting them in place, and then how we will equip and enrich them as they serve. We're taking a very hard look at each of these things because we believe in the power of journey groups, and we believe that solid leadership is critical for that life-changing power to be realized.

I came across this article on smallgrouptrader.com recently, and I wanted to share it with you. When you get a chance, take a look at it. It's an excellent look at what we really need in order to be good group leaders. I hope it will encourage you and inspire you as you lead, or participate in, your own journey group. The link to the article is provided below.

www.smallgrouptrader.com

Envelopes and Water Pumps

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

The more I continue to grow in my understanding of authentic, Biblical community, the more I'm confronted with the reality of it's power. I'm learning that community is so much than just relationships... but what can be accomplished through those relationships. Let me recap a few things that have happened recently as a direct result of community here at PCC.

1. Over 1,000 shoeboxes were collected for Samaritan's Purse.
2. Nearly 60 families were provided with groceries to feed them through the holidays.
3. Hundreds of coats were collected, most of them brand new.
4. $45,000 was raised to pay for Feed My Starving Children.
5. 1,000 volunteers stepped up to pack meals for Feed My Starving Children.
6. As a body, we packed over 206,000 meals, which is enough to feed over 500 children for a year!

I look at those statistics, and I realize that any one of us can do only very little to make an impact on those who are hungry and in need, here and around the world. But when we as Christ-followers come together in community, God begins to move through us, and the impact is so much greater than it could ever be on our own. Those stats aren't about what Pathway did, but about what God has done through us. What a blessing to be a part of it!

As we wrapped up our series entitled "Bring the Love" several weeks ago, we saw a video that featured one of our High School girls Journey Groups who had committed to do something together as a group. So they created a "Love Box" where they would collect money that would go towards filling shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse. Our Journey Group had already been talking about what we were going to do in response to these challenges. After seeing this video, we were inspired to start our own "Love Box," though we called ours the "Love Pouch" ... it was an envelope.

We still didn't know exactly what we were going to do with the money we would collect. We felt that we'd all be more inclined to really give if we knew what we were giving towards. One of our group members had some interesting connections that intrigued us: 1) pump parts that we could purchase at cost - roughly $60 for a part that would cost $300 in a store. 2) a man who digs wells in Africa to supply local villages with clean water. 3) means to ship these parts overseas. So, as a group, we decided to commit to raise money so we could send water pumps to Africa that would provide clean water for the people. Our goal was 10 pumps.

The following week, we collected our money. After everyone had made their contributions, we opened the envelope and began counting... and what we discovered was that God had far exceeded any of our expectations. We had raised more than enough money to meet our goal of 10 pumps... in fact, we had enough money to send 20! As a group of six couples, we had collected more than $1,200!

As I reflect on that, it strikes me how shocked all of us were... there wasn't one couple there who wasn't utterly blown away at what had happened. I believe that God moved in a powerful way... I believe that he used our individual gifts, and then multiplied them in ways that were completely astonishing to us. What we were able to contribute was a small portion of that. But as a community of believers, the impact of our contribution was much bigger. And again, I don't share these things with you to draw attention to ourselves, but to celebrate what God did in our tiny little community of believers. That's the power of the community!

One of the values that we have for our Journey Groups is to serve inside and outside.

Focusing on ministry partnership mobilizes us as active members within the body of Christ. This moves us to serve together not only those inside our group, but outside as well. In community, we're aware of the needs around us, and we work together to meet those needs. As a community, we're resourced to address the needs outside of us, and we work together toward that endeavor, as well. Journey Groups connect us to this purpose.

I'd love to hear what your group has done to serve inside and outside. In what ways are you working together as a group to meet the needs around you, and beyond? And again, this isn't about you and your group, but about what God is doing through you. Let's celebrate those things together, and inspire others to jump in and do the same!

Please post a comment to let us know what you're doing.

Committed Volunteers

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small group pastor

We have a running joke with the young adults at Threefold about the "maybe" button on Facebook event invitations. It's amazing how many of them always seem to check "maybe," which we all know really means "no." ... well, most of the time it means "no." Ultimately, it seems to be an aversion to commitment.

This past weekend at Pathway, my wife and I showed up at our third service - we even showed up early... that's worth blogging about in and of itself. Especially considering that we had our three children with us, including our 2-year old son, Gibson. Part of the reason we were sure to show up early was because we were meeting some friends from out of town, and wanted to make sure we caught up with before the service started. 

So I took the girls to their classrooms upstairs and hurried down to the lobby to meet Amanda after she dropped Gibson off in the two-year old class. When I found her, however, Gibson was still with her... the 2-year class had reached the maximum child to adult ratio, and they were waiting on more volunteers to show up... no one ever did. 

That meant that Gibson, along with several other children at Pathway that morning, had no class to go to while their parents had hoped to attend the worship service. At that point our options were to take him into the service with us, roam the atrium (along with several other families who were turned away), or go home. We opted to take him into the service with us, which brought on a whole new series of consequences. Gibson was bored (though he did pretty well - at one point, however, he did ask Amanda in a loud whisper if she had to go poo-poo), our ability to engage with the teaching was diminished, and Gibson was a distraction to others around us. On top of all that, in the midst of wrestling with Gibson and keeping him quiet, I forgot my Starbucks coffee thermos under my seat... I have a feeling it's gone forever. 

While I found this whole situation pretty frustrating, I realized it wasn't really about our children's ministry's crazy classroom ratios. Those ratios and policies are put into place to protect our children and create a safe place for them. I appreciate that. These things are not unreasonable... that's not the issue. At the root of this issue is their need for committed volunteers. I found out this morning that several volunteers in KidCity had decided to just not show up on Sunday morning. No phone call... no reasons... they just didn't show up. This sent the KidCity team into a frenzy as they moved volunteers where they could to try and fill some holes. They were able to do that to an extent, but obviously it wasn't enough. And as a result of even just a few volunteers shirking their commitment, several families weren't able to plug into the service this weekend. 

I decided to write this in an effort to raise your awareness to the need for committed volunteers. KidCity needs them; Student Ministries needs them; Journey Groups need them; Worship Arts needs them; First Impressions needs them. And when you serve in one of these areas, it not only enables these ministries to happen each week, but it also becomes a vital part of your spiritual development as you play a key role in the body of Christ. Unfortunately, we find that - when it comes to placing volunteers in these roles - we're competing with a culture that too many times doesn't honor their commitments. And what makes it even worse, they don't see anything wrong with that. 

What can you and your group do to begin serving at Pathway? Could your group - or even part of your group - serve together in KidCity one Service a month? Could your group serve together as greeters for just one service a month? ... or serve communion together? ... or serve students together?

Part of building authentic community is serving together, and I encourage you to take this back to your group. If you're not already serving together in some way, make that a topic of conversation. How will you serve as a group? Where will you serve as a group? When will you serve as a group? And when you do, stand back and watch the impact it will have on the relationships in your group, but also the body as you engage a need together. 

Here are some things to consider as you seek to serve at Pathway - as a group or as individuals:

1. Prayer: Ask God where He wants you to serve. If you have a specific area in which you'd like to serve, ask God to open those doors. Pray for his guidance and direction. And when that guidance and direction comes - when the door is opened - follow it. 
2. Passion: Don't just plug into a role out of obligation or guilt. Pursue a role in an area you're passionate about. Serve in a role that will bring some excitement and fulfillment. 
3. Pace: Don't commit to a schedule that you know you can't honor. Pace yourself. Serving once a month is sometimes an ideal schedule for people. Something else to remember with this is to not let your ministry involvement take you away from being able to participate in a worship service. Pacing yourself means you serve during one service, and you attend a different service on the same weekend. 
4. Promise: Don't say you'll do it unless you mean it. When you step up as a volunteer to serve, that's a commitment. People are counting on you. Honor those commitments. When you don't, that's really just a broken promise. 
5. Phone: We all know that things come up unexpectedly, and sometimes we have no choice but to back out of commitments. When that happens, just pick up the phone and contact your ministry leader. Let them know you won't be able to serve your shift, let them know why, and if possible find someone to replace you.

Here are some people you can contact for more information on how you and your group can get involved by serving together:

• KidCity - Kevin Frauhiger
• Student Ministries - Brad Bullock (High School) & Byron Von Gunten (Middle School)
• First Impressions (Coffee, Greeters, Communion, Etc.) - Deb Parish
• Worship Arts - Gordon Knapp
• Journey Groups - Eric Dunaway
• Care Ministries - Natalie Ward

Have other thoughts, questions or suggestions? Post a comment! We'd love to hear what you have to say.

New Resources to Continue Bringing the Love

Contributed by:

Eric Dunaway

small groups pastor

This past weekend at PCC we closed out a series that challenged us to be the church, and to bring the love to the hungry, the orphan, the poor and our neighbor. We saw a powerful response in the body as we explored each of these things. But as we said last weekend, God isn't finished with us. Bringing the love to those in need around and the world and across the street isn't a five week series, a campaign or the pet project of a compassionate pastor. Bring the love is an ongoing call to be the church as God has called us to love him and love others.

One way we can continue this journey of exploring what this means for us as individuals and as the body of Christ, is to continue the conversations at home and in our Journey Groups. Here are a couple of resources to consider for your group that will challenge your socks off:

Crazy Love 
by Francis Chan

My group is more than half-way through this study, and it has sparked a lot of challenging discussion. It will compel you and your group to consider things like how you view God, is your love of God lukewarm, what does it mean to love God and what does salvation really look like?

The book is an easy read. 10 chapters that you discuss together - one chapter per session. There is also a DVD that features the author himself teaching for 6-8 minutes on each of the chapters. Following the video, Francis leaves you with two or three questions that will spur 45-60 minutes of deep discussion.

Learn more about this resource by visiting:
www.crazylovebook.com/

The Hole in Our Gospel 
by Richard Stearns

Several months before our pastor, Ron Williams, started the series Bring the Love, he handed me a copy of this book. As I read it, God began a work in me that has ruined my perspective on my possessions, my resources, and my role in the Kingdom... it's still ruining me, today. The book is about Richard's journey to faith, and his call to become the president of World Vision. It is also his challenge to the American Church to stop neglecting the parts of the Gospel that teach on caring for the hungry, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the destitute, and the oppressed. His stories and experiences will devastate you with the reality of atrocities that are happening all over the world - and his message will challenge you to do more than just look the other way. Rich's hope is not that we will just give more, or do more... but that our hearts will break for the things that break the heart of God.

The Hole in Our Gospel is now available in a format that is ideal for small groups, and it's called the Gospel Quest. As I write this, I haven't yet had the chance to review this material. But I know that it is a six session study that includes a DVD, and is directly tied to the book. I'm confident that it will be an excellent resource for any group that is looking to continue the journey of bringing the love.

You can learn more about Gospel Quest by visiting:
www.thegospelquest.com/

Part of the journey is continuing the conversation, and that's what these resources will enable you to do in very intentional ways. But as we said last weekend, we're not called to just talk about these things but to do something about it. Each one of us can do something. What will you and your group do to make a difference in this world together?