Life Group Leaders Weekly
PRE-MEETING (Friday, August 31st)
OUR MISSION
"TO CULTIVATE MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS CENTERED ON GOD'S WORD AND PRAYER"
A MESSAGE FROM ME, JUSTIN
Dear Life Group Leaders,
Pastor Justin here.
May I extend my eager and sincere gratitude to you for your willingness to use your gifts and time to serve as Life Group Leaders/Facilitators and Hosts. It is such an incredible blessing to know that each of you are on the front lines leading our congregation each week. It's because of YOU that Life Groups are possible. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I am very excited to share with all of you that Heather Thomas, our Executive Director of Ministries, is now here to lead the charge for the Life Group ministry program. Heather has been serving as a volunteer Life Group Coordinator from the very beginning of this ministry, and has been serving in her new capacity for 1 month to the day!
You will still here from me from time to time, but Heather will be the one who will work with you directly, week-to-week and day-to-day. She is going to be your greatest resource and cheerleader as you seek to lead and serve your group well!
I am so excited in knowing that the Life Group ministry is in good hands.
Heather, you're up!
In Christ,
Pastor Justin
LIFE GROUP UPDATE
Hi everyone!
I am excited to share that even before we open enrollment into our Life Group program we already have more than 130 people signed up! We continue to grow and meet our goals! Way to go!
May I just take a moment and offer a special welcome to our new Life Group leaders:
Val & Martha Valdez will be joining with Darrell & Carla Kootstra as Leaders on Thursday evenings.
Robert & Jennifer Butts will be leading with Bob & Jennifer Koelewyn on Wednesday evenings.
Elsie Barba, Robin Fukano & Karan Pever have teamed up to form a new group that meets on Thursday mornings.
Maggie Woodhouse has joined with Garrit & Hinke de Jong as a leader on Tuesday afternoons.
Welcome to the team! Just an FYI, even though you have titles of "Leader" and "Host," we view all of you as LEADERS and I will refer to you as such.
As Coordinators we are getting very excited about the fall. Here are a few things I'll cover in this edition of Leaders Weekly:
- Promo Month
- Life Group ESSENTIALS Training
- SERVE Opportunities
- Web page Just for You
- The Power of Referrals
- Looking Ahead to Weekly Smore Mail
1) PROMO MONTH - Just so you know, each September and January are our 'promotion' months. That is the time we encourage members of our church to sign up for a Life Group. So, starting this Sunday, September 2nd, we will be inviting people to sign up for groups after the AM service. Julie Mendes & I will be available for sign-ups and to answer questions.
2) Life Group ESSENTIALS Training - Remember that our training is coming up Saturday, September 15th, starting at 8:45am in the Social Hall. Please, please, please do your best to be there. Also, if you haven’t done so already, please RSVP to Heather for that event so we can get the right amount of food for breakfast & snacks:
Heather- hnthomas.2002@gmail.com
3) SERVE Opportunities:
We were blessed to welcome Jennifer Butts to our Coordinator Team this fall and she has put in much time, energy, and effort planning and scheduling for the "Serve" component of Life Groups. There are a variety of options available for your group to participate in. Starting September 5th, if you want to see what's available, check out the "serve" page on our website at: http://hanfordcrc.org/lifegroups/serve-opportunites
Remember that Serve projects are first come, first served and will open after Essentials training on the 15th.
4) A WEB-PAGE JUST FOR YOU! - Remember that all pertinent information is on our website. If you are looking for the most recent smore mail or homework guide, the link on how to post attendance or view your attendance roster, or where to find other leader resources, this should be your first stop. Be sure to check it out:
http://hanfordcrc.org/lifegroups/leader-tools
5) The Power of Positive, Personal Referral - As we roll into our September sign up month, I encourage each of you to think of 3-4 names of people you are close with and encourage them to join your group. Remind them they are free to show up for a few weeks for a no commitment 'test drive' to just try it out.
Here is why we are encouraging you to do this:
Just think - would you be more likely to go to a new restaurant in town if you got a coupon in the mail or if received a raving review from a close friend? The same principle applies here.
Our best chance to get people to sign up in the fall is YOU!
Your words matter much more than any flier, brochure, or ad we can make. Don't underestimate the power of a positive, personal referral.
6) Looking Ahead to Weekly Smore Mail - One thing you can look forward to during the Life Group Fall and Spring semester is a weekly update from me as a way to keep you informed on important dates and topics, give you access to Life Group Leader notes, and to serve as a means to some ongoing training. Hopefully, for your sake, it will be shorter than the previous novels. To be honest, I'm excited to see you're still reading. Wow! Thank you!
Take note that this message might go to your promotions or junk folder. You have to mark the sender (me!) as something to go to your "primary" inbox and you should be good to go!
That's it for now!
If you have any comments or questions, please don't hesitate to email or call.
In Christ,
Heather Thomas - Executive Director of Ministries
THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Fall "ESSENTIALS" Training on Saturday, September 15th at 8:45am - Please don't forget to send me your RSVP if you have not done so already.
- Fall Life Group Kick-Off on Sunday, September 16th directly following our morning worship.
GOALS FOR THIS WEEK
- Invite a friend to your Life Group
THIS WEEK
Romans 5:1-11
Title:
"Finding Peace with God"
Preacher's Notes:
[none this week]
LIFE GROUP LEADER NOTES - From Julie Mendes
In the future this is where you will find your Life Group Leader Notes.
The Life Group Coordinator Team
Sharon Johnson
Sharon keeps everyone in line! 'nuff said.
Amy Breslow
Amy is the one who gives our Life Group promotions and sign-ups that creative edge. She is our resident marketing and design expert who also keeps our training events fun.
Julie Mendes
Julie makes sure the homework guides are prepared for your weekly Life Group gatherings.
Heather Thomas
Executive Director of Ministries
As the E.D.M, Heather oversees the Life Group ministry program by carrying out it's mission and vision, assisting Coordinators in their respective tasks and objectives, and serving Leaders and Hosts directly.
Jennifer Butts
As the Serve Project Coordinator, Jennifer works directly with community leaders to identify and schedule service projects for our Life Group Program. She will be your guide and contact for all things Life Group Community Service.
Pastor Justin
Justin assists the team to carry out the vision of First CRC through the Life Group ministry program.
About Us
Email: hanfordcrc@comcast.net
Website: www.hanfordcrc.org
Location: 2175 Leoni Drive, Hanford, CA, United States
Phone: (559) 582-4423
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HanfordCRC/