Join Me in the Journey!

This is a new day for me!  After four years as a small group consultant and coach with Lifetogether and 25 years in local church ministry...it's a new day and a new opportunity.  It's a little daunting, but at the same time I know this is what God has prepared me to do.  Helping the local church, no matter the size, tackle the challenges of creating a connecting community...that's it for me!

Ever look back at a trail and find yourself amazed at how far you've come?  That's how I feel these days.  When I first got my feet wet in ministry I didn't have very much of an idea about anything.  I remember that it just seemed like a good idea to let students lead and disciple other students and do it in small groups.  Of course, it didn't hurt that I ended up with Eric Swanson for an early mentor.

Actually, most of my ministry has been simply being in the right place at the right time...and being very curious about how things work, and might work better.  Aware of Rick Warren's beginning at Saddleback Church (primarily because I had been in a youth group with Kay Warren years earlier), I made it a point to listen in to a Focus on the Family interview with Rick and someone named Bill Hybels in 1987.  Amazing stuff.  Couple years later sat with Rick and some of his team in the balcony of the Crystal Cathedral and listened as Hybels talked about the strategy of Willow Creek Community Church.  Totally amazing stuff.

In 1991 I took my first group to Willow's Prevailing Church Conference.  Either by chance or providence, depending on your world view, I was there for Jim Dethmer's great talk on intentional focus.  When Jim was part of a two day conference in Los Angeles on leadership and vision called The Pastor's Toolbox I signed up immediately...and heard about Willow's transition to the Metachurch Model when the experiment was just beginning.  Again, it was an amazing thing to be right there.  Didn't plan it.  Just wanted to learn about leadership and vision.

Over the next few years I got to try the Meta thing out at churches like Faith Community Church and WoodsEdge Community Church.  Great places to learn about launching small groups and developing leaders.  So when I just happened to be involved in the early days of Fellowship of The Woodlands, all that I'd tried and tested up until that point came into play.  Over the next 7 years we saw the weekend attendance grow from about 1,500 to almost 10,000.  Amazing to be on the field when it happened.   The chance to develop a way of connecting people in a fast growing environment was priceless.  I've often said that I wouldn't trade those 7 years for anything.

It was also at Fellowship of The Woodlands that I had my first chance to work with Brett Eastman.  What a great opportunity!  To see up close and personal how it works when barriers are seen for what they really are...and aren't.  Another great experience.  Unplanned.  Unscripted.  Right place at the right time.

These last four years have been quite a ride.  Implementing the lessons of the 40 Days of Purpose in churches of all kinds around the country, testing new ideas about how people connect, and developing new ways to identify and encourage small group leaders...it's really been quite a ride.

And now it's time to take the next step in the journey.  My hope for SmallGroupResources.net is that it will be an encouragement to churches who are trying to build communities that are authentically connected.  Superficial is not the goal.  Life-change is the only thing worth working towards.

Should be a good ride.  Hope you'll come along.