We’re Giving Away 3 Copies of Our New Small Groups Book!

We’re giving away 3 copies of this new book by Lisa Copen! If you are even thinking about starting an illness support group, you won’t want to miss this book.
It’s packed full of 320-pages of all the answers RM Director Lisa has given group leaders in emails for over 10 years. It also includes a [...]

Tell Us About Your HopeKeepers Group

We love to hear about your HopeKeepers Groups!
People who are looking to start a group or who are also leading groups are always interested and encouraged by what other groups are doing. And many of them have not led a small group before, or perhaps it’s been a long [...]

How Does RM Help Me With My HK Group

Rest Ministries provide ongoing communication between HopeKeeper groups, resources, and by providing HopeKeeper leaders with resources to be a good advocate for those with illness or invisible disabilities for their church and community.
We rely on our volunteer staff to support the entire ministry, so to be best informed we recommend that you sign up for [...]

HopeKeeper Lesson Plan Ideas

Needing some fresh ideas for lesson plans for your HopeKeepers group? Here are some that leadders have told us they have used with success!

Pass out a devotional or two from Rest Ministries website (you are allowed to photocopy them, just keep the author/copyright information on it too.) [...]

FAQ About HopeKeepers Groups

>send us your questions
What are your requirements to be called “HopeKeepers”?
We request that during your HopeKeepers meeting you do not discuss treatments, alternative medicines, etc. without letting everyone know in advance that this will be the topic for that particular meeting. As groups grow together people may want to discuss these subjects but oftentimes they [...]

Organizing a HopeKeepers Welcome Packet for New Members

“God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken; good leaders also delight in their friendship.”
Proverbs 22:11, The Message

When people first start to attend a HopeKeepers group, it can be a nice touch to have a welcome packet for them. Here are some ideas of things to put inside!
A lot of our group [...]

HopeKeepers Leaders Have a Sunroom Group to Share Information and Encouragement

Are you a HopeKeepers group leader or are you interested in just talking with some? We have a special group in our Rest Ministries Sunroom that you can visit or join!
This wonderful social network is bringing people together at Rest Ministries from all over the world. You can upload your photos to show people [...]

Community HopeKeepers Groups

HopeKeepers groups don’t have to be in a church. They can also meet in your community.
Here is one email we received from someone who began a HopeKeepers group in her community.
We had our first meeting today for a neighborhood
HopeKeepers group and I’m pleased to tell you that it went well! All the ladies [...]

A 2nd Vision Statement Example to My Church for HopeKeepers

Presenting to the Church of _____ committee concerning:
Rest Ministries and the HopeKeepers Chronic Illness/Pain Support Group
Background
Rest Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit Christian organization that serves people who live with chronic illness or pain by providing spiritual, emotional and practical support. They are based in San Diego, CA,  founded in 1997, by Lisa Copen, who [...]

Top RM Resources to Sign Up for When You are Starting a HK Group

Our web site is quite large and has a variety of programs and resources. We’ve put together a list here of the things you should sign up for. We find that a lot of people feel ill-informed, and yet they don’t tend to sign up to receive information from our ministry.
We work hard to try [...]