Start A HK Group

If you have a chronic illness you may feel as though you are being called to start a small group or support group environment for those who are seeking chronic illness support. This could be a HopeKeepers group! HopeKeepers groups are an exciting way to reach out to people who live with illness or pain. You will discover that they need encouragement and support, but they are oftentimes desiring to encourage others and pass along how God has worked in their life!

Starting a support group doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are the first steps to helping you get a HopeKeepers group off the ground. For additional resources and information in getting your HopeKeepers group started, click on the category of blog posts that feature HopeKeepers Start Up Resources.

RESOURCES

• Podcast -  Listen to a 1-hour podcast by Rest Ministries founder, Lisa Copen, about starting a HopeKeepers Group.
  
  
• Information Packet – Download this free HK Info Packet (pdf) to print out and read.

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NEXT STEPS

STEP 1

Think about it – Pray about it. Pain is never fun, but pain with purpose is so much easier to live with. We encourage you to consider starting a chronic illness support group in your church or community and becoming a “wounded-healer.” We encourage you to pray about it and talk it over with your family.

STEP 2

Get to know Rest Ministries and HopeKeepers a little better.

Visit our social network here at Rest Ministries, called “The Sunroom.” There is a message board there (a group) just for HopeKeepers leaders or those who are interested in learning more. You don’t even have to join to read.

> Click here for other things to sign up for at
our web site that can give you some familiarity with who
we are and the audience you will be reaching.

Step 3

Get specific information on leading an illness group. If you haven’t yet, download our free HopeKeepers Info Packet ; it is a zipped .pdf file. If you have any troubles, let us know and we will drop a hard copy in the mail to you.

Print off a copy of Lisa’s article A Checklist of 36 Steps to Starting a Support Group – invaluable!

Read 2 example proposals people have written for their church about the HopeKeepers program. Example One | Example Two

Browse our new chronic illness support group page of resources for HopeKeeper leaders to learn more about leading a small group, exchange ideas and information, ways to publicize the group, get support, archives of HopeKeepers Bulletins for leaders and more.

Step 4

Decide  if you want this group to be a  part of the church that you are  attending. A group doesn’t have  to be a part of a church. You  can read more about this here.

Start  taking notes to be able to write  up a draft proposal to present to your church. See an example here. (Send us yours too to post!)

STEP 5

Order the chronic illness small group ministry materials and resources. Read about our complete HopeKeepers Start-Up Kit for churches. This kit will provide you with Bible studies, a training manual on the specifics of chronic illness ministry, drama skits for your church, and much more, including books, an audio CD, and a huge binder of resources for the leader to feel well-prepared.

If you are approaching your church about this option, be sure to let
them know how valuable such a ministry will be in the church and use your
personal experiences as examples.If your church chooses not to order the
HopeKeepers Start Up Kit, you can order materials individually. We recommend the following materials:

• How to Start a Chronic Illness Small Group Ministry - This 320 page book, written by Rest Ministries founder Lisa Copen (20101) is packed full of nearly all of the leadership information you will need.
  
• When Chronic Illness Enters Your Life Bible Study (You can order more later if you decided to start a group.)
• We also have a number of helpful books available about Christians and chronic illness. A great one to use for devotional time is Mosaic Moments, by Rest Ministries founder and friends.
• Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend is a must!

These materials and the HopeKeepers’ Info Packet will lead you through the “Am I really prepared to do this?” questions, the practical things to keep in mind when organizing such a group, and the theological issues that you may encounter and how to address them. (People are often hesitant to  lead such a group, feeling, “What would I say if someone say, ‘Why is God doing this to me? Why aren’t some people healed?’ etc.”)

Lisa Copen, our founder, wrote the above books because she was unable to find any resources that directly addressed chronic illness ministry within the church. We highly recommend them. If you are able to order just 1 item, How to Start a Chronic Illness Small Group Ministry is the book to read. It will lead you from wondering about leading a group to either deciding against it for now or up through the actual group meetings,e materials.

Most churches will be happy to pay the small amount necessary for these
materials. Although we are non-profit, we have not received enough funding
to distribute these resources free of charge. Thanks for understanding.

Step 6

Contact Rest Ministries to register as a HopeKeepers group. We
like to keep in touch with you so that we can better understand the needs
of the chronically ill, and what other programs and resources you desire.
We will follow up in time to see if you have noticed changes in your church
since you began the ministry and outreach. [Registration
form - .pdf file]

You can network with other churches and find out what is working best
for them. As our ministry grows, you’ll be glad to be a part of the HopeKeepers ministry, a large network of churches, dedicated to addressing the personal needs of those dealing with illness, which  is nearly half of your congregation (Chronic Care in American study).