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 & 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 time. Writing up a flyer or calling the newspaper can seem a bit intimidating, so we encourage you to add us to your mailing list or invite us to your groups. Send us brochures, inserts, announcements about your group that we can post to share with others. Send us articles about your group. What are you doing? How have you grown? What special things do peole do for one another? Is HopeKeepers listed on your church website? Does … [Read more...]
Tips for Finding Money for Accessibility Issues at Churches
"Money & Ideas" was a 36-page booklet put out in the past by the National Organization on Disability, that described creative initiatives & fund raising strategies used by 50 congregations to become more accessible to people with all types of disabilities. Although the book seems to no longer be in print, most of the material is online as various short posts at the National Organization of Disability web site "Money & Ideas" Tips. It's includes ideas such as: Holiday Appeals Help Accessibility Start Small to Get the Ball Rolling Church Dinners Feed Disability Awareness Make It Your Mission Related articles by Zemanta How And Why You Should Make Your Blog Accessible To People With Disabilities (davidrisley.com) … [Read more...]
HopeKeepers Lesson Plan Example
HopeKeepers Lesson Plan Example Here is one lesson outline from a HopeKeeper leader who led a group for over 4 years. Feel free to send us your lesson outlines so that we can share with other leaders. Hi, Dear Christian Friend: OK, about my HopeKeepers(R) Group here in Crestline, CA. The most important thing I an tell you is to keep your group focused on Jesus & not their illness. They will need to discuss their illness from time to time but I make it very clear that is not what we are here for. We are HopeKeepers (my emphasis) & we will not focus only of the negatives of our various chronic conditions. There are plenty of groups out there for that. I co-lead a group for Fibromyalgia/Chronic pain, & you … [Read more...]
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.) Have people read a paragraph out loud & discuss it. Have they ever felt this way? How did they cope with these feelings? Would they have done something differently had they read this first? If they had written this, what verse would they have chosen? What do they think of the way the writer responded to the circumstances or feelings that s/he encountered. Go through a Bible study & discuss the various … [Read more...]
