Hi,
It's hard to believe Christmas is only a few days away! How ironic that this season can be the time we "crowd out" Jesus the most with all our holiday plans, shopping trips and get-togethers. I know I've been guilty of this! Been making an effort though to spend extended times with Jesus in the morning to restore my tired soul and prepare me to serve Him during the day.
Praying for You!
How is your soul doing? Is it frantic, worried, tired? Is it content, rested, at peace?
Prayed for each of you this morning that the Holy Spirit would fill you afresh with His power and enable you to enter into this season with a worshipful heart!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Small Group Highlights for the Year!
God's been doing some exciting things in our small groups at Cornerstone! Some highlights include:
* Turbo Training Group attended by 6 potential leaders! (4 of them are serving as leaders in their respective groups/ministries.)
* 2 new small groups!
* Over 20 people who have connected with new small groups or as "open chair" members!
* 9 Semester Groups offered this year!
* Spring Small Group Leader Retreat (with guest spiritual director).
* Fall Small Group Leader BBQ Kick-off
* VHS is now TRANSFORM
* Exploring the idea of "Missional Small Groups" Together during Transform gatherings
What to Look Forward to in 2012!
Small Group Visits I'd like to visit and meet up with each one of your small groups in the coming year! It will give us a good time to connect, pray and celebrate what God is doing in your groups. I'd like to know how I can support you to be all that God wants you to be.
PLUS, I'd also like to take some time to share with you and have dialogue about "Missional Small Groups". This will be a key goal for our small group ministries in the coming year and will require our prayers and conversations together.
Exploring "Missional Small Groups" in our Transform GatheringsWe will continue to spend time in our Transform Gatherings exploring and sharing about "Missional Small Groups". This will include learning about the three key missional rhythms of group life: 1) Missional communion with God; 2) Missional relating with others; 3) Missional engagement with the world. We will also look at 21 practices that relate to these three missional rhythms. We'll also begin to think and experiment together how we can begin to live this reality out in our lives and in our communities.
Thanks for your faithful service and may the coming year of ministry be our best one yet!
Merry Christmas!
Jeremy
www.cornerstonesmallgroups.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Small Group Serving Opportunity
Hi Leaders,
Serving together as a group is a great way to live out our faith by blessing others. It's also a fun time of building memories as a group! At Cornerstone, we have always "strongly encouraged" our small groups to take initiative and serve in outreach projects together.
Serving OpportunityThe Five with Drive (www.5wd.ca) Warehouse is looking for volunteers for their Local Food Bank Program. These volunteers would help out in a variety of tasks including: unloading a vehicle with food/toys; sorting & packing food/toys; re-organizing the warehouse; stock counting; recycling/making boxes; and other small chores.
One small group from Cornerstone participated in this event last year and there were many encouraging and life-transforming stories of seeing people (and the world) more through God's eyes. Through their service and obedience, God used this experience for those group members to work in their hearts and in the small group in powerful faith-stretching ways!
Dates
These are some of the dates you have to choose from: Dec 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19-23. During these times, clients will be coming in to the warehouse to pick-up items.
Location
The warehouse is located at 105 Gibson Rd. in Markham (Warden and Steeles)
Children
While the children aren't allowed to be in the warehouse for insurance purposes, there is a children's room stocked with construction paper, crayons, books, as well as a TV equipped with DVD player. A volunteer(s) from the small group should be assigned to watch the children.
Please talk about this opportunity with your small group and prayerfully consider participating. You can contact Anna Rossi if you're interested or have any questions - jrarossi@hotmail.com.
Thanks.
Jeremy
www.cornerstonesmallgroups.blogspot.com
Serving together as a group is a great way to live out our faith by blessing others. It's also a fun time of building memories as a group! At Cornerstone, we have always "strongly encouraged" our small groups to take initiative and serve in outreach projects together.
Serving OpportunityThe Five with Drive (www.5wd.ca) Warehouse is looking for volunteers for their Local Food Bank Program. These volunteers would help out in a variety of tasks including: unloading a vehicle with food/toys; sorting & packing food/toys; re-organizing the warehouse; stock counting; recycling/making boxes; and other small chores.
One small group from Cornerstone participated in this event last year and there were many encouraging and life-transforming stories of seeing people (and the world) more through God's eyes. Through their service and obedience, God used this experience for those group members to work in their hearts and in the small group in powerful faith-stretching ways!
Dates
These are some of the dates you have to choose from: Dec 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19-23. During these times, clients will be coming in to the warehouse to pick-up items.
Location
The warehouse is located at 105 Gibson Rd. in Markham (Warden and Steeles)
Children
While the children aren't allowed to be in the warehouse for insurance purposes, there is a children's room stocked with construction paper, crayons, books, as well as a TV equipped with DVD player. A volunteer(s) from the small group should be assigned to watch the children.
Please talk about this opportunity with your small group and prayerfully consider participating. You can contact Anna Rossi if you're interested or have any questions - jrarossi@hotmail.com.
Thanks.
Jeremy
www.cornerstonesmallgroups.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Beyond "Normal"
By definition, “normal” is common, typical and expected. It conforms to a standard. Many small groups in North America are “normal”. Eight to twelve people meet regularly to study the Bible, share, pray together. Often group members meet socially for dinner or a movie or a summer picnic at the beach. Often group members serve the community together through an outreach project or a church initiative.
Nothing’s wrong with normal per se. Many of us would be so happy to have a group experience like that. (Wouldn’t you be thrilled if all your group members even just attended all the meetings?) God has done many great things in groups like these throughout the history of Cornerstone and the Church.
But what if God didn’t create us to be “normal”? What if our experience in community and small groups was to be so much more than what we’ve been experiencing?
Is it possible that there’s more beyond “normal”?
• Is it possible that our curriculum (as good as it is) can actually get in the way of group members “doing life” together?
• Is it possible that meetings can run smoothly (and as planned) but we still miss out on experiencing Jesus’ presence in our group or even forget to check in with Him?
• Is it possible that even with church and small group attendance, our lives and priorities and relationships still look much like those of non-Christians?
• Is it possible that we can do all the “right” things in our groups but still miss out on the life transformation God wants us to experience?
• Is it possible that God has actually designed the quality of our small group experience to impact and bless and attract our neighbours and those around us?
This year at Cornerstone, our Small Groups Leader community will be exploring what it means to go Beyond “Normal” in our experience and thinking of small groups. Through conversations, training, prayer, studies, experiments, etc. we’ll seek God’s vision for biblical community and be encouraged and resourced to take that next step in our leadership and in our small groups.
Please keep this in your prayers and ask that God would lead us closer to discovering and experiencing what it means to live in biblical community.
Looking forward to going on this journey with you.
Jeremy
Nothing’s wrong with normal per se. Many of us would be so happy to have a group experience like that. (Wouldn’t you be thrilled if all your group members even just attended all the meetings?) God has done many great things in groups like these throughout the history of Cornerstone and the Church.
But what if God didn’t create us to be “normal”? What if our experience in community and small groups was to be so much more than what we’ve been experiencing?
Is it possible that there’s more beyond “normal”?
• Is it possible that our curriculum (as good as it is) can actually get in the way of group members “doing life” together?
• Is it possible that meetings can run smoothly (and as planned) but we still miss out on experiencing Jesus’ presence in our group or even forget to check in with Him?
• Is it possible that even with church and small group attendance, our lives and priorities and relationships still look much like those of non-Christians?
• Is it possible that we can do all the “right” things in our groups but still miss out on the life transformation God wants us to experience?
• Is it possible that God has actually designed the quality of our small group experience to impact and bless and attract our neighbours and those around us?
This year at Cornerstone, our Small Groups Leader community will be exploring what it means to go Beyond “Normal” in our experience and thinking of small groups. Through conversations, training, prayer, studies, experiments, etc. we’ll seek God’s vision for biblical community and be encouraged and resourced to take that next step in our leadership and in our small groups.
Please keep this in your prayers and ask that God would lead us closer to discovering and experiencing what it means to live in biblical community.
Looking forward to going on this journey with you.
Jeremy
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Why not attend our Praise & Prayer gatherings with your small group?
Over the years, many people have expressed a desire to get together outside of Sunday services to sing and praise God together.
This year we've decided to hold quarterly Praise & Prayer evenings. We want to create these "spaces" to encounter God through worship and prayer!
Why not encourage your small group to attend together?
The Friday evenings we've set aside are:
This year we've decided to hold quarterly Praise & Prayer evenings. We want to create these "spaces" to encounter God through worship and prayer!
Why not encourage your small group to attend together?
The Friday evenings we've set aside are:
- February 18th (Cancelled)
- May 27th
- August 19th
- November 18th
Friday, September 24, 2010
What to do with the children during small group meetings?
Are there children in your small group? What are some ways you've tried to run your small group meetings with kids?
Cornerstone has a high children to adult ratio based on Sunday attendance (approx. 1/3 of the attendance is made up of children). More and more small groups are trying to figure out ways to handle the children situation in small group meetings.
Do we provide childcare for them? Do we offer a separate "program" for them? Do we incorporate them into our group meetings?
There is no "perfect" solution. What you decide will depend on a lot of factors like the comfort/preference of parents, the number/age of the children, the dynamics of your group, etc. There will be advantages and disadvantages to every idea which you and your group will have to weigh in on. You may even need to try a few and tweak them before you end up with a solution that works.
Here are some childcare ideas
Cornerstone has a high children to adult ratio based on Sunday attendance (approx. 1/3 of the attendance is made up of children). More and more small groups are trying to figure out ways to handle the children situation in small group meetings.
Do we provide childcare for them? Do we offer a separate "program" for them? Do we incorporate them into our group meetings?
There is no "perfect" solution. What you decide will depend on a lot of factors like the comfort/preference of parents, the number/age of the children, the dynamics of your group, etc. There will be advantages and disadvantages to every idea which you and your group will have to weigh in on. You may even need to try a few and tweak them before you end up with a solution that works.
Here are some childcare ideas
- Alternate men and women meetings. On one week the men meet while the women take care of the children, then switch. Add a joint meeting where men and women meet together at the end of the month.
- Have children play together in another part of the house unattended.
- Hire a babysitter and have kids play at a nearby location.
- Rotate small group members to handle childcare (on-site or off-site).
Here are some resources for children's programs or incorporating them into small group meetings
- VeggieTales videos or What's In The Bible videos (www.whatsinthebible.com)
- Books, games, puzzles, colouring and craft activities
- Small group study that features separate complementary study for children (requires children's facilitator) - www.lifeway.com/sgl
- Family small group study that includes children -www.saddlebackresources.com/en-US/SmallGroups/BooksoftheBible/LessonsforFamiliesfromGenesis.htm
- Family Small Group DVD studies (poor quality) - www.smallgroupsmaterials.com
Please comment on your experiences with children in your groups. Also, what ideas have you tried that have worked well or not so well?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The end of an era, the beginning of a new one...
Last Friday our small group celebrated our last small group meeting. While it marks an end to our amazing 6 year run as a group and while we won't be meeting with this same group that has become "family", it's also the beginning of many exciting new things!
I'd been said that a characteristic of a great thing is that you want to share it with others. This could describe our experience of community life together. In answer to our prayers, God has raised up multiple leaders from within our group who have expressed a passion and desire for wanting those not connected with a small group to experience community for themselves. And so after much discussion and prayer, this fall our small group will be birthing into 3 groups and will welcome more people into the circle of community!
As we plan for the exciting opportunities ahead, it was also a time for our group to celebrate what God has been doing in our lives. Over dinner, we shared our fondest memories of doing life together over the years. Later, each person got to sit on the "hot seat" while members of our group had the opportunity to express how they've been blessed and encouraged by that person.
We celebrated God's goodness as we remembered how the rlationships in our group played such an important role in the steps of faith and commtiment people have made in their spiritual journey over the years.
How people who only occasionally attended Cornerstone decided to "go all out" for Jesus - including the decisions to get baptized, serve actively in various ministries, even serve on various missions trips. How when people were at their lowest point, they found encouragement, support and prayer from the brothers and sisters in the group to go on. How the example of faith others demonstrated in their lives inspired other group members in their own journey. How we celebrated new births, career changes, weddings, and house moves together. How our group served the community in different ways.
It was a late night with laughter, tears and reminiscing over fond memories and stories. As the 3 new small groups move forward, we know the goal isn't to "replicate" the same experience we've had. But our experience has given us the confidence that God changes and transforms lives in the context of loving and accountable relationships. We're excited about what God will do in htis next season of life and how he will continue to transform even more lives. And isn't that what community's about?
I'd been said that a characteristic of a great thing is that you want to share it with others. This could describe our experience of community life together. In answer to our prayers, God has raised up multiple leaders from within our group who have expressed a passion and desire for wanting those not connected with a small group to experience community for themselves. And so after much discussion and prayer, this fall our small group will be birthing into 3 groups and will welcome more people into the circle of community!
As we plan for the exciting opportunities ahead, it was also a time for our group to celebrate what God has been doing in our lives. Over dinner, we shared our fondest memories of doing life together over the years. Later, each person got to sit on the "hot seat" while members of our group had the opportunity to express how they've been blessed and encouraged by that person.
We celebrated God's goodness as we remembered how the rlationships in our group played such an important role in the steps of faith and commtiment people have made in their spiritual journey over the years.
How people who only occasionally attended Cornerstone decided to "go all out" for Jesus - including the decisions to get baptized, serve actively in various ministries, even serve on various missions trips. How when people were at their lowest point, they found encouragement, support and prayer from the brothers and sisters in the group to go on. How the example of faith others demonstrated in their lives inspired other group members in their own journey. How we celebrated new births, career changes, weddings, and house moves together. How our group served the community in different ways.
It was a late night with laughter, tears and reminiscing over fond memories and stories. As the 3 new small groups move forward, we know the goal isn't to "replicate" the same experience we've had. But our experience has given us the confidence that God changes and transforms lives in the context of loving and accountable relationships. We're excited about what God will do in htis next season of life and how he will continue to transform even more lives. And isn't that what community's about?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"The Agenda is Prayer" Small Group Challenge!
Happy New Year Small Group Leaders!
As we look forward, there are a lot of exciting opportunities ahead in the New Year! With so many things down the pipe (new Vision/Mission statements, exciting ministry initiatives, further building developments, etc.) God has impressed upon the hearts of many staff and leaders the urgently essential need for PRAYER. To connect and abide in the presence and power of God (John 15:5-8). In fact, we've made PRAYER one of our defining objectives this year and a core value for Cornerstone. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing!
How often do we fail to tap into this awesome power that God has made available to His people? How often do we neglect to pray or see good intentions get crowded out by other agenda items and the busyness of life? The Apostle James reminds us: You do not have because you do not ask God (James 4:2).
But IMAGINE for a moment
the opportunities God would open up...
the lives that could be changed...
the impact that could be made in our community for God...
if we simply carved out time to pray together in our groups.
Wouldn't you want to be part of this prayer movement? Wouldn't you want your prayers to be a catalyst for God's Spirit to move in our community?
As we look forward, there are a lot of exciting opportunities ahead in the New Year! With so many things down the pipe (new Vision/Mission statements, exciting ministry initiatives, further building developments, etc.) God has impressed upon the hearts of many staff and leaders the urgently essential need for PRAYER. To connect and abide in the presence and power of God (John 15:5-8). In fact, we've made PRAYER one of our defining objectives this year and a core value for Cornerstone. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing!
How often do we fail to tap into this awesome power that God has made available to His people? How often do we neglect to pray or see good intentions get crowded out by other agenda items and the busyness of life? The Apostle James reminds us: You do not have because you do not ask God (James 4:2).
But IMAGINE for a moment
the opportunities God would open up...
the lives that could be changed...
the impact that could be made in our community for God...
if we simply carved out time to pray together in our groups.
Wouldn't you want to be part of this prayer movement? Wouldn't you want your prayers to be a catalyst for God's Spirit to move in our community?
Take "The Agenda is Prayer" Small Group Challenge!
- Talk (and pray) with your small group about taking the challenge.
- Look at your schedule and sign-up for 1-5 months where the agenda for your small group meetings during this time will be simply to pray.
- Pray in your small group meetings. Pray for the needs of your members. Pray for specific ministry requests that will be provided by the church. Try creative prayer exercises and ideas (provided by Pastor Jeremy) that can stretch and challenge the way you pray.
- Debrief your experience and celebrate how God is answering prayers and growing your faith!
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