Recap of the 5/12 NEXT STEPS and MORE QUESTIONS

This past Saturday, May 12 we held our first Quarterly gathering of seeker small group leaders at Peninsula Covenant Church, in which we focused on next steps and more questions. Many of the HUNDRED PLUS leaders who agreed to launch a seeker small group in the SF bay area were there to participate in an interactive session with Garry Poole and I from nine to noon in Redwood City. There were also others there that had either not been able to attend the March 3rd Seeker Small Group training conference, or that weren't sure at the time that they were ready to launch a group.

At the end of the session, 27 more people submitted a signed covenant indicating that they are ready to launch a group. There are now 150 leaders in the SF bay area that are part of our HUNDRED PLUS vision to reach those that are not coming to our churches to hear the gospel. Isn't that exciting? Here is a recap of what we did at that session:

We reviewed the six steps of launching a seeker small group which include:

1. Catch the Vision
2. Build Strong Bridges
3. Extend Irresistible Invitations
4. Launch the All-Important First Meeting
5. Facilitate Captivating Discussions
6. Maximize the Impact

We heard testimonies from people that are at each one of the six steps. The overwhelming feedback afterwards was that these were very helpful to people. These were real people with fresh stories about their experiences with one of the six steps. Thanks to these eight people for be willing to tell us a little bit about their experiences: Pete Lavorato, Bill Arrillaga, Donna Kenison, Bill Weir, Ben Pierce, Leslie King, Bruce Stryd, and Abe Orozco. We also had time for table discussions with others in various stages of launching their groups. The end of our time together was in prayer for one another.

Bouquets of thanks go to Peninsula Covenant Church for hosting us once again, our advisory team of Tim and Kathy Sandquist, Ben Pierce, Carol Lind, and Donna Kenison, the event team beyond the advisors which included Lois Darbonne (registration), Shauna Nash (handouts), Kristin Day (hospitality), and my Tough Questions group for all their hardwork and food (especially Tatyana Shev, Deborah Potash, Margie MacKenzie, Cindy Pollett, and Judy Decker).

I will share a little more in the days to come about Saturday. I'll will also post some pictures. But I'd love to hear your comments. Tell us all what was helpful for you? - Mary