Seeker Small Groups

Overwhelmed! Can't Catch Up!

"Overwhelmed!" "Can't catch up!" These are the words I am already hearing from so many, and the fall hasn't "officially" started yet! The tyranny of the urgent and important sometimes is taking precedence over the important (but seemingly not urgent) work God may be calling us to do. The best way for me to be reminded of the important work God has for me (and to somehow find time to do it) is to network with other people that are encountering the same struggle. When I am with other people that have a heart for the lost and are feeling the nudges of the Holy Spirit to reach out to those people, I am inspired and encouraged. My perspective returns. Somehow with God’s help, I reorder my days and my priorities to make time for his work.

But it is a CONTINUAL struggle for me. Is it for you? I'd love to hear your ideas on how you stay in the perfect peace that God has promised us in Isaiah 26:3 - " You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!" My quiet time in the morning of sharing my day with God is a big help. But then I need to keep turning to God all day long for guidance on how I spend my time, or I start getting anxious about how much there is to do.

If you are not too overwhelmed already and would like to be encouraged, it’s not too late to sign up for dinner on Friday, September 7 at five o’clock with Lee Strobel at Harbor Light Church in Fremont. Not only do we have a unique personal opportunity to meet with Lee and talk with him about his new book, The Case for Real Jesus, but we also have a great chance to NETWORK with other seeker small group leaders from five to six thirty prior to the California Christian Apologetic Conference at 7:00 p.m. in the same place, Harbor Light Church. You’ll get a chance to hear Sean McDowell (“Equipping Youth with a Biblical World View”) and Lee Strobel (“The Case for the Real Jesus”) that night at no cost. You can come back the next day (Saturday, Sept. 7) for a full line up of great apologetic speakers for a $40 registration fee. Check out the website on this great conference: www.standfortruthministries.org.

To sign up for these events, register at our website: www.seekerministries.org as soon as possible. I guess this could be considered urgent and important. But maybe we would all be encouraged and equipped to do the work of reaching out to our neighbors and friends in a way that invites effective conversations about faith issues?

Many of you have indicated that you would like to meet one-on-one to discuss seeker small group questions and challenges. I would love to meet with anyone that wants to talk about their plans or process regarding seeker small groups. I have time next week on Tuesday thru Thursday, Sept. 4-6, or the week of Oct. 1 thru 5. Just let me know your availability and we can set it up.

Regardless of whether you can attend any of the events on Sept. 7 and 8, could you please take the time to update us on your seeker small group by filling out the form on the registration page of the www.seekerministries.org website? This would help us to know more about you and your group. Thanks!

I am praying for each of you as you begin your groups this fall. - Mary

Lead Where You Are

This year's Willow Creek Leadership Summit (held August 9 thru 11 in cities throughout the world in more than 200 locations via satellite) had a theme entitled "Lead Where You Are." I think somehow we think we need to go some place else to lead. And yet, in one of the talks at the conference, Bill Hybels in an interview with Carly Fiorina, the ex-president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, highlights these truths: What you are is a gift FROM God, and what you do is a gift TO God. I would add that where you are is not an accident. God has planted you in the exact place He wants to use you to help build His Kingdom. When we realize that our relationships, workplace, and neighborhood are no accident, but opportunities to lead right there, we can look with a different lens at our everyday, normal lives. This applies well to the concept of starting a seeker small group with your existing friends and aquaintances.

The last session of the conference discussed inspirational leadership. Bill Hybels asked the question, "Whose job is to keep you inspired?" I think somehow we think it is someone else's job than our own. He quoted 1 Samuel 30:6, in which it reads in the Message version, "David strengthened himself with trust in his GOD." It's OUR job to be inspired through our relationship with God. I forget that so many times! I want someone else to inspire me rather than taking on that responsibility. He gave us ten ways to stay inspired as leaders. Here they are:

1. Stay crystal clear about your calling
2. Make sure you leverage your spiritual gifts
3. Make sure the players on your team inspire one another
4. Read books that inspire you
5. Rub shoulders with exceptionally inspiring people
6. Participate in events that are exceptionally inspiring
7. Pay attention to the physical disciplines to stay healthy
8. Pay attention to your work environment
9. Have an exciting recreational activity outside of work
10. Practice daily spiritual disciplines that keep your faith fresh

I thought these were great! After the conference I practiced number 9 by taking a week and a half off doing a variety of fun things with guests that were visiting from out of town. Now, I am back to doing the work that I feel God calling me to do, which is to support and encourage all of you. I hope these insights are helpful? - Mary

Is Your Name on the List?

It's been a year since we've had a vision to launch ONE HUNDRED seeker small groups in the San Francisco bay area so that hundreds (maybe thousands) of unchurched folks could figure out what they believe about Jesus in the context of a safe, small group setting. In March, 2007 in Redwood City, CA. there was a Seeker Small Group conference with Garry Poole (author of the book, Seeker Small Groups) to train leaders that might be interested in leading this kind of small group. As a result, there are now 152 leaders from 34 bay area churches that have signed a covenant to launch a seeker small group.

Here is the list of the 152 seeker small group leaders in the bay area:

Matthew Alden
Elsa Amboy
Aaron Anasco
Megan Anasco
Linda Arrillaga
Denise Blocker
Laura Brasser
Reuben Brasser
Tom Breen
Jim Brumme
Dann Bryant
Deborah Buonfiglio
Nita Carlstone
Jason Chan
Brian Chan
Mia Chang
Mike Chang
Chantra Chao
Henry Chen
Bo Chen
Mary Cheung
Peter Cheung
Mary Cheung
Kam Cheung
Bryan Cheung
Jiseon Choi
Peter Choi
Hope Choi
Jonathan Chu
Rosalin Chung
Gary Claassen
Polly Claassen
Katie Cornejo
Seema Dajani
Lois Darbonne
Susan Dau
Greg Davis
Kristin Day
Trevor Deng
Wilma Derr
Lillian Eng
Debbie Fitz
Tim Fitz
Bill Fleig
Wilson Fong
Becky Fong
Ruthann Formica
Shoshana Foxwell
Gladys Garder
Greg Garrott
Hubert Gee
Sabrina Gilliam
Fran Goodrich
Todd Gumbrecht
Kristy Hamlin
Gina Han
Kevin Han
Joy Han
Helen Hauser
Jim Herrera
Kim Herrera
Carmen Hsu
Xin Huang
Joe Hwang
Jin Joo
Dennis Kang
Clint Kelly
Donna Kenison
Andrew Kim
Matthew Kim
Helen Kim
Lesley King
Lauren Kwon
Richard Kwon
Ellen Kwon
Amy Lau
Mark Lauer
Pete Lavorato
Nancy Lavorato
David Lee
Miranda Lee
Daniel Lee
Naomi Lee
Clara Lee
John Lee
Mark Yoon Lee
Patrick Lee
Hyun-jung Lee
Jeannie Lee
Seung-Soo Lee
Eunice Lee
David Lee
Cindy Lee
Leeanne Li
Jimmy Lim
Edwin Limanto
Carol Lind
Lisan Junan Ly
Nhu Ly
Cathy Maddams
Linda Martinet
Jane Miclean
Hong Min
Hyun Soo Min
Bob Newell
Shauna Nash
Daniel Ng
Caroline Ogasawara
Abel Orozco
Teri Osterman
Sally Pak
Chris Pak
Jay Park
Helen Park
Catherine Park
Kevin Pasien
Daniela Pedley
Ruey Peh
Ben Pierce
Sandee Plymire
Timothy Rhee
Alice Rhee
Katie Ritchie
Tim Sandquist
Kathy Sandqust
Paul Schaller
Frank Schwartz
Cathy Seckel
Keith Seckel
Jerry Shen
Jerry Shen
Andrea Sim
Marilyn Smith
Brian Smith
Peter Son
Michele Steinhauser
Bruce Stryd
Tony Sun
Dan Thornton
Leo Ting
Richard Tjhen
Rod Toews
Dot Toews
John Vang
Barbara Wada
Judy Walters
Bill Weir
Linda Whitley
Briane Wong
May Yee
Hannah Youn
Joseph Yu

Take time today to pray for these leaders that are taking a leap of faith out of the comfort zone and into a whole new adventure of seeing God at work in the lives of others that are not sure about what they believe.
- Mary

A Covenant to Launch a Group

At the time of this writing, there are 152 seeker small group leaders from 34 different churches that have said they are launching a seeker small group! What does that mean? It means that there are 152 people who have recently signed a covenant with Garry Poole and I indicating you are in the process of launching (or have launched) a seeker small group in the San Francisco bay area. A covenant is a solemn declaration of a promise. In this case, our covenant is reciprocal. As you made promises, Garry and I made some back to you. We believe these were all made with the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Here’s a summary of those promises:

Your commitment:
1. With God’s help, you intend to do your best to launch a seeker small group some time in the next 9 months.
2. You are willing to participate in periodic gatherings for prayer, support, coaching and mutual encouragement.
3. You are willing to receive periodic electronic forms of communications with updates and support.
4. You are willing to share your experience/story with others.
5. You are willing to identify yourself as the leader (or co-leader) of a HUNDRED PLUS seeker small group launched in the San Francisco Bay Area to reach spiritual seekers in your community.

Our commitment to you:
We have agreed to provide (to the best of our ability within the next year) ongoing training, support and encouragement to those that commit to being ONE of the HUNDRED PLUS to launch a seeker small group in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I am amazed at how many of you are committed to this form of outreach! May God bless your efforts and enable you to persevere in the upcoming month as your group either gets started or begins again in the fall. - Mary

Be Prepared to Give An Answer

In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter advises the readers of his letter: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

I have two Eagle Scouts in my family. The motto for all Boy Scouts is simply this: "Be Prepared!" In addition to the tremendous amount of fun that boys have by being a scout, scouting is a continual process of training boys to be prepared for almost any circumstance that they will encounter in life. Long before they get to the stage of plannning and implementing an Eagle Scout project (as they approach the end of their high school years), boy scouts earn badges for different life skills such as first aid, bike safety, cooking, boating, wilderness survival, etc. These life skills become useful and many times essential to the wholistic health (or survival) of a young man in his adult years. It's been true for my husband, Paul, and I have already seen fruit of it in my new Eagle Scout son, David.

As we all begin to be more intentional in our outreach to our unchurched neighbors and friends, we also need to be prepared for those moments when we are given the opportunity to give a reason for the hope we have in Jesus Christ. There are books we can read, conferences we can attend, people that can teach us, and internet resources that can all contribute to our preparedness, much like a boy scouts' life skill badges. Maybe these resources become our spiritual life skill badges long (or not so long) before we need them?

Over the upcoming weeks we'll be discussing some of these great resources in more detail. As you lead a seeker small group, it is essential that you are prepared to give an answer when the opportunity presents itself. And we know WHO it is that will present those opportunities to us: the Holy Spirit. Will you be ready?
- Mary