All Resources
“Rules of the Sandbox” for Small Group
Remember when you used to play in sandboxes as a kid? There were some unwritten rules that everyone was expected to abide by: No Throwing Sand, No Eating the Sand, No Hitting, Play Kindly with Others, etc. The same goes for Small Groups. We thought it would be...
How to: Care for Hurting or Grieving People
At Hope, we value all people, regardless of their life or faith condition. As small group leaders, you have a unique role in that you will be on the “frontlines” with people who are experiencing varying life and faith situations. Specifically, you will find that...
Accountability in Small Groups
Hope Community is not merely a place, but a group of people who desire to live as followers of Jesus and to make a difference in our city for Christ. Effective use of gospel centered accountability in small groups is vital to the growth and health of group members. As...
How to: Identify & Ask New Co-Leaders
Why Hope Community Church utilizes the structure of Co-leaders What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in...
Planting a Small Group
Why plant a new small group from your existing group? Before we continue, we would like to be very clear: Hope does not desire numerical growth of the small group ministry just for the sake of having a large ministry. We only hope for numerical growth if it reflects...
Small Group Open Chair Model
Whenever possible and healthy for the group, we encourage groups to maintain an “open chair.” This means that the group fosters an attitude of openness to newcomers and maintains an environment that would make a newcomer feel welcome. The group does not need to be...
Facilitating a Small Group Bible Discussion
Facilitating a Small Group Bible Discussion We believe in life-on-life ministry, meaning that people are truly and significantly changed only as others come alongside them in authentic community. Therefore, Hope values small groups as an opportunity to interact with...
The Comparison Games We Play: Grace is the Thief We Need
This article originally appeared on redtreegrace.com. Red Tree is a multi-church ministry effort started by Hope Community Church in order to connect the clarity of God's grace to our otherwise confusing lives and attempts at reading the Bible. As of 2023, the world’s...
Cutting Into the Onion of Moralism
This article originally appeared on redtreegrace.com. Red Tree is a multi-church ministry effort started by Hope Community Church in order to connect the clarity of God's grace to our otherwise confusing lives and attempts at reading the Bible. When I was growing up,...
What Makes Hope, Hope?
A great part of my job is taking people out for a cup of coffee and hearing their stories. It also gives me a chance to hear people’s impressions of Hope. What brought them here? What keeps them coming back? If I had to boil it down to a couple comments that people...
Everlasting Father
The following is the third in a four part series on preparing your heart for the Christmas Season. It has been adapted from a sermon called “Preparing Your Heart for the Christmas Season” delivered at Hope Community Church by Steve Treichler on November 30, 2003. What...
Mighty God
The following is the second in a four part series on preparing your heart for the Christmas Season. It has been adapted from a sermon called “Preparing Your Heart for the Christmas Season” delivered at Hope Community Church by Steve Treichler on November 30, 2003....