All Resources
How Do You Know If You Are a Trustworthy Leader?
In their debut episode, the team discusses the topic of trust by addressing reliability, authenticity, truthfulness, communication, reliance on Jesus, and more. Each...
Small Group Accountability – A Helpful Tool (I.D.G.F)
One of the pillars of Hope Community Church small groups is accountability. During this accountability time, we hope to create an environment where people feel free to share all the ups and downs of life and point each other toward Jesus. As small group leaders, it...
The Gospel Turn in Small Groups
We can find ourselves hearing things and believing those things which can change our behaviors or habits. These are what we often talk about in our small groups. "I wish I could stop doing this" "I want to be more like this" "I think God is asking me to take this...
Gospel Accountability
Last fall our small group leaders zero’d in on how the gospel is the center of how we think about accountability. This is true for us as a church, but particularly within our small groups. For those unfamiliar, our small groups are built on three ideals –...
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...
Creating & Maintaining Community in Small Groups
Creating a comfortable and welcoming environment for a small group is vital to the success of the group in general. The reasoning is pretty simple - people return to environments where they feel welcome and accepted. People also feel freer to be themselves in a...
How Do We Worship on Easter?
In less than a month, we will be celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I didn’t grow up with a strong Christian foundation. I’d overhear comments at church about special days, services, terms, and theology and wonder about their significance. What is Lent? Or Ash...
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...
Why Hope Loves College Students
In 1996, I had the privilege of being the founding pastor of Hope Community Church, which we purposely started right by the University of Minnesota. I was told not to do this as college students are very transient and do not have any financial resources to help fund...
Small Group Fencelines
While no two Hope Community Church small groups are identical, some parameters have been established to help ensure groups maintain a healthy environment that is in keeping with the vision and philosophies of Hope Community Church. These parameters are referred to as...
Shouts and Songs From Two Mountains
Understanding the message of the Old Testament and applying it today is a lot like watching the film “Fight Club.” Only at the end of the movie does the viewer discover that the two main characters are (spoiler alert!) one and the same. Moreover, a second watch is in...
A Journey Through Small Groups
There are many places in Scripture where God commands us, as followers of Christ to live and be in community with one another. We are not to do this life alone, we need others to support us and point us back to God in both the joys and trials of life. There are many...