All Resources
News from a Far Country: Notes from an American Conversion
I. The Madman and the Arsonists: A Parable Let’s say that you have lived your whole life in a small town well-known for arson cases. Let’s say your parents lived and raised you here, as did their parents, back and back to time immemorial, so that you really don’t know...
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...
Shepherd Leadership
What is a Shepherd Leader? At Hope Community Church we place a high value on spiritual leadership. As we consider who would make an excellent small group leader we think less about conventional leadership skills and more about ‘shepherd leadership’. The following...
What is Joy?
What is joy? In a sentence, joy is self-forgetful delight based on Reality. In this video, we unpack this definition and see how joy is ultimately not earned but given to us in Jesus.
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 –...
Small Groups With Missionaries
As Hope Community Church small group leaders we see our group members experience many major life events and changes. This document contains helpful tips for leading someone called to overseas missions. Please note a few things before reading this document. First,...
Tell Me About Spiritual Disciplines (Part 2)
This is the second of two articles about Spiritual Disciplines. If you haven’t had the chance to read the first article, you can read it HERE. Each discipline is written by a different author, all attendees of Hope. What is Worship? According to Merriam-Webster,...
5 Lessons I Have Learned From My Time Overseas
As the great theologian Bob Wiley said so many years ago, “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful… I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful… I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful…” For those of you who have not seen What About Bob? (spoiler alert? Not...
How Do I Have a Devotion?
The coffee is poured, the Bible is open, and you’ve found a quiet place to start your devotional. You intently read the scriptures, sip the coffee, and then seven minutes later you’re done reading and asking yourself, “Now what?” Consistently reading the Bible can be...
Tell Me About Spiritual Disciplines (Part 1)
Below you’ll read of a handful of Spiritual Disciplines. First, before you take a read through that list, I’d first encourage you to listen to this Off Road teaching by Naty Severson where she explains the importance and value of practicing Spiritual Disciplines as a...
Three R’s of Accountability
When sharing one's life with others it can sometimes be hard to think of what to say. Our natural tendencies can be to pray for our best friend's sick grandma or the neighbor’s dog that lost a leg. While those things are important, it’s important to create an...