Learn more about this and then spread the word!  Go to: http://ied.gospelcom.net

One hundred Bethel men have already signed up for this inspirational event, which takes the place of the annual men’s retreat. Cost is $39 without lunch and $47 with lunch. Register now and recruit a guy to come with!

Keynote Speakers
Rick Kingham

Rick Kingham currently serves as President of National Coalition of Men’s Ministry (NCMM), a network of ministries representing over half of the churches in America. He previously served as Senior Pastor of Overlake Christian Church. Rick was formerly a Vice President of Promise Keepers, having been one of the original 72 men who began the ministry.

Napolean Kaufman

From the playing fields of Lompoc High School in California, Napoleon Kaufman went on to play football at The University of Washington. A two-time college All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate he became a first round draft pick for the Los Angeles Raiders. His professional football career catapulted him to elite status as a “premier” NFL running back, but Sunday afternoons with the NFL did not hold his passion for long. In response to the call of God, Napoleon retired from professional football and today is the Senior Pastor of The Well Christian Community in Dublin, California. He hosts a weekly television program and is a popular speaker at conferences and retreats around the country. Pastor Napoleon and his wife have four children.
www.thewellchurch.net

You can subscribe to these daily Purpose Driven Life devotionals at  dailydevotionals@purposedrivenlife.com

God gives us strength to be content. This is an important spiritual truth to learn because if wealth, good looks, or the seemingly perfect spouse brought lasting contentment, then Hollywood would be filled with some of the most content and happy people on earth. But it’s not.
What does this mean?

• Don’t compare yourself to others – When you compare your life with someone else’s, the only place it can lead is discontent. There will always be people who appear to be better off than you, but you don’t know their real circumstances.

I recall counseling a husband many years ago, who said he wished his wife could be more like so-and-so, and he named a woman in our congregation. What he didn’t know was that the woman was an alcoholic who was causing awful heartache and stress for her family and her husband. That’s why the Bible says it is unwise to compare ourselves with others or even with ourselves! (2 Corinthians 10:12)

• Be grateful for who you are and what you have – Learning to be content requires that you stop any “when and then” thinking – “When I am ___________, then I’ll be happy.” (You fill in the blank.) You may actually be content for a little while but then someone else or something else will come along and drain the contentment from your life.

But listen – you are unique. God created you to be like nobody else, so why would you want to be anyone else? God is perfect, and you were his perfect choice to be you! Understanding that is a huge step toward being content with your life.

And then look at all the things God has given you. So often we allow what we don’t have to dominate our focus to the point we forget the many, wonderful things we already have – not only material things, but far more important blessings, such as family and friends.

• Give yourself to others – If you will begin giving yourself to others, sharing what things you do have, sharing your time and your talents, you will find yourself learning to be content. Helping others will give you an appreciation for what you have and who you are but, more importantly, you will find yourself growing in contentment. Why? Because God designed us to serve and share with others and until we do that, we will feel great discontent.

• Focus on things with eternal value – The real secret to becoming content is to focus on the things that have eternal value. It may be a familiar teaching to you, but Jesus said we should store up our treasures in heaven, and not on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19–21, NIV)

Think about the things in your life – What will last forever? What will last at least for your lifetime? What will last only a few short years, or months, or days? Based on eternal value, what things are most important in your life? Where – and with whom – should you invest your most time and energy?
By reorganizing your life around eternal priorities, you will find yourself growing in contentment, as you live according to God’s design and purpose.

Pastor Jon Walker is a writer for www.GraceCreates.com.

“Olympic Families: Champions Play Together” is the theme of our 5th annual Family Camp at Ghormley Meadows. Families with all-aged kids will enjoy the fun and food at Ghormley on Friday evening, May 30 through Sunday noon, June 1.

Activities include archery, hiking, frisbee golf, campfires, the Zip line, high/low ropes course, and our annual massive Capture the Flag game!  This year we are adding canoeing as our newest activity, along with new games and our speaker Todd Kleppin from Central Church here in town.

Registration has begun and goes through April 30. Pick up a flyer at the foyer table this Sunday and/or pay your deposit there. $70 for ages 13 and up; $35 for ages 7-12, and ages 6 and under are free. Includes lodge-living, food, a T-shirt and all activities.

Jim and Jane Hansen not only help educate Bethelites with a better knowledge of the Bible each Sunday, but they also exhibit some excellent group dynamics that all leaders could take notes on. Take special note of the purposeful leader behaviors to make connections with their members in question 3. And since it’s offered in both fall and spring, it’s a great referral for someone inside/outside your group to build their understanding of Scripture.

1.    Jane and I lead the Survey of the Bible class at Bethel.  This is a 16-week class directed to anyone aged teen through adult who has an interest in gaining a better understanding of the “Big Picture” of the Scriptures.  It’s good for families or singles, and is enjoyed by young as well as more mature Christians.

2.    Key outcomes include:  1) drawing closer to our Lord through a better understanding of the Scriptures, 2) increasing our trust in the Scriptures as the inerrant, infallible, all sufficient, and inspired Word of God, 3) development of a passion for reading and studying the Word of God as a key element in the Christian walk, and 4) understanding current events in light of Scripture.

3.    Connection is super important to us, and is one of the most difficult aspects of leading a class, particularly when there are 75 people to connect with.  We try hard to:
•    Complete setup well in advance so that we can mingle with attendees as they come in
•    Greet everyone by their first name, every class, and getting to know them as much as possible
•    Encourage connection by actively introducing less social class members to others (particularly important for teens and singles)
•    Establish a warm and social atmosphere and encourage members to come 15-20 minutes early to enjoy some continental breakfast and fellowship (They do!)
•    Recognizing those who volunteer to bring food items by name in class, and by giving them a “homemade” corsage in appreciation
•    Welcome questions  and comments in or out of class, being careful to follow the principle that there are no dumb questions
•    Follow-up via phone or e-mail to make sure persons asking questions really got an answer they could understand
•    Send every absentee each week a note saying they were missed and inquiring into their situation as appropriate
•    Work on lesson retention by sending a mid-week reminder every Wednesday, summarizing the last class, answering questions that are presented at the end of each lesson in the notebook, giving some advance information about the following week, and encouraging attendance
•    Calling on those with special situations (e.g., illness, other difficulties)
•    One-on-one meetings with those having special discussion needs (a type of one-one-one discipling)
•    Offer personal make-up sessions or DVDs of the class for those who’ve missed a session, and
•    Arrange one or two social gatherings (e.g., Christmas open house) during the 16-weeks.
Interestingly, the above practices have consistently resulted in a very high level of attendance retention, with few drop-outs.

4.    My Preparation includes:
•    Review of lessons learned from the prior week’s class
•    Editing and creating a master DVD for the prior week’s class
•    Search for appropriate current events topics
•    Seeking the Lord’s guidance on what to emphasize in the coming class
•    Preparation of a lesson plan, PowerPoint slides and handout materials
•    Review of the written material
•    Reminder phone calls to food volunteers
•    Setup of facility the night before … praying for each one that will be there the next day
•    Dry running the class in our minds (usually all night the couple of nights before class)
•    Asking the Lord to draw members to the class, and seeking His presence and anointing for the class.
5.    A high level of communication really helps keep the class in the forefront of people’s minds, helps them connect and has a good effect on attendance retention.  We need to remember that the class is the Lord’s, that He does the work, that He enables us to serve, and that He deserves all the glory for whatever good is accomplished.  We are blessed when we see people draw closer to Him. Yes, amen!

1. Less is More – Prepare…but not too much. Pull together only HALF as much as you think you’ll have time to go through in a single gathering. Generally, facilitators with LESS material on hand to go through find themselves more open to the conversation going new and different directions. Conversely, facilitators with MORE material prepared to cover experience more pressure to progress through it. You want to be time-conscious, but not too ambitious about what can be achieved during a highly-relational 1-2 hour meeting.

2. Point to the destination…but don’t give too much direction on how to get there. Think of ONE thing you’d like for your group participants to walk away with. What do you hope they’ll learn or feel as a result of your study and discussion? For example, “I hope each person will learn in a deeper way that Jesus is with her every moment of every day and therefore will experience more of His peace in her daily life.” What matters in the study time is not how much ground you cover as it is how much transformation happens within members’ hearts. This can happen through study content, but more often, it occurs through Spirit-led human interaction.

3. Guide, don’t direct – Be flexible with the “agenda” and avoid over-facilitation. Trust the Lord with how the study and conversation flows. The tendency is the more a facilitator speaks, the less responsive people get.

# of People       Participative Response
3-6                    Everyone speaks
7-10                  Almost everyone speaks, quieter people say less, 1 or 2 may not
11-18                5 or 6 people speak a lot, 3 or 4 others join in occasionally
19-30                3 or 4 people dominate
More than 30    Little participation possible
Source: Pretty et al. (1995): PLA Guide

The response ratios above, which measure how the number of people in a group affects individual participation, don’t always hold true because every group’s dynamic is unique. However, it’s good to be aware of these ‘interpersonal laws’ because they can prompt you to know how to encourage greater interactivity. Increased interactivity results in more energetic and fruitful conversation. Besides, following the other ‘simple rules’ shared in this section compresses these response ratio results.

4. Recap and Refocus – Share what the group accomplished together and a basic plan for your next gathering. This instills a since of accomplishment and purpose for group members. It shows them that you have a plan (albeit unfolding) and that you’re all going someplace together. This simple practice boosts participants’ commitment and brings more focus to the course of your study overall.

5. Don’t meet up to the last minute – Give people time to unwind and socialize toward the end of each gathering; it’s a simple way to foster unity and inclusion in the group. This is more likely to create a positive conclusion for everyone, which will leave them with an increased desire to come back for more. This also ensures all participants, particularly those who have to get home for the sake of their kids or the next-day’s schedule, can do so without stress and enjoy the company of the whole group.

Teri Pearson checked out the same church that Dave Stone/Todd Billow did on a recent excursion to the west side of the state.

Why the trip?
I went to Mars Hill Church in Seattle because they have young families and next generation people they minister to.  I had heard about their children’s ministry programs midweek and about their curriculum.  I love to get ideas from others to see what might help us in Bethel.

Mars Hill Church is a multi-campus church.  That is, they have 6 campuses throughout Seattle that make up the entire body called Mars Hill Church.  All the campuses have the same children’s ministry program, but different leaders.

I have been contemplating and praying about what we should do at Bethel concerning midweek programs for deeper discipleship as well as helping small groups that struggle with childcare.  I was anxious to see what was working for Mars Hill Church.  Come to find out, they have stopped with the midweek program and are deciding how to proceed.  They did not see fruit or reason to have them churchwide.  One of the campuses is going to run a program designed to attract and impact the community children as outreach.

They are also in the process of changing their curriculum.

What did I love the most about Mars Hill?
There were 2 takeaways:
They had a small group (they call them “community groups”) counter in the foyer that anyone interested in small groups could go to for information.  There was someone at the table throughout the morning to answer questions and give out information.  In the main service they mention it each week.

Their service format was interesting.  They sing one song, then have the message, and then in response to the spoken Word of God, they participate in communion and proceed with singing worship.

Interesting fact I learned:
There are statistically more dogs than children in Seattle.

Kellee Balcom and Dave Hilliard were 2 of the Ordinary Day with Jesus retreat goers. Read their takeaways and a special psalm (called Psalm 151) written by Kellee, during one of the activities. An “organizing your own retreat for your group” packet will be available at the May 18 Leadership Briefing, or contact Paul Casey.

Kellee: It really feels great to “retreat” and be filled with basic stuff that we can apply to our daily life.  I walked away with things that I remember daily, not just a cool experience that was unique to the mountaintop or the weekend.  I would highly recommend this to the Christian who is “TOO BUSY” to go on a retreat!

I read my exercise PSALM 151 daily to get perspective:
“Why do I let the blessings of my life overwhelm me?  I cannot feel the love, contentment and PEACE that you intend for me.  My energy wanes, my burden crushes me. I am frustrated, despondent and feel so alone. My hard heart is indelible despite the daily goodness you pour upon me. However, I know you, God are my loving father—my Daddy.  I bury my tear-stained face into your chest.  You wrap your loving arms around me and I can feel the “BUSY” of my crazy life and my hard heart melting.” 

Dave: The discussion on “beginning the day with Jesus” by inviting Jesus to be with me the night before helped me.  I struggle some with fear and anxiety in the early morning before I am fully awake.  The statement that “Sleep is an act of trust” encouraged me to claim His presence and peace 24 hours a day.

TOP TEN THINGS THE APOSTLE PAUL WOULD HAVE DONE IF HE HAD A PC

10. Download MP3’s of the Righteous Brothers for entertainment while on those long, tedious missionary journeys
9. Visit WebMD.com about that persistent pain in flesh
8. Spiritual armor would include virus protection software
7. “To live is Christ, to die is to have a 28K modem”
6. Book boat tickets using Priceline.com
5. E-mail pictures of Peter eating pork to the gang back in Jerusalem
4. Church officers: Pastor, Elder, Deacon, System Administrator
3. Use decryption software to interpret tongues
2. Describe conversion experience as the “Divine Reboot”
1. Add Spam to list of cardinal sins

Shelly Krahn shares her take on her ministry in a women’s small group, and refreshers on why we are doing what we are doing for the Lord, and the skills of small group leaders that make a difference:
I lead a Joy in the morning group. These are women of varying ages who have an interest in contact with other women, in studying God’s Word and/or connecting on a spiritual level. Because of the different aspects of Joy, it attracts non-believing and non-churched women as well as women well along in their spiritual developement. A wonderful combination!
Outcomes I expect God to empower from this small group experience: A deeper understanding of God’s Word in terms of application. Knowing how to support others through prayer. Friendships. Opportunity to serve in the context of Joy ministries: Roweena Chess, childcare, leaders and facilitators, worship. Also opportunitites for public speaking, teaching, and many practical ways.
I connect with my group members during group times by being sensitive to God’s Spirit in showing me special needs and just listening to see where people are spiritually. I encourage participation and draw out those less inclined to speak up. Outside of Joy, we meet monthly for a potluck where in a more casual setting we can get to know one another better. We also circulate prayer requests weekly.
To prepare for small group, I prayerfully do the same study that the other women do in the group. The material that we have is well-outlined so I mainly follow that, but also pray and ask for God’s leading for the group, specifically to highlight things that may be pertinent or that the Lord seems to be laying on my heart. I will have some of my own thoughts or elaborations on these things. I pray as needed through the hour when we seem to be stuck or get off in the wrong direction.
The lesson that I re-learn all the time is that dependency on God through prayer is probably the single most effective tool in any discussion.