Today I’m honored to have a guest blogger: Darren Currin. Darren is the person who writes the small group curriculum for LifeChurch.tv. I’ll let Darren describe his role to you.
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Let’s face it. Summer can be a difficult time for small group ministries. Most group leaders and attendees are distracted with vacations, the kids being out of school, summer holidays and sports. In fact, many groups simply do not meet regularly during the summer due these distractions, making it difficult when the group resumes its regular schedule in the fall.
One of the things we have learned at LifeChurch.tv over the past several years, is that small groups can actually take advantage of these summer distractions and use them to their own benefit. A great example of this can be seen in our annual summer sermon series called At The Movies. During this series, church attendance spikes as Pastor Craig Groeschel preaches sermons based on popular Hollywood movies and extracts Biblical truths from these films.
During this series, we encourage LifeGroups to meet together and enjoy a more laid-back environment by popping some bags of popcorn, ordering a pizza and watching some of the movies that Pastor Craig preaches on. Then, they discuss some of our small group questions that are created for each message. Furthermore, because most of the movies Pastor Craig preaches on are usually checked out at local video stores during the series, we developed an alternative small group study guide with additional movies that groups can come together and watch and have discussion questions and scriptures to use afterwards. This study guides was originally created by our Northwest Oklahoma City campus. Over the past few years I have added several additional movies and will continue to do so over the next several years. You can download the study guide here. Feel free to use it within your own small group ministry.
This study guide is one of my most favorite small group curriculum projects I have worked on at LifeChurch.tv because it blends my love of movies and ministry. In fact, I have written well over 110 pieces of small group curriculum over the past two years for
the church and I am not even a part of the church’s large staff. Yes, I am a volunteer who is using the gift God gave me as a professional writer in order give back to Him and a church that has done so much for me.
No matter what size your church is, you too can create small group curriculum projects just like the At The Movies Study Guide, and the best part is that you don’t have to do it all on your own. Take time to seek out volunteers within your own congregation with writing talents who want to use their unique talents to serve God. Take a chance on them. Several people at LifeChurch.tv, including Alan, took a chance on me, and it has changed my life to a point that I now I have clear purpose for my life and know exactly how I will serve Christ’s church and His Kingdom at large for the remainder of my life. Take a chance and change someone’s life.
Finally, as most of you know, LifeChurch.tv is dedicated to giving away all their resources to other churches to use including small group resources. You can download our small group resources at http://resources.lifechurch.tv/resources/lifegroups. Other great free resources for your church are also available at http://open.lifechurch.tv
Darren is a rockstar! Love the way he is using his gifts to bless the body of Christ. Download the movie guides they are great!