Summer Small Group Connections

Many groups tend to take a break over the summer. This can be a great time to connect in different ways. Imagine….

Three Simple Practices

Is your small group helping you grow spiritually? Is your small group nurturing your soul? Is your walk with Jesus being enriched? Are you experiencing increasingly joy? Too many small groups seem to lack a clear sense of purpose. Sadly, we’re often content to simply discover some additional knowledge, enjoy one another’s company, and pray each other’s prayer requests. But real growth seldom comes without hard work (that’s why they call them “disciplines”), without mutual accountability and some tough questions, or without a willingness to be transparent and vulnerable. Ask yourself, . . .

Looking for Leaders?

Finding good small group leaders is a challenge for most any ministry. One thing that may hinder finding leaders is a limited view of who will make a good small group leader. A second reason may be that once potential leaders are identified, they are asked to lead a small group in a way that makes it hard for them to enthusiastically say, “Yes”.

Helping Neighbors Meet Christ

The Home Missions regional leader for the East Coast US, Drew Angus, has worked hard for many years building relationships with his neighbors. Each Memorial Day weekend he participates in a father/son camping event with men in his Philadelphia-area community. It has not always been easy since. .

Don't Invite Them to Church

- Moving from a Come and See to a GO AND BE CHURCH by Karen Wilk reads:

Finding a Good Firt

Which Studies Are Right for Your Group? OK—you’ve got a study group that’s starting up or getting back together soon. What kinds of materials should you use? What will work best for the people in your group?

Coming this May. . .

New Coffee Break Newsletter in Addition to Small Talk In May you will have the opportunity to begin receiving a separate Coffee Break Newsletter, in addition to Small Talk. Some of you who currently receive Small Talk may be familiar with the ministry of Coffee Break. This ministry can be summed up with the phrase, “Friends inviting friends to discover the Word of God.”

itoguchi shiki-i

February 1, 2011 - A silk worm spins its cocoon from a single strand of filament that may be as long as a mile. Normally, the useful length of filament that can be harvested and used to spin silk is about a quarter of that. The key to accessing that thread is to find the itoguchi. This is where the worm began to spin. The cocoon is soaked in a solution to kill the worm inside (lest it begin to eat its way out and destroy the filament) and to loosen the cocoon enough so that the itoguchi can be accessed.

Home Stretch

January 26, 2011 - Christmas busyness is past, and January feels like we hit the ground running. Any rest from routine that we enjoyed over the holidays is quickly consumed as we jump into this new year. Hopefully, at this time things continue like a well-oiled machine. This can be a great time to simply evaluate how things are going, and to consider what might need to take shape.

Coffee Break Story

Forty years ago, Coffee Break began in a Chicago suburb for the purpose of introducing women to the Bible. Many women and their children have come to know Jesus through learning to read the Bible in Coffee Break.

Korean Coffee Break Conference Reflections

Anyong haseo (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo)! That was about the limit of my communication in Korean - along with appropriate bowing. Oh, that means "hello" or "hola."

Small Group Leaders Discuss Mission, Disciple

December 21, 2009 -- Nineteen small group ministry leaders gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan in early December to become better equipped to help launch and grow small groups.

Coffee Break Bible Study Translated into Span

Imagine trying to study the Bible in a language that is not your own. It would be tricky for some and impossible for others.

Coffee Break Story

January 2010 -

Coffee Break Conference Attracts Hundreds of

May, 14, 2009 -- Nearly 700 women gathered in Oakville, Ontario recently for The Amazing Race. But this wasn’t a taping for the popular television show of the same name (although that was some of the inspiration).