This post is shared from LCCC’s Annual Report for the 2015/16 fiscal year. Enjoy the memories!

Leaders and Coaches

First, small groups wouldn’t exist without the people leading them! Here is a list of our leaders and coaches who shepherded their God-entrusted flocks so well this year:

Small Group Leaders (Including Re|Engage Leaders):

Jared & Krystal Beadle, John & Janis Black, Tom & Jeanne Copp, Jeremy & Jodi Durr, Dan & Ellen George, David & Karen Grear, Dan & Retta Grisham, Pete & Kari Grossenbach, Caleb & Rebekah Heath, Charley & Chris Higbee, Gene Higgins, Peter & Abby Johnson, Robert & Jamie Johnson, Tyler & Dana Jones, Jeff & Erin Kriehn, Ron & Susan Krogh, Steve & Sharon Levine, Randy & Beckie Madson, Chuck & Debbie Mathews, Sean & Lindsay Meagher, Helaine Miller, Dorothy Miner, Nic & Jessica Myhrberg, Dave & Heather Nelson, Terry & Judy Olson, Jeff & Susan Palomino, Mark & Teresa Pratt, David & Kelli Pritchard,  Josh & Jennifer Purses, Jen Rovinski, Jeremy & Heather Schneider, John & Shari Schock, Jason & Becky Smallbeck, Rick & Judy Smedley, Matt & Haley Strong, Dan & Doris Tchobanoff, Noah & Amy Tchobanoff, Jason & Sarah Torres, Lin Wadle, Gary & Elsie Walmer, Jeff & Kim Young

Small Group Coaches:

Reg Overstreet, Tony Oury, Tyler Knack, Ray Pancho, Jeff Palomino

 

Training: Fall Ministry Summit and January Family Summit

Before groups kick off, each semester begins with much prayer, many conversations, and training. Our Family Pastor David Pritchard and I worked together again this year on our two annual all-church training/equipping events. First was the Summer/Fall Ministry Summit, a half day of multiple workshops on aspects of ministry skill, geared for leaders in every realm of church life and mission (not just small groups). Our friends from RLM, Post Falls, ID, came once again to do their specialty – discipleship training, with some counseling skills mixed in. Just over 100 attended this powerful and productive day of training which also includes several workshops to equip everyone for a great year of ministry. Second was the equally successful January Family Summit, which David writes about in his section. These will be repeated and expanded each year. Keep attending these Summits, as they expand in training emphasis!

Fall Series – You’ll Get Through This

Our ministry year kicked off with our all-church sermon and small group series, once again. This time God led Pastor Jim to focus on trusting God in suffering, and Max Lucado’s series on the life of Joseph guided our journey. It was a good season in our church’s life and growth. For deeper digging we invited Western Seminary’s Dr. Todd Miles to lead a four hour workshop on “God and Human Suffering,” at the end of the sermon series.

New Mission and Vision Statements

I and several small group leaders and coaches took a van trip last summer to receive some personal ministry coaching from RLM, in Post Falls, ID. Each of us committed to read their pastor’s excellent book, DiscipleShift, before the trip, in order to discuss it on the six-hour van trip. God blessed this adventure, and on the return home we crafted our new mission and vision statements for Lake City Small Groups.

Our mission is to make disciples who make disciples in relational environments.

Our vision is to be spiritually mature disciples who love God, one another, and the world.

We applied these statements in our trainings, communication, and coaching conversations, and enjoyed a striking amount of clarity and unity among our small groups as a result.

ReEngage

Pastor David and I continued successfully harmonizing small groups and the ReEngage marriage ministry. We want it to be clear and well-known that if you need to work on your marriage for a season, the sixteen to twenty weeks you spend in ReEngage serve wonderfully as your small group for that season. Thank you to the ReEngage leaders who worked so faithfully on discipling and shepherding the groups in your care.

Winter/Spring Semester

After the fall’s all-church focus leaders and groups have autonomy to define how they will make disciples who make disciples in relational environments, by the schedules, events, emphases and studies to which the Spirit leads them. This Winter/Spring Semester, numerous testimonies of service projects, answered prayer, and spiritual growth were shared from our 26 groups. Curriculums and topics of study covered by the groups included: Not a Fan, Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger, Feasts of the Old Testament, Alpha Course, Kingdom Story, Ray Vanderlaan series, Matt Chandler’s Apostle’s Creed, sermon review.

Special Meetings

We struck a good balance this year of providing ample training and leader fellowship time, and not overburdening ourselves with meetings. Our “special meetings” were all successful, and included:

• Three small group leader prayer meetings
• Leadership Skills Training
• Idea-Sharing Potluck
• End-of-Year Celebration!

Photo Contest

A recap of this year would be incomplete without mentioning our first ever Small Group Photo Contest. Thank you, Coach Ray Pancho, for your vigor and leadership on that project. It accomplished your desired purposes: group fun, excitement, and unity. They were pretty fantastic, and you can check them out on the previous post on this blog.

Coaches

I can’t speak highly enough about the four men who served with me as small group coaches this year. Tony Oury, Tyler Knack, Ray Pancho, Jeff Palomino and I met monthly to pray, assess, plan for ministry and edify one another. These men contribute enormously to our vision, trainings, decisions, and relational leadership. We focused on intensive Bible reading and prayer, accountability, visiting our groups, having our leaders over for dinner, and encouraging leaders to maintain the level of commitment and enthusiasm worthy of that position. Through this team of coaches every group leader was able to walk with someone through the ups and downs of their ministry year.

Summer Celebration

On Wednesday, June 15 we ended the year with our annual end-of-year celebration of the past year. There was much to celebrate, plus a word from Pastor Jim about the all-church series this coming fall and the building construction to take place throughout the upcoming year.

Be sure to thank your group’s leaders! And, be sure to sign up for a group this fall! (More information on this fall’s plan will come soon.)

Thanking God for His blessings on our groups in 2015/2016, walking together to make disciples who make disciples in relational environments.

Reg Overstreet

Pastor of Small Groups and Adult Ministries