Ministry News - Updated Monday, December 1st, 2008

 What's New?

This fall, we've kept our heads down and worked very, very hard to produce new resources. The pipeline of pastor's books, leader's tools, and group curriculum is quite full and flowing nicely! I'm also working on two new workshops we'll launch next year. The first is a half-day event for a church's groups on relational evangelism (desperately needed) and the other will be a two-day event for pastors of churches who have stagnant small groups or cell groups.

The Economy  - Like every other ministry out there, we're feeling the pinch from the recession. When tithing and giving wane at the local church, the first thing they cut is funding to leader training and disicpleship resources. While we understand that staff salaries and facilities are very important, we often wonder why developing leaders and helping new believers develop maturity is put on the back burner or taken off the stove completely during hard financial times... after all, these are the everlasting things that define a church as being the bride of Christ and not a religious institution, right?

Let me challenge you to work hard to train more leaders and disciple new believers with or without printed resources in these hard times. God will surely bless the church that keeps its priorities in line with the Great Commission vs. "hunkering down" and burying the talents for safekeeping.

Life Church Katy, Texas  - Wow! Let me tell you, this is a church to watch. Lee Brockington, the lead pastor, asked me to share with their lifegroup leaders one week night a few months ago. Then, I returned to preach one Sunday morning. This Foursquare church has 23 groups right now, and they are growing with adult conversion growth and organic group multiplication. They have a solid discipleship track for every member and excellent coaching over the groups. Life Church Katy, you are an excellent example of a Christ-centered, cell-based church doing it right! If I lived in Katy, I'd be a part of your church for sure.

 Upcoming Speaking & Training Events

January - I will be returning to Calgary, Canada to do a strategic planning workshop for a church whose leader's attended the same event at another church in February. Ooooh, I love teaching in the dead of winter. Lots of member participation and no sunny weather with which to compete!

February - I have been scheduled to work with a church in West Houston for a stragetic planning day (UIOF) for their 16 groups, plus time with their new coaches.

My travel schedule for 2009 has lots of room for me to come and train your leaders and do planning with your group members. Feel free to call before all the good weekend dates are taken!

 New Resources now available

Small Group Leader's Toolkit -  I am so pleased with this new resource for leaders! If you have found Dave Earley's other resources to be valuable teaching tools, you will love this new resource as well. It's incredibly practical, and if you work through the worksheets with your leaders (or ask your coaches to work through the ten worksheets with leaders) you will find they will grow like well-fertilized weeds!

 Future 2008 Releases

Christ's Basic Bodies - Uncle Ralph's latest book is a barnburner! If you enjoyed the fire and energy in Where do we go from here? you will enjoy this new title, which delves into the difference between a man-made small group with a man-made agenda and what he's termed a "Christ's Basic Body " which gathers to focus on the Christ in their midst. This book will be released just after Christmas.

More information about all our future releases can be found by clicking here.

 2009 Releases

The Naked Truth about Small Group Ministry: When it won't work and what to do about it -  I know many of you fully expected my book to be out by now... so did I! However, other resources and the hurricane that hit Houston this fall have knocked me off my writing schedule. So, please pray for me as I work hard between now and Christmas to complete it and ship it off to the printers in January. Look for it on the front page of this web site in late January!

Life Basic Training (Bootcamp for sit-and-soak church members) -  This six week personal workbook by Ralph Neighbour will take a "sit and soak" believer and move them into a new understanding of God's values vs. man's value system. Each week has daily growth guides like our discipleship resources. Also included is a weekly devotional and questions the believer can use in a small group environment at the end of each week to talk out what they are learning about themselves. It should be released in the late spring of 2009.

Encounter God - Small Group Guide -  This six week agenda book will help a small group prepare for an Encounter God Weekend in the first three week's of study and sharing. Then, it will be used for three weeks after the weekend to help group members process what happened and walk in freedom from ungodly strongholds. This agenda book will be released in the Summer of 2009.

Huddle! -  Have you ever wondered what on earth you are going to use to teach leaders at upcoming monthly gatherings? This new book will have a dozen guides for the busy small groups pastor. There will be a page for the lead pastor to use to recast the vision for groups and encourage the leaders; each month there is also a practical teaching tool for the small groups pastor to use, including skits and other creative ways to teach leaders about serving and pastoring others inside and outside of meetings; and finally, there will be a few pages of information for coaches to use as they minister to leaders during the last portion of the gathering. Look for this resource in the fall of 2009.

Coach's Journal -  After I finish The Naked Truth, I will turn my attention to my next resource, which will be a journal for small group coaches. It will contain a place to write down thoughts and feelings and prayers for one's leaders and groups, pages to assess a group and a group's leader, and probing questions for the coach to use when he or she meets with a leader or potential leader of a group. Look for this resource in the fall of 2009.

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Ministry Needs

Praise the Lord!  - Etna and I remain healthy and happy. We are full of God's joy and peace, and we praise Him daily for provision and ministry opportunities. Even though ministry income is only at a trickle right now, we are not fearful or overly concerned. God is in control and knows what we need.

Prayer Request  - I covet your prayers as I write. Concentration on non-social activities has never been easy for me, yet I know I am to write because I am a writer!

Praise the Lord!  - We gained a new author last month. We continue to praise God for the way He brings amazing authors to us with powerful manuscripts. We're also excited about a new program we're offering to publish curriculum designed by pastors. Interested in wring for TOUCH? Learn more by clicking here.

Praise and Prayer Request  - The economy has hit us hard the way it has effected most everyone. God challenged us to save instead of spend a few years ago and we're doing well by having " grain in the storehouse for the famine," but we're running at a sizable deficit for the year. As you feel led to give a tax-deductible year-end gift to TOUCH, contact us at 800-735-5865 to use a credit card or send your gifts to: TOUCH Outreach Gift, P.O. 7847, Houston, TX 77270.

Blessings on you, your family, and ministry this day!

Randall Neighbour, President