HopeKeepers Group Leaders

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Comment by Winny on June 5, 2009 at 11:03pm

Hi Kim & Jessica,

Sorry, I didn't respond to your posts after you 1st meeting. Congratulations! The momentum has started....

Kim, I hope you aren't discouraged only having one person come. I'm sure she was blessed. We've had a few meetings where it's just been my co-facilitator and myself. We use the time to pray about the group's growth & the members who are sick or otherwise detained, devise ways to advertise and created a new brochure. Since we both live with chronic illnesses, we ministered to each other.

I think it's important to remember the parable of the talents. In this case, if we do our best with a little that He will provide more.

I'm praying that both your groups grow and that lives are positively changed by your meetings. You are both a delight, my dear sisters, and your work is most fragrant to Our King.

God's Blessings,
Winny

Comment by Winny on June 5, 2009 at 10:29pm

Hi Barbara,

I'm in 100% agreement with Jessica. HopeKeepers is a great outreach but it is a Bible-based support group not worldly one. It's ok to open the doors to the unchurched but they need to know that this is a place to learn to lean on Christ for strength. The focus is not to exchange medical or alternative medicine methods. I've heard of other "open ministries" at my church where people have get saved while in a support group.

Please pray about how to proceed. If you feel called to be the leader, it might call for a meeting with the church leadership to review the Rest Ministries (HopeKeepers) mission statement and views (all found on the RestMinistries website). Then together you may be able to come up with a plan to move forward. A change of meeting times seems in order to make them accessible to working people.

I'm not young like you and Jessica, but I have a heart to reach out to people who are hurting. This passion has to be strong for anyone who as you say "takes up the mantle" of leading a HK group. It takes lots of love, perseverance, determination, strength, creativity, obedience to the Holy Spirit, humor and humility to do the job. Lisa has a great article you can find above which outlines the challenges you will encounter as a leader. It's not easy but the rewards are tremendous. Even if one person comes and receives comfort and support, you are doing Kingdom work.

I'm praying that the Lord to help you discern which path to take. And that He brings you and the others in this ministry along with the church leadership into one accord to meet the needs of the chronically ill in your area.

Your Sister in Christ,
Winny

Comment by Jessica on June 5, 2009 at 9:05pm

Barbara - I am praying for you that the Lord would lead you to see what His will is for you in this, and that you would be obedient. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but if you are not called to lead HK, you should not do it! It is too important and difficult a task for someone to take up if they are not in it wholeheartedly. However, if you ARE called to lead HK and are bucking your calling (which we have all done!!), I pray that you will open your heart to the blessings God will send your way when you are obedient to HIm. Secondly, the way I interpret our group is that we are open to ANYONE who would like to join us and be encouraged and supported, but that we are UNASHAMEDLY a Christian group, and our discussions focus on the Bible and God's plan, intervention, and care for our lives (and the pain and illness that is present in them). It sounds as if you have some issues with the status quo of your group, that you are looking to implement some changes to lead the group you feel God pulling, but that you have a choice either to break off and do your own thing, or drag everyone along with you kicking and screaming. I, too, am young (29), and understand how frustrating it can be to want to change things for the better when others would rather stay in their comfort zone. Please continue to let me know how to pray for you, because I strongly feel that HK is a great outreach opportunity (that means outside of the church!!!) to reach those needy people out there. God loves and wants to comfort them just as much as he does us.

Comment by Barbara Engle on June 5, 2009 at 4:07pm

Prayer and advice

I have been asked if I would take up the mantle of Hope Keepers support group in our area. Although I would be more than willing to take over the teaching, taking over the responsibility is another thing all together. First I have to explain to problem that I have to face in taking over.

1. I am the youngest of the group, the rest of the ladies are 70 years and up. In all truth the groups is slowly disbanding because of age and health issues. One of our members recently went to be with the Lord, another was put in a nursing home. That leaves no one to minister to if I take it up the mantle with no other young blood but myself.

2. There are to generational opinions on how this ministry should proceed. The ladies as a whole wish to keep this ministry in the Church, only open to Christians .. But for two years they have tried to find new member through our local churches with no avail. To much animosity between denominations, and since our meet are held in a Lutheran church, all people see is the Lutheran connection. Although, I am not associated with the Lutheran church and do not consider their pastor as mine. Taking over would mean that I would have to submit to his authority, or move the group else were. The ladies are having a problem with my conception of one simple reality, the reason they have had no new members is not only because of the church connection. But because most people with chronic pain, and are under the age of 65 are either working for a living, or have family responsibilities. They are not free to meet at 1:00 in the afternoon.

3. If I take over, it will be open to Christians and Non-Christians alike. With more enhances on how the Lord has been apart of helping me deal with my chronic illness and pain, and less on stick bible study lessons, which has been the theme of this group so far.

In other words, the ladies want to keep the minister only ministering to the need to Christians. I would take the minister of the Lord to people who’s life is empty with out the Lord in it.

Comment by Jessica on May 19, 2009 at 8:10pm

Hi All -
We had our second meeting today. We had the same people in attendance as last time, plus one visitor. We only got though 3 discussion points from our books, but our open discussion apparently made our visitor comfortable enough that she opened up and shared with us some stuff that her friend who brought her hadn't heard before. She was at the end of her rope, in pain, no money for medicine, and said over and over that she was just finished with it all. We had the opportunity to gather around her, pray over her, love over her, and talk about ways God is using and has used her, us, and about how He is not yet done with any of us. She said she was coming tonight to find answers. I don't think we really have answers, but we have a time for encouragement and help finding our purpose, and we all need that. We never really know the pain (emotional or physical) people around us are in. What a blessing to be given the opportunity to encourage and pray for this woman. This was certainly not something I was prepared for, but it's not about what I do or say, but about what God has for us!!
HopeKeepers has been such a blessing in my life already!
Jessica

Comment by fibrofranny on May 16, 2009 at 2:07pm

Hello everyone!
I had the first Hopekeepers meeting today. There was just one person that turned out for it, but what a blessing it was. She wasn't even one of the ones that was going to be there. We had a wonderful meeting and I think maybe it was just a one on one that she may have needed to get started today. We did one of Lisa's Bible studies, and we both are looking forward to the next meeting. I pray that God will touch the hearts of others to attend. I will not get discouraged because I know it will grow in time. My pastor mentioned that some people had questioned him on the intentions of the meetings. They had attended other groups that were just complaint sessions. I explained and showed him more about what there was planned and hope that he can share that with others to ease their minds about coming to the meetings. I would appreciate prayer from any of you willing on this matter. Thank you very much! :)
Hope you all have a very blessed weekend! :)
Your sis in Christ,
Kim

Comment by Winny on May 11, 2009 at 8:13pm

Hi Everyone,

I was finally able to upload the documents for the Welcome Packet that Jessica referenced below. I placed them in the "A Place to Share Tips" in the above discussion forum.

Blessings,
Winny

Comment by Jessica on May 11, 2009 at 4:37pm

I had a great first meeting. We had a total of 5 there, which I think was a good start, and really a good number for a discussion - everyone got a good chance to input. It was so great to fellowship with others living with pain - even though most of them were people I know personally, the environment was so much different. Lisa's book is GREAT!! I thought I was going to have to spend a lot of my time steering the conversation away from being a "whine" session, but we spent most of our time tracing our journeys and seeing how God worked in situations - her book is such a great discussion guide! I am so excited about our next meeting, and have sent brochures out to area churches, and a blurb in the paper. Pray for continued blessings!! Thanks for all your help! I think it was Winny that sent all the great welcome folder info - it's just wonderful!
Jessica

Comment by Karen C. on May 10, 2009 at 11:49am

Sarah,
Just a thought about finding a group for support. I was not church affiliated when I first moved to Nebraska, but looked at web sites of churches in town. Some of the very active congregations have many support programs. You usually don't have to be a church member to participate, at least that's the case with my UCC church and both a Methodist and Presbyterian church in the area. While the Methodist and Presbyterian churches don't have groups for chronic illness here, there might be one elsewhere.
Karen

Comment by Sarah McCollum on May 10, 2009 at 10:23am

Winny,

Thanks for telling me about finding the HopeKeepers map. I remembered that from "ages" ago when I first found this site, but couldn't locate it. I have now, but am not close to any groups. Anyone have ideas on how to find people when you're unaffiliated with a church?

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