Here are a couple of extra video clip resources from Heather Zempel on dealing with the ‘mess’ of life in your small groups. After each session, the leaders would post video responses on YouTube on specific questions people sent in during the message.

Here are a couple of responses from Heather that I thought were particularly helpful.

The first one is on how to approach the mess when it doesn’t have a happy ending. The second video clip aims at discerning when someone’s ‘mess’ is more than you can handle; that is, when do you need to go elsewhere with the problems people bring to you.

One of our house group leaders’ favorite speakers at the Willow GroupLife conference was Heather Zempel. Heather is the Pastor of Discipleship at National Community Church in Washington, DC. Heather’s topic for the conference was “Flawed is the New Perfect.” Here are a few quotable quotes from her message:

Community is messy … it always is.

The gospel is a message of hope and redemption written across a backdrop of mess.

As growth happens, mess happens. There is still exhaust when a car engine runs.

Heather highlighted three types of mess that we run into in our groups:

1. Sin messes: These are problems between individuals and God. With this sort of mess, we need to face the mess.
2. Relational messes: These are problems that happen when lives touch: talking issues, theological issues, or conflict issues. With this sort of mess, we need to navigate the mess.
3. Life messes: These are problems that arise in the course of living: job issues; health issues; divorce.  With this sort of mess, we need to tend the mess.

To read more from Heather Zempel on this topic, you can read her “Best Practices for Dealing with Mess” at her blog here.

I am a Twitterer.  I tweet therefore I am…

1) instantly alerted to new small group blogposts

2) learning of and connecting with other small group types not daily but minute by minute

3) constantly receiving info telling me of a new small group book that has been published, a small group conference that has just been announced or a concept that a small group peer just thought of

4) asking a question and getting multiple answers back within minutes from other small group pastors and gurus

If you’ve been considering twittering but have been saying things like, “I’ll go into that kickin’ and screamin.” it’s time to put on your steel-toed boots and enter a sound-proof room. Or maybe your phrase has been, “I’ll start twittering when I become one of those nerdy tech types.” Buy an iPhone, replace your PC with a Mac and get a t-shirt that announces, “I Tweet.”   Or maybe you’ve been saying, “When I have time I’ll join the twitter movement.” You may find out, like I have, that being a twitterer may save you time as you are constantly getting the answers to your questions (or being directed to a blogpost or article that can) in 140 characters instead of having to read an entire book.

Because I long to learn from everyone doing good small group ministry, I am constantly working to build my small group tweep list. Below you’ll find 48 small group pastors and gurus that I am connecting with through Twitter. If you’re the small group point person for your church and you don’t see your name (these are in alphabetical order) and you twitter, please, oh please send me your twitter account name so I can follow you by responding to this blogpost. Another option…. go online and follow me (rickhowerton). When I get your request to follow my tweets I’ll choose to follow you.

Feel free to use this list to build your own. I think every person on this list would be honored if you join this network of gifted small group aficionados.

@adamworkman

@AlviRadjagukguk

@AlanDanielson

@allenwhite

@bdonahue80

@benreed

@BrettEastman

@carybranscum

@chiapperino

@colonkevin

@DaveTreat

@DavidBuckner

@DavidLermy

@deantwan

@doyleBrookshire

@Eddiecberry

@eddiemosley

@ericdunaway

@gary4n

@gatortodd

@gregmbowman

@heatherzempel

@HerschelT

@Huddude

@JBBRAUN

@jimbotts

@jimmeldrim

@joelcomiskey

@johncatkinson

@johnratz

@JoshSurratt

@kedamak

@maclake

@marcharvey

@markchowell

@MattWHarmer

@mbstockdale

@micmac1900

@mscottboren

@pkspratt

@reid_smith

@RGNeighbour

@RicDiefenderfer

@scottim

@ScottWilliams

@secondchair

@SteveGladen

@timweems

I was reminded today of a question I heard Mark Batterson ask back in May.  He said, “When was the last time you confessed the smallness of your dreams?”  He later said, “We find ourselves in danger when we start doing ministry out of memory instead of imagination.”

Dreams are important.  God has always given his people dreams.  He wants to bring those dreams to life through us.

Heather Zempel works with Mark at National Community Church as the Discipleship Pastor.  Last week on her blog she said,

A few years ago, I prayed a prayer that I was reminded of recently. Our staff was praying about the future of NCC, and I prayed that God would “make us a dream factory.” I desired that we would dream the dreams of God’s heart for our city and the people he was bringing to us.

I want to dream the dreams of God’s heart!  I want my heart to beat in tandum with God’s.  I want to chase after what God is chasing after.  I want to “dream the dreams of God’s heart” for MY city.  How many of us are doing that?  I am.