We kicked off 40 Days of Purpose this weekend with great attendance.  It was awesome!  And now the real fun begins!  Here are a few things you should be doing for sure right now:

1. Pray!  That God would use your home.  That God would remind you of people to invite.  That God would send some people to you that you can bless.
2. Invite.  INVITE!  It is not too late to invite a few more people to your host home.  They’ve might have heard Pastor Tim.  They’ve definitely heard about the Purpose Driven Life.  Find a few people to invite today.
3. Check your email this afternoon and email for sure.  There are people going online right now looking for a group.  And they’ll be going online later today looking for a group.  If you’re ready to reply you’ll help them know they are doing the right thing.
4. A few of you have asked what you should do if you don’t have anyone in your group yet.  You need to do two very important things.  First, apply steps 1 thru 3. It is not too late to add several people.  In fact, this is when most people will go online to join a group.  Second, if you are extra concerned, go online yourself and see what other groups are in your area.  You might even send an email to another group leader to see if you can go in together.  Don’t abandon the ship too early though, because there will be lots of people finding their group early this week.

What On Earth Am I Here For?

As you get ready for Session 1 of 40 Days…here’s a little bit of help to get you off to a good start.

• Watch the DVD in advance.  It’s not long and watching it first will give you a little taste of where the session is going.  It will also let you make sure your DVD works!  And you’ll know for sure how to work your DVD player!  All good things.
• Get your house cleaned early.  If you’ve got everything ready well in advance, you’ll be much more relaxed and can pay attention to your guests.
• It at all possible, invite one or two of your members to come over early.  That way, they can help you greet people at the door.
• Have your nametags and a marker available near the front door.  Put yours on first…that way your guests see it’s expected and they’ll follow right along.

Here are seven tips for the Session 1:

1. Pass out copies of the study guide as your group gets ready to start the meeting.  You can pass out the Purpose Driven Life at the end of your session.  That way, everyone can focus on one thing at a time.
2. Although praying out loud is hard for many of us, it’s a good idea to start each session with prayer.  It can be as simple as, “God (Heavenly Father, Father in Heaven, etc.) we are hear tonight to learn about Your purpose for us.  Guide us as we study together.  Amen.”
3. It’s a good idea to be ready to answer the very first question yourself.  Keep in mind that your answer will set the tone and the length for everyone else.
4. Be sure and save time to go over the Group Guidelines and Agreement on page 64-65.  These simple ideas will help make the rest of your sessions much better.
5. Pay special attention to Share Question #1 on page 10.  It is very common for group members to have people in mind to invite even without prompting. If you point it out to them…your group will grow in between week 1 and 2.
6. Be sure and talk about the Small Group Calendar mentioned on page 12.  This will allow your members to participate in bringing refreshments and even helping to facilitate a session.
7. As you hand out the Purpose Driven Life at the end of your session, point out the Preparation for Next Time section on page 14.  That way your members will know what to do for next time (read a chapter a day, invite a friend, work on the memory verse).

Most important?  Relax and let God do what He wants to do.  Remember, He’s been preparing your members (and you) for a long, long time.

The 40 Days of Purpose is just around the corner and I need to give you a quick update on a few important things:

• Pray for Pastor Tim, for Parkview, for the members (and prospective members) of your group.
• If you’re looking for a few more members…we could use your help at 40 Days Central this weekend!  Pastor Tim will be really stressing the importance of joining a 40 Days of Purpose Small Group in all four services.  There will be definitely be people coming out to the kiosk right after every service.  You could be the one they talk to!
• Fill out your invitations and bring them to the service this weekend.  What better time to hand them to someone than while you’re here with several thousand people who all know they need to be in a group?
• The largest number of people looking for a group online is going to happen this weekend.  Make sure your info is completely accurate and as inviting as possible.  Planning on having homemade pie?  Put that in your description.
• VERY IMPORTANT: Don’t get hung up trying to add new members to your online roster.  Much more important to exchange an email with them and actually communicate.  I’ve had 5 people express interest in joining my group.  I clicked “Accept.”  I ALSO SENT THEM AN EMAIL WITH THE DAY AND TIME AND THE ADDRESS OF OUR MEETING.  That gave them my email and info.
• I will be adding the host tips and ideas for session one of the 40 Days tomorrow a.m.  If you’re subscribed by email it will come to you just like this one.  To be sure you’re getting all of the info, you might want to also bookmark our blog site:  http://www.parkviewgrouplife.com
• If you’re wondering what to do about childcare…here are the four most common solutions.
• Pray.

Just a few quick details today.  Very important details though, so hope you’re on top of things!

First, we’ll be sending out another all church email on Tuesday afternoon letting everyone know that it’s easy to find a 40 Days of Purpose small group with our new small group finder.  Is your group listed?  It’s not hard to get started.  Let me know if I can help you take the first few steps.  You can Email Me to get things started!

Not absolutely positive that your group is listed? Take a moment and check out our new small group finder.  The searchable groups are listed alphabetically by last name right here.

Second, I know some of you have decided not to join with the rest of the church in the 40 Days study.  I really, REALLY, want to encourage you to rethink that.  Even if you’ve done the study in the past, it is sure to be a season that people will be talking about for a long, long time here at Parkview.  God frequently uses unexpected things to get our attention in a new way.  It would really be a shame if your small group members missed out on something they really need to know (like their purpose).  It’s not too late! Email Me if you want to jump in after all!

P.S. Our email was down all day today at Parkview.  If you tried to call or email us, our electricity was a no show for most of the day!

Here are a few important details as we get ready for 40 Days.

• If your group is listed on the small group finder, please take a moment right now and make sure that everything looks the way you intend.  Here’s a link to check it out: Click Here to Take a Look If there’s anything not completed, today is the time the correct it.  If your group is not listed, Email Me ASAP to get it corrected.
• The weekend message series begins on October 2nd and 3rd.  Although there are only 6 weekend messages that are part of the series, it will actually extend to an 8 week period.  Our special guest Nick Vujicic will be featured on October 23-24 and the 40 Days will conclude on November 20-21 with a special 40 Days Celebration.
• 40 Days of Purpose Small Groups will begin meeting the week of Sunday, October 3rd.  The normal pattern will attend the weekend service and then come to small group meeting.
• As the host, you’ll distribute copies of the Purpose Driven Life and the study guides at the first meeting.  There is no preparation required to participate in the meeting.  The study guide is used during the meeting to take notes and engage in discussion.  The Purpose Driven Life will be read as a daily devotional beginning the day after your first meeting.
• Remember, Parkview has made a significant investment in curriculum (about $15 per participant) to make it easy for you to invite friends and neighbors without the pressure of the cost.   Although your 40 Days of Purpose Host Kit includes an envelope to be used if anyone would like to contribute towards the expense of providing the curriculum, please handle that with sensitivity.  Don’t let that become an obstacle to anyone.
• If your group is listed in the Small Group Finder, please do everything possible to check your email twice a day beginning Tuesday, September 21st.  We will be sending out an all church email on September 21st and 28th with a link into the Finder.  It will be easy for your group to be chosen.  When that happens, please be prompt at responding.

Be sure you’ve updated your Group Description to say 40 Days of Purpose (if you’re joining in the church-wide 40 Days study).  The small group finder is live now (you can see it right here) and groups that have clearly indicated they’re doing the study will probably begin getting contacts this weekend.

In worship services this weekend everyone will hear that you can go to the ParkviewChurch.com site and click where it says “Join A SMALL GROUP” to find a group that fits them.

Remember…IF YOU’VE ALREADY CREATED YOUR GROUP IN THE FINDER…you can log in right here and update your description.  If you haven’t created your group in the finder, it’s not too late.  Email Me to get started and I’ll try and help you ASAP.

Need to make sure you’re totally up to speed on all that’s coming your way in the next few weeks at Parkview.  There are several really important items:

• First, be sure you’ve registered your group to participate in 40 Days.  As of this morning 39 of our existing small groups at Parkview have registered.  You can sign up right here.  Groups that have signed up will receive priority when we are distributing materials.
• Second, make it a priority to set up your group in our new small group finder.  Our new finder will be live on the Parkview website beginning Saturday, September 18th.  Especially if you’re open and looking for people to join you…you don’t want to miss this opportunity.  You can find out everything you need to know right here.

Can I ask a favor?  Take care of these two things ASAP.  Don’t wait until the last minute.  We’ll have close to 300 groups participating in the 40 Days.  Please take advantage of this week to get your info up to date.

Thanks!

Although the 40 Days of Purpose is still over 60 days off…there is a lot going on and we want to be sure that you are 100% up to date.  Here are a two things you can do to make sure your group is up-to-speed:

1. Make sure you’ve registered your group for the 40 Days.  To date, 27 of our existing groups have completed the registration process.  You can do that by clicking here.
2. If your group has done 40 Days of Purpose in the past, you’ve got three choices:

• you can do it again
• you can do another study of your own choosing (but really miss the excitement and fulfillment of being involved)
• you can take a vacation from your own group, pair up with another member from your group, and help jump-start some new groups.  You get them going.  We’ll help you keep them going so you can return to your existing group when it resumes meeting.  You can sign up to host a new group right here.

Join the Get Connected Team!

Another way that you can help make it easy for people to find out about small groups at Parkview is to join the Get Connected Team.  Every weekend, many people stop by the small group booth in the lobby (soon to get a complete make-over).  Right now, we’re signing up 40 Days of Purpose Hosts and distributing lots of 40 Days FAQs to be people who want to take a next step.

Want to help? Email Us to get started.

The cat is officially out of the bag.  40 Days of Purpose, our church-wide study for fall, begins on the weekend of October 2nd and 3rd.  We’ll begin distributing all the materials your group will need to participate in mid-September.

40 Days is a very concentrated experience.  In addition to the 6 weekend messages, there is also a DVD-driven small group study.  As we’ve already mentioned, the DVD will feature Pastor Tim.  A participant study guide will help guide the discussion in the group.  Last, there is a daily devotional reading from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

We have budgeted for these materials to be made available to participants at no charge because we want everyone to join in the study.  In fact, we’re hoping that everyone who participates will use this study as an opportunity to invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to join in as well!

Although the materials will be made available at no charge, there will be an opportunity to make a donation that will help defray the cost.  As you can imagine, providing the Purpose Driven Life and study guide, as well as filming and duplicating the DVD, is a costly step.  At Parkview, we’re viewing it as an investment.  One that we know will reap a big payoff as thousands of lives are impacted spiritually.

In order for your group to participate, we’ll need some important information about your group.  Click here to register and let us know about the curriculum needs of your group.

If you made it to one of the weekend services this week, you heard about the 40 Days of Purpose (40DOP) that will begin the first weekend in October.  You may not know a few important things about the 40 Days and how you can get involved.

Here’s enough to get you started:

• The Basics:  The 40 Days of Purpose is a church-wide study that features a 6 week message series (plus a celebration week at the end).  There is also a DVD-driven small group study that everyone will be encouraged to participate in.  By the way…Kidz Connection and the Student ministries will be participating as well.
• The Dates:  The weekend series begins on Saturday, October 2nd and runs through Sunday, November 21st (Nick Vujicic will be speaking at Parkview on October 23rd and 24th, which will extend the series by one weekend).
• New Host Orientations:  You are not required to attend a 40DOP Host Orientation.  We are holding 8 identical orientations (6 at Orland, 2 at Lockport) to accommodate the 200+ new hosts we expect to add.  If you’d like to attend, you can Click Here to RSVP.
• 40DOP Curriculum Distribution:  Small Group materials will be available for pickup in mid-September for all groups that have registered.  We’ll confirm the registration process with you in the next couple weeks.
• Host Celebration:  There will be a 40DOP Host Celebration on Friday night, November 19th.  You’re invited!  This is a big deal…be sure and put it on your calendar!