Thrive Conference Call – August 4th
If you are looking to dig deeper into what we do and how we do it, we would like to invite you to a 60-90 minute conference call.
The first Tuesday of every month at 12:00 PM PST, we will be holding a 60-90 minute conference call for those interested in knowing more about Thrive. This information session will provide you with a deeper understanding of our process, story and what it means to lead a group.
This call is for anyone who is interested in developing a missional discipleship approach in their community, home network, or church. This includes elders, leaders, small group community leaders, pastors, and those who want to follow Jesus in an intentional way.
Participation is by request. Just leave a comment or send us an email with your interest and we will provide you with instructions for joining us on the call. We also ask that you provide specific questions for the call, if you have them.
The next scheduled call is: August 4th, 2009, 12:00-1:30 PM PST
Dealing With The Other
by Tracy ParkerYesterday the thought came to me (and I shared it with the group of people that I meet with) that most of us have a very distorted view of ourselves. We look in a mirror and think we’re seeing an accurate reflection, totally unaware that what we “see” is not necessarily the truth. It seems so real to us that it’s hard to believe there could be a different reality. We can see ourselves as hideous creatures, completely trashing our own dignity, unable to see the beauty, love, and truth that dwell within.
It hit me with force all over again why it is so important to have people in our lives who will accurately reflect the truth back to us. We need voices outside of ourselves to speak reality to us, who will fight for our dignity and defend our beauty for us until we can see it for ourselves.
The interesting thing is that even when others are speaking to us of our dignity, there are times when we simply cannot believe. I had a brilliant counselor once tell me that our hearts have been asleep for so long that it often takes a long time for them to wake up. We need to keep hearing the truth, over and over again, calling us to awaken from our slumber.
I saw this graphic today and laughed because it so perfectly expresses how we can feel no matter what part of the journey we are on:
Who invited the flying douche bag, indeed. I just love that line and can hear it being spoken in our group for many months to come. When you’re in the wormy stage of becoming a butterfly, flying doesn’t seem like reality at all. You’ve been crawling in the dirt for so long you have dirt up your butt and mud in your teeth, and the possibility of ever having wings to be able to fly with seems absurd. But grace keeps speaking the same truth to you until one day your heart wakes up and believes it on its own. That’s when you begin to fly.
My wish is for everyone to have people in their lives who will keep speaking the truth to them. It doesn’t need to be a group, but we all need people who will call us home to the truth of who we are, no matter how low in the mud we may be crawling in the moment. Do you have those people in your life?
Butterfly graphic taken from: http://mojo1000.com/1000cuts/awaken-your-inner-butterfly.html
Thrive Conference Call Today
We’re hosting our first conference call today.
This call is for anyone who is interested in developing a missional discipleship approach in their community, home network, or church. This includes elders, leaders, small group community leaders, pastors, and those who want to follow Jesus in an intentional way.
Participation is by request. Just leave a comment or send us an email with your interest and we will provide you with instructions for joining us on the call. We also ask that you provide specific questions for the call, if you have them.
A Space Of Grace
Are we creating a space where grace is actually true?
One of the central tenants of the way of Jesus is the idea of grace. It’s the idea that no matter what we’ve done, the love of God remains true. Yet it can often be hard to find spaces where grace is actually true, where we can step into the reality of our own brokenness without getting crushed by guilt and shame.
So often I am asked what a Thrive group really does. Much of the journey is learning to communicate effectively what we do. And the more I continue this process, the more I realize we are creating spaces where grace is actually true.