LG Leader Guide | Week of 5.18.2025

Hello LG Leaders,

As you all wrap up your groups heading into summer break this week and next we pray you are blessed as you get some needed rest and refreshment! I’m including the LG Summer Break Best Practices at the bottom of this post again…Be sure to review these and implement! Call me if you have questions!

Jordan Ogden’s message from Sunday helps us to see and relate to people rightly…if you missed it or were serving in Kids ministry, be sure to listen here and I’ll post his sermon slides on the discussion guide page. No discussion guide or kids guide this week or during summer. If you are meeting during summer feel free to put together your own or use a previous one: Discussion Guides and Kid’s Guides.

Important Announcements:

  • Church in the Park on Sunday, May 25th! (Memorial Day Weekend) Let’s kick off Summer together! Donuts, kolaches, OJ, and iced coffee provided. Invite a friend / coworker / neighbor!

  • GOOD NEWS UPDATE ON MEGHAN MILLER! It’s also her BIRTHDAY TODAY so wish her a happy B-day! Text me, Donny, for her number if you don’t have it. Meghan wrote the following update herself 🥹:

    “My neurologist reviewed my nerve/muscle conduction study report and said that it correlates with CIDP. He thinks the pneumonia I had was mycoplasma since my antibodies were positive in the hospital for that and it's a common cause for CIDP. He said he can't prove that since the test didn't show active infection and it was so far out from initially getting sick. Based on all testing at this time, he thinks the CIDP was only triggered by the virus and as I continue with rehab that this will all be in the past in a couple of months. It is a syndrome though and there is a possibility of relapse in the future. In the event of that we would order more testing to see if any results come back differently to see about additional treatment. I will also be following up with his colleague who specializes in muscles.

    Prayers are needed to pray against possible irreversible nerve damage and that all nerves would grow in being responsive and all muscles are able to grow in activation.

    I am in rehab until 5/30 and then should be back home to continue PT/OT therapy at home. Through treatment and rehab I have been getting stronger and gaining more muscle function and coordination. I was cleared Wednesday night to be able to walk around in my room and bathroom without supervision and wheel myself to therapy. Praise God!!”

  • Praise God!!! Let’s continue to surround the Miller’s with prayer, support and love! May healing come fully in Jesus name!

LG SUMMER BREAK ☀️😎🏖️ Best Practices:

Don’t Drop-Off During Summer! Feeling like you’re ready for an end of Spring nap? Me too! That’s how Maycember (as I’ve heard it called) often feels. We do have our LGs take a break in Summer (June to mid-August), if the leaders/group desires, so that leaders can rest and make room for natural travel rhythms.

Having that said, it’s not helpful or healthy to drop-off completely from all relationship or contact for 3 months! 😂 Some ideas….

  • Assign a few people/couples in your group to plan some fun, casual, and low-bar summer get togethers or activities (perhaps 1 per month, 3 total), like a cookout, pool party, pizza at the park on a Friday, lunch after church on a Sunday, etc.

  • Consider continuing d-groups through summer or meet less frequently (once per month) or meet for fun/less structured hangouts.

  • Get creative…plan to attend church-wide activities together, regularly share prayer requests in text groups, sit together on Sundays, have people over from your LG for a dinner/summer cookout, meet at a park for a kids playdate together, etc…

  • At the start of summer we’re always ready for a slower pace, BUT at the end of summer I always hear people express they’re hungry for connection…let’s not stray to the right or the left but stay on the middle path! There are many ways to stay connected, not lose relational depth, and also have margin. Let’s rest and recharge well this summer!

If you have any specific questions about your LG and summer plans/expectations please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Grace and peace,

Donny Tapie

Joe Paolino