Last year, we introduced a new resource to help you prepare for the time of giving and taking communion in your Hope Avenue. These are meaningful formational practices that we can plan with care and intentionality. The Communion and Offering Starters are posted a month ahead, like the sermon resources. Below are the April starters. In … Continue reading "Offering and Communion Starters | April" Read the article
A Service of Waiting Between the Times Preface for Pastors and Leaders Holy Saturday places us in an uneasy but honest space. After observing Good Friday and revisiting Jesus’ crucifixion and death, we naturally begin to anticipate Easter and the celebration of resurrection. Yet Holy Saturday interrupts that movement. It asks us to pause between … Continue reading "Liturgy for April 4, 2026 — Holy Saturday" Read the article
Watch Listen Download/Subscribe Download Audio Download Video Low Res Video Thumbnail Watch on YouTube Program Transcript + Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uaiKcXUzQA Program Transcript Good Friday Some stories break our hearts. Some stories hold our hearts. But there are a few stories, like this one, that change our hearts forever. On Good Friday, we gather … Continue reading "Liturgy for April 3, 2026 — Good Friday" Read the article
Watch Listen Download/Subscribe Download Audio Download Video Low Res Video Thumbnail Watch on YouTube Program Transcript + Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71PHFHFRnWM Program Transcript Maundy Thursday There are moments when love is revealed in ways so simple, so humble, that they take our breath away. On the night before his death, Jesus gathered his closest … Continue reading "Liturgy for April 2, 2026 — Maundy Thursday" Read the article
We are pleased to provide the following liturgies for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. We hope they will give congregations and small groups ideas and guidance for communal, participatory gatherings on these high days. Maundy Thursday Liturgy Good Friday Liturgy Holy Saturday Liturgy For individual study and connect groups: Maundy Thursday Study Good … Continue reading "Holy Week Resources" Read the article
The inclusion of children is not a problem to solve but a practice we steward together. By Elizabeth Mullins, Publications Editor Durham, North Carolina, U.S. GCI affirms that children are not future members of the church — they are members now. In home‑based connect groups, the question is not whether children belong, but how they … Continue reading "Connect Groups with Children" Read the article
Spiritual disciplines position us to become open and available to God’s invitation. By Carmen Fleming Orlando, Florida, U.S. Calendars influence us more than we realize. Their power lies in reminding us of important events that shape our identity, bind together our communities, and deepen our relationships. The benefit of the Christian calendar is that it … Continue reading "Formation—Easter" Read the article
Your story matters because it bears witness to how God has been at work in your life. This Church Hack offers a prayerful framework for writing and sharing your calling story with clarity and grace. Take time to reflect, write, and share, trusting that your story may invite others to discern God’s call in their … Continue reading "Church Hack—How to Write and Share Your Calling Story" Read the article
A new person may be more comfortable coming to somebody’s living room than coming to a church building Enjoy the following except from a GC Podcast episode. In it, Greg Williams and the host, Anthony Mullins, discuss the Faith Avenue and connect groups. It’s a reminder of the importance of discipleship and community-building activities outside … Continue reading "Connect Groups" Read the article
Mentoring is a powerful discipleship practice. Michelle Hartman, Communications Director Steele Creek, North Carolina, US Our Art of Mentoring series invites us to live out Kingdom Living in practical and relational ways. Mentoring is not just another ministry program. It is a way of walking together, sharing time, wisdom, and experience as God forms us … Continue reading "The Art of Mentoring" Read the article
