Last week, I led a breakout for about 45 experienced Coffee Break leaders over lunch at the Ontario Women’s Retreat sponsored by Global Coffee Break.
We started by asking the group to use post-it notes to answer three questions:
- How many years have you been involved in Coffee Break?
- How many years have you led a Coffee Break group?
- How many people do you know who have become followers of Jesus through Coffee Break?
While answers were being tallied, I went on to lead a group conversation. We discussed the vision: Global Coffee Break equips churches to invite neighbors to discover God’s story together. We compared how our personal experiences were the same or different from that vision.
I explained that Global Coffee Break serves churches by developing the Discover Your Bible study series. The series helps groups discover together what the Bible says and means. The study guides have a strong design to lead people into the text but also are designed to be hospitable for people new to the Bible.
Global Coffee Break also trains leaders to facilitate rather than tell. Training happens through the DYB leader guides, a supplementary book “Leading Bible Discovery,” coaching groups, and through in-person or online events.
Then, we wondered together. We have added “Global” to Coffee Break because today groups use the Global Coffee Break resources and methods in more than 28 countries. We wondered, why does this method of small group Bible discovery work across cultures and what might the Holy Spirit be up to?
Finally, the answers to our first questions were announced. This group–of about 45 leaders–participated in Coffee Break for 985 years, led groups for 473 years, and walked alongside 212 people as they met Jesus through His Word. How do you think these leaders responded?
Sam Huizenga