Strategy for Effective Living Free Ministry

Last week, we looked at building the Living Free Core Team as the foundation for the ministry. Now let’s look at the timeline of the initial groups and recommended strategy for building a lasting Living Free ministry in your church and community.

Many ministries jump right into our “recovery” subjects such as Stepping into Freedom or Anger: Our Master or Our Servant or one of our other specific topics. While every setting is unique, it is our recommendation that ministries using the Living Free Curriculum follow the small group flow chart. We will discuss this more in the next blog when we look into the many Living Free studies offered.

For now, let’s take a look at the step-by-step strategy of the first year of Living Free ministry. The following will show us the timeline of each element in year one.

Month One

• Participate in Living Free Video Training Select Core Team & establish a weekly prayer and planning time
• Order materials
• Core team goes through Insight Group

Months Two & Three

• Finalize members of the Core Team
• Prepare first Insight Group facilitator(s) and co-facilitator(s)

Month Four

• Divide responsibilities for ministry among Core Team
• Publicize upcoming Insight Group by all means available (pulpit announcements, bulletin, video, live testimony, etc.)
• Launch first Insight Group

Click on read more to see more of the Living Free strategy timeline.

Month Five

• Prepare second Insight Group facilitator(s) & co-facilitator(s)
• Prepare first Free to Grow facilitator(s) and co-facilitator(s)

Month Six

• Launch second Insight Group
• Launch first Free to Grow Group

Month Seven

• Launch third Insight Group
• Launch second Free to Grow Group

Month Eight

• Continue launching additional Insight Groups as needed
• Continue launching additional Free to Grow Groups as needed
• Begin planning for outreach – Many ministries use the first five sessions of the Living Free video training as an entry point for newcomers and those attending from the community. Most ministries have these outreach meetings on a week night other than the regular ministry times
• Solidify a regular communications plan for announcements at the church and in the community.

Months 9-12

• Continue to prepare Free to Grow facilitators and co-facilitators
• Prepare support group facilitators and co-facilitators – Choosing the specific support groups should be determined from the knowledge you gain from the Insight Groups and Free to Grow groups
• Continue to prepare Insight Group facilitators and co-facilitators
• Begin first support group for graduates of both the Insight Groups and Free to Grow groups
• Launch additional Support Groups as necessary
• Recruit and train new Core Team leaders as necessary

Hopefully, this will give you an idea of how to build a strategy for effective Living Free ministry in your local church. This strategy can be adapted to fit your specific needs and type of ministry, but this outline above has been the most effective way of building a strong Living Free ministry reaching hundreds of people each week. The most important thing to remember is to bathe everything in prayer and be patient with the process. As a friend once said, “The only thing that grows up overnight is a weed.” Plow, plant, and water then pray God blesses your work and watch God bring a great harvest.

Principles derived from the Core Team Manual by Jimmy Ray Lee, Turning Point Ministries, Chattanooga, TN,1989, 1996, 2001, 2007.