start a praise and coffee

Praise and Coffee Group Guide | www.PraiseAndCoffee.com

is to move beyond one sided

women’s ministry gatherings and get

across the table from one another

Praise and Coffee Group Guide

2 Praise and Coffee Group Guide | www.PraiseAndCoffee.com

Introduction

I’ve spent the last couple decades and some change in women’s ministry.

Pastor’s wife, women’s director and all around church gal, I’ve been there

and done it all. From standing in front of a packed room of sleep deprived sug-

ar buzzed women to scrubbing the toilets because the cleaning crew forgot

about our life-changing event. I’m a women’s ministry veteran.

But Praise and Coffee is different,

it is less like ministry and more like…life.

Praise and Coffee is about connecting, encouraging & inspiring women.

It is not about preaching, teaching & leading women.

This ministry is focused on sharing life with girlfriends. Praise and Coffee is about

sitting down at a table with a few women and learning that we’re not the only

one who is struggling with being a wife or mom or single gal. It’s about the hon-

est journey of faith and relationships with God and those around us.

I am not looking to create a mega ministry through Praise and Coffee Nights,

but would love to create a movement! Women all over the world gathering to-

gether over a cup of coffee and having conversations that matter. Praise and

Coffee Nights help us to connect, encourage and inspire one another. If you

gather together in His name, He will come.

It’s as simple as looking into the eyes of another woman and asking,

“What’s happening in your life these days?”

As you will see, we are not a regimented ministry. No educational require-

ments, no degrees or Bible school diplomas necessary. You don’t have to

know how to pray or have chapters of scripture memorized, you just have to

be a woman with a life, and I think that qualifies every one of us. We are a min-

istry of real women with real lives connecting, encouraging and inspiring one

another along the journey wherever and whenever we can…many of us with

a cup of coffee in hand as we do, but that’s not required either.

Much love,

Sue Cramer


(L-R) Sue Cramer {PraiseAndCoffee.com} Founder Ronel Sidney {ChosenForMore.com} National Director

Denise Dykstra {DeniseDykstra.com} Magazine co-Editor


Praise and Coffee Groups meet around the world!

“Last night I felt refreshed and

renewed as I walked out... Thankful to

be first in the presence of my Father, but

also in knowing that He had sent me to

a place where I could grow through

studying with women from different

backgrounds and different lives. Each

with a great story to tell.... I am truly

blessed to be able to be part of this!!


Prescott, AZ

Reno, NV

Henderson, NV Connecticut

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Ephrata, PA Buffalo, Minnesota

Across the Nation and World! For where 2 or 3 gather together because they are mine, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20

Plainwell, MI (the original!)

We want pictures of your events!!

Email them to us or post them into the albums on the Praise and Coffee page on Facebook!

Butler, PA

New Hampshire

Lynden, WA Anthem, AZ

San Diego, CA

https://www.facebook.com/praiseandcoffee?ref=ts


Fear Almost Kept Her

Away... I am not out going.

I get really nervous when meeting new people

or going new places.

Really, really n.e.r.v.o.u.s.

The fun thing about God is that He helps us

push beyond that bubble, that place where

we're so comfortable; even when we think it'd

be better to avoid what makes us uncomforta-

ble.

If we let Him, He will grab our hand and lead us

to do new things.

Since moving an hour away from EVERYONE I

knew, He has led me outside my bubble of

comfort.

Do I like to talk to people?

Yep.

Do I look forward to developing good relation-

ships with strangers?

Not really.

You see, as I was growing up, I was awkward

and unpopular. I wasn't girly, my eyes were too

big for my face, my hair went wherever it felt

like going, and I hated girls in friendships. Petty,

catty, mean, etc...

That's the way I defined most girls.

“For me Praise and Coffee has been a

way to make those deeper connections

outside the four walls of church and to

have more intimate community!”

“Praise and Coffee has helped in giving

me the confidence I need to step out in

more of a leadership role of our Women's

ministry at church. I am now facilitating 3

Bible studies and I am on a team of 6 ladies

working on "waking up" the women's

ministry at my church.”

Fast forward many years and add a relation-

ship with Christ that has helped me see Truth in

how great fellowship with great ladies can be.

And you find me going to places where I don’t

expect to know A SINGLE SOUL.

Last night, I nearly backed out of an amazing

time. I was invited by a new friend to attend

Praise and Coffee. I almost backed out. I al-

most e-mailed her to beg to be her shadow for

the whole night.

God said no to both. So I went. Alone. But, not

alone. He was there.

I went to a Praise and Coffee Night.

At it, we met Maranda from WOTV and heard

a bit of her journey. Wow, what a woman be-

ing used by God in a time where family units

are being challenged.

I had a great time. I can't wait until next time. I

really believe this movement for women is

headed to do BIG things. I am excited to be a

part of it!

I wouldn't have known that if I had hid inside,

afraid to step out of my fear and love of com-

fort, to meet some great women doing great

things for the Kingdom of God.

So, I encourage you, step out! Even if you’re

trembling. Ask God to find your hand, to give

you peace, and to walk you through it.

He will.

What Women Are Saying...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151274768739873.486522.71501024872&type=3

http://www.wotv4women.com/subindex/maranda


“I sense the Greater Youngstown group is

different than most groups. The

connections have been instant

because the hunger for some-

thing, anything that is positive

and simple to pull off is a breath

of fresh air. The ladies are actu-

ally coming 30+ minutes be-fore

meetings start. We have no

agenda. We simply ask they

bring a light refreshment, the

hostess for each meeting pro-

vides the coffee. We average

20 members.

Youngstown has been ranked

one if not the highest rate of

poverty city in the US.

There are literally families and

attitudes waiting for the steel

mills to re-open. The biggest in-

dustry here is GM, and the

layoffs have been hard for this area for years.

These ladies long for something different and

better. I think these meetings give them some-

thing to look forward to. They have no prob-

lem meeting new people and starting conver-

sations. They feel safe.

My heart for Greater Youngstown Praise and

Coffee is to create an environment of fellow-

ship that creates positive talk that will change

Youngstown for the better one cup of coffee

at a time.”

“The

second

time I

attended

Praise and

Coffee was

in Plainwell

and as it

turned out

that was the night that would change

my life as I knew it! I met a gal who

helped me take my business to the next

level but even more meaningful than

that was the friends I have met through

her. My husband and I were new to the

area and without having a J-O-B or kids

in school, it was very hard to meet

friends. It was even hard to meet new

people and make strong connections at

church because our congregation is so

large. Because God led me to my new

friend Kris, I have made so many very

close friends as well as reputable business

partners. I am forever grateful!!!!”

“One word that comes to mind is...freedom.

The freedom to be myself, the freedom to cele-

brate my Lord, freedom to lift one another up in

prayer, the freedom for future friendships to

blossom, the freedom to really, really study

God's Word, the freedom to be open minded

for discussions, and the fact that coffee is my

favorite beverage I feel right at "home"“


“it’s good to get away from home

for an evening and be in a circle of

ladies, feel encouraged, inspired,

praying for each other. One more:

Being able to open up and speak

from my heart, from what I have

learned from my past, my mistakes.

To be encouraged, inspired, and

loved by sisters that I am learning to

trust is incredible!!!”


*


How often should I hold my Praise and Coffee? That is up to you but it should be consistent. We suggest one of the three: * once a week * twice a month * once a month How long should I keep doing my group? We would like you to commit to holding your group at least 6X. So that would mean your group will last anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months long. Then feel free to start over with a new group or keep going with your current one. Is there a cost or membership fee to join Praise and Coffee as a host or a participant? No, not at this time.

Q & A How do I host the group with the books? We recommend using the book as a “springboard” for conversation. You do not have to follow the book strictly,, just decide ahead of time how much you are all going to read and be prepared to talk about it. What if the members of my group don’t keep up with reading the books? Always go back to the heart of these groups: * Connecting women * Encouraging Growth * Inspiring Change Our focus is NOT structure or obe-dience to a set of rules, it’s a matter of the heart. Be gracious and let God lead by what is on the hearts of the ladies there.

Cont...


How do I “lead” the groups that don’t have a book to springboard conversation from? We encourage you to use our esPRESSo curriculum at the end of this magazine. Or, look up arti-cles that apply to your group topic and discuss them, or go around the table sharing how the past week or month has been in light of the “flavor” of your group. i.e.: If your group is about blended families, talk about what has been the most difficult decision you’ve had to make as a step mom. Be creative! And watch how God just opens the conversation once you let your own walls down. Do I have to pray out loud to host a group? That is up to you. You can format your groups with or without a time of public prayer, but we do encourage everyone in the group to keep one another in their pray-ers and send emails or texts to let each other know that you are praying for one another.

* How do I start?? Fill out the form on our website and start inviting girlfriends! Do I have to use the books sug-gested for the “flavor” group I want? No, they are just suggestions. Where do I buy the books? We have a list of the books on our website with direct links to Ama-zon. As an Amazon affiliate we would love it if you order them through our website! Click here: Resources or go to our website

PraiseandCoffee.com and find the

“Resources” page under “Praise and

Coffee groups”

http://praiseandcoffee.com/praise-and-coffee-nights/resources/

http://praiseandcoffee.com/praise-and-coffee-nights/resources/


*

*

It’s more than a ministry,

it’s a

Movement!


Session One: Love One Another

Get things brewing: Do you make a

New Year’s resolution or set goals be-

fore the New Year begins?

Steep in God’s word: John 13:34, “A

new command I give you; Love one

another. As I have loved you, so you

must love one another.”

Press it out:

-What does loving one another look

like in your daily life?

-Can you think of a time when some-

one showed you love despite your

words, actions or reactions?

-How would you encourage someone

struggling to love a difficult family

member or spouse?

Six session springboard for Praise and Coffee groups.

Yes, technically it’s a curriculum but we’re calling it a

springboard because we don’t want you to feel so

attached to a curriculum that you miss the

conversations that will happen organically.

A new 6 week session comes out in each magazine.

Session Two: Forgiving One Another

Get things brewing: What is your fa-

vorite winter drink?

Steep in God’s word: Ephesians 4:32,

“Be kind and compassionate to one

another, forgiving each other, just as

in Christ God forgave you.”

Press it out:

-Can you think of a time when forgiv-

ing was difficult?

-Why is forgiveness so important in re-

lationships?

-What advice would you give to

someone holding onto bitterness and

resentment instead of embracing for-

giveness?


Session Three: Accepting One Another

Get things brewing: What is your favorite

thing to do when you get time to hang

out you’re your girlfriends?

Steep in God’s word: Romans 15:7,

“Accept one another, then, just as

Christ accepted you, in order to bring

praise to God.”

Press it out:

-Why is it so hard to be non-judgmental

with the ones closest to us?

-How do we accept those who are dif-

ferent than us?

-Can you think of a time you felt accept

even though you were different?

-What advice would you give to some-

one who is struggling to fit in with a

group of friends?

Session Four: Bearing with One Another

Get things brewing: What is your favorite

form of communication (texting, calling,

email or facet to face) and what is your

least favorite and why?

Steep in God’s word: Ephesians 4:32, “Be

kind and compassionate to one anoth-

er, forgiving each other, just as in Christ

God forgave you.”

Press it out:

-Can you think of a time when a friend

stood by you and help you endure

some struggles or circumstances in

life?

-How can we stand by and give support

to those around us whom are hurting

without being taken advantage of your

generosity?

-What advice would you give to some-

one who is struggling to be compassion-

ate to others?

Session Five:

Being Devoted to One Another

Get things brewing: What do you do for

fun?

Steep in God’s word: Romans 12:16,

“Live in harmony with one another. Do

not be proud, but be willing to associ-

ate with people of low position. Do not

be conceited.”

Press it out:

-Can you think of a time you felt like you

did not belong? Did you press through

the feelings or leave the situation?

- Are there certain situations or certain

groups of people where you struggle

with pride?

- How can be devoted to people whom

believe different with us without judging

them or compromising your

beliefs?

Session Six:

Honoring One Another Above Ourselves

Get things brewing: Describe your favor-

ite place to relax and enjoy some

peace and quiet.

Steep in God’s word: Romans 12:20, “On

the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry,

feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to

drink. In doing this, you will heap burning

coals on his head.’” Press it out:

-What are some things you can do to

put others above yourself?

-Are there any community projects you

can get involved with in order to help

those who are in need?


Photo by KarieMurrayPhotography.com

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