New 'wineskins'

Group, Jul/Aug 2002 by Schultz, Thom, Schultz, Joani

A peek inside Group Publishing, publisher of group Magazine

Not long ago, we were chatting with a friend of ours, Leonard Sweet. He's an author, preacher, theologian, church historian, church futurist, and... well... an all-around amazing guy. Whenever we're together, he stretches our thinking. Among the dozens of topics we covered, one seemed extra relevant to our work here at Group Publishing.

We talked about "content" and its "containers." Specifically, we discusses how the gospel message-God's Word-is the content. Its clarity is never-changing. Yet the containers-- ministry approaches, methods, and styles-are ever-changing to meet people where they live today.

But it's interesting how churches get hung up on the containers. Some think if you mess with the container, you must be messing with the contents. It's like orange juice staying orange juice whether you serve it in a glass, pitcher, carton, or sippy cup. It still stays orange juice even though you serve it up differently.

The same is true when we pour Scripture into musical containers-- classical, Sunday school action songs, rock music, hymns, alternative, country-the list goes on. All are unique containers that make the contents accessible to various aspects of our culture, but all have the same scriptural message.

We at Group Publishing, the creators of this magazine, are passionate about providing church leaders with innovative ideas and ministry solutions in ever-changing containers. We believe the never-changing power of God's Word can come in all sorts of creative containers. We design each container to meet the needs of God's people today.

In our quest for need-meeting containers, we're excited about exploring the electronic world of the Web and what it means for serving you and your church today. We believe containers are not only ink and paper-- but cyber as well!

We'd like to describe what our Web resources look like today. But we've got to warn you. This Web container morphs quickly. And by the time you're reading this, there's already new stuff there. So check it out. And tell your friends where they too can find more than 30,000 Web pages of ministry help.

Web Idea Storehouses

We've created treasure troves of online ministry ideas.

* Back issues of the magazine. Did you know that when you subscribe to group Magazine, you have automatic access to every issue of the magazine over the last decade? To access group's online archive of articles and ideas, go to www.groupmag.com and click on Back Issue Archives. Then type in your subscriber number, found on the mailing label attached to your magazine's plastic mailer cover. You're in!

All the articles and ideas are searchable by subject. So all you have to do is type in what you need, and you'll find a plethora of help at your command. And it's all free to you as a subscriber. group subscribers have their privileges!

* GroupPublishing.com-Here you'll find tons of information about Group Publishing and the resources we provide. So when you're planning that next ministry event or class or training, help is just a click away at www.grouppublishing.com.

* Important portal sites-- Designed especially for your ministry needs, click on www.youthministry .com, www.childrensministry.com, or www.onlinerev.com. There you'll find help for your ministry area. And to make finding resources to purchase easier, we've just added a new feature. Now you can search our entire online store from any of our portal sites-childrensministry.com, youthministry.com, or onlinerev.com. Just type in the subject you're looking for, and the computer does the hunting. It will pull up every product that relates to your need. Then you choose what will best meet your needs.

* Free stuff and specials-The Web wouldn't be any fun if we couldn't send you free stuff. If you're interested in any of our curriculum products, we'll be happy to send you samples you can hold in your hand, if that helps you make decisions. Plus, we've always got some great specials going on. Bargain hunters should visit our deep-discount sitewww.groupoutlet.com.

Relevant Online Resources

Not only can you find help in our vast idea libraries, you can get relevant, up-to-the-minute resources that defy what print resources can offer. Every week they're filled with fresh content.

* MinistryandMedia.com-This is the site that saves you time and money-all those movies and popcorn tubs-and gives you program and discussion-starting tools tied to relevant, hot media that surrounds kids and adults when they're not at church.

Rick Lawrence, executive editor of group Magazine, says, "The church has slowly become more irrelevant to the 'real lives' of teenagers, largely because churches have shied away from talking biblically about the stuff of kids' real lives. We've taught kids to live two lives-their church life and their real life. MinistryandMedia.com uses the raw material of teenage culture to spark biblical discussions. It's the most strategic tool a youth leader can use to bridge the gap between the gospel and kids' everyday life."