Names of H.O.P.E. Leader's Guide

By David R. Grimm

Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to help people experience a life transformation through their emotional pain so they can live the purpose-filled, victorious life God intended and designed them to live. We set people free from emotional bondage and empower them to live a transformed life.

To accomplish our purpose, the H.O.P.E. program was designed to help people 1) resurrect hope, 2) overcome emotional pain from a variety of issues, 3) build a safe and healthy support network, 4) comprehend the truths about God in the midst of pain while exposing and replacing lies, and 5) experience a life transformation through the healing and restorative power of Jesus Christ.

Our transformation model consists of three levels. Names of H.O.P.E. is Level 2 and centers on Names of God that meet the needs encountered while going through painful experiences. Each lesson relates a Name of God to His principles and purpose for pain, His character in the midst of pain, and how He can transform us through our pain and empower us to fulfill our purpose in life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 8, 2006
• ISBN: 9780595846849

David R. Grimm

Dr. David R. Grimm received his Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Immunogenetics in 1993 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is the Founder and CEO of Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.), a Biblically-based, nonprofit organization that focuses on helping people experience a life transformation through their emotional pain so they can live the purpose-filled, victorious life God intended and designed them to live. David authored the three books used in H.O.P.E., namely Doorway to H.O.P.E., Names of H.O.P.E. and The Spiritual & Emotional Coach’s Guide. His passion and desire to help those who are hurting comes from his own experiences with emotional pain and the Christ-centered support he received. David resides in Arizona with his wife Tiffany and his two sons, Jonah and Jacob.

Book preview

Names of 

H.O.P.E.

Leader’s Guide

Dr. David R. Grimm

iUniverse, Inc. 

 New York Lincoln Shanghai

Names of H.O.P.E. Leader’s Guide

Copyright © 2006 by David R. Grimm

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Premise for Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.)

The H.O.P.E. Mission

H.O.P.E. Testimonials

H.O.P.E. Small Groups

Guidelines for Names of H.O.P.E. Small Group Leaders

Overview of Names of H.O.P.E.

Overview and Guidelines for Names of H.O.P.E.

Name 1: I AM the God who is always there (Jehovah-Shammah)

Name 2: I AM the God who helps (El-Azar)

Name 3: I AM the God who heals (Jehovah-Rophe)

Name 4: I AM the God who refines (Jehovah-Tsaraph)

Name 5: I AM the God who sanctifies (Jehovah-Mekoddishkem)

Name 6: I AM the God who gives guidance and direction (Jehovah-Nachah)

Name 7: I AM the Almighty, All-sufficient God (El Shaddai)

Name 8: I AM the God who protects and defends (Jehovah-Nissi)

Name 9: I AM the God who provides (Jehovah-Jireh)

Name 10: I AM the God of wisdom and instruction (Jehovah-Ya’ats)

Name 11: I AM the God of peace (Jehovah-Shalom)

Name 12: I AM the God of exceeding joy (El Simchathgali)

Name 13: I AM the God who is King (Jehovah-Melek)

Appendix A: Six categories of data that do not provide evidence for evolution

Appendix B: My letter to the Letters Editor of U.S. News & World Report

Appendix C: H.O.P.E. Leader’s Profile

Appendix D: Contract for H.O.P.E. Leaders (Your Copy)

Appendix D: Contract for H.O.P.E. Leaders—Continued (Our Copy)

Appendix E: H.O.P.E. Procedure for Problem Resolution

Appendix F: Names of H.O.P.E. Evaluation Form

Appendix G: H.O.P.E. Objectives

This book and program are dedicated to 5 people: my wife Tiffany Grimm, our two sons Jonah and Jacob, Bob Poskitt and Pastor Alan Owens. My wife Tiffany is the love of my life and my best friend. Never was a more beautiful woman ever created and I would simply be incomplete without her. My two sons Jonah and Jacob are the very faces of God’s love and goodness in my life. I am extremely proud of both of them and honored to be their father. I hope and pray that I can always be the father they need me to be and point them to The Cross during both the enjoyable and painful experiences in their lives. Bob Poskitt, my original mentor in support and recovery, is the one who made all this possible. Pastor Alan Owens is my continuing mentor in support and recovery. As mentors, both Bob and Alan have given me invaluable direction and inspiration in my walk with Jesus and my experience with this ministry.

Acknowledgements 

This book, program and organization have been decades in the making because they’re all the direct result of my life experiences. There are many, many people who have influenced my life in such a way as to contribute to their development. Although I cannot thank everyone within this format, there are a number of people whose contributions I wish to acknowledge.

I am most grateful to my loving wife, Tiffany, for enabling me to do all that I do. Thank you for believing in me to accomplish God’s calling on my life. Your encouragement and support empowered me to succeed in writing this material. I also wish to thank you for all your editorial contributions to this book and all the other ways you now serve with me in this organization.

I wish to thank Bob Poskitt, who was my first exposure to the ministry of support and recovery. His Biblical wisdom, love and compassion for men like me who were dealing with emotional pain are what started me down the journey that brought me to the place I am today. Without his obedience to God’s call on his life, none of this would have ever happened. This book, program and organization are all a direct result of his impact on my life. I thank you for leading me to the healing and restoring power of Jesus Christ.

I’m grateful to Pastor Joe Boerman for giving me permission to incorporate many of his wise and practical teachings in my writing. I’m grateful to Pastor Alan Owens for being my mentor and source of encouragement in this area. I also wish to thank both pastors for their wisdom, direction, inspiration, counsel and friendship.

To all the Grimm family members, both by birth and by marriage, I am thankful for your love, acceptance and support. I will also be forever grateful for being Uncle Buck to all of you!

In addition, I wish to thank my brother, Robert Grimm, for creating such a beautiful cover for the book. The way you captured the look and message I wanted the book to portray shows how your talents as a graphic designer are second to none. I am also thankful to his wife, Karen, for her outstanding graphic designs and support of this organization. The expertise, support, and generosity we receive from both of you are a true blessing.

To my other brothers, Wayne and Jim Grimm, and my sister Julie Thompson, I also thank you for your support and partnership in this organization. To my father James Grimm, I thank you for just being my father. I also thank you for allowing me to be who I am and providing the affirmation that I can do what I’m called to do.

To all the Wilson family members, both by birth and by marriage, I am indebted to all of you for your love and acceptance. You never judged me and have received me as one of your own. I thank you for that, and for always being there to support us.

I am grateful to Todd Arvidson for mentoring me in how to lead a support and recovery group. I also thank you for showing me how to create and utilize a Spiritual and Emotional Blueprint. To Dave Gillaspie and Ricky White, I wish to thank you both for all the generosity and expertise that has been a blessing to this organization.

I am thankful to so many people who loved me, stuck by me and supported me during the most difficult times in my life. To people like Jonathan and Kim Bobby, the Bobby family, Pete and Charmayne Brust, Tom Burckhardt, Jamie Butler, Don Canter, Joe and Mary Consorti, Lee Davis, Tim and Janine Dolinka, John and Charisse DuBois, Mark Goldsmith, Dave and Laura Gore, Tim Hasenstab, Teri Heiland, Don Jillson, Kenny Johnson, Steve Lane, Roy LeGrand, John and Cynthia Lovell, Ron McCarthy, Pastor Eric Meyer, Gary Morgan, David Orlet, Richard Queen, David Rothbard, David Sefcik, Fred and Jennifer Seiferth, Ronnie and Rhonda Holley-Shanks, Chris Southworth, Pastor Mike Stephens, Owen and Linda Towles and family, Greg Turner, Jim Woodard and Mike Yeager, all I can say is thank you.

I also wish to thank the original core group within H.O.P.E., Steve Christian, Diane DeJong, Wendie Gates, Shelly Goodman, Yvonne Harter, Rosetta Klein, Doug Saesan, Kathy Saesan, Robin Simmonds, Bonnie Willms and Jerry Winslow. I will always be grateful for the family we have become. To Grace and Eric Kurtz, Beth Hart and Susan Owens, I am grateful for your support and encouragement. To all the other leaders and volunteers that helped me develop H.O.P.E., again I say thank you.

To the men in my Accountability Group, Toby Mueller, Bulus Galadima, Sixto Robles, Lloyd Biddle and Jim Stewart, I say thank you for your friendship, wisdom and willingness to travel along this journey with me. Also to all the men who have been meeting on Tuesday mornings over the past 5 years, I thank you for your friendship and direction in my life. In particular, I wish to thank Dave Pfeifer, Dick Smith, Doug Leafblad, Jay Brubaker, Jeff Rector, Ken Schroeder, Richard Chiero and Bill Stinchcomb. This group also had a major impact on my continuing journey and I just want to say thank you.

To my uncle Tom Smith, I thank you for leading me in the right direction to structure our organization and publish these materials.

Finally, at the risk of stating the obvious, I wish to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank You for dying for me and giving me a hope and future, both here on earth and eternally. I thank You for my life. I thank You for my wife and sons. I thank You for not leaving me where I was. I thank You for loving me and caring about me. I thank You for Your healing and restoring power. I thank You for allowing all the difficult times and pain I went through so that You could use them to teach me more about You and to mold me into who I am. I thank You for going to such great lengths to draw me close to You and establish our relationship. I thank You that You’re not finished with me yet and there are more exciting things yet to come. I thank You for leading me on this journey and speaking to me so clearly about the creation of H.O.P.E. and the development of our program. Finally, I thank You for somehow considering me worthy of this calling on my life. I only hope You are proud of me and the way I responded to Your call.

Premise for Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.) 

I started Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.) in 2002 in response to God’s calling on my life to minister to those who are hurting. My passion in this area comes out of my own experiences with emotional pain in my life and the desire to give back to others the Biblically based support and help I have received. I am particularly grateful to Bob Poskitt, who at a very low time in my life while I was going through a divorce, came along side me and other men in my situation and mirrored Jesus to me as he wisely, diligently, truthfully and lovingly helped me to overcome decades of emotional pain. It was through my own experiences with emotional pain and with a Christ-centered support and recovery group that the Lord prepared me for service in this area.

H.O.P.E. began as an attempt to meet the needs of people who are living with painful experiences in my home church (Immanuel) and in my community. The name was chosen as an acrostic to reflect what we are all about, Help Overcoming Painful Experiences. As time went on, God blessed this ministry with many wonderful and compassionate people who are also dedicated to service in this area.

As our ministry grew, God impressed upon me the need for us to more aggressively promote our ministry in a way that penetrates our entire community. This has resulted in our ministry becoming a non-profit organization, of which I am the President. In addition, The Lord also showed me how to more effectively promote the truth of His Word and His name (and so His character) as we expand our services. The Doorway to H.O.P.E. and Names of H.O.P.E. programs are a direct result of our efforts in this area (and those to more effectively penetrate our community).

During the past three years in this ministry, God has been both preparing us for a major expansion of our services as a non-profit organization and teaching us many things about Himself that can be used to more effectively minister to those who are hurting. For example, we believe that everything that happens in our lives is ordained by our Lord for the purpose of establishing, maturing and perfecting our relationship with Him. This includes both enjoyable and painful experiences. His intention is for both of us to be active in this area, where He first takes the initiative and then continues to actively draw us closer to Him while hoping that we will desire to do the same thing and draw Him closer to us.

Because our relationship with Him is the only thing we will carry into eternity, He places the utmost value on this process and will go to any length to pursue it with each and every one of us.

He loves us too much to leave us where we are and the way we are. He has something to offer that is so much better for us. In fact, He wants to give us the best thing He has, that being Himself, His very Essence and Being. (Even if we would consider where we are to already be a good place, He still wants to take us to where we can experience more of His best, more of Himself).

The model He has chosen to accomplish this in us is one that frequently takes us through pain and suffering. There seems to be no other way to effectively teach us certain things about Himself and to mold our character and image to one that reflects His. Once you actually experience the reality and truth of some if His attributes in the midst of your pain, it can create powerful and healthy changes in you that you could never learn any other way. As you grow to see the truth of God and His character, it will enable you to develop and maintain a healthy and hopeful perspective that will give you the desire and courage to walk on through your trials with Him.

But we, too, have a role to play in this process in order for His will to be accomplished in our lives. We must, by a conscious act of our will, commit to accept how He relates to us and what He wants to do in us through the pain in our lives. It is up to us to be moldable, teachable and willing to receive the best He has to offer us. We must be sold out to trusting in Him when the sky turns black and the storms roll in leaving us in a place where nothing in our lives makes sense and the pain is almost unbearable.

We have learned through our experiences that the most effective way to accomplish this is by first filling our thoughts with truth. Day by day (and sometimes minute by minute) we must focus on truth and allow the truth to penetrate our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. As Romans 12:2 says, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (NASV). During painful times, it’s imperative that we turn to what is true. Basing our decisions, will and behavior on lies at these times in our lives can have disastrous consequences. We must rid ourselves of all the lies we had previously been living by and replace them with truth, The Truth. When things are their darkest and they hurt the most, we must turn to the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Our hope and prayer is that you will take the initiative to pursue a healthy, vibrant and life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. We hope that you will accept His unique and eternal perspective on your painful experiences in life and allow Him to reveal Himself to you through His names and His truth. As you grow to know God through His truth and His names (and so His character) He will come along side you and show you both who He is and what He can do to help you. No matter what you are going through now or what you have been through before, God always has a plan and He can and will bring you to His best for you.

We implore you to have the courage to begin this journey for two critical reasons. One, the rewards are great and literally out of this world (being eternal). No matter how frightening it may seem to take this step, we have His promise that He will bring us through to the end and never quit on us. As it says in Philippians 1:6, Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus Two, the stakes are extremely high. The downside of not taking this step has severe consequences, both here and now and for all ofeternity. So please join with so many of us who have taken this step and are now enjoying the benefits of a transformed life.

Sincerely,

Dr. David R. Grimm

President

Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.)

The H.O.P.E. Mission 

Our mission is to provide a safe place to work through the emotional issues that hinder us from fully embracing God, others, and life with enthusiasm.

Our vision is to help people of all ages (adults, teens and children) overcome painful experiences and transform their lives with our care, support, encouragement and the hope in Jesus Christ.

We do this as we walk along with others in need and apply God’s truth to painful experiences. As it says in John 8:32, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (NASV). We show truth into difficult situations and show how changing our thought pattern to one like God’s can free us and transform our attitudes, behaviors and understanding of God during painful times in life. As it says in Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (NASV).

We are there to pass along the same support that we have received to others who are hurting. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ (NASV).

A second part of our mission is to nurture and empower members to become active in service both in the church and their community. In our ministry, the best future leaders needed for our growth come from individuals who have been through the program themselves.

A third part of our mission is to prepare individuals to be better equipped to handle difficult times in life. This is applicable to both their own lives (as the principles and truths of the program will enable people to understand how God uses painful experiences to strengthen and mold our character), and to the lives of others (as we train people how to effectively function as a Spiritual and Emotional Coach to group members and help them help others).

Our primary target is anyone who needs Help Overcoming Painful Experiences (H.O.P.E.). The target members include adults, teens and children. Our secondary target is anyone who wants to be a Spiritual and Emotional Coach (SPEC) or gain a better understanding of how God uses painful experiences to bring us the best He has for us in life.

H.O.P.E. Testimonials 

H.O.P.E. has changed my life. I remember the night I said I had learned to like myself. That was a totally foreign concept to me, but it had happened. It changed my whole way of thinking. (Shelly G., adult H.O.P.E. group)

H.O.P.E. has helped me handle a lot of anger problems, sadness and losses. It’s a really fun place to go. H.O.P.E. helps me understand better how my family works. I have a mommy, and older brother and my father is God. Jesus is my best friend in the whole world. (Heather M., H.O.P.E. for Middle School Students)

H.O.P.E. has taught me that it’s all about God and not about me. God is God and I am not. Now, instead of asking ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I now ask, ‘Why is this happening for me.’ (Steve C., adult H.O.P.E. group)

Before coming to H.O.P.E., I was horribly depressed and very angry. I felt lost. I desperately wanted to belong, to be part of a family. But H.O.P.E. has changed all that. I finally have what I’ve been longing for, people who love me and care about me and miss me if I’m gone. I have a family! I have a family to support and encourage me on life’s journey. Instead of desperately wanting to belong, I now desperately want to be used by God to help others know that there is hope. (Wendie G., adult H.O.P.E. group)

I learned that H.O.P.E. was a safe place where people accepted you for who you are. It helped me not be afraid to talk to people. I learned that God wanted me, He loves me unconditionally, and He has a plan for my life.

(Adult H.O.P.E. group member who requested anonymity)

H.O.P.E. is not the closing of your eyes to the difficulty, the risk or the failure; it’s a trust that if I fail now I shall not fail forever and if I’m hurt I shall be healed. It’s a trust that God is good all the time, love is powerful, and the future is full of promises. (Adult H.O.P.E. group member who requested anonymity)

H.O.P.E. Small Groups 

H.O.P.E. groups generally meet once a week. For evening groups, the schedule we have used (and recommend) begins with 30 minutes for food and fellowship followed by 30 minutes of worship. After worship, the groups begin and last for 1-^2 hours. We use a three-leveled model for our groups (described below) that’s intended to develop long-term involvement in the journey toward wholeness and healing. The structure arose from our belief that our emotional issues result from underlying spiritual needs. Therefore, we believe that by addressing spiritual needs you can successfully enable transformation that produces emotional wholeness and healing. In this way, we believe we’re appropriately addressing the disease and not just the symptoms.

1.   Level 1 : This is the central entry point into our ministry. This group is always open for new members, so it allows us to have a group that someone can join on any given day. We use the Doorway to H.O.P.E. curriculum and present the material in a classroom setting that is team-taught. The first half of the time is devoted to presenting the lesson, while the second half of the time is used to break into small groups to allow for Checking In (discussed further in the Overview of Names of H.O.P.E.). Each small group has a group leader from the ministry.

In addition to having a group that’s always open for new members to join, we have found two more reasons why there is a need for this group. First, many people who come to us are not ready to commit to a recovery small group because they are not ready to ask for help and fully surrender their issues and needs to the Lord. Statistics show that most people who come to a recovery program require at least 6 weeks attendance before they decide to work on changing their life. We have actually seen this period take longer, so in writing this program we decided to double the 6 week warm up period and made this program 12 weeks long.

At the completion of each group, we simply repeat the curriculum for the next group of new members. This group is therefore designed to wet appetites for starting the journey towards wholeness and healing by entering a Level 2 small group. Second, it enables us to regularly schedule when our Level 2 groups will start (roughly quarterly).

2.   Level 2: These small groups follow the Names of H.O.P.E. curriculum, which lasts for about 1 year. We suggest limiting the group size to no more than 6-8 people who have completed the Level 1 Doorway to H.O.P.E. group. These groups are closed so that the same members will go through the entire curriculum together with no new members entering their group. We have seen that following this format helps create stronger bonds and a greater level of acceptance within the group members. We believe this group size and format also allows for more individual and personal attention during the Checking In time.

Each group leader presents the material in the small group, as opposed to having one person present the material for the lesson in a large group setting and then having members break away into their small groups. In addition to a group leader, we also suggest having a co-leader. This is a very practical way for others to learn the ins and outs of leading a small group. It helps prevent group cancellation, too, if at least one leader can always be present.

To date, we have not used gender-specific or topic-specific groups in Level 2. The material works very well for the issues our members have been dealing with even if there are people in a group who are there for entirely different reasons. However, one could easily envision some topics that would be better suited to be discussed in a gender-specific group. Or if there are a number of members there for the same issue, it might be convenient to have a group specific to that topic. So when forming groups, use discretion as necessary.

3.   Level 3: These groups generally still follow a small group format, but are more flexible. The purpose of these groups is to capitalize on the small group momentum already generated in Level 2 and enable long-term involvement in the journey toward wholeness and healing. They are more topic-specific and provide further support and teaching for areas of need that arise in the Level 2 groups. Example topics in Level 3 groups include:

a.   Evangelism

b.   Telling your story

c.   Spiritual formation and growth

d.   Spiritual gifts and service

e.   Visioneering

f.   Studies focused on particular areas of need

Regardless of the topic, all the groups in Level 3 are designed to provide continuing opportunities for spiritual growth and long-term involvement in the journey to wholeness and healing. Depending on the group, we use materials that we purchase or that we have written.

Finally, the transforming power of our groups can be clearly seen when one considers the various levels that any small group can reach. There are five levels of small groups that have been described. The five levels are:

1.   Cliché—superficial, patented, non-personal, rehearsed responses

2.   Ideas and Facts—sharing of personal statistics and information

3.   Ideas and Opinions—sharing becomes more honest and more personal to include ideas and opinions

4.   Feelings—honest sharing of feelings

5.   Peak—honest sharing of insights and asking for feedback; members are teachable, they receive well, and everything is done in love and truth; they invite input, there’s full trust of those speaking to you, things are done and said with the right attitude and motives within a loving and honest community

In a normal small group setting, it takes 9-18 months to get to the level of Feelings and 18-24 months to get to the level of Peak. But we have consistently experienced that our H.O.P.E. small groups can start at the Feelings level and get to the Peak level in only a few weeks. Therefore, we strongly suggest that our format for small groups be followed in order for your members to also experience the wonderful transforming power of H.O.P.E.

Guidelines for Names of H.O.P.E. Small Group Leaders 

1.   Before leading any H.O.P.E. group, we require all our leaders to read and agree to our Contract for H.O.P.E. Leaders. As part of this process, please first read this section and then turn to Appendix C and read the H.O.P.E. Leader’s Profile. After reading these, turn to Appendix D and read the Contract for H.O.P.E. Leaders. If you agree to this information and the contract, please sign and date both copies. Submit the appropriate one to your H.O.P.E. location leader and keep the other one as a reminder of your commitment.

2.   Adhere strictly to the Names of H.O.P.E. Guidelines.

3.   Avoid having spouses in the same small group.

4.   Keep the small group size to 6-8 people, including the leader and co-leader.

5.   Be Punctual. Divide the small group time in half, giving 45 minutes for the lesson and then 45 minutes for Checking In. This program works best when you give equal attention to both the lesson and Checking In. We believe this is important because too much talking and not enough of God’s truth from the lesson will not allow the program to work effectively.

a.   The lessons were designed with a 45 minute presentation time in mind. If you stick to this timeline, you should be able to maintain your schedule. This is really important when you have multiple groups meeting and children are included. We want to be punctual so everyone can maintain his or her schedules, too.

b.   With 6-8 people in a group, you can allow up to 5 minutes (our Guidelines say 3-5 minutes) for each member to Check In and still maintain your schedule. This will also provide equal and fair treatment for everyone. We recommend stating the time limit clearly each week so members know what to expect. If problems persist in this area, use a timer to enforce the rule (but do so lovingly).

6.   We recommend presenting the lesson first and then Checking In. This recommendation is based on our experiences where this order has been the most effective.

7.   Stick to the lesson. The lessons are written in a logical order and each one feeds off the previous one. Therefore, it’s important to present the material in each lesson as it’s written.

8.   Encourage participation and completion of homework assignments. Ask questions to find out how people are doing in this area.

9.   Encourage expressions of emotions; let them get it out, as long as it happens in a way that still maintains a safe environment. The Names of H.O.P.E. Guidelines 6 and 7 (found in Lesson 1) address this issue more completely.

10.   Be a part of the group, we’re not there as professional counselors. Share along and don’t view it as the interaction of a professor and a student. Rather, view it as being another group member who facilitates the discussion and presents the lesson.

11.   Be careful not to give advice, or at least not too much of it. If a situation warrants telling a member what you did in that situation, make it very clear that you’re not telling them what to do. You’re only sharing how you handled a particular situation.

Overview of Names of H.O.P.E. 

To begin, we would just like to say thank you for having the courage to take the next step of your journey. We believe that you will not regret your decision and if you commit yourself to following God you will indeed experience a transformation of your entire life.

God has revealed many of His names to us in the Bible and each name is a revelation of his character. In this program, we will show how each name we have chosen to expound upon connects and meets a different need we have while going through painful experiences in our life. As you comprehend the truths about God and His character found in His names, it will give you the hope you need to walk with Him through your pain.

We firmly believe that resurrecting hope is the key that can literally mean the difference between life and death. You can go forty days without food, fifteen days without water and eight minutes without air, but you can’t go a second without hope. Hope is one of the essentials of life. In support of that, Dr. Harold Wolff of Cornell University conducted a study of 25,000 former POWs. In his study he found that there was one group of POWs that all the physical and emotional torture had little to no effect on. In this group of individuals were found the only ones who had a high level of hope.

Where do you go to find that hope? You go to the God of hope. Romans 15:13 says, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. So for our material, we have selected thirteen names of God that we believe will achieve our goal of resurrecting hope. Each name represents a hope-providing truth about the Lord and serves as the focal point of each lesson contained in that section. Each lesson has five sections, What’s in a Name?, Truth, Hope and Love, Checking In, Acting on the Truth and Transforming Benefits.

What’s in a Name? contains the background material for the topic being presented and contains Leading Questions at strategic locations to help generate discussion. Truth, Hope and Love boils the information presented in the lesson about God’s name and character down to the life changing take home messages in each of these three areas.

Checking In is a time for each member to share what’s been happening to them the previous week, how they feel about these events and provide feedback on the previous lesson’s Acting on the Truth section. This builds accountability into each member working through the action items in each lesson. The Checking In time is to be done according to the Names of H.O.P.E. Guidelines found in Lesson 1. At the completion of each member’s time, they are to say, I’m in signifying that their time is completed. If a member doesn’t want to share that evening, we still require them to at least say, I’m in.

Acting on the Truth includes a practical plan of action to be worked on during the week following the lesson. Efforts and progress on these steps are meant to be discussed during the next group meeting during Checking In. Transforming Benefits explains the emotional rewards and hope generated as a result of completing the action steps.

As the action steps are accomplished and the emotional rewards are gained, we highly recommend that these achievements be celebrated throughout this entire process. We believe times of celebration and fun are crucial parts of the journey toward wholeness and healing. In H.O.P.E., we have three ways we like to celebrate: planned social events, our TV game show night and our Annual H.O.P.E. Celebration Banquet.

•   Planned social events are usually things like a BBQ for all members.

•   The TV game show night is something we started with the founding of H.O.P.E. as a way for our members to take a break from the hard part of their journey and just have some fun. On Game Night, all our members participate in a TV game show we prepared (Levels 1,2 and 3 groups combined). This is written into the Doorway to H.O.P.E. program so your location can regularly plan for this evening. We like to bring in snacks and drinks on this evening and provide prizes for the winners (usually candy, and we actually make sure there’s enough for everyone.) We have seen this to be very well received and really enjoyed by our members. If you prefer not to do a TV game show, we still very highly recommend planning something fun on this evening.

•   The Annual H.O.P.E. Celebration Banquet is an evening of food, fun and fellowship. We have a keynote speaker, entertainment, tokens of appreciation, certificates of accomplishment and one or two faith stories from group members where they share their progress and experience in H.O.P.E.

In regard to the cost of the materials, we recommend only charging group members for the cost of the books. We believe that if a group member pays for their books, it helps build accountability, ownership and commitment to the program. However, we have also found that some of the people who come to our groups have serious financial problems and paying for the books is