Christian Small Group Program Guidebook Review & my Personal Testimony about the Author.
Title: Soul Storming Guidebook Discovering God’s Spark In You Setting It Ablaze And Staying Stoked In Your Community
Author: Jason T. Heriford
Publisher: Independent / Self Release
ISBN-13: 978-1463534172
So this may be a slightly biased book review since I personally know the author and He has been an unwitting mentor and role model to me for over 10 years now. Keeping that in mind I’d like to start this review off with some of my personal testimony about the author.
It was roughly back in 1999 or 2000 when I met Jason. I was working a 3rd part time job as a night shift janitor at a local Maytag factory. Being the janitor there was pretty easy money. I’d make my own schedule of when to come in late at night. Change some trash bags, clean, sweep and mop in few areas of the building. I had a routine down pat I would get in and out with the least amount of human contact as possible.
I was around 21 years old at the time and in between stages in life where I was still a wild party animal and engaged to marry the woman who was to be my first wife.
Then one day as I was scurrying about my cleaning duties when a man stopped me in passing and said “Hey what’s your name?” taken back a bit I told him my first name. He proceeded to introduce himself then asked me a few work related questions and then got personal. Saying things like “I know you’re on drugs man, its ok we have all been there”. He reassured me he wasn’t judging me or ratting me out. I was shocked that in the past several months no one ever even bothered to speak to me other than job related matters.
As I went on about my duties I would notice Jason would go out of his way to say hi to me at work almost daily. Some times after cleaning an area or room I would find Jason casually waiting out side the door to say hi or invite me to hang out after work. He would invite me out to drinks with his co-workers after the shift ended on some nights.
Eventually he invited me over to his house to jam on music and chat about life. Jason was a few years older than me; he was married and already had children in grade school. I was still a party hearty young man that he said reminded him of his youthful exploits. He confessed to me one evening that he when he first approached me he was trying a tactic from a book he was reading about “roping people in to your life that you feel you want to be acquainted with”, and I was his first attempt at trying this technique. I being possibly drunk/high and very spiritually confused anyway didn’t have any problem with his confession. Even though I didn’t know it Jason was giving me advice on marriage and family that I wouldn’t understand until many years later. In time I went through more stages over the years getting married, divorced, hitting rock bottom in depression, alcohol and drugs. Jason kept in touch with me over the years as we both drifted on different paths after the factory shut down.
Fast forward to my life now as a happily married man with young children with a more rounded grasp on reality and my faith. Jason and I are now living states apart but keep in touch through the many social networking websites and email.
Jason’s wife and promoter contacts me about reading and giving critical feedback on a guidebook that he had written for leading Christian churches small group programs.
So when I get the review copy of the book in the mail I begin reading and start showing it to some of my fellow adult church members and using some of the discussion questions with the teenage youth group that I lead.
The book’s title “Soul Storming Guidebook Discovering God’s Spark In You Setting It Ablaze And Staying Stoked In Your Community” is a dead on summery of the program. When I got the book I was going through a personally stagnant period in my spiritual life. I dabble with music and written word, and was suffering from writers block as well.
As I read through the chapters I found some thought provoking scripture and discussion topics for small church groups. So I decided to try some of the discussion questions on the teens in my youth group. Not only did the discussions help some of our youth faithfully unearth their talents and focus on more ways to serve others. It also helped me as I read through the 12 chapters slowly bring myself out of the slump of creativity and drive that I was lacking in my writing and passion for music.
I recommend this guidebook to anyone who maybe leading a small groups of adults or teenagers. The Soul Storming Guide Book offers some great help in finding personal direction as well as establishing fruitful relationships with people in the group.
Jason Heriford uses the “running partner” concept that his pastor John Burke of Gateway Community Church introduced in his book “No Perfect People Allowed: Creating A Come As You Are Culture In The Church”.
This concept helps people connect with each other for support, accountability, counseling, and just plain dealing with the everyday struggle we each deal with.
So if you feel like you or others in your church and or small group is struggling to find their place in the community or unsure of what their spiritual gifts are. Then I highly recommend this Guidebook. It will help establish relationships in your group and help other hurdle over past and present personal conflicts that are holding them back.
You can order your copy of “Soul Storming Guidebook” on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Storming-guidebook-Discovering-Community/dp/1463534175/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316398875&sr=8-1
Get in touch with Jason Heriford personally via Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin social networking websites for more information on how to start “Soul Storming” in your community.
Follow Jason Heriford on Twitter.com
https://twitter.com/#!/SoulStorming
Add Jason Heriford as a friend on Facebook.com
http://www.facebook.com/jason.heriford
Connect with Jason Heriford on Linkedin.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Jason/Heriford