Facilitators’ Best Practices

 

These recommendations are shared from experienced Pain to Purpose Facilitators.

  1. We recommend starting each group session by revisiting the group commitment and standards.

  2. In the introductory section of the participant’s guidebook, there’s an exercise called the “Layers of Loss Timeline” (see p. 15), where participants map out their pain story. We’ve found that for some, this exercise can be overwhelming and may trigger past grief.

    To make it more accessible, consider broadening the focus. Instead of detailing their pain story, ask participants to respond to two questions:

    a) Have you experienced significant loss and grief in your life? If so, what was it and when?

    b) How do you think this has affected you? This approach allows participants to identify key pain points without feeling overwhelmed by details.

  3. We suggest keeping discussion groups to around 8-10 participants for optimal engagement.

  4. Feedback indicates that Trail Marker 1 (Waypoints 1-3) presents the steepest challenge in the course. Encourage participants to persevere; the intensity will lessen in the following weeks.

  5. When churches consistently offer the Pain to Purpose course, it becomes ingrained in their culture, serving as a beacon of hope and healing for the community. Some churches run it annually in the fall or spring, while others may offer Pain to Purpose in the fall and the 42-Day Pain to Purpose Devotional or Nothing is Wasted Book Discussion Groups in the spring.

  6. Many facilitators choose to conclude with a celebration during the final session, sharing testimonies and reflecting on all that God has done. Participants don’t need to share the details of their purpose plan (Waypoint 10) but can provide an overview of their experiences and what they believe their next steps are. We recommend that detailed personal purpose plans (see pp. 115-119 in the participant's guidebook) be shared privately with a trusted friend, counselor, pastor, or facilitator rather than in the group setting.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES each class member has for the 12 weeks

  • 3 months Community Plus for free

    • Use promo code: PTPMEMBER

  • Access to the videos after each class for them to review (lasts for the 12 weeks of the class)

    • Use this participant link: https://mypaintopurposeplan.memberspace.com/member/plans/77b675499c

OTHER RESOURCES FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS

Amy Sylvestre