I received the extraordinary starter kit by Andy Stanley called “Starting Point” which was designed bythe Starting Point Team at North Point Community Church and I was immediately impressed.
I am an Andy Stanley fan, and so I started my assessment of the kit favorably. As always, Stanley has something good to say, and in my opinion and experience, says it well. This material for seekers or those who have drifted from their faith and the church and are looking for a way back is attractive and well able to attract those with questions and doubts about Christianity.
The introduction describes the Starting Point small group materials as a “conversational environment where you can explore faith and experience community.” The small group aspect is emphasized, and the promise to the participant is clear: “discussion and dialogue will be a priority. Your leaders will not teach or lecture, but will facilitate conversation and seek input from all members.” That rule along with other usual small group guidelines gives “Starting Point” a non-threatening and welcoming atmosphere to nurture a good small group for seekers.
However a review of this kit is tricky, because there are so many components to it, and more than one view point. From a seeker’s standpoint, she would immediately notice the member book is eye catching and appealing. It is easy to handle because of the spiral binding, but the heavy, slick pages and full color designs on every page keep me from thinking “Ladies Aid Cookbook”. The spiral journal/book binding is a favorite of mine for study because the pages lie flat. On every few pages there are places for me to write my reflections, and that is good because it helps me process this experience.
Stanley tells God’s story through relevant quotes, pictures and text. Imitating Jesus’ favorite way to teach is wise, and captures my attention and imagination and makes it easy to see myself in the story. Stanley’s teachings are on audio CD, which is not my favorite choice as I prefer watching someone teach rather than just listening to him or her.
Now, let me switch roles and give some input from a pastor/teacher/small group leader perspective. I still love the quality and attractiveness of the participant’s book. As someone who has to keep an eye on the church budget, I am wondering if the quality is over the top. It would depend on how flush your church’s budget is, but it seems there would be a way to make a good book at a lower price. That seems more prudent, especially in these tough economic times.
As a small group leader I am questioning the audio CD’s as well. I wonder why Stanley chose that route over actual videos of the presentations. That could be improved. For the price of the kit, I was surprised to see audio presentations rather than visual.
The training CD’s for small group leaders is valuable and of course applicable to any small group experience. That is a really nice feature. The resources CD is exceptionally thorough. Bulletin inserts, publicity posters are all there - I would not even have to design a room sign! They do it for me!
The material is good overall. Every chapter has many suggestions for ways to tap into the resources of media that are in our world today. The movies and written material from many sources would certainly give the leader many options to connect to and entice a “post modern” person to hear the message of the gospel. The discussion questions are good, and again, the content of the messages that are in the book in story form, and Stanley’s message even though they are only audio are effective.
I can’t give a whole hearted endorsement to this “Starting Point” package. I appreciate Andy Stanley, and as always his ministry is top notch. From the standpoint of teaching material and subject matter this is a great resource. Since this is geared towards seekers or those returning to the faith there is enough meat to satisfy and challenge. However if I was choosing materials for my church with an eye to the budget, I very likely would have to pass this small group kit up for something more economical, and one with video presentations.
Reviewed by Joan Tyvoll
