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Forum Expert
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Last Login: 8/13/2008 11:33:25 AM
Posts: 205, Visits: 535 |
| | Amen, Cindy! I'm afraid this will turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Group has decided that the program isn't worth investing in, and if the creator doesn't believe in it, neither will the market and it won't sell. A year from now, we'll be buying those modules for $9.99 apiece in the Group outlet. I'm always pleased to trumpet the merits of every Group ministry tool I've used to anyone who will listen. I'm sure we're all happy to advertise for you, because successful ministry should be shared. But with a marketing department the size of what I'm sure Group has . . . you need to figure out the lion's share of this problem in headquarters. You can't expect us to tell other churches how great LIO is if there isn't more than a year of it available. Why would anyone buy it under those conditions?
 Amy in Ohio |
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Last Login: 1/14/2008 1:50:25 PM
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| | Thanks for the continued thoughts. Amy, thanks for your willingness to share your successful ministry. We appreciate that, as we work here to get the message out to thousands of others. Keep sharing your thoughts and ideas!
Deb Bernard
Curriculum Senior Marketing Manager |
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/19/2008 12:12:38 PM
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| So...if I understand correctly....plans are to produce more modules, but not in time for Fall 07? Any idea when the new ones will be ready to go?
Melanie |
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 3/11/2008 4:06:40 PM
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| Yes, Yes...please...when is the plan to get going again on production so we know when to expect something.
I'm also not so sure how you expect people to get excited about a curriculum that is only good for one year. Anyone thats buying into something as pricey as this will be thinking way down the road...not just 1 year.
I will not be telling others about this curriculum, because there is nothing beyond 1 year. I just moved to this curriculum, and now I have to find something else...I still don't see anything on the website where it states that the curriculum people might be ordering has no plans of restarting production...and therefore only provides 1 years worth of substance.
Lame...sorry to sound so negative, but it is just that...lame.
Mark Myles
Director of Children's Ministries
Campbell River Baptist Church |
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Last Login: 1/14/2008 1:50:25 PM
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| | No news yet on an update to our production schedule. But I wanted to share a letter from Thom (if you've made it through all these posts, Amy had said she was writing to him). I wanted you to hear from more than me. Keep sharing your thoughts, ideas, and questions. We're continuing to pursue options from our end to serve you. Dear Amy, thank you very much for your kind and heartfelt email. Your thoughts mean a lot to me and our team. You're addressing some tough issues that we face on a daily basis here at Group. We're currently re-evaluating all the options with Living Inside Out. Though it has received a warm reception from users such as yourself, it has attracted far, far fewer users than needed to meet its expenses. We, like most organizations and individuals, must work with limited resources. As much as we'd like to, we simply do not have the resources to fund all the wonderful ministry opportunities we'd like to pursue. Living Inside Out will have 12 modules currently available. And we're currently exploring other options to possibly extend the series or offer a similar series for Living Inside Out users. So please stay tuned. Your input is valuable to us as we sort through these tough decisions. And, thank you for your support of Group. It's our deep desire to meet as many ministry needs as we can with the resources that God has entrusted to us. God bless you in your ministry,
Deb Bernard
Curriculum Senior Marketing Manager |
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| | | Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/30/2007 6:41:56 PM
Posts: 13, Visits: 28 |
| | I agree with your statement that it will be hard for Group to try to sell a program that only offers a year. That is where I am confused. Wouldnt you want to produce three years and reap the rewards of selling that over the next 10 years. I mean as new churches come on board they will buy up the three years worth of stock inventory and Group would be going toward that goal of selling more and more Churches...Churches wouldnt be using this just over the next few years...you would have many many new churches that will find out about this later this year, next year and the next and want to buy into it many years down the road. Couldnt group limit the inventory of those modules to cut costs? Dave B. |
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Forum Expert
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Last Login: 7/25/2008 4:29:42 PM
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| | Today I received a advertisement for Living Inside Out in the mail. It looked great and it really blew me away. Also, a few months ago, I previewed part of the LIO material at a Children's Ministry Conference and I really liked it. I come from an older church with a dwindling children's ministry. I have recently taken over the CM and would love to re-work it into something wonderful. I think this would be a great tool for our Sunday School curriculm, which we use 52 weeks a year. However, being an older church, I would really have to sell our team on this curriculm. So, to get more information to start selling my team on, I came here hoping to get testaments on how great LIO is, as all of Group's products are. Instead, I found that this is a program in the process of being cut. I am so disappointed that Group sent me an advertisement for a curriculum that may or may not extend past 12 modules. If I sell my team on this curriculum, I cannot very well do something else next year. We currently use a mixture of Group products in our Sunday School setting...Faithweaver and HOB. While I very much love these products, I really think LIO would be a better fit. If I knew that Group would restart production, I would be on board 110% and will sign up the day I find out that has happened. I had a very hard time getting Group curriculum in our sweet little Southern Baptist Church. I will not risk using LIO and putting out a bad reputation for Group. Faithweaver and HOB are still better than some other publisher's curriculum out there. So, we will use it until I know more on the publishing status. I am a HUGE fan of Group Curriculum and this seems very out of place for Group to do. I think an honest answer about further publishing is in order. I do not understand a church using a curriculum for a short period of time. All of our children's programming is on a 52 week schedule. Please re-evalute this, Group.
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/4/2008 11:18:06 AM
Posts: 4, Visits: 74 |
| I just want to start out by saying that I am a HUGE Group fan!!! I believe that they have and continue to serve the Lord faithfully with the products they put out for us to use in our ministries. I have been a Children's Ministry Director for over 7 years, and have used Group throughout that time. They have made ministry easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved...me, the volunteers and especially the kids. I, too, was disappointed when I heard that LIO was going to be "on sabbatical", so to speak. We have done a Large Group/Small Group format since I began as CMD, with tremendous success and rewards (reaching the kids, growth in attendance and volunteer involvement)...always using Group products. That's right, even though LIO is new this year, we have modified Group resources in the past to fit the Large Group/Small group format. You can imagine my excitement when I found out they were actually going to create a product MEANT for that format!!! I have absolutely LOVED LIO, but (as I know many of you can relate to, because I have read your posts from previous topics) I have still needed to modify it to meet the needs of our group. Before LIO, we modified KidsOwn Worship, and it worked GREAT!!!! (If you would like more details of how we did this, let me know and I would be happy to share with you what we've done). I guess my point is, no matter what curriculum we use, we often have to tailor it to fit our own ministries. I think the LAST thing Group needs for us to do right now is bail out. They are asking us to hang in there and let others know about all of the successes we have had with LIO so that they can continue to provide such an awesome product. I know that I will be using LIO until we get through all of the modules, and then, guess what? I'll probably go back to modifying KidsOwn Worship, praying for all of my friends at Group, and looking forward to when they are back in production with LIO. They have said this is a temporary setback, and they need our support and suggestions. I think PATIENCE is something we could all use right now. Please don't panic  |
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