Email Templates
Instructions: Copy-Paste the below content into your own email, then edit and format as needed.
Email #1
Subject: Congratulations! You have been selected for a Leader Development Group.
To: All potential group members
Hi Men,
Congratulations!
You have been chosen to participate in our Leader Development Group, launching on ________________. We can’t wait to begin meeting together. Please take a few minutes to read this email. It’s pretty long, but all the information is important.
Logistics
Our initial meeting will be held on ____________ at ______________ and will begin promptly at 6:30 PM, so please arrive a few minutes early. We’ll meet in Room __________ located at _______________. We will wrap up at 9:30.
This group will involve reading one book per month, an overnight retreat, three–hour monthly meetings, homework assignments, Scripture memory, and relational investments. The materials we'll use and the books you'll receive each month will cost about $200 in total (about $20 per session). Let us know if that's an issue and we can work something out.
Dress will always be casual for our sessions. Also, one of the sessions will include a group dinner with our wives.
Signed Agreement
At the first meeting, come prepared to sign a copy of the Group Commitment, which you can review here: groupleaders.org/ldg-groupcommitment. If you’re married, review this commitment with your wife prior to coming to group. We want her to know what you’re being asked to do and be totally supportive of the time you’re going to invest in the group—with your reading, homework, and time away from home.
Calendar
One of the most important things we’ll do at our first meeting is set our schedule for the entire season. Once these dates are negotiated and set, they are unlikely to change. So you’ll need to know the dates of your upcoming vacations, family reunions, anniversaries, small group meetings, work commitments, etc. Scheduling can be difficult for groups, so come with hard data but a soft hand . . . we’ll have to make some compromises to get everyone on the same page.
Discretion
It’s important to know that you’ve been intentionally selected. While we want you to be glad to be a part of the group, know there will be disappointment from the men who were not selected. Please be sensitive to that.
Let us know . . .
Please “reply all” to this email if you are in. Include a brief bio in your reply, similar to our bios below so that we can get to know one another a little bit.
If this is not the right season for you, let us know you won’t be participating so we can open the spot to someone on the waiting list.
Finally, I’d ask that you start praying for us as we lead, praying for each of the men in the group, and praying for yourself—that God would do something spectacular in our midst. He loves us so much, and I believe he wants to change each of us for the better. And who knows—God might use this group as a huge turning point for you.
Let’s get it started!
John Doe and Jim Smith
Bios:
• Name: John Doe
• Age: 47
• Home Life: I’ve been married for 24 years to Jane. We have three children: Ray (19), Paul (17), and Isaiah (14).
• Where I’ve lived: I grew up in Arkansas and later lived in Dallas and Detroit. I moved to Atlanta after college.
• School: I attended the University of Arkansas (business major).
• Work: I’ve worked in marketing for most of my career, and I currently work as a marketing professor at Georgia State.
• Church Involvement: My family attends Browns Bridge Church. Jane and I have been in many Community Groups. We are currently in one and we also lead a Starting Point group. Ray and Paul serve on the UpStreet production team.
• Name: Jim Smith
• Age: 49
• Home Life: I’ve been married for 20 years to Joan. We have three children: Roy (19), Raul (17), and Hosea (14).
• Where I’ve lived: I grew up in Alabama and moved to Atlanta after college.
• School: I went to the University of Alabama (engineering major).
• Work: I am a mechanical engineering professor at Georgia Tech.
• Church Involvement: My family attends Browns Bridge Church. Joan and I have been in many Community Groups. We currently lead a Starting Point group. Roy and Raul serve on the Guest Services team on Sundays.
Email #2
Subject: What we’re hoping for you!
To: All confirmed group members
Hey guys,
Just wanted to say again how excited we are to begin meeting together. Here’s one more email before we have our first meeting. We want to lay out some of the many things we're hoping for you. Here are ways we're asking God to work in your life through this group. We want you to:
Get To Know God Better
• by having a grace-oriented and aligned theology of who God is.
• by establishing spiritual disciplines like prayer and engaging with Scripture.
Become a Better Version of Yourself
• by claiming your identity as a fully forgiven, loved, and adopted son of a perfect heavenly Father.
• by growing in character and integrity.
Have Authentic Community
• by intentionally interacting with other men.
• by feeling the freedom to be fully known.
Be Further Equipped for Leadership
• by clarifying your future leadership and ministry roles.
• by looking for ways to intentionally apprentice other men.
Strengthen Your Relationships
• by understanding God’s perspective on marriage and learning how to be a better husband.
• by finding more fulfillment and enjoyment as a father.
See you guys on _______.
Email #3: From Mentors to LDG Wives
Subject: LDG: Grateful for you
To: Wives of LDG group members (following kickoff)
Hi (Insert Wife’s Name),
We’re so grateful to have your husband as a part of our Leadership Development Group.
We want to thank you for the time commitment he will be making and the time with him you may sacrifice as a result of his involvement. Over the next nine months, you’re going to see (Insert Husband’s Name) reading a book each month, bringing assignments home, having one-on-one’s with other guys, attending group once a month, plus a retreat.
We want you to know what we’ll be praying for your husband:
•That he will become a better version of himself by understanding his identity in Christ and growing in his character.
•That he will experience authentic community through intentional relationships, and feel the freedom to be fully known.
•That he will get to know God better by establishing spiritual disciplines and sharpening his theology.
•That he will grow as a husband and father by understanding God’s perspective on marriage and fatherhood.
•That he will be further equipped for leadership by clarifying his ministry at church and looking for ways to invest in others.
(Insert Wife’s Name), thank you for your prayers, encouragement and grace as (Insert Husband’s Name) participates in this LDG. It is one of the most impactful experiences we’ve ever been a part of, and we hope you will be the primary beneficiary of your husband’s growth throughout this process. We look forward to meeting in person!
Sincerely,
John Doe and Jim Smith