Teams at Group

Group works on a wide variety of resources and experiences for church ministry. Here are descriptions of each of our teams and how they serve the church (in alphabetical order).

Camps

The Camps team designs and executes mission and service experiences for children, youth, and adults. These mission opportunities, through Group Mission Trips, provide churches with faith-building experiences by serving others. Tens of thousands of youth and adults repair homes and provide service to people in need in communities across the United States and in international locations. Activities include finding communities to lodge and feed up to 500 people per trip, typically in high schools and local churches. The Camps team handles all the logistics, purchasing of supplies, recruiting the participants and volunteers, providing registration functions, designing devotional materials and worship programs, training staff to ensure camp participants have a wonderful adventure of service. Currently the Camps team works on behalf of the Group Cares (Group Mission Trips is a ministry of Group Cares).

Children's Ministry Resources

Group's Children's Ministry offers a complete line of children's ministry resources to equip churches in their children's ministry. The Children's Ministry Team creates Sunday School Curriculum, Books, kits, and other media. These resources can either serve as stand-alone solutions for Sunday school, children's church, midweek activities or can complement an existing curriculum. Group's Children's Ministry also offers Children's Ministry Magazine, and Parent Link: Children's e-newsletter to keep children's workers and parents abreast of current trends. And for those looking for training, we offer our KidMin Conference is a national conference (the unconventional children's ministry conference) for children's ministry workers and volunteers. Our Ecommerce marketing area develops and implements Internet technology for the company including our e-commerce platform, manages Group's customer database and is responsible for increasing Internet sales for the company. Group's websites include Group.com, SimplyYouthMinistry.com, YouthMinistry.com, ChildrensMinistry.com, and many others.

Digital Innovations

Group has been a part of the digital revolution long before it was “cool” to do so. Group’s products and services have always taken advantage of the latest technologies to deliver effective and easy to use resources to our friends in ministry. The Digital Innovations Team produces award winning video, nationally recognized music products, and web and mobile based products to compliment our church resources.

Distribution

Our distribution team is made up of: assembly, distribution, order management, and customer returns processing. Assembly is responsible for production scheduling, assembling curriculum and VBS products, and performing other complementary assembly line processes. Distribution performs shipping, receiving, warehousing, transportation management, quality control, and inventory control functions. Order management schedules and generates shipping orders for the distribution team, assigns order processing priorities, and entering "special handling required" orders. Customer returns processing handles customer returns, assigns returned material disposition, and issues credit for the returned material.

Finance

The Finance team is responsible for financial reporting, planning and analysis, GAAP and tax compliance-including sales tax, financial audits and policy establishment. Finance also consists of accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and 401(k) administration, royalty processing, cost accounting, general ledger transactions and maintenance, contract and copyright management, general business insurance, providing excellent customer service, and supply chain management. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is primarily responsible for purchasing and materials management. Major duties include finding and qualifying suppliers, new product research, master scheduling, third-party production management and just-in-time material delivery. SCM is a strong partner with marketing and product development to discover the most innovative crafts, toys, print, media, and specialty items.

Global Innovations

Global Innovations is responsible for International Sales, International Rights, and International Mission Trips.  Our International Mission Trips are branded as Lifetree Adventures. We take individuals, families, and church groups on amazing service adventures to places like: Peru, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, India and the Dominican Republic.

Lifetree Café

The Lifetree Café team is responsible for providing content, training, and marketing support for Lifetree Café branches located across the country. This talented team of "experience creators" consist of writers, editors, videographers, marketers, and sales professionals.

Sales and Support

The Sales team is comprised of professional representatives that serve as sales consultants to churches, resellers, and special markets, both domestically and internationally. Our sales consultants have unique insights on ministry and the world which challenges the status quo that our friends in ministry often find themselves. Similarly, our Customer Support teams are professionals who provide exemplary support to internal and external customers that far exceeds industry norms. Our sales and support teams do more than just place great products in the hands of churches with world class service. They are richly rewarded by playing a key part in transforming the lives of children, youth and adults all over the world.

Staff Services

Human resources, the Fireside Café, and Facilities make up the staff services team. Human resources maintains Group’s fun, friendly, and mission-driven culture. This team is responsible for recruiting and hiring our great staff, developing policies, compensation and benefit administration, training, employee relations, and greets our customers in person and via the phone. Group’s Fireside Café is a down-to-earth, welcoming, and charming place to have breakfast, lunch, Elevation’s coffee, or a delicious midday snack. Our talented chefs, cooks, and baristas provide a wonderful café experience. The Facilities team maintains Group’s inviting campus, including building maintenance, workspace management, and grounds up-keep.

VBS & Adult Ministry

The VBS and Adult team is comprised of creative editorial, design, and marketing professionals that develop our products from the ground up and distribute them to churches in multiple countries. Our programs provide churches with outstanding opportunities for outreach to women, children and families as well as effectively ministering to their members. In addition to our award winning Vacation Bible School programs, our staff develops and markets women's ministry, men's ministry, adult small group, volunteer management, church safety, and church leadership resources. The Event Logistics team is also a part of our larger team; they assist the coordinating and conducting national and regional Group events across the country.

Youth Ministry

Group offers a complete line of youth ministry resources to equip churches in their youth ministry. Books, kits, and media can either serve as stand-alone solutions or can complement an existing curriculum. Group also offers Group Magazine, Unfiltered digital magazine, and Parent Link: Youth e-newsletter to keep youth workers and parents abreast of current trends. And for those looking for training, the Simply Youth Ministry Conference is an annual event packed with great speakers, engaging workshops, and great entertainment.