“Every
day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in
their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and
enjoying the favor of all the people.”
Acts 2:46 & 47
STARTING YOUR GROUP
Before you start your group, you need to define it. You can
define it in many ways – by age range (40’s and 50’s) or a stage of life (empty
nesters), single, married or widowed, or by type (Bible study, recently widowed
and grieving, relational). Most groups are designed to meet a specific need
where people share something in common but provide a mix of personalities that
can enrich the experience.
After you have defined your group you need to pray that God
will work to help you find the right people. Pastor Shawn Winters can help you
in this process by providing you with list of prospects who have expressed an
interest in joining a group. Enlisting people you know is also a good way to
begin. You should build your group to at least 8 and set a maximum of 12. Eight
seems to be the ideal because it provides different viewpoints necessary for
lively discussion and twelve seems to be the tipping point for losing the small
group feeling that is important in bonding your group.
BUILDING YOUR GROUP
Everyone has a wall around themselves to protect their
privacy. If you have a healthy group, the walls will come down over time. As
your group develops there are a series of stages – sharing, trusting, caring,
and finally bonding. Sharing is revealing your knowledge, understanding,
wisdom, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and circumstances; even your hopes and
dreams. Sharing is meaningful conversation beyond the weather, sports or your
children.
Sharing becomes more open as trust is developed. Trust is
the confidence that you will not be judged by others and that every thing said
will be held in confidence. Trust has to be earned so it takes time.
Caring is
demonstrating concern for someone in your group. It may be verbal
encouragement, a hospital visit, having lunch or dinner together, send a
birthday card, an Email or phone call, having people into your home or praying
with them. When your group members spontaneously do this for each other you
know your group has bonded.
And- pray for each person under your leadership. Being an
example yourself is the best teacher.
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