Stepping Out: Part 3

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

As we've been anticipating our church-wide spiritual growth campaign, Life on Purpose, Amanda and I decided to host a new group in our home. If you haven't done so already, check out Part 1 and Part 2. I've shared about the fact that this was a little outside our comfort zone... but it has already proven to be a real blessing.


Last night we hosted our first group for Life on Purpose, and we were excited to have eight friends show up - making it a full group of ten! Our living room is a cozy 20'x12', with a sectional couch that breaks the room in half... so, as you can imagine, we were pretty snug. But it was great.

As I've shared in my earlier posts, we extended invitations to eight of our neighbors, and only two of them showed up. And that's okay (honestly, it's probably for the best, given the limited space - sitting on laps is not encouraged in any group setting). But as I looked at the group last night, I truly believe that the right people showed up.

I've never been part of a group that is so diverse. We have a young engaged couple in their early twenties, an older couple in their empty-nest years, with everything in between. None of the members had met each other before last night, and it was great to watch the connections begin to form as the night went on. And even though there was a sense of trepidation among some of the members - which is normal in such a new group - the discussion was great, and nearly everyone participated.

All in all, I'm extremely excited about what the next five weeks hold for our group. And as we came out of that first meeting, having used the Life on Purpose material for the first time, there are a few practical things that I thought I would pass along to you.

1. Make sure you take the time at the beginning and allow members to introduce themselves, and how they came to be a part of the group. It was just neat to go around the room and hear everyone share. It also gives them an opportunity to break the "sound barrier" (and actually hear their own voices talking out loud), which can be a great way to get people talking later. 
2. Don't skip the Group Agreement exercise. In fact, have each member take turns reading each of the points on the agreement, and then ask if any of those are "weird" or something the group doesn't want to commit to. Also open it up to things that can be added. It's really a great way to get the group started out on the same page with expectations and "ground rules."
3. Be sure to include time for the Group Calendar exercise, as well. I would really encourage your group to share the load of responsibility among your members - even if it's just rotating who brings the snacks. You may, however, have others in your group who would like to host a discussion, or even open their home for a meeting or two... take advantage of that! The more you have people contributing to your times together, the more ownership there is within the group... and that's a very good thing. 
4. Finally - and the previous point already mentioned this - but have some refreshments for your group. Honestly, this was when we really saw the connections begin... while we were eating chocolate chip cookies, cream cheese brownies, and drinking decaf coffee. It's amazing how people relax and open up while they're stuffing food into their faces... don't miss it.

I'd love to hear how your group meetings are going. Any good connection stories you'd like to share? Any questions or concerns? Post a comment! I'd love everyone to benefit.