NOTE: Welcome/Worship/Word/Works is only a suggestion structure for group meetings. We feel that all of these are very important components to a great small group environment, but understand that to fit them in every week is not realistic and even the best flow for group meetings. However, we still feel that they are key parts to helping foster a healthy group experience.


Host Tips 
  • Comfortable seating arrangement where everybody can see each other
  • Pets are excused from the room
  •  TV is turned off (before group members start arriving)
  • Refreshments available at beginning (most cases) near enough for people to help themselves before and during the meeting.
  • All members should take turns bringing refreshments. (Recommended)
  • Remind group members to turn off their cell phones. (Leaders included)
  • One of the best ways to begin each faithGROUP quarter is to have a potluck. (This is up to the team.) 
Fellowship Time
  • Do not be afraid to take a few minutes to visit and relax. It is important that your group feel the hospitality and the friendliness of the group members. Let them have some time just to talk. Try not to take longer than 10-15 minutes (depending on the length of your agenda).
  • The first meeting could take anywhere from 1-2 hours. Meetings after that will most likely stay in that range.   
  • In order to finish on time, plan your meeting to end about 10 minutes before the desired ending time to allow for the group to fellowship with one another before they leave. 
  • Icebreaker (Suggestion) Open up with some form of an ice-breaker. Go around the room in order to allow everyone to share (some people will be shy during this time, that is ok). The faithGROUP leader should go first.

 

  • There are many ways to incorporate praise & worship into your faithGROUP. We leave this option completely up to the group for if and how they want to give thanks to God. (We have suggested ideas at the end of this document.)
  • Ideas

o   Have each member in the group think through something that Jesus has done in the past day/week/month that they are amazed by. Discuss out loud and praise God for these things.
o   Look through some of the suggestions at the end of this material and choose the one that you would prefer to demonstrate.
 

  • Facilitation: Use the “Going Further” questions from the weekend service to get conversation going. If you are doing an independent study, this will be the appropriate time to utilize that resource. 
  • The Leader’s primary goal is discipling his/her group members and helping bring them into maturity.
 

  • Building each other up: One of the leaders will transition from facilitating the Word (Going Further) to a time of edification or building each other up. Open this time with prayer, inviting the Lord’s presence as you minister to each other’s needs. A brief explanation may be necessary at this point to explain that this is a time to minister and pray for each other, not on those outside the group.
    o   Prayer requests (often written on a 3 x 5 card and read). (Not provided)
    o   Laying on of hands and praying for a healing, a circumstance, or any other concerns of the group members.
  • The leader’s primary task is to care for and lead his/her small flock (faithGROUP)! Together with your co-leader and apprentice, you will use this time to minister to your small group.
*Following the Works, groups will probably want to hang out and fellowship before leaving. This is great, but we ask that groups be sensitive to the host location.