Group Host Helps

Below you'll find basic info for hosts:

• What does a HOST do?
• Basic Group Meeting Flow
• About praying in your group
• Facilitating a great conversation

What does a HOST do?

As little as possible! One of the best ways to make a great group is to always be looking for large and small ways to involve others in the following HOST duties:

• Help people feel comfortable
• Open your home (or coffee shop...) - make sure everyone knows when & where
• Serve food/snack
• Turn it on - get things started by turning on the video or using the Group Discussion Notes.

As you share the facilitator role with others...make sure they have a chance to look through these HOST Helps.

Finally, the HOST connects to Jacob's Well staff to share group success stories, ahas and any needs the group has.

Basic Group Meeting Flow

Plan on about 90 minutes for your meeting - a little longer if a meal is included. A basic flow looks like:

Start: When most people have arrived, use this basic question to get things started. The purpose is to get everyone talking, answering at whatever level they feel comfortable.

Discussion and Stories: One of the most significant things that groups allow us to do is consider the real stuff of our daily lives in the light of what God has to tell us...our own stories in the light of God's story. Your understanding of both will deepen. You probably won't get to all of the ideas and questions in the discussion notes - and that's ok!

Close: As you pace your gathering to end at the planned time, leave time for the closing. This includes:

• A guided prayer experience (don't skip this!)
• Housekeeping - details for next gatherings, update contact info, etc.
• A practical thing to do to prepare for the next gathering

About Praying in your Group

We may not understand it, but we know prayer matters; it builds significance and relationships like nothing else. Praying in a group is new to most people...but it will become the most important thing you do together. Each week will include a simple suggestion for everyone to begin to experience the power of praying for and with each other.

The world needs it. We need it. So open your heart, your ears, your mouth - as much as you can - and give it a shot. Be real and you can't go wrong.

Thoughts for Facilitating a Great Conversation

It's about engaging people in conversation; not teaching or preaching. (If you think you might be talking too much, you probably are.) These groups are not about guiding people to any certain answers...but diving into our real questions together.

 

Don't answer your own questions. Just wait - someone will answer or ask for clarification.

 

You are not the "answer person!" Try to steer people away from answering/talking to you, get them talking to each other. (e.g., if John says something...you look at others, say "so tell John what you think...agree? disagree?).

 

How comfortable are you with silence? Try it...

 

Listen Actively

Rephrase, repeat, restate, connect with something else that was said

Affirmation: thanks..., that makes sense..., I appreciate your willingness to share that

Pause: Is there anything else?

Listen Reflectively

Correct me if I'm wrong... Could it be that... Is it possible that... I wonder if... Do you feel...

 

Ask Open vs, Closed Questions

Closed questions invite only yes/no, defensive, or black & white answers.

Open questions don't have right/wrong answers and don't resolve too quickly.

 

Open-ended question examples:
Please say more about...	What do you imagine...?
What does that feel like?	What have you thought of...?
How are your feeling right now?	What would it be like...
How do you see things changing?	How do you feel now about...
What's most important for you right now?	Can you tell me what that means to you?

 

Handle the Dominator

• Attempt to prevent...remind everyone of the time schedule at the beginning of the meeting; or "let's each keep our answers to one sentence/one minute or less...so that everyone has chance to participate in the time we've set aside for this".
• Thanks for sharing that; who else has something to say?
• Let's hear from others in the group...
• It sounds like this issue may require more time than we have in the group, let's chat for a few minutes after the group time.

 

Tool with the most potential for conversation - silence!

 

Attachment	Size
Group Contact Form.pdf	46.54 KB