Pray for your own heart - for you to be filled with the Spirit and be guided by Him as you prepare and lead.
Pray through your oikos regarding who you should invite to the group.
Pray for God to prepare hearts.
Pray for logistics - promotion, convenient location, time, etc.
2. PROMOTE
Carefully choose the time, location, and backup facilitators
If you want to foster greater connection and authenticity between participants, meeting in homes is preferable. Consider how childcare will be handled.
If possible, plan for a 1 ½ hour group. This allows for 1 ¼ hours to cover the material, and then another 15 minutes at the start for mingling and refreshments as people arrive.
If you only have one hour, make sure not to sacrifice the main content of the Facilitators Guide (teaching notes), nor some time for interaction. If you prepare well and edit your lesson to fit the time you have, you will be in good shape.
Choose someone to facilitate the weekly meeting in the event you are absent. Consistency is key to an effective small-group study. Changing dates and times or missing meetings because facilitators are not present is a sure way to encourage dwindling attendance.
Promote the group
Promote the group in as many ways as possible.
Start your promotion three weeks to a month before your group begins.
Make your invitation to the group specific.
We encourage hosting your group in seasons (fall and winter, and spring and summer), which allows for short breaks for both Christmas holidays and summer vacations.
In a spirit of truth and grace, and keeping it missional too, ask for them to commit to coming to at least 80-90% of the sessions. Assure them that we will take breaks as life gets hectic.
