Healthy Relationships: Week 4 (Oct 31-Nov 5)

Healthy Relationships Practice: Week 4 | Week of Oct 31 - Nov 6

Communities @ Grace

Overview of the Night:

15 Minutes Before Start Time : Arrive + Set Out Food

45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle

15 Minutes : Review Last Week’s Practice

45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion 

5 Minutes :  Practice for Week Ahead

10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close

Goal for Week: As we continue the Community Practice, we will be talking about how we can experience the power of relationships shown in the first meetings of the new church of Jesus.

15 Minutes Before Start Time : Arrive + Set Out Food 

45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle

Take time as a group to share a meal and get to know one another. Here are some optional questions that can help support getting to know one another:

• What is your idea of a perfect day?

• How has where and how you grew up changed you as an adult?

• What dream job, vacation, or pursuit have you always thought you would like to do and why?

15 Minutes : Review of last week’s practice experience  

Ask the group to move to a comfortable place set aside for the evening discussions. After everyone is settled in, mention the practice from last week and invite them to share how the practice went. The goal is not to pressure people but to encourage them to apply what they are learning to their full life. If people struggle, acknowledge that, but don’t have the group try to solve any issues. Allow each person to share what went well and where they struggled. 

45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion

Have someone open in prayer. Then begin by asking someone to read Acts 4:30-35. Ask the Community, “If you were at this gathering how would you think and feel about what was going on?” 

You may want to read the passage again, with everyone's eyes closed and then ask the group how they would experience the event using some of the following questions

• What were the people in the passage like? How did they live and was it easy or hard?

• What would you see happening if you were an outside person looking in?

• Is what happened in the passage a common occurrence in those days? What about churches today? Why the difference?

• What can we do individually or as a group that would have the excitement and energy you see in the passage?

Discuss the empowerment and presence of the Holy Spirit to help us live lives that honor God and love people.  

5 Minutes : Practices for Week Ahead
Now it’s time to cover the practice for this week, which is to do what was exhibited in the passage we read. Discuss the options with the group that might include:

• Find someone you know is in need and take a meal, call or visit them in order to encourage them.

• Call or meet during the week with one of your group members to find out their interests or needs and see if you can help in any way.

• Pray for each member of the group this week.

10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close 

• The focus on this time of prayer is for each person to focus on their personal prayers, or practices or items in their life where they need guidance from the Holy Spirit. The heart behind taking this time to pray for one another is not to solve anyone’s problems, but to pray specifically for the needs/desires of the people who are physically represented in this very room.

• Consider praying as a whole group or in groups of two or three for personal prayer requests. 

• End on time, in order to honor everyone’s time.