Healthy Relationships: Week 5 (Nov 7-12)
Healthy Relationships Practice: Week 5| Week of November 7-13
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: We are going to look at biblical “One Anothers” to see how we can care for each member of our personal Community as well as people around us who need to experience a healthy Biblical community.
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 build relationships. Consider asking the following questions to keep getting to know each other:
When you were growing up, what did you do for fun and why did you enjoy it? What were you passionate about?
15 Minutes : Review of last week’s practice experience
After the meal, move to the discussion location and then invite the group to share what was positive and/or hard about last week's practice. Emphasize that we will all have times when it’s hard to share or we didn’t apply the practice to our lives. We are here to support, encourage and pray for one another as we depend on The Spirit of God within us together.
How did you experience the Holy Spirit’s presence, work or comfort this week?
How did you rely on the Holy Spirit within you?
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion
Just as the trinity is one, we the followers of Jesus are also one. We belong with one another and cannot apprentice to Jesus without regard for others.
In our fragmented, individualistic lives it is vital for Christians to focus on belonging with one another. We need to create a community that can hold the wounded body of Christ together, even if/when we may wound each other.
What does Christian oneness and community look like? Scripture is filled with examples and directives that can shape healthy relationships that encourage body life. Together we are going to look at a list of One Another’s to practice.
Read the “One Another's” document together. As you do, make room for a minute or so of comments and ideas about each one.
*Leader’s Note: Before you begin the practice, ensure each person has the One Another’s document and a way to take notes. (phone, paper, journal) We suggest handing out hard copies of the document. Hard copies of Communities @ Grace resources are available the Sunday that corresponds with the Communities leader guide, it is also available at gracecc.net or the Grace app.
The list of One Another’s and the passages related to each one are listed below for your use. The passages are listed in the Participant Guide but not the name of the One Anothers. To review the One Anothers,
Ask someone to read a passage
Discuss what the name of the One Another is based on the passage.
Have each person write down the passage and the One Another label for the passage.
If for some reason they cannot access the Participant Guide you can provide the passages from the list below and then have them write the passage and the name of the One Another for each item.
5 Minutes : Practices for Week Ahead
Now that you have the passages and the One Another’s labeled, we invite each of you to use one of the following ways to apply at least one of the One Anothers this week.
Examine your life to see if there is at least one of the One Another’s that you did not receive growing up. Take time to reflect on that missing element and pray that Jesus would help you apply it in your current life.
Consider the people in your world who may have little experience of the biblical One Another’s. This week, consider how you can bring a One Another experience to at least one person. Plan a time in your calendar to do so.
Do a One Another for any of the members of your group this week and beyond.
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Complete the evening by praying for each person's need for the past and current practice as well as any other need each member has.
Close the group on time.