Checklist for Launch

• Watch the videos to familiarize yourself with the topic for each week.

• Look over the suggested questions for discussion in the Discussion Group Facilitator Guide.

• E-mail or text your group members the day before your meeting as a reminder—and encourage them to bring a friend.

• An Explore God Discussion Group is meant to be a safe place—remember to maintain a nonjudgmental tone.

• Be authentic about your own struggles and questions. Remember that you don’t have to have all the answers.

• Send the follow-up resources to your members after each session.

Tips for Today:Tell Stories

This week is a time to share personal experiences. Stories are a great way to get to know one another, and they have the power to inspire and challenge people to reflect on their own lives, hopes, and dreams. If participants are hesitant or feel intimidated, use questions or share your own story to encourage others to do the same. Just be careful not to dominate the group. Be sure to affirm and thank people as they share their stories.

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A Welcoming Environment

Here are a few ways you can create a disarming, nonjudgmental, authentic tone to help everyone in your group feel welcome:

• Be comfortable with tension and lack of resolution. You won’t be able to answer every question that comes up during discussion, and that’s OK.

• Foster friendships outside of group time.

• Minimize assumptions. For example, don’t assume that everyone knows how to use a Bible, or what Christian terms like “grace” or “gospel” mean.

• Encourage disclosure and transparency.

• Be honest about your own struggles and doubts.

• Encourage exploration and discovery. Refrain from giving answers. Realizations uncovered on one’s own terms are the ones that stick and have the potential to transform us in lasting ways.