Do any of you fellow Christians run your own housegroup?????

[FAQ]

I think I'm being pushed nudged/encouraged to think about starting my own housegroup after H has left - one during the day for people like me (who are home with children and no-one to "babysit" to enable us to go to adult only housegroups).

I'm sort of tempted.....I've been longing to join a housegroup for ages, but H's working hours etc have just made it impossible - however I've never actually ATTENDED a housegroup - and have such have NO idea what's involved.......

Yup, I do - what do you want to know?

ermm......not sure - hadn't really thought of starting my own group.....

what's involved?
how much time does it take to prepare?
what's it like??

You need to have approval from your church eleder/vicar really, and maybe ask them for suggestions for a study topic. I have a good book called 77 bible studies for busy mums, which is a good start point, but there are loads around - maybe ask someone to suggest something if you are not sure. Firstly, if there are kids coming, make sure you take it in turns one each week to watch over them while the rest can chat. Secondly, sort a time when pick ups and drop offs won't interrupt. The format I like is 1. quick tea/coffee when people come in for about 1/4 hour to chat and settle, introductory prayer to settle into the session, 1/2 hour study/discussion, 1/4 hr questions and answers and then however much time you can spare for prayer together. Does this help?

as for preparation time, I usually take about an hour before the session, but have found that you can ask people to take it in turns to lead each week, while you host it.

When I used to go to one with Mums & kids it was fab actually we focused on praying for one another and sharing something God had done/a verse that had really spoken to us etc. After a few months we were all so open in sharing what we needed prayer for it was fantastic God answered so many prayers we all spiritually grew so much and all had so much to share of answered prayers, what we'd learnt etc.

Bible studies are good but try and keep them short and sweet rather than theological debates IMO

have done in the past, not leading a housegroup as such atm. It can take as much or as little time as you like. We (DH and I) always used toask other members to lead bits of it to share the responsibility around. A good starter is to ask each membrr to share a bit of their story, who they are and how they became a Christian, how God has woked in them etc. means you get to know each other at the start. If you are leading you need to be willing to talk first though. THis can take several weeks to get through all the members.

one model of smallgroup that I found helpful is the ws:

welcome - tea and cake, smalltalk, and also an intro type question that everyone can answer, something really simple

worship - sung or otherwise, or listen to a cd etc

word - some aspect of the Bible - either a discussion about that weeks sermon, a Bible study, meditation, whatever - some churches suggest questions for smallgroups to ponder.

You can buy Bible study guides, or you may find there is someone in your group good at leading Bible study...this is the bit we often asked others to do the most

witness - reaching out to others - this can be through prayer, maybe praying for your local community, or news stories or whatever, or planning and doing low key events - coffee, pub quiz, child care swaps whatever

wonders - expecting God to turn up, giving Him time to speak - when praying for instance.

is that any help...happy to chat more

actually it was my vicar who suggested it to me when I bumped into her in the park after the morning service.......she seems to think that I'll be the "ideal" person to start a new group with (her words) "a completely different style" to the others that currently go on in our church .

Yes that definitely helps - so it's not too much time then - and I suppose with the various study guides you can get they'll be able to help me too...........

Actually the dc used to potter around and play nicely and actually we hardly ever needed to interrupt what we were doing to see to them but we were all together in a huge conservatory (not my house btw!)

have you ever had that feeling that you "want" to do something which you'd never really want to/think of doing..........like someone up there is dropping big fat hints..........I'm getting those feelings (have been for a while - but wasn't sure what direction/where I was supposed to be going....)

I do think housegroups work best when you all have responsibility for it - eg choosing the format/taking turns to lead etc.

really agree with Cargirl that the building relationship is important, and praying for each other and supporting each other. Don't know what your church background is like, but if you can do a pray for one person at a time and ask God for words of encouragement for that peeson and then share them in gthe group this takes no preparation at all, but when God speaks through you to others it is great, a real encouragement. Also, can just ask, what has God ben saying to you this week? and unpick the responses and pray into them

all the time - I'm involved in the youth disciplish group - errrr I don't like teenagers, didn't like them when I was a teenager

I also ended up setting up a fortnightly church prayer meeting when I don't like praying out loud........

although I don't actually attend any housegroups I agree that building relationships is important (part of the reason that our vicar said that they were HOUSEgroups - not bible study groups),

Although all of the groups at our church (apparently) follow a pretty similar study pattern (in terms of scriptures - think they all use the same study book) I got the distinct feeling that she would love for something totally different - possibly something along the lines of the one that CarGirl used to go to....

I don't like praying out-loud either.....or talking in front of people...or "planning" things.....or standing up doing bible readings......ermm - that will be why a friend and I (who is also totally inexperienced at leading/planning) planned and led the monthly assembly that our After school service team do at the local school once a month, I read the prayer...........and this morning I did one of the readings in church this morning and when I finished I realised I hadn't been (literally) shaking at the knees like I usually do.

Sorry haven't had chance to read whole thread. 2 of my friends are in the process of setting up a kind of "mum and baby" cell group. I am officially in a cell group with my dh - but since dd2 born in August he normally goes. We could take it in turns or get babysitter but as she has only recently started settling in the evening I have tended to stay at home.

I hope the one in our church does get off the ground...I have been feeling very spiritually deprived since dd2. Very wrapped up in her and not motivated to be involved (other than Sunday mornings).

The one thought I had was that as the babies will be there we should do the "spirtual" bit soon after we arrive (in the evening groups we tend to socialise first) otherwise by the time we have had coffee, chatted etc the babies start to get tired, need feeding/changing etc.

good point that about the babies - although from our current church membership I'm the only one with a baby

FAQ I became a christian in a full on independent church and I often praise God that I did because we had such good basic biblical teaching there. However I currently find that many of the cells/housegroups I have attended at my current baptist church whilst sound focus too much on theological discussion (dry, boring and too academic) and not enough on issues/day to day things and applying your faith to today/tomorrow/the next hour. That was what I loved about our Friday mornings it was such a fab time we developed our spiritual gifts, were encouraged, grew in my day to day faith.

I'm kind of the opinion that biblical knowledge is key to your faith and spiritual warfare however theology is no IYSWIM

theology is NOT - that should read!

agree Cargirl - discuss teh Bible as a means to informing our everyday life. no point debating points of theology but not living it out.

I always try to ask myself, what is gthis passage saying to me now, what difeeence should it be making to me, what is God saying?

Also what I've found goo for growth is setting small challenges collectively, for example reading an extra daily devotion each day for a week, praying for a particular person every day for a week. Something to be accountable to the other members for. Just small things that are all a step in a forwards direction - it could even be listening to a worship cd every day.

I know what you mean about being too theological, instead of focusing on how we can use what it says in the bible in our day to day lives.

I am in a housegroup connected to my church, we have about 6-7 meeting each Wednesday evening and at the moment we (as a church and as houesgroups) are studying a book called 'Dropping Your Guard' and we are able to adapt it to our groups.

We do other things besides just meeting on Wednesdays, we had a fellowship lunch today and everyone bought some food and some drinks to share with everyone else. Just recnetly one of the men has started, together with my husband (a non-Christian) a men's walk outreach which is drawing in men and some of the younger men in the church to get to know each other better.

We also join up with the other groups, there are about 4 altogether in different areas of Tameside (Greater Manchester) and do social events. We make sure people who aren't able to get out as much because of children, get a break by meeting at their house sometimes too.

just remembered that the 77 bible studies for busy mums was written by Mary Pytches, if that helps.

FAQ, I 've never run a housegroup (although I lead an Emmaus discipleship group). I DO know what you mean about him upstairs dropping fat hints, its called a calling . I've "suffered" from it for a while now. Just remember he will give you the gifts to do what he is calling you to do, you don't have to do it all on your own . (This is coming from someone who used to puke - sorry tmi - before speaking in public, but I've never puked once when I've been about the Lord's business )

Hi FAQ-I go to a really good housegroup which sounds similar to the sort of set up you are thinking of. It is a real blessing and a lovely way to get to know people informally.
We have about 7 women at ours which I think is a good number and 2 of them take it in turns to lead a very informal bible study (We usually get about 1/2 done each week!)Usually 3 of us have children there and they just play around us. It is a bit distractory but no one minds.
I think it is good to share responsibility for hosting it/providing cakes etc.
God WILL give you the ability to carry out what He is calling you to do. I think most people will appreciate the informality and will not expect or want a 'deep' discussion/sermon.