READ THIS before starting a 4 W's group! No regrets later......

Considering who needs to be in that "first group" is probably the most important and carefully thought out decision you will need to make before you begin. Remember that it's almost impossible to graciously univite someone and you can't start all over once you've begun!!!

What to anticipate:

• Are these people naturally friends or acquaintances?

• Is the ratio of believers to seekers stacked too heavily towards believers?

• Have the goals for the group been firmly established with the believers attending?

• Is there an able co-facillitator?

• Is there a mentor for the facilitator? 

• Has the group decided on the venue?

• Has the time been carefully negotiated? 

Consider:

1. Most  people want to meet outside of work with people they have chosen, that they trust, that they feel already add value to their lives. Don't expect people to gather with total strangers who may be vastly different from themselves (at first). Can you let your friends decide upon the group of people that they would invite? You'll be surprised that they can come up with a lot more people than you know or would have asked.
2. Remember that this is supposed to be a seeker stacked group. Having too many Christians can feel like being "ganged up" on when Christians so readily give the "right" answers. Processing has to happen within the group and can more easily happen when there is an atmosphere of acceptance for any answer (right or wrong). You just need 2 believers in the group.
3. Better make sure that the believers in the group have a vision for shared responsibility, unconditional acceptance, relationship building as a priority, loving witness and prayer, specifically for individuals in the group. (See below also - train the Believers in the group in re-tooling their "Christian" language)
4. Don't call the group a Bible study. Do call the group a discussion and exploration group about Truth, God, Jesus, spirituality, learning about ourselves and how we are geared, sharing life experiences, getting to know one another, working together to touch others in our community or the world. Watch out for the Christian language and words which have no meaning to others in the group right now. 
5. Choose carefully a man or woman (to facilitate) who manifests all the attributes of a deacon/elder and someone who is a learner, has strong relational skills, doesn't dominate, understands the vision and direction for the group. 
6. Mentor and disciple this person along the way. When specific problems arise within the group, be there to give input. Ask specific group dynamic questions to evaluate the health and direction of the group on a regular basis. Continue to challenge the co-facilitator in the area of faith, prayer and using their own gifting inside and outside of the group. If possible, have this person meet regularly with other small group facilitators. Give creative input with regards to each of the 4 W's (welcome, worship, Word, witness). Is the group successfully attending to these weekly?
7. Be open and surprised by the creative options the group might come up with themselves regarding where to meet weekly. Do they want to rotate the venue, do they want to meet in a public place, work site, etc. It needs to be accessible and safe for all. 
8. Time is of the essence!  Can't be stressed enough to start and finish the 4 W's on time. Fellowship can continue on after this time if folks want to. Not respecting others' time is disrespectful and communicates the wrong message. Better to miss out a "W" then to go over the time!