1. Meetings should be planned to fit in a two hour time period.
  2. Meetings should open and close with prayer
  3. All members should attend every meeting.  If one person or family unit will be absent, the meeting could be held, but if two or more are absent, the meeting should be rescheduled.
  4. Meetings may be held in the same location each session or the may be rotated to different homes
  5. A refreshment break may be held in the middle of the evening following the first set of questions.  The breaks should be about 20 minutes.
  6. The leader will answer the first question, then the question will pass clockwise until each person has shared.  The second question will be answered first by the second person, then continue clockwise.  In this way, each person will have a chance to begin a sharing and a chance to end a sharing.  Hopefully, this will avoid any feeling of being put "on the spot".
  7. Any member of the group always has the option and freedom to say "pass" if they would not like to answer the question.  After everyone else has shared, they might want to reconsider and participate at this point.
  8. There are to be no comments or questions posed to the person sharing.  The role of the group is to be the best listeners possible, not offering corrections or other comments that may interfere with the open sharing of the moment.
  9. The participants are always free to join additional Fellowship Circles
  10. It is recommended for participants to be a part of a small group of Christians at their local church so they can grow in their life of Christian discipleship.
  11. The break should be ended promptly at 20 minutes to avoid loss of sharing time.  Be loving, yet firm.
  12. These questions are examples and the leader should be open to the Holy Spirit to raise others as directed.
  13. The leader should pray daily by name for those in the Fellowship Circle.  Perhaps even the use of a small notebook to record what specific intercession was done would be appropriate week by week.  (Recorded and used privately). 
  14. If it's possible, it would be helpful if the leader could visit in the home of each participant during the duration of the Circle to express love and to respond to any private questions or concerns about the Fellowship Circle.  The leader can also encourage future involvement in small groups upon completion of the Fellowship Circle.
    15.

Fellowship Circles Summary | Overview of Sessions | Guidelines for Meetings | Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 | Session 4 | Session 5 | Session 6 | Session 7

Of the Cross
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Last Updated April 23, 2001
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