First Night Agenda
The First Night Agenda will help guide you through the first meeting of each quarter of your group.
Goals of the First Meeting
- Rekindle relationships and meet new members
- Clarify your group’s direction / expectations / commitments using the Commitment Form
- Briefly discuss the sermon topic (if there is time)
- Pray for the building of relationships and spiritual growth of the group
Items Needed for the First Meeting
- Dinner / dessert plans decided
- Small Group Commitment Form
- Name-tags (host should write them out ahead of time)
Contact Your Group in Advance
- Contact all members one week before the first meeting to welcome them to the group
- You can check your roster online to see all group members and their contact information.
- Inform them of the location and time of your group, as well as any entrees to bring for dinner
3 Essential Parts of Your Meeting
#1 Welcome, mingle and talk while you eat
- Make sure people are greeted when they arrive
- Have drinks available when people arrive
- Upbeat music playing
- House cleaned, phone off if possible
#2 Think through the uniqueness of your first group discussion
- GOING OVER THE COMMITMENT FORM IS CRUCIAL
- Let people know your meeting is going to start in about 5 minutes
- Why it is unique – getting to know each other, setting expectations
- Sharing
- Refer to homework – Take time to do a few of the getting to know you questions
- Sharing guidelines – Explain the purpose of sharing exercises: Getting to know one another casually in (new groups) or reacquainting with each other (continuing groups)
- Note to returning leaders – feel free to adapt the sharing exercises based on the number of new members. All groups are encouraged to do some of the getting to know me questions
- Worship (optional)
- THE COMMITMENT FORM – SET THE EXPECTATIONS AND VISION
- Everything rises and falls on how this is communicated
- Go over the Commitment form (see Leader’s Guide to Commitment Form)
- MAKE PLANS FOR YOUR SOCIAL
- Prayer
- For New groups… Introduce the idea of Topical Prayer
- Everyone participates
- Brief, one topic at a time
- Pray as many times as you want
- Ask your host to close in a brief prayer dedicating the next quarter to God
- For Continuing groups…
- You are encouraged to do something (prayer booklet or sheet) that will help people record their prayer requests and answers to prayer during the quarter (refer to leader audio)
- For New groups… Introduce the idea of Topical Prayer
#3 Know that your dessert conversations are just as important as your meeting discussions
Leadership Tip – "Never underestimate the significance of the time after the meeting. It is key to connect with people and find out more what people are all about."