Gathering 1 – Our Golden Memories

Informal - 15 minutes
  • Warm greetings with eye contact and smiles – assign 2 people to arrive early and
    serve as greeters for each week
  • Pre-printed name tags retrieved – provide a conversation starter note for each
    week
  • Serve simple refreshments
  • Mingle and offer warm greetings to others
  • Conversation Starter: Ask, “Where did you grow up?” and/or, “Where are the places you have lived throughout your life?”
Non-formal – VIDEO – whole group – 30 minutes
  • Three sets of “4-4-4-4” breaths to place onto Christ any cares of the day/week
    and to quiet/calm – 2 minutes
  • Prayer to welcome God’s presence and read Psalm 133 – 2 minutes
  • Watch Video – 10 minutes
  • Each person share a 30-60 second gratitude/appreciation – 10 minutes

Split up into gender-specific triad (or 2 close friends) – 20 minutes
  • Each person answer the question, “What might those close to you say is ‘so like
    you’?”
  • 10 minutes Ask Jesus to remind you of a “golden memory” – 2-3 minutes
  • Share your “golden memory” with your group – 10 minutes
  • Ask any clarifying question to a group member about which you are curious – 5 minutes
  • Say a blessing prayer over the person on your left – 3 minutes
Regather whole group – 10 minutes
  • A few folks share a 30 second gratitude/appreciation from this gathering

Read the poem of the week

Sing: God is so good!

Fun-work: The host will email the video homework assignment to everyone
  • Journal a bit about your experience this week.

Fun Work: Nick Vujicic