Community Group Facilitation Guide
Whether this is your first time ever leading a group discussion, or you are a seasoned veteran, here are a few tips for leading discussion in your group this week.
1. Prepare
Watch/Listen to the Sermon (http://www.northridgerochester.com/messages/)
At Northridge, the majority of Community Groups discuss the sermon from Sunday. In order to best prepare to lead a discussion, make sure you watch the sermon either in person or online.
Take Notes
You should follow along and take notes Northridge app or whatever you like to write in. This will be a helpful reference for you during discussion.
Preview Questions (https://www.northridgerochester.com/discussionquestions)
Each week during our Community Group trimesters, questions are posted on our group leaders page for sermon discussion.
Make sure to read through the questions before leading discussion.
You can download the questions document and edit questions if you would like to change them.
Most likely you will not have time for all of the questions, so make sure you choose the questions you think will work best in your group.
Bring Questions with you:
Print out a copy of the questions for yourself or multiple copies for the whole group if you’d like them to follow along and see them as you read them.
You may also read them on a digital device if you prefer the paperless route
2. Discussion Tips
Get comfortable with silence
Be ok with silence. Don’t be the first to answer your own questions. It usually takes time for people to process the question and think of an answer.
Ask followup questions
After someone answers a question, use follow up questions to draw out more thoughts from them or someone else.
Use statements like “Tell me more”, “What do you mean?”, “Anything else?”, “Someone else?”.
Give affirmation whenever you can
○ You may not always agree with someone's answer, but the more you are able to affirm their thoughts, the more likely everyone will be to keep sharing. Use phrases like “Great question!”, “Thanks for sharing!”, “I love that”, “Very helpful”.
Try to involve everyone
The more people you can involve in the discussion the better. Use phrases like “Anyone who hasn’t shared yet?”, “How about someone on this side of the room?”, “Guys, any thoughts from you?”.
Begin and end on time
Know ahead of time when to begin and end discussion. Plan how long you want to discuss each question. It is better to leave people wanting more with a short discussion than to drag on too long.
Don’t focus on getting through all of the material
The goal of discussion is to help everyone apply their faith, not answer all of the questions. It is ok to only ask a few questions. Make sure to focus on application questions.
Get Feedback
After your first time facilitating, ask your leaders for feedback. It’s the best way to keep improving.
Other Helpful Facilitation Resources:
Blog Posts:
Breakout Audio and Notes:
Videos:
Leading Great Discussions (2:37)
Asking Great Questions (3:09)
Other Group Discussion Curriculum Resources:
Some groups choose to discuss a video series or book of the Bible instead of sermon discussion.
If interested, leaders can ask their group coach if one of these resources is available or send an email to CommunityGroups@NorthridgeRochester.com