One of the key roles in the Small Group experience here at MCC is Discussion Facilitator. This role may be one of the most difficult to fill, so here are a few things to keep in mind.

Open Questions
Small Group Discussion Facilitators do not have to have all the answers! Discussion Facilitators are not the group Bible experts. Discussion Facilitators try to bring all voices into the room and help the group hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. One of the best techniques for accomplishing this is asking open questions. How did the material make you feel? What do you think about what the material said here? What resonated with you? What do you have questions about? What is your takeaway? Small Group Discussion facilitators should think of themselves first as open question askers.

Timekeeper
Small Group Discussion Facilitators keep the group on the clock. Your group should discuss how you want to organize your time together (10 minutes for greeting, 30 minutes for food and socializing, 40 minutes for video and discussion, 10 minutes for prayer, etc.). The Discussion Facilitator, especially when focusing on the material, will keep the group on schedule. We think this is a way of showing respect to one another.

Encourage All Voices
The Discussion Facilitator will also help the group to truly listen to one another. Let’s face it, some of us are more talkative than others, and if we don’t watch out, a Life Group can become an experience where group members wind up listening to one or two eager voices. With this in mind, we encourage our Small Group Discussion Facilitators to teach the group the following discussion parameters.

• Listen first (lets learn to be quick to listen)

• One person at a time (don’t interrupt or talk over others)

• Share and wait (If you have something to share, great, but then make sure others get a chance to speak before you speak again)

• Clarify (if something is unclear ask for a little more explanation)

• Sit in the tension (we will not always agree, learning to sit respectfully in tension with others is a great grace!)

We hope your group gets off to a great start, that you learn to love each other, and that you find ways to grow together as people who love and follow Jesus.