hello

[sheila anderson]

Hello
I have managed to arrange a date and time for reps from most of the churches in the town in which I live. the broad title is "youth outreach". I know I'm a bossy kind of person who would like everyone to think like me! I would love suggestions (and prayers) as to how I should handle this precious first meeting.
Thanks
Sheila

[julie wilson]

very well done sheila for managing to gather people together !! will certainly be praying for those that will come and for the meeting and for you too - my suggestions for any first gathering are :

- work hard on the venue and the welcome in terms of comfort and hospitality (good food/drink, comfy seats and a not too overbearing greeting are essential given that people make their minds up about something in the first four minutes) - make it NICE for people - give them a treat - spoil them a bit - they are not used to it in Christian circles so plan to communicate some of the outrageous generosity of God through the physical set up and environment

- plan to be relentlessly inclusive (make room for the small voice, the less confident, the bizarre, the impractical, the different, the outraged, the entrenched and the depressed view in equal measure - you will get them all, but sometimes people just need a chance to say where they are at and let you know who they are before they are ready to listen and to collaborate with others)

- have a basic outline for gathering people's thoughts and questions and for collecting evidence of what the issues are locally (it is nice for people to feel that they are coming to something that has been thought about in terms of how the forum is structured - if you can find fun and active ways to do this all the better - make participation a requirement through using post-it notes, mindmaps, pictures/posters, speakeasy, my top ten etc etc - make sure people have an opportunity to contribute in the way that's best for them)

- don't leave before you have a firm date/plan for the next gathering - people will not want this to be a one off and you can't answer all the questions in one go (make arrangements for collecting people's details and email them all the notes and thoughts as soon as you can) - be in contact with each person at least 3 times between the first and the next gathering, even if it is only to say hi, thanks for coming

- hold it all very lightly - lead gracefully and pursue peace in every interaction (whatever your thoughts and feelings this first meeting is not about what you want to see happen so give way to their agenda) - be open, cheerful and accepting of each person's contribution - don't allow yourself to dwell on your impressions of how things went - be determined to encourage others and think well of EVERYTHING that took place

- trust, in our heavenly father, who knows what his children need even before they ask it.............and who is able to do more than we can possibly think or imagine

hope you have a blast !!
peace
julie