Are you doing it for yourself or for others?.... Are you doing it because God needs/wants you to?....Are you doing it because that has always been the thing to do up untill now? Will your success marked by how many people attend?
I would say do what you like doing.....Personally, We make sketti and watch *lost* with our friend on wedensday nights :)
We enjoy each other, catch up on any problems that need to be addressed ....sometimes we have a bottle of wine....sometimes we discuss God and scriptures...sometimes we don`t....we NEVER sing...lol and we don`t pray unless asked.
No it isn`t organised fellowship as we once knew it...but it gets the job done....
The best church fellowship I enjoyed was the weekly umw meetings where we all brought finger food and had coffee...we spent 30 miniutes or so eating and catching up with each other ... simply enjoying each others company.....many tiomes that in and of itself was tremendously healing ..... would have a 15 miniute teaching and prayer...
It was so nice to eat together and fellowship ...we would leave refreshed and invigorated...strengthened to meet the demands of another week....
Sorry, Eagle. Galen started it. Rascal's right. What would you want to accomplish? Is it the desire to check in on everyone's well being and met their needs? Then a loose, warm, casual atmosphere is the way to go. Is it a genuine desire to have a Bible study? Same atmosphere, just a tad more structured. Most important, no matter what, is to make people feel safe, welcomed, and welcome to come back again if that's what they want. Good luck!
One church I attended for a while had a big potluck lunch after service each week.
Their service was about 45 minutes long, and lunch was as long as you wanted to hang out.
The lunch made it a family affair, and not just *church*.
In 1980, when I first met my wonderful bride, I was staying in a boarding house with believers [whenever I was not underwater]. Fellowship was from the time each of us got home, through dinner, through Bible study, through refreshments, and finally around a fireplace with drinks for jsut those of us who lived there.
Once married, we rented an apartment with an extra bedroom and had another couple living with us, plus according to which boats were in port, we commonly had various other sailors living on the couches [it mandated multiple couches].
Then each place we moved to, we kind of reproduced that. Even buying apartment buildings, so that believers could rent from us in the same building, and more easily spend time with each other.
On the rare occasion that we were exposed to WC, they would sometimes like it, but would eventually grow to dis-like it, thus I was 'thrown-out' multiple times. Which was fine as God worked it out so that each time I was thrown out, was at the same time I was being transferred to another area. So it lessened the heart-break of being thrown out.
Nobody ever did get into my face over owning the apartment buildings.
The only guy [leader over us] to ever really question, how we ran twig, or why so many believers lived with us, was in Scotland and it was Chris Kent.
We did experience one WC couple who was on probationary status, and was assigned to our twig, who was very upset about it, and they tried to "rat us out every week".
I wouldn't. :) Those formalized fellowships remind me too much of TWI. I tried to go to a few shortly after leaving and was getting panic attacks.
I like what Rascal said. Those are the best fellowships - and the best at getting needs met. I think of some of my mother's "clubs" that she's belonged to (the Birthday Girls, the Calendar Girls, the Neighborhood Posse, a book club, a card playing club, Bunko, etc):
They already knew and liked one another so they decided to start the clubs.
They get together and meet someplace at a designated time (someone's home, restaurant, rented room...) it varies as to where they meet.
They always have food - sometimes light snacks, other times full meals - and they sit around and chat and enjoy one another's company as a group.
Then, sometime during the chit chat, the leader for that meeting speaks to the group about the topic for maybe fifteen-twenty minutes.
Then the group discusses the topic together for the rest of the evening.
There's no set time for the evening to be over, some people leave early, others hang out for a while. It's very informal, everyone contributes and has a chance to really get to know one another.
There's no need for anyone to contribute money to anything unless a group wants to rent a place, have a special event or do something for charity.
How about inviting some of your friends over for dinner or snacks and to discuss God, the Bible, whatever you want to focus on. Sometime after everyone has arrived and chit chatted a bit, share something you've been working, thinking about, learning related to God, the Bible or whatever then have the conversation revolve around that topic. It's still a meeting and the topic/purpose is established, but the meeting itself is informal and doesn't feel like a meeting.
Absolutely Belle, Why there is one especially memorable fellowship I remember where wine and cheese and outstanding company were enjoyed.... an old ex way, a young ex way, and some never been way folks :)
Also weenie roasts around the campfire make for some outstanding fellowship as well ...though once a year is entirely too long in between :)
this is how the mother of my children and i ran a fellowship
we did it for years
just ask onion eater
we had "twig" once a week the formal kind but i always kept it to under an hour{people had kids who had to go to school the next day, and people had jobs to go to}
the best fellowship at our house was everyday of the week
all the twigites were friend and family
our house was open every day to these people and it was very seldom that there was no one there enjoying our hospitality our food coffee and yeah and we loved it! it was the warmth of the friendship and the mutual love of god that made the real fellowship
we all babysat each others kids
helped each other when they needed it and on and on and on
to me that was real felloship
loving each other
but then i fu..d up acording to the big guns
and got kicked out of my house
and guess where i moved to
an appartment one of our twigites owned
that's onion eater
give my love to the mrs.
oh i must say the reason i was asked to leave? too much
THe fellowship I attended back in Illinois was great. There was 4 married couples and a few singles, including myself. Three times a month we went to each others home on Sunday morns. THe fourth Sunday we would travel down to a real teaching type center where there was 75 or more gethered. Whosever turn it was would teach and also make Brunch..It was great. Our homes were filled with laughter, the softness of the Word, anticipation of being together and special caring of each other,not excluding prayer and manifestations. It lived...Thats how I would do it again.
A nice fellowship, as long as it teaches solid doctrine and operates out of love is a great thing. The absolute best...
I know in my parish there are about 30 "small group fellowships" that meet a couple of times a week for fellowship and study of some subject or another. Sometimes the studies will be the Mass readings for the upcoming Sunday. Sometimes straight Bible study on one subject or another. Sometimes just getting together for bowling. But it is nice to have a smaller group of likeminded folks to work with.
Anyway, how would I run it? Lots of prayer and then some more on top of it. If I wasn't particularly driven to teach on a given subject, I would gain a consensus from other people in the fellowship on the topic to be studied (including one that might take several weeks to go through thoroughly) and then work along those lines. Make sure the chairs are comfortable, the lighting is good, and the coffee fresh. And then some more prayer.
Patriots fellowship reminded me of one that we attended.
We held it every thursday before karate classs.....It was really nice because we already respected one another as fellow students....it made it much easier to respect one anothers pov when it came to studying the bible with different theological back grounds.
It was exciting because we invariably learned from one another .... we would study different stuff that had been found exciting by one or another of us....different books maybe a teaching video by Kenneth Copelen or Joyce Myers...
It was very nice...no leader no one particular pov ....made for some suprising learning and growth.
Depends on who is attending. If mostly new people to the Christian faith, maybe Alpha or Beginings, or the new Handbook to Christianity from Augsburg/Fortress Press, or the Scriptographic booklet series from Channing Bete Publishers in Massachussetts, having a meal/snacks/refreshments,20 minute video or simple teaching, questions and discussions. No hymns/praise songs and no prayers unless asked. If long time believers, then some CD's/DVD's either classic traditional or Jesus People folk/Contemporary Praise Music,
topical study(1 hour)-whether figures of speech, Orientalisms, comparing different translations, maybe Tongues with Interpretations(optional), requesting prayer needs.
Chief, if you meant me, then the answer is yes definitely love, hospitality, friendship, caring, meeting needs.
The reason I mentioned not singing hymns/praise songs for outsiders is that may drive them away and some are not used to joining in prayers and may feel embarressed/uncomfortable. For lifelong believers, I made Speaking in Tongues with Interpretation optional and discretionary(it can be totally omited, especially depending on what denomination(s) are represented and again the comfort level). This in in the home and not at church/parish/congregational level that uses liturgy and formal ritual like Lutherans, Episcopalians/Anglicans, Holy Roman Catholic, Greek/Russian Orthdox, Moravian, etc.
I haven't thought about this much, but one thing I know I definitely WOULD NOT DO, and that is force everyone to sit in CHAIRS IN A CIRCLE!:wub:
Okay, we have always gotten homes with a large living room and our household furniture includes three couches. So as we move around we have usually been able to arrange a big ring of couches.
In fact bonnie and I have gotten so used to having a ring of couches [rather than a living room where all seating faces the TV], that when designing our new home [that I am currently in the process of building] we included a big sunken living room with couches on all four sides. .
Galen, are you doing that out of habit or because you are or anticipate having fellowships?
I still have a tendency in every place I live to survey the room evaluating how chairs would be placed. I then deliberately make it comfortable just for ME!
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rascal
Well....What is it that you want in a fellowship?
Are you doing it for yourself or for others?.... Are you doing it because God needs/wants you to?....Are you doing it because that has always been the thing to do up untill now? Will your success marked by how many people attend?
I would say do what you like doing.....Personally, We make sketti and watch *lost* with our friend on wedensday nights :)
We enjoy each other, catch up on any problems that need to be addressed ....sometimes we have a bottle of wine....sometimes we discuss God and scriptures...sometimes we don`t....we NEVER sing...lol and we don`t pray unless asked.
No it isn`t organised fellowship as we once knew it...but it gets the job done....
The best church fellowship I enjoyed was the weekly umw meetings where we all brought finger food and had coffee...we spent 30 miniutes or so eating and catching up with each other ... simply enjoying each others company.....many tiomes that in and of itself was tremendously healing ..... would have a 15 miniute teaching and prayer...
It was so nice to eat together and fellowship ...we would leave refreshed and invigorated...strengthened to meet the demands of another week....
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excathedra
i'd run a fellowship right outta town
sowwy
i'm a meanie person
i ran a great fellowship along with my ex. it was really more about friends hanging out together
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Galen
meal,
prayer,
songs,
someone shares what they have been studying,
announcements,
more prayer,
manifestations,
coffee.
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dmiller
The meal is a great idea. :)
One church I attended for a while had a big potluck lunch after service each week.
Their service was about 45 minutes long, and lunch was as long as you wanted to hang out.
The lunch made it a family affair, and not just *church*.
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topoftheworld
BBQ Ribs
Dylan Poem
Joni Mtchell Song
Episode of 24 (or The Shield)
Discussion of same
CNN (just to check)
Chant the "Cheer's" theme
Jack Daniels (Black)
I'm serious. That's my idea of a good fellowship.
Sorry, Eagle. Galen started it. Rascal's right. What would you want to accomplish? Is it the desire to check in on everyone's well being and met their needs? Then a loose, warm, casual atmosphere is the way to go. Is it a genuine desire to have a Bible study? Same atmosphere, just a tad more structured. Most important, no matter what, is to make people feel safe, welcomed, and welcome to come back again if that's what they want. Good luck!
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dmiller
Ha!! You could really increase your membership,
if you went with Maker's Mark Gold!!
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Galen
In 1980, when I first met my wonderful bride, I was staying in a boarding house with believers [whenever I was not underwater]. Fellowship was from the time each of us got home, through dinner, through Bible study, through refreshments, and finally around a fireplace with drinks for jsut those of us who lived there.
Once married, we rented an apartment with an extra bedroom and had another couple living with us, plus according to which boats were in port, we commonly had various other sailors living on the couches [it mandated multiple couches].
Then each place we moved to, we kind of reproduced that. Even buying apartment buildings, so that believers could rent from us in the same building, and more easily spend time with each other.
On the rare occasion that we were exposed to WC, they would sometimes like it, but would eventually grow to dis-like it, thus I was 'thrown-out' multiple times. Which was fine as God worked it out so that each time I was thrown out, was at the same time I was being transferred to another area. So it lessened the heart-break of being thrown out.
Nobody ever did get into my face over owning the apartment buildings.
The only guy [leader over us] to ever really question, how we ran twig, or why so many believers lived with us, was in Scotland and it was Chris Kent.
We did experience one WC couple who was on probationary status, and was assigned to our twig, who was very upset about it, and they tried to "rat us out every week".
:)
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Belle
I wouldn't. :) Those formalized fellowships remind me too much of TWI. I tried to go to a few shortly after leaving and was getting panic attacks.
I like what Rascal said. Those are the best fellowships - and the best at getting needs met. I think of some of my mother's "clubs" that she's belonged to (the Birthday Girls, the Calendar Girls, the Neighborhood Posse, a book club, a card playing club, Bunko, etc):
They already knew and liked one another so they decided to start the clubs.
They get together and meet someplace at a designated time (someone's home, restaurant, rented room...) it varies as to where they meet.
They always have food - sometimes light snacks, other times full meals - and they sit around and chat and enjoy one another's company as a group.
Then, sometime during the chit chat, the leader for that meeting speaks to the group about the topic for maybe fifteen-twenty minutes.
Then the group discusses the topic together for the rest of the evening.
There's no set time for the evening to be over, some people leave early, others hang out for a while. It's very informal, everyone contributes and has a chance to really get to know one another.
There's no need for anyone to contribute money to anything unless a group wants to rent a place, have a special event or do something for charity.
How about inviting some of your friends over for dinner or snacks and to discuss God, the Bible, whatever you want to focus on. Sometime after everyone has arrived and chit chatted a bit, share something you've been working, thinking about, learning related to God, the Bible or whatever then have the conversation revolve around that topic. It's still a meeting and the topic/purpose is established, but the meeting itself is informal and doesn't feel like a meeting.
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rascal
Absolutely Belle, Why there is one especially memorable fellowship I remember where wine and cheese and outstanding company were enjoyed.... an old ex way, a young ex way, and some never been way folks :)
Also weenie roasts around the campfire make for some outstanding fellowship as well ...though once a year is entirely too long in between :)
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OnionEater
What time and where? I will be there.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
this is how the mother of my children and i ran a fellowship
we did it for years
just ask onion eater
we had "twig" once a week the formal kind but i always kept it to under an hour{people had kids who had to go to school the next day, and people had jobs to go to}
the best fellowship at our house was everyday of the week
all the twigites were friend and family
our house was open every day to these people and it was very seldom that there was no one there enjoying our hospitality our food coffee and yeah and
we loved it! it was the warmth of the friendship and the mutual love of god that made the real fellowship
we all babysat each others kids
helped each other when they needed it and on and on and on
to me that was real felloship
loving each other
but then i fu..d up acording to the big guns
and got kicked out of my house
and guess where i moved to
an appartment one of our twigites owned
that's onion eater
give my love to the mrs.
oh i must say the reason i was asked to leave? too much
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GrouchoMarxJr
Hmmm...sounds like "twig" to me...
Manifestations?...based upon what?...twi doctrine? no thanks
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Eagle
Well, what I meant was a fellowship with Christian believers and God. No hard drinking. We have bars for that.
Any others? Some good ideas on the thread...
Eagle
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likeaneagle
THe fellowship I attended back in Illinois was great. There was 4 married couples and a few singles, including myself. Three times a month we went to each others home on Sunday morns. THe fourth Sunday we would travel down to a real teaching type center where there was 75 or more gethered. Whosever turn it was would teach and also make Brunch..It was great. Our homes were filled with laughter, the softness of the Word, anticipation of being together and special caring of each other,not excluding prayer and manifestations. It lived...Thats how I would do it again.
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Patriot
Eagle,
I love your heart to want to have a godly fellowship! Don't let any previous
negative experiences in or out of twi deter you!
Mrs. Patriot and I have been running one for almost a year (since we got out). It
started with just us and our two children. Now we're bursting. It's not about the
numbers, it's about loving hearts for God and for his children. We love to help take
care of people, and get blessed opening our hearts & home. After that, I just believe
that God will lead people where they'll be loved. Meals definitely are great! It is that
biblical concept of breaking bread...sweet. Also, a fellowship is for full sharing. The
STS format of "one person leads / teaches, and does all speaking until it is over, all
others attend and can speak afterwards" is not too inviting. Everyone, even the kids,
should have an opportunity to share something, if they want to. Well, at least that is
the way we all enjoy our fellowship. Guess there are other good ways too!
If it is your heart's desire, just get started the best you know! There is no magic
"technique" other than you and God working together on the venture! All our best!
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markomalley
A nice fellowship, as long as it teaches solid doctrine and operates out of love is a great thing. The absolute best...
I know in my parish there are about 30 "small group fellowships" that meet a couple of times a week for fellowship and study of some subject or another. Sometimes the studies will be the Mass readings for the upcoming Sunday. Sometimes straight Bible study on one subject or another. Sometimes just getting together for bowling. But it is nice to have a smaller group of likeminded folks to work with.
Anyway, how would I run it? Lots of prayer and then some more on top of it. If I wasn't particularly driven to teach on a given subject, I would gain a consensus from other people in the fellowship on the topic to be studied (including one that might take several weeks to go through thoroughly) and then work along those lines. Make sure the chairs are comfortable, the lighting is good, and the coffee fresh. And then some more prayer.
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rascal
Patriots fellowship reminded me of one that we attended.
We held it every thursday before karate classs.....It was really nice because we already respected one another as fellow students....it made it much easier to respect one anothers pov when it came to studying the bible with different theological back grounds.
It was exciting because we invariably learned from one another .... we would study different stuff that had been found exciting by one or another of us....different books maybe a teaching video by Kenneth Copelen or Joyce Myers...
It was very nice...no leader no one particular pov ....made for some suprising learning and growth.
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Thomas Loy Bumgarner
Depends on who is attending. If mostly new people to the Christian faith, maybe Alpha or Beginings, or the new Handbook to Christianity from Augsburg/Fortress Press, or the Scriptographic booklet series from Channing Bete Publishers in Massachussetts, having a meal/snacks/refreshments,20 minute video or simple teaching, questions and discussions. No hymns/praise songs and no prayers unless asked. If long time believers, then some CD's/DVD's either classic traditional or Jesus People folk/Contemporary Praise Music,
topical study(1 hour)-whether figures of speech, Orientalisms, comparing different translations, maybe Tongues with Interpretations(optional), requesting prayer needs.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
sorry tom that sounds like a fellowship i would never return to
did you mention love?
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Thomas Loy Bumgarner
Chief, if you meant me, then the answer is yes definitely love, hospitality, friendship, caring, meeting needs.
The reason I mentioned not singing hymns/praise songs for outsiders is that may drive them away and some are not used to joining in prayers and may feel embarressed/uncomfortable. For lifelong believers, I made Speaking in Tongues with Interpretation optional and discretionary(it can be totally omited, especially depending on what denomination(s) are represented and again the comfort level). This in in the home and not at church/parish/congregational level that uses liturgy and formal ritual like Lutherans, Episcopalians/Anglicans, Holy Roman Catholic, Greek/Russian Orthdox, Moravian, etc.
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nolongerlurking
I haven't thought about this much, but one thing I know I definitely WOULD NOT DO, and that is force everyone to sit in CHAIRS IN A CIRCLE!:wub:
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Nottawayfer
Nolongerlurking,
So nice to "see" you! I've thought about you and wondered where you have been.
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Galen
Okay, we have always gotten homes with a large living room and our household furniture includes three couches. So as we move around we have usually been able to arrange a big ring of couches.
In fact bonnie and I have gotten so used to having a ring of couches [rather than a living room where all seating faces the TV], that when designing our new home [that I am currently in the process of building] we included a big sunken living room with couches on all four sides. .
:)
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topoftheworld
Galen, are you doing that out of habit or because you are or anticipate having fellowships?
I still have a tendency in every place I live to survey the room evaluating how chairs would be placed. I then deliberately make it comfortable just for ME!
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