HOW TO DO AN INSTITUTIONAL HOUSE MEETING CAMPAIGN
- Purpose of House Meetings
Build institution by: Training leaders
Building relationships
Looking for new leaders
Identifying potential issues for institutional actions
Engaging people in conversations about things they and you value
Building constituency
Tell/Hear our stories
- How house meetings can build an institution
House meetings must be an action of that institution: pastor, parish council, vestry, deacon board or core group of institutional leaders with pastor make a decision to do house meetings.
Pastor preaches about house meetings on Sunday and introduces leaders who have agreed to hold house meetings in the neighborhood. They are blessed and sent and the congregation is invited to sign up in the pews or after services to attend a house meeting in their neighborhood.
OR
Pastor preaches about house meetings and announcements are made on several Sundays for “House Meeting Sunday” or “Let’s Act Together Sunday” or “(name of organization (COPS, DAI, etc.) Sunday.
After each Sunday service, people meet at church hall and after orientation break into small group meetings.
OR
Pastor preaches about house meetings and leaders are recognized at services and over the course of a week all the organizations of the church hold small group meetings.
OR
Pastor preaches about house meetings and sign-ups are done for people interested and willing to host a house meeting in their home.
These new leaders are trained.
An introduction and blessing of house meeting leaders is done at Sunday services.
Congregational rolls are divided according to neighborhood and house meeting leaders do individual meetings with all on the list and invite them to attend house meetings.
OR
All the above but house meeting leaders not only invite congregational members but neighbors and friends as well.
- House Meeting Attendance
Invite more people than you expect to attend, about half will come.
Try to get firm commitments from people to attend.
Lay out next steps: If this congregation begins to act together on some of these concerns are you interested? We will be having a follow-up meeting at the congregation to report on these house meetings and begin a strategy for action at (date and time). Will you commit to being there?
