by Lisa
5 ideas on how you as a body can let each member find its place.
We continue with our small series of exercises that you can do together with your teams, house churches, youth groups. Or in any other constellation where you see yourselves as the "Body of Christ" : )
Today we share ideas on how to give your relationships with each other a little upgrade.
Ideas to connect with the head can be found here and you can still be looking forward to ideas about impacting people around you… (coming soon : ).
Choose one of the exercises and try it out together. At the end, talk about how you felt with the exercise: if it helped, what felt strange, to whom you want to recommend it. Think about how you will integrate the things you experienced into your everyday life as a team.
Have you had a good experience with one of the exercises?
Do you have completely different ideas and don't want to keep them to yourselves?
Write to us at blog@hoffnungdeutschland.de and we will collect and publish your experiences and suggestions.
Exercise 1: Dare to ask
Think about the questions you have always wanted to ask others, but have never dared to ask.
Ask them. Now or at the next opportunity in person.
Otherwise, start with this:
What was your childhood like - what shaped you?
What made you feel loved?
When did you last feel seen and understood?
What personal questions are open for you right now?
What moments/activities make you feel alive?
Dare to ask about feelings: How did you feel when... ? What did it mean to you that... ?
Exercise 2: Strengths and resources
However, they all had things in common....
Talk about: Who among you has strengths and resources to offer to the others, and what these are. Whether it's time ("You're stressed, let me help you clean this week so you can join the team"), talents (from "I can proofread term papers" to "I'm incredibly fond of praying for people"), money ("I don't have much, but you can always ask if you need anything.")....
Anything.
Which of your gifts or resources haven't yet had a place among you? How could you contribute through them? Do the others even know that you...?
Exercise 3: Ask for help
Honestly, it would probably take a whole sermon series to do this.... that's how hard it is for many to ask for help. But you can also start with this simple exercise:
Each of you talk about one specific thing where you could use the help of others. Gather ideas about what that help might look like. Set dates for the coming week/month when you will practically tackle the whole thing.
Exercise 4: The 1 Corinthians 14:26 Experiment
According to 1 Corinthians 14:26, each team member is to bring to the meeting a song, teaching, revelation, tongues, or interpretation. Take 10 min and ask God what you can give to the others today. To individuals or to all. Distribute it. For later: start the next quarter with a joint declaration: no one comes anymore without bringing something for the others! Start the process in a more organized way (e.g. at the beginning it can be determined who will set worship and teaching for next week; or the day before the team meeting, all team members call the team leader and tell what they will bring) and aim for more spontaneity! Check each meeting to see if it served to edify everyone!
Exercise 5: The Extreme Training
Agree on a week in the next 2 months (or whenever the current corona situation allows it again...) in which everyone goes about his or her responsibilities, but the day is started and ended with prayer together. All times not needed for work or school are lived visibly for others as a team. Handing out ice cream to passers-by, barbecuing in the park followed by praise, a family party on the playground, driving and picking up from work together with spontaneous conversations with still unknown subway riders... It is important that this is not a retreat (team weekend), but a maximum of everyday life.