Would you like to host a discussion group, living room conversation, or table talk?

Here is everything you need to prepare to host a group using Half Breed: Finding Unity in a Divided World.

Purpose

To share real life experiences revealing division in our hearts, communities and churches; within racial, political, financial and gender issues in order to bring true reconciliation and unity in these spaces. 

Objective

1) People are invited to a conversation, and

2)  Instructed to read the book Half Breed: Finding Unity in a Divided World, to 

3)  Have consecutive conversations discussing their response to the book in groups within 4+ weeks,

4)  With a call to action to bring change within their own community and churches, and

5)  Consider hosting their own conversations activating additional conversations.

Call to action

  1. Address what changes need to be made individually in your own life.

  2. Discover and address what programs and processes in your community need change. What voice do you have that can contribute to reconciliation? How can you use your voice to bring change for reconciliation in this area? 

  3. Discover and address what programs and processes in your church need change for reconciliation. What voice do you have that can contribute to reconciliation? How can you use your voice to bring change for reconciliation in this area?

outline

  1. Upon first gathering, host shares life story of political, financial, gender and race relations; opens to group to share life stories and experiences within small groups.

  2. Hosts share reflections of how the book changed life perspective with the entire group with an invitation to attend book study over the next 4 weeks.

  3. Attendees read 3 chapters for book study each week prior to study.

  4. Host opens book study with life experience within that week’s topic(s) and moderates questions asked within book for that week.

  5. Optional: add an additional (6th week) conversation to focus on conclusion, activation and call to action over a meal. Allow attendees to share their call to action.

best practices

  1. Invite persons of differing life experiences to create an environment of true diversity and reconciliation. 

  2. Make conversations open dialogue inviting, comfortable and safe for all to share.

  3. At all times continue to establish how similar attendees are; food, games, music, etc. so as not to polarize or focus on division but unity. 

  4. Provide ice breakers to create connection; celebrating how attendees are different and similar. 

  5. Encourage attendees to journal their 4-5 week journey. (What was eye opening during conversations? What is a new/different experience you had during this week?) This can be shared at the final meal. 

  6. Recommend each meeting last up to 2 hours to give ample time for sharing. Consider opening up location 15 minutes early for snacks/drinks and fellowship. 

  7. Above all, provide an atmosphere of support, reconciliation and healing of all issues that the individuals within the groups shared prayer requests. (What you should see happen are organic relationships form where hardships {marriage, children, jobs} are shared and people of different backgrounds, who may not normally spend time together, will support, love and pray for healing, break through and overcome, together as one. This is true reconciliation and will be a first hand example of what they are trying to replicate in their communities. 

  8. Invite up to 5 people per host attending. Each host can help facilitate the small group discussions with up to 5 people in a group. Recommend, no more than 20 attendees total. 

    1. The small groups can meet in ex:  kitchen, living room, dining room, spare bedroom. 

    2. The hosts should have copies of all questions listed within the chapters to share within the small groups. 

    3. Host can allow each person to answer the same question or different questions based on life experiences or flow of topic. 

    4. Main host should open with the entire group; consider breaking out into small groups; and can gather the entire group for final thoughts and prayers. 

  9. In person or via zoom, if possible, consider inviting the author to join the group to kick off conversation or activate a call to action at the last meeting.

Rules

  1. Be respectful, inviting, engaged and open with active ears to hear experiences. 

  2. No talking while others are sharing. 

  3. Don’t give advice when others share experiences or beliefs. 

  4. Share your own experiences not your opinions. 

  5. Seek to understand rather than be understood. 

  6. Stand on God’s Word for reconciliation above all; including family, religion, or political influences.

  7. Truly seek God’s heart for reconciliation for your life, your family, community and The church.

topics

Week 1 - The Issue: Chapters 1, 2 and 3 - Division & Diversity 

Week 2 - The Answer: Chapters 4, 5, and 6 - Unity & Reconciliation 

Week 3 - The Application Part 1: Chapters 7, 8 and 9 - Compassion & Forgiveness

Week 4 - The Application Part 2: Chapters 10, 11, 12 and Next Steps - Relationship & Repairing

Optional - Week 5 - Next Steps with Call to Action: Play or read lyrics Do Something by Matthew West

Key Verses: 

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelations 7:9 

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18 

Final Dinner - Isaiah 58 - Repairers of the breach