By Patrick Porter
Begin with prayer
Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting. Take a moment in silence, in the presence of Jesus and each other. Have one person read Galatians 5v25-26 over the group and then pray to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.
Debrief the most recent teaching
What did you take away from the teaching, and what has God been doing in your life this past week because of it?
Talk over this coming week’s Practice:
For the past several weeks, you have been spending time listening in prayer for the people in your community. This week, you will share what you have heard. There are many ways to do this. If you are able, share with everyone in person. You can do this as a group, taking turns sharing. If time or the size of your group won’t allow this, text messages, emails, or individual meetings might be a better idea. The goal is to make sure everyone has a chance to share what they’ve heard and that everyone gets to hear what the people in their community have heard on their behalf. Depending on the size of your group, this may take time. Discuss the format you will use to share everything and a timeline for it.
If you have children in your community, this is an excellent chance for them to participate. Decide how you will communicate what you’ve heard to the kids. Everyone can share what they’ve heard with the parents, and the parents can share with their kids. Or you could share directly with the kids if it’s appropriate. Check with the parents before sharing with any of the children.
When you have a plan, share what you’ve heard. Be patient and encouraging with each other. This could be a straightforward exercise for some and quite difficult for others.
Close in prayer
End by having someone read this prayer over the group:
Grant us, our merciful Father, that your Divine Spirit may enlighten, inflame, and purify us, and make us fruitful in good works, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you, in unity with the Spirit, lives and reigns as one God, forever and ever. Amen.