What might a first group meeting include?

A group’s first meeting should include all the elements the peer learning community understands to be significant in its life. The balance of these elements will shift, but the community can adjust based on what is important for its life.

The first meeting might include the following:

• State the purpose of the gathering and any decisions to be made by the group.
• Introduce each person.
• Worship.
• Share the vision of those who organized the meeting.
• Invite each person to share why he or she accepted the invitation and his or her hopes for the group.
• Discuss an article, book or presentation. For the first session, this might be material on the work of peer learning groups.
• Share stories about the impact of other peer learning groups that those present have experienced.
• Determine next steps for the group.