Sue Adams, Member at Macomb First has published a resource for congregational conversations

“If you are like me, you have been around the same people for years but you really don’t know much about them.  Members of congregations are busy talking “church” when they are together and don’t really spend time getting to know one another.  We know bits and pieces of their lives but not necessarily how they feel about certain topics or events, what traumas they have experienced, or what touches them deeply.  If we know each other on a more personal level, it will be more meaningful to us when we sit next to them in worship, serve next to them in the kitchen and comfort them during difficult times.

This book is to be used by leaders of small groups to guide discussions that will bring the group closer together.  This book contains questions and scenarios on topics which will get the group talking and sharing about life, in a focused setting.

Each topic begins with a brief introduction that provides a starting point for thought and is followed by several questions to forward the discussion.  These questions make the members of the group think about the topics and how the topics relate to their lives, and allows them to share their feelings about the topics with others.  People of differing stations, ages, backgrounds, and experiences can all learn from each other.  For continued discussion, there are scenarios that can be used in small group activities.”