BACK TO SESSIONS

UNITED SESSION 2


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I. Introduction (5 Minutes)
  1. Ask 3-4 people to share their answers to the question at the top of page 56.
  2. If time allows, ask 3-4 people to share the most pleasantly surprising thing about their improved relationships this past week.
II. Sharing Session (87 Minutes)
  1. Explain the purpose and format for taking notes in the class (1 minute)
    1. Instruct the class to open their workbooks to page 73.
    2. Write down what people say that you want to pray about.
    3. Also, write down things people say that you might want to affirm in the Group Affirmation time later in the session.
  2. Explain the sharing format (1 minute)
    1. Go to the three Waiting-to-Share Chairs at the front from now on.
    2. Remember that you have only 2.5 minutes to answer the four questions.
    3. The assistant gives a 2-minute wave and a final wave at 2.5 minutes.
    4. Please do not bring your workbook to the front.
  3. Model the sharing (5 minutes)
    1. The facilitator always shares first.
      1. Share your heartfelt answers based on your growth this week.
      2. Model how to share transparently, honestly, keeping within the time limit, and remembering to answer all four questions.
      3. The assistant does not affirm you unless both affirm people.
    2. The assistant always shares second.
      1. The assistant follows the facilitator guidelines in sharing.
      2. The assistant receives an affirmation from the facilitator.
  4. Conduct the sharing (77 minutes)
    1. Introduce the first Waiting-to-Share Chair occupant within 5 seconds.
    2. From the back, maintain eye contact with each sharer.
    3. Lead the group applause after each sharer finishes.
    4. Affirm one thing sharer says or does within 15 seconds from the front.
    5. Introduce the next sharer now sitting in the first Waiting-to-Share chair.
    6. Continue this process until everyone shares.
  5. Conduct the recap and vote (5 minutes)
    1. Ask each person to state his first name and a 1-5 word phrase that captures the most important thing about Trust that each one shared.
    2. An example might be, “John; respecting boundaries pays rich dividends.”
    3. After the last person recaps, distribute the ballots.
    4. Ask each person to write the name of the person who worked the hardest to upgrade his or her Trust this past week.
    5. The assistant collects the ballots.
    6. After dismissing the couples to the breakout area, the assistant counts the ballots, breaks any important ties, and fills in the award.
III. Break (15 Minutes)
IV. Final Session (38 Minutes)
  1. Present the award (2 minutes)
    1. Introduce the three honorees to the group using the correct procedure.
    2. Lead the applause as each one stands.
    3. Ask all three to sit down together after you honor all three together.
    4. Call the name of the book recipient and begin the applause.
    5. Ask the book recipient to come to the front, accept the book, and express thanks to the group for the honor.
    6. Ask the book recipient to start the note writing process.
  2. Play the Closing DVD Message (5 minutes)
  3. Explain the next week’s Growth Opportunity Timeline on page 76 (1 minute)
  4. Introduce the group affirmation (12 minutes)
    1. Direct people to scan the notes they wrote on page 73 and select one person to affirm when called upon.
    2. Explain that each person stands in turn, and in 20 seconds or less, affirms one thing the selected person did or said in class.
    3. Explain that at the 20-second mark, the assistant will call time, and the affirmation stops immediately.
    4. Explain the difference between an affirmation (which we want) and telling the person how to improve something (which we do not want).
      1. Want: Affirmation. (“Charlie, you reminded me how important it is to remove sarcasm from my vocabulary with my spouse. Thanks for the wake-up call.)
      2. Do not want: Telling someone how to improve something. (“Charlie, you reminded me how important it is to remove sarcasm from my vocabulary with my spouse. If you’ll pray about this every day for a month, God will take your sarcasm from you.”)
    5. Explain that everyone gives an affirmation to someone, but not everyone receives one.
    6. Just remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
  5. Conduct the closing activity (15 minutes)
    1. Each row becomes a group of two couples each.
    2. If you have an odd number of couples present, one group contains three couples.
    3. Instruct each group to form a circle where they presently sit.
    4. Give each group three seconds only to select a group leader.
    5. A group leader’s only responsibility is to keep his or her group on task.
    6. Explain the small process this way:
      1. Each person will have 1 minute to share his or her answers to the two questions on page 74.
      2. After the first person shares his/her answers to the two questions on page 74, the other three (normally) people in the group will have 2 minutes to tell the person why he/she will be able to overcome the challenge, not how to overcome it.
      3. The small group leader will repeat this process for every other person in the small group, including him- or herself.
    7. To make each small group leader’s job easier, you as the class leader will tell each group when to move to the next step in the process.
      1. “Small group leaders, ask your first person to answer the two questions and explain his/her answers until I call time.”
      2. “Small group leaders, for the next 2 minutes, lead your group in affirming the first person’s honesty, courage, plan of action, etc.”
      3. Repeat this process for each person in the group.
    8. If a group contains three couples, ask the 2-couple groups to pray together for each other while the last couple shares their answers to the two questions and receive affirmations from their own small group fellow participants.
V. Conclusion (5 Minutes)
  1. Ask 3-4 people what they learned from listening to everyone share their stories.
  2. Give a brief, encouraging Pep Talk.
  3. Get them to re-commit to:
    1. Completing the growth opportunities every day as assigned.
    2. Being on time, if not early, next week.
    3. Signing their commitments on the Timeline for Session 4 Sheet.
  4. Close with a prayer.
Class Preparation Checklist:
  1. Listen to “Facilitator Skills” and “Session 2” messages on the Facilitator audio message.
  2. Pray for each couple by name; pray for God to use you
  3. Prepare the nametags
  4. Bring an award
  5. Bring extra pens
  6. Bring a box of facial tissue
  7. Bring ballots
  8. Make sure the refreshments are coming.
Classroom Set-up Checklist
  1. Arrange room furniture for classroom set-up.
  2. Eliminate outside viewing of the classroom.
  3. Put “Do Not Enter” signs on all doors to the classroom.
  4. Write the sharing session questions on the board (see page 72 in the student handbook).