To get ready for 40 Days of Community, we are looking for Host Homes for our small group Bible studies.  To be a Host, you will need a TV, a VCR or DVD player, be willing to open your home one night per week for the six-week study, and invite other friendly people from our church and community.

Here's what it takes to be a HOST:

• Have a heart for our church family
• Open your home for a six week video seminar
• Serve some coffee or soft drinks
• Tell your friends!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about being a small group Host:

1.  Can I get a friend to help me Host?  Absolutely!  We encourage you to pair up with a friend or another couple.  Together you can pray for the people God will be bringing to your home.  You can decide how you will share the role of Host.  Maybe you open your home and your partner makes the phone calls.  Or maybe you both take half the list and make the calls and check back with each other.  It is our hope that by teaming up with someone else, you can find a way to make this an exciting and challenging adventure for both of you.

2.       Do I need to be a "Bible Expert" to Host?  Definitely not!  The most important things that you need are a desire to serve the members of your group and to grow in your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  When you take this step of faith, through prayer, God's Holy Spirit will give you what you need to be an effective Host.  We will provide you with all of the training materials you will need including group lessons on DVD or VHS tape, study guides and weekly video and email tips for hosting your group.  If your group decides to continue after 40 Days, we will provide you with follow-up curriculum choices that will be easy to use.  We will also help with additional training and coaching.

3.       How many people should I be expecting to accommodate?  We suggest inviting between 15-30 people.  Then, after the first night, let those in your group invite some of their own friends.  In our experience, about half of those who say they will come will actually come.  An optimum number of people to have in a small group is 8-10, but if more show up, that's great!  Your study guide will coach you to "sub-group" a larger group for discussion and prayer.

4.       What do I do with the new group that has formed?  As the Host, we are asking that you open your home to this new group for six weeks.  We ask that you show the video teaching each week and help the group work through the curriculum that has been provided.  As a part of 40 Days of Community, you and your group will plan to do a project together where you serve our community.  We also hope that you will pray for this new group.

5.       Will I be asked to continue Hosting this group after the 40 Days of Community Campaign is completed?  We are SO grateful for your gift of six weeks.  When your commitment is over, each Host needs to personally decide what his or her role will be with the group.  It is our hope that some Hosts will choose to continue with their new groups.  If that's not your plan, we hope you will help the group select a new leader and find a new place to meet.  This is why it's a good idea to share leadership during the six weeks.

6.       I will be out of town during one of the weeks of the series.  Any suggestions?  If you have to miss a group meeting, simply ask someone else in your group to host and facilitate the evening.  If that doesn't work out there is no problem with pushing back a week

7.       How do I get people to come to these meetings in my home?  We will provide you with invitations and a sample script you can use when inviting people to your group. We encourage you to simply invite those you know at church who you would like to have as part of your group.  We will also provide each host with the names of people who sign up at church for a 40 Days of Community small group that live in your area.  The hosts can then extend an invitation to these people to attend the 40 Days Small Group sessions.  Additionally, you could invite your relatives, neighbors and co-workers, people you already know in your community who are believers but may not be connected to a local church.  If you have acquaintances interested in the 40 Days campaign but are members of another church, encourage them to take the campaign to their church leaders for consideration.

8.       What about children?  We encourage groups that are composed of families with children to include them in their small group meetings.  We will provide you with suggestions & resources on how to do that.  This is the best approach for families as children see & experience the value of small groups as modeled by their parents.   Alternatively, groups composed of families with children may elect to meet at church on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m., Sunday mornings at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m., or Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m.  Children’s programming will be provided at those times.

9.       What about Middle & High School students?  Middle & High School students will be going through the 40 Days of Community in their House Groups on Sunday nights from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Check the Sunday program, church website or contact Nate Bush (nbush@communitycc.com, 954.476.7100 ext. 211) for locations.

10.    What about inviting non-Christians?  40 Days of Community is primarily designed to help Christians grow deeper in Christ and one another.  But one particularly attractive feature of the small group experience during 40 Days of Community is the group mission project.  Many people – Christian and non-Christian alike – are drawn to doing something worthwhile to help in their community.  You’ll hear more about our church mission project in the coming weeks.  This may be the perfect way to include your un-churched friends in your group, enabling them to experience the joy of serving others, and giving them a first-hand glimpse into what real Christian community is all about.