Earlier this fall, we moved from The Refinery into host homes in our community. Here’s a little bit about what we share with our leaders to help them find the right host home to meet your needs:
The perfect host home has great meeting space to gather.
Space is a critical concern of small groups—you want enough space for your style. For some, a kitchen table is the perfect place for a small group to meet. For others, you’ll want a casual living room style and comfort. In some cases, which are less than ideal, you might just have to make due. Know that God will work in your group this year if you’re in a mansion or a shack, a garage or a family room. If you don’t know “your style” yet, ask people around your table and see what they prefer.The perfect host home is free of distractions.
This is the most important aspect of a small groups meeting place. If you’re meeting in a busy house with kids running around, phones ringing, the game going on the TV and internet just a step away … small groups can tend to be just a little bit distracted. When you’re looking for the perfect small group space, make sure there’s not just enough space, but minimize distractions too.The perfect host home isn’t too far away from where the group lives.
Proximity is a big deal—if what is inconvenient for you is best for the group, sacrifice your gas tank and take the group to them. We definitely try to put groups together by schools so geography plays to our advantage, but some groups will have a straggler that has to drive or the straggler might be the leader. Either way, choose the perfect host home that is perfect for most, if it can’t be for all.The perfect host home always has amazing snacks.
Yup, amazing snacks should factor into which host home you choose. Can Billy’s mom cook? Do they have ample ice to keep the beverages cold?
If we get two out of three of these (snacks are non-negotiable—ha!), we’re thrilled because that’s a GREAT host home for your small group.
