What should I expect?

What should I expect on a typical evening?

Where do pastorate groups meet?

Ideally in the home of one of the leadership team or an established pastorate member, not necessarily that of the leader. Obviously, it is hard to find homes that can accommodate 25-30 people, although it is amazing how many can be crammed into a relatively small space. Some of our pastorates also meet in church halls or rooms, libraries and other locations. Anywhere with room!

What does a typical meeting look like?

In a pastorate people can take turns hosting the evening, to lead ministry and to give talks. One way to begin may be to encourage someone to share personal testimony, particularly when the groups are just beginning to meet. While we want the pastorates to look unique to its members, every pastorate meeting does require some planning. A typical pastorate meeting might be:

7:15 Food
8:00 Welcome/notices/feedback
8:10 Worship
8:30 Talk and discussion
9:00 Small groups/prayer/ministry
9:30 End

What happens on the weeks in-between?

We encourage people to meet in small groups on the week in-between pastorate meetings for Bible study, more intimate prayer and greater accountability. We have found that the best way to set up small groups is for the pastorate leader to identify people who would be good small group leaders and ask them whether they would be happy to take on that role. As people in the pastorate make friends, they will naturally meet outside the pastorate and small group setting. Social events can also be organised to invite others from outside the pastorate, especially non-Christian friends.