Way of Beauty Fellowship Groups:
How to create a weekly group: a short summary. Download it or read it here.
Way of Beauty Fellowship Groups
The process can be followed individually or with personal mentorship. The establishment of a weekly Way of Beauty group at a school or elsewhere, under the guidance of a leader, helps create a community of people with different levels of experience. Typically, a group of 8 to 15 works best. The format of the meeting might be as follows:
Opening prayer. Pray the psalms together; a psalm or two for the day can be selected.
Introductions. Ask if there are new people who wish to introduce themselves and to explain what brought them. Welcome them, and encourage them to stay afterward to get to know the others. We suggest that new people with no experience simply listen the first time.
Those with experience speak. Go around the room. Each person introduces themselves by name, shares how well they have been following the process during the week, and then speaks about a chosen topic for the week, for example, ‘my experience of weekly service.’ The atmosphere is encouraging and positive; the aim is not to call people out for falling short, but the sharing does help to make people accountable to one another.
Announcements. If appropriate: for example, that the group meets next week at the same time, or goes for coffee afterward.
Closing prayer. Of the group’s choosing. The Lord’s Prayer is a good choice.
The purpose of the group is as follows:
A forum for giving witness to the benefits, so as to encourage others.
A forum for the inexperienced to mix with the experienced, and perhaps to find a mentor.
A forum for mutual encouragement, so that people stick to the habits of faith and creativity.
A forum for community and friendship. A group that prays together as peers and offers encouragement can become a source of community.
A forum for service. Volunteering to contribute to the running of the meeting, putting out the chairs, leading the meeting, opening up the room, can itself be the weekly commitment of service.