House Meeting House Meeting Facilitator Facilitator TrainingTraining

February 17, 2011February 17, 2011

Olivet Institutional Olivet Institutional Baptist ChurchBaptist Church

Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) is a non-

partisan coalition of faith communities and partner

organizations in Cuyahoga County working together to build power for

social justice. GCC unites people across lines of race, class, religion, and geography to promote public,

private and civic sector actions that strengthen our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life of

each resident.

Context for Community OrganizingContext for Community Organizing

Public Sector•Elected officials

(national, state, local)•Government Agencies

Civic Sector•Families

•Religious Congs.•Labor Unions

•Civic associations•Advocacy Groups

Private Sector•Financial Services•Energy companies•Real Estate/Constr.

•Health Care/Insurance•Manufacturing

Contracts/grants/regulations

CampaignDonations

Workers/ConsumersVoters/Taxpayers

Values: administration/controlPower: Position

Values: ProfitPower: Organized $

Values: All other motivesPower: Organized People and organized $

How will we build How will we build power in thepower in the Civic Sector? Civic Sector?

Identifying common self Identifying common self interests we can only interests we can only realize togetherrealize together

Intentionally building Intentionally building relationships necessary relationships necessary to motivate and sustain to motivate and sustain actionaction

Two Organizing Two Organizing Tools to Identify Tools to Identify

Interests and Build Interests and Build RelationshipsRelationships

1.1. Individual meetingsIndividual meetings

2.2. House meetingsHouse meetings

Where Are We Where Are We Going?Going?

January-March: House meeting January-March: House meeting campaigncampaign 300 meetings involving 3000+ 300 meetings involving 3000+

peoplepeople Inside and across congregationsInside and across congregations

April 7: Issue ConventionApril 7: Issue Convention

June 6, 2011: Founding Assembly of new organization 2000+ people2000+ people 50+ congregations50+ congregations 4-5 point issue agenda4-5 point issue agenda

House Meetings:House Meetings:What?What?

An intentional, focused small group conversation (usually 8-12 people) for the purpose of: Identifying ISSUES of common Identifying ISSUES of common

concern that are widely and deeply concern that are widely and deeply felt.felt.

Identifying LEADERS who are Identifying LEADERS who are willing and able to take action on willing and able to take action on the issues.the issues.

Motivating participants to take Motivating participants to take more leadership in improving their more leadership in improving their community than they would had community than they would had they not heard the concerns of they not heard the concerns of their neighbors.their neighbors.

House Meetings: House Meetings: Where?Where?

In your home, with people you invite from your network (invite 20 to get 10).

At an existing group or ministry At an existing group or ministry meeting, with time set aside for this meeting, with time set aside for this special conversation.special conversation. Cell groupsCell groups MenMen’’s/womens/women’’s groups, choir, usher s groups, choir, usher

board, etc.board, etc. Block club, book club, poker club, etc.Block club, book club, poker club, etc.

At a large group event at your At a large group event at your congregation organized for this congregation organized for this purpose, at which people break up into purpose, at which people break up into tables of tentables of ten During a bible studyDuring a bible study At lunch/coffee hour after servicesAt lunch/coffee hour after services

House Meetings: House Meetings: Why?Why?

Alternatives donAlternatives don’’t built power of t built power of organized people:organized people: Surveys donSurveys don’’t lead to people.t lead to people. Focus groups donFocus groups don’’t lead people into t lead people into

actionaction House meetings build relational House meetings build relational ““glueglue”” between people who hear between people who hear each otherseach others’’ stories, struggles, stories, struggles, and circumstances, which is a and circumstances, which is a prerequisite for collective prerequisite for collective action.action.

Responsibilities of a Responsibilities of a House Meeting FacilitatorHouse Meeting Facilitator

Inviting people to participate in the house meeting (sometimes)

Leading the conversation at the Leading the conversation at the meeting by:meeting by: Modeling concise story-telling Modeling concise story-telling

around issuesaround issues Making sure everyone has a chance Making sure everyone has a chance

to speakto speak Making sure no one person speaks Making sure no one person speaks

to long or dominates the to long or dominates the conversationconversation

Drawing connections between the Drawing connections between the stories people share.stories people share.

Drawing out stories from people who Drawing out stories from people who are at first reticent to share.are at first reticent to share.

Responsibilities of a Responsibilities of a House Meeting FacilitatorHouse Meeting Facilitator

Identifying potential Identifying potential leaders in the group and leaders in the group and following up with them following up with them individually.individually.

Maintaining contact with Maintaining contact with the participants of the the participants of the meeting as our meeting as our organization develops.organization develops.

Representing the stories Representing the stories and interests at our April 7 and interests at our April 7 issues convention.issues convention.

Anatomy of a House MeetingAnatomy of a House Meeting

Beginning: ContextBeginning: Context ““My congregation is part of a county-wide effort My congregation is part of a county-wide effort

to involve our citizenry in solving the regionto involve our citizenry in solving the region’’s s most pressing problems. Please take a minute most pressing problems. Please take a minute to think about the question: to think about the question: ‘‘What is one thing What is one thing you would change to make life in Greater you would change to make life in Greater Cleveland better for your family and your Cleveland better for your family and your community, and what story can you share with community, and what story can you share with us in less than two minutes which illustrates us in less than two minutes which illustrates why you care so much about that issue?why you care so much about that issue?””

Facilitator goes first to model a 2-minute story.Facilitator goes first to model a 2-minute story.

Anatomy of a House MeetingAnatomy of a House Meeting

Middle: ConversationMiddle: Conversation Go around the circle, giving everyone a chance Go around the circle, giving everyone a chance

to share their story.to share their story. Facilitator draws out connections between Facilitator draws out connections between

stories.stories. End: End: ““What are you willing to do about it?What are you willing to do about it?””

Organize another house meeting of people you Organize another house meeting of people you know who care about your issue?know who care about your issue?

Attend the April 7 issues convention with me?Attend the April 7 issues convention with me? Stay in touch around opportunities to act Stay in touch around opportunities to act

together in the future.together in the future.

Evaluation of a Evaluation of a House MeetingHouse Meeting

People Which participants stood out

for their passion, creativity, charisma, or networks?

Which participants really seem like they want to do something?

Follow-up individually with those people, or pass their names along to a member of your congregation’s core team for follow-up.

Evaluation of a Evaluation of a House MeetingHouse Meeting

Issues Which issues came up the

most? Which issues elicited the

most passion and anger? What were the most

memorable stories?

Tips for Tips for FacilitatorsFacilitators

Establish Ground Rules Everyone gets a chance to

speak Listen respectfully and

attentively Respect differences of

opinion Search for common ground Tell stories, not sermons

A story has characters A story has a beginning,

middle, and end.

Tips for Tips for FacilitatorsFacilitators

Questions to keep conversation moving Why is that issue so important to

you? What have you done to act on this

concern? Do you know anyone else who

feels the same way? How does the story you just told

relate to the story Ms. X told earlier in the meeting.

Practice House MeetingsPractice House Meetings Break out into 10 groups based on the number on

your agenda. Nominate one brave person to facilitate. Rehearse a house meeting, with an emphasis on

telling provocative two-minute stories that you will use in your own house meetings.

Watch how the conversation organically unfolds. After 40 minutes, give your facilitator applause and

some helpful feedback. In the final 15 minutes, go around the circle and

give everyone a chance to practice the introduction to the house meeting.

Meet back here at 8:40 pm

Caucus by Caucus by CongregationCongregation

How many house meetings How many house meetings between now and April 7?between now and April 7?

Where and how will house Where and how will house meetings be organized?meetings be organized?

If necessary, schedule If necessary, schedule another core team meeting another core team meeting to plan.to plan.

Report to the larger group how Report to the larger group how many house meetings your many house meetings your congregation commits to congregation commits to

organize.organize.