In John 13:34-35, God proclaims to his people: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
When we love others as Christ loved us, this is fellowship. More than just community, fellowship is a deep relationship shared amongst the different parts of the body of Christ, and must extend towards ALL parts of a church community. Our TOGETHER studies are just one way to encourage fellowship in your church! Many Friendship Groups have have incorporated creative ways to encourage ‘belonging’ into their own activities.
For fun ideas to inspire your next inclusive Bible study, read on! These suggestions come from some of our very own Friendship Group leaders.
“We had 25 friends share their talents from dance, piano, and drums, to vocal solos. It was so inspiring to see how they supported and encouraged each other. They performed uninhibited and gave it their all! A yearly highlight for all!” – Wendy from Alberta
“Every year we do a Christmas Pageant and invite the congregation and friends & family of our group. After presenting the Christmas story in drama and song we rearrange the chairs, set up tables to enjoy each others’ company, and Christmas treats. This evening was a huge outreach evening.” – Heather from Ontario
“We gathered lots of warm, wooly socks for men and ladies. At our meeting each friend chose a few pairs of socks and tied them up in pretty Christmas ribbon. It was a fun activity for our group and gave us lots of opportunity to discuss how we can show Jesus’ love to homeless people in our community. There has been an increase in homeless people in our community so each friend had a chance to share about their personal interactions with homeless people.”– Mary from British Columbia
“Our year always starts off with a wiener roast at one of our leader’s homes. It’s a great way to kick off our Friendship year and a wonderful time of fellowship! A highlight of our Friendship year is our annual bowling night. It’s a friendly competition between some of the friends and mentors on who will have the highest score this year! Our local bowling alley supplies us with special refreshments and treatsafter our games.It’s a favorite night for both friends and mentors!” – Marianne from Ontario
“Twice a year we sing at the seniors’ home affiliated with our church. We do this at Christmas as a way of caroling and at Easter or Valentine’s day we try and give them all
a valentine card showing how much we love them. The seniors love having us come and share with singing and snacks. This is a great way to engage both the seniors and our group in extracurricular activities.” – Sheila from Alberta
Feeling inspired to do something with your group? Send us a picture or story of it at at friendship@friendship.org. We’d love to hear more stories of Friendship Groups creating opportunities for belonging.
