STEP 1: Pray!

Start off by praying and asking God to prepare the way for you. If you can, find another person who believes in your vision to start a group and pray together for God's guidance. Then continue to pray on a regular basis for God's wisdom, guidance, favor, and covering.

STEP 2: Seek other Christians where you work

Begin to seek other Christians where you work to see if they would like to get together with you during their lunch hour for fellowship. Give them this website address so they can get more information about the group.

STEP 3: Decide how you want to announce your group

IF YOU WORK AT A LARGE COMPANY and would like to announce your group company-wide, talk to someone in your HR department and see if the company would allow it. If they have questions about the group, give them the FIC website address so they can find out more about it. Or print out the information ahead of time and take it with you to your HR meeting.

IF YOUR HR DEPARTMENT APPROVES OF THE GROUP, ask if you can use company resources such as email, voicemail, conference rooms, cafeteria, etc., to facilitate your meetings and bring people together. All they can say is yes or no.

Fortunately, the company where the first FIC group was formed allowed the employees to use all the company resources mentioned above. And because our HR department was flexible and supportive, our group was able to do the following:

• We sent an email to over 6,000 employees worldwide announcing the start of the group. We used the the same announcement as the sample I've included for you in this website at STEP 5 below.
• We made copies of the above announcement and posted them on walls, doors, and windows throughout the company.
• We used conference rooms to meet at lunch during the week, where we'd all bring our lunch to eat together and have fellowship.
• Months later, we set up an FIC voice mailbox containing phone numbers for all the members. We used this to send messages of upcoming meetings and to announce special events, and other information that was important to the group.
• Months later, we set up an FIC group email address to send meeting reminders, announcements, prayer requests, and welcome new members, etc.
• After a few years, we set up an FIC website so people in other companies could request information to start a group of their own.
  
  

As you can see, our group was truly blessed to be able to do what we did, but not all companies will allow this type of freedom. So please respect your company's policies and work with your HR representative to do whatever you can. Moreover, always use your coffee breaks, lunch time, and free time before and after work for your FIC activities, and NEVER use company time.

HOWEVER, IF HR SAYS NO, don't get discouraged. You can still get together with other Christians at lunchtime where you work because you have a legal right to do so. In fact, once you get information regarding your legal rights, you may want to share it with your HR department.  Sometimes HR departments are simply ignorant of the law in this area and your sharing of information could enlighten them.  For more information click on the link below:

Your Legal Rights as a Christian at Work

You don't need fancy equipment or a fancy announcement to get a group started. Instead, simply invite people to come together by spreading the word one person at a time. Remember, it only takes 2 people to start a group! The number of attendees is not important.

STEP 4: Decide the date, time and place for your first meeting

When you find people who are interested in attending your meetings, ask them what day of the week would be best for them. Even though you will never be able to accommodate everyone's schedule, at least you will know what day most people would like to meet.

STEP 5: Announce your first meeting

Once you decide how you want to announce your first meeting (by company email, posters, word of mouth, etc.), and you've picked a date, time and location -- now it's time to get the word out. For a sample invitation, click on the link below:

Sample Invitation

STEP 6: Have your first meeting and be blessed!

Here are some helpful tips...

I. GET PEOPLE SIGNED UP. At each meeting, pass around a sheet of paper so people can write their name and contact information for future meetings. At your next meeting you may want to hand out copies of the list so members can contact one another for prayer, etc. Make sure to date each revised list so members know they have the most current list.

II. EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE FOR THE GROUP. Use the "Statement of Purpose" included in this website by clicking on the link below.

Our Purpose

III. TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO AT FUTURE MEETINGS. Get the group's input. Some people will want to do a weekly Bible study, prayer, or support group. If so, agree with them that these are important reasons to gather together, but at the same time, reemphasize that the INTENDED PURPOSE for Friends in Christ is to be a Christian FELLOWSHIP group. While praying, studying the Bible, and supporting one another are vital, integral parts of the group's function, they will not be done solely on a regularly scheduled basis (unless your entire group wishes to do it that way). The choice is yours.

However, speaking from experience, we suggest that you leave your agenda "open" for each meeting. This will allow freedom and flexibility for the group (and the Holy Spirit) to flow in a natural way. Also, if attendees don't know what to expect (unless you announce it beforehand), each meeting will be a refreshingly different surprise.

In spite of this, some people will still want a weekly Bible study, prayer, or support group. If so, encourage one of them to lead such a group on a different day of the week so it will not conflict with your FIC meeting. (Someone started a weekly prayer group aside from the fellowship group at our company and it worked out very well for both groups.)

IV. DECIDE HOW OFTEN YOU WILL MEET AND WHERE. Consider whether you will meet weekly, every other week, or once per month, and determine what day of the week would be best. When you decide what location to meet, try to pick a place that will accommodate most of the group's needs. Just remember you can never please everyone. So if some people in the group are divided on when and where to meet, encourage one of them to start a different FIC group at a different time and place.

V. ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP FACILITATE FUTURE MEETINGS. You may want to ask if someone would like to take turns with you facilitating future meetings. Or you may want to wait and ask at a later date, once the group gets going. If you don't get any takers the first time you ask, don't get discouraged. Usually when you give people time to see how easy it is to facilitate, leaders will naturally come forward and offer their help.

At the company where FIC first began, the founder led the group for three months before asking for volunteers to help facilitate. She pointed out that it could help make the meetings more interesting if someone different facilitated each week because it would allow different people to contribute to the group in their own unique way. She also mentioned that if ten people volunteered, they could take turns so that each person would only have to lead five times a year. As a result, seven people responded and since then, getting volunteers to lead has not been a problem.

VI. TAKE YOUR TIME, RELAX, AND ENJOY YOURSELF! Getting together with other Christians at work is meant to be a fun and enriching time. So gather together, talk and laugh, get to know one another,... and let the Holy Spirit lead the way!