1. Pray - The most important preparation for a focus group is prayer. Ask God to bring non-Christians and that He would use the time to move them closer to Jesus Christ. Pray for open doors of conversation for the gospel and that your heart would grow in faith and love for those who don’t know Christ.
2. Prepare an invitation list – Create a list of those you’d like to invite. Don’t try to guess who will come and who won’t. If God puts them on your heart, then invite them. There are usually surprises. Invite only non-Christians – they are the ones whose opinions we want to hear. If you are sure that more than five non-Christians will attend, you may want to invite a Christian friend who is interested in leading a focus group, so that they can learn by watching.
3. Write the invitation carefully - Look over the sample invitation The Philip Center has supplied, and make all the necessary changes: date, time, details. Print the invitations on 8 ½ x 11 colored paper, and prepare more than you think you will need.
4. Invite people - Begin to invite people, but no earlier than two weeks in advance. The best window of invitation is about 5 to 12 days in advance of the meeting. As you invite people you may want to say something like: “I don’t know what your comfort level is with talking about religion and spirituality, but we’d love to have you come to this event we’re hosting.”
5. Prepare food – Plan to serve simple food you’re sure your guests will enjoy. Keep the preparations simple, so that complications don’t distract you and your guests. An exception could be creating a special food night that complements the focus group. This can be done successfully, but should be considered thoroughly before making a decision.
6. Philip Center support - Before the event, we can meet with you to discuss other questions and details such as: a) Who will be leading the discussion? b) What happens if only one person comes? c) After the meeting, how do I follow up those who attended?
7. Trust God – Outreach involves a spiritual battle. As we engage in discussion with non-Christians, we often feel fearful, doubtful and confused about what we are doing. But God so often uses these focus groups to prompt more interaction about significant issues. Pray through those times of hesitation as you prepare for your meeting, and trust God to use you as an ambassador of Christ. The success of the event does not depend on your own strength, but on God’s power. The effectiveness of the event can’t be measured by the number of attendees, but rather by our faith, as we trust God for whatever happens.
