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We invite you to take time in your Groups to slow down and meditate on the significance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. This is a great way to start your Dinner Party, or you can even pick a station to do at any point during the night. These activities are design to help you reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and how it has released us into life with Him.
It comprises of four segments that you can reflect on in your Groups —what we call “stations”·
Each segment has scripture and responses for you to work through. Some stations have a few different ways in which you can respond – you can choose to just do one of them or all.
Equipment Needed – 2x Dice
We begin with gratitude – taking time to thank God for who He is and all He is doing. Read this scripture aloud and create some space for your dinner guests to respond using the prompts below.
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.”
- Psalm 9:1-2
RESPONSE
We’ll use this time to thank God for things He has done recently and further back in the past. Use two dice and the list below to help prompt you to create a list of something you are grateful for. Each round, roll the two dice, the first providing a topic and the second providing a timeframe.
Dice 1:
1 – Someone I’m grateful for
2 – A place I’m grateful for
3 – An experience I’m grateful for
4 – a thing I’m grateful for
5 – something I do regularly that I’m grateful for
6 – something about myself I’m grateful for
Dice 2:
1 – right now
2 – yesterday
3 – in the last week
4 – this year
5 – last year
6 – in the last 10 years
Here, we are able to take time to meditate on our own salvation – the gift of love and life we have graciously been given through Christ’s sacrifice.
We then shift to focus on those in our own world who are yet to discover this wonderful gift, praying that they would find the power of Jesus’ love in their lives this Easter.
RESPONSE
1. Ask someone to read Romans 10:9-10 aloud. Take this opportunity to dedicate afresh your life to God – thanking Him for the salvation you find through Christ, and consecrating your life to Him to use.
2. Take time to share your own salvation story – what life was like before you encountered God, the journey you took to accept Christ as your saviour, and the life you now have in Him. If your guests are comfortable, take time to share your stories together.
3. Write down the names of people you are believing to be saved onto small strips of paper. Put them in a jar or container. In your Group, each person can take one out of the jar and pray for that person. You can place them back in the jar and repeat this for another round if you choose.
One of the things that Jesus really valued was spiritual friendships. We see throughout the Bible, where Jesus shared sacred moments of His life with those closest to Him, His disciples. They shared sacred moments together, for a divine purpose. He shared meals with them, listened to their concerns, and offered guidance and support when they needed it.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all thatI have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
- John 15:13-15
Jesus was known to be a compassionate and loving person who was intentional with all his close relationships and cared deeply for his friends. Nowadays, it can be hard to make new friends and deepen friendships because of busy schedules etc. But we look to Jesus as we focus in to be like Jesus.
RESPONSE
As Jesus valued friendships and the unity between people, pair up with someone and use the Conversation Starter cards to deepen your friendships within your Group.
The final station brings the cross to the forefront, meditating over the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The temptation might be to rush through this station, but we would encourage you to take it slowly, sink deep into the awe of the cross and dwell in the richness of grace we have through Jesus.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR COMMUNION:
Gather some glasses, napkins grape juice and bread or crackers – something that represents the shed blood and broken body of Jesus.
WHY DO WE DO COMMUNION:
You may be familiar with the term ‘Eucharist’ which is the word used for the communion ceremony within some traditional churches. Eucharist is derived from the Greek verb Eurcharisteo which means to ‘give thanks’. This gives a wonderful, simple description of communion as an opportunity for us to remember Jesus and to thank Him for providing a way for us to live eternally free. Even Jesus first modelled this in the scripture below, you’ll notice that Jesus ‘gave thanks’ before He broke the bread – He was giving thanks for His body that was about to be broken on the cross in place of our sin.
When we dig a little deeper into the word Eucharisteo we discover that within it are words such as ‘Charis’ which means grace and ‘Eu’ which means happiness or to prosper. How beautiful is that picture, that as we gather to remember and give thanks to Jesus for His broken body that in the same moment we are inviting the grace of God to enter our life, which ultimately allows us to walk with a greater sense of happiness & prosperity. Almost seems a little selfish right!
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
RESPONSE
Jesus’ journey to the cross can be found in the passages below, as a Group, pick a passage and take time to either read it alone or as a Group out loud.
- Matt 27:1-54
- Mark 15:1-40
- Luke 23:1-48
- John 19:1-30
Create space to take communion in your own time, taking the time to acknowledge the sacrifice of Christ’s life, and the life you now find through Him.
Conclude your time together with a prayer, sealing all that God has done in your hearts and allowing it to continue to change you.
