Often the best book clubs include people from different backgrounds and perspectives, so don’t be afraid to invite a diverse group of people to participate.
Invite a few friends you’d like to see more – perhaps women who attended the Women of Faith Conference with you. Then, encourage each of them to invite a friend. Before you know it, you’ll be visiting with old friends and making new ones all at once.
Ground Rules: Sometimes it’s helpful to discuss the goals of the group up front. For example, you might go around the room and ask each person what they’re hoping to get out of the club. Then, you can decide as a group how best to handle your club’s dynamics. For example, “Attendance is optional, but RSVP” or “Respect all personal opinions” or “Don’t interrupt – unless you just can’t wait another second.” Working out some of these logistics at the beginning can help avoid confusion later on.
Food: Book club meetings can take many forms, but as you can imagine, anytime women get together, those forms usually involve food. To save anyone from a night in front of the stove, divide up the responsibilities ahead of time, and keep them light – snacks or desserts are great options.
Discussion: Ask for a volunteer each month that will come to the next meeting with questions to ask the group about the book. This is not test time – it’s just a way to help stir up conversation and draw out opinions. You might even want to go around the room and give each person a chance to answer some questions so that every voice is heard.
Hint: You’ll find sample discussion questions for each book on the Message Board at womenoffaith.com.
 Dates: It’s often easiest to set a regular day each month (the 20th of every month, the 3rd Friday, etc.), so everyone knows when the club meeting will be and can plan for it in advance. Since the new Women of Faith Book Club selections come out around the 15th of each month, you probably want to meet later in the month, so you’ve had a full month to read the previous selection. For example, since The Invisible Woman was announced Dec 15th, you might want to discuss it in late January. Then, the selection that is announced January 15th you could discuss in late February.
Times: There will rarely be a time or date that everyone can attend. Instead, try to reach a consensus on times that are generally easiest for your club members. And be creative! Saturday morning tea, TGIF nights, or Sunday afternoons can all be good possibilities.
Stationary: Some groups find it easiest to meet in one location every month. Everyone knows where to go, where to park, and what to expect. At the same time, that one location needs to be available for all of the meetings.
Mobile: Others find it’s easier to choose a new location for each month. Often members enjoy taking turns hosting the group, and it keeps hostess duties from becoming a burden on one person. The key to successfully rotating locations is communication! Members need to know where to go each time. A reminder email, postcard or phone call is invaluable; even if you publish a schedule in advance, someone will misplace their calendar and forget where the meeting is held.
|