Deepening FriendshipsSample

Day 7: What’s Next for You?

What would it look like for you to walk with Jesus as you invite a few women into the exploration of the heart together? To have friends witness and be with you through the adventures of life? What if you could become sisters who know and experience God and life together, friends who are a safe place to be known, seen, and cared for?

Here are some potential ideas for you to consider:

• Pray about which women to invite to join you in creating a Redemptive Sisterhood of deepening friendships.
• Invite these women for a meal together and share your heart and hopes for friendship, for exploring redemptive sisterhood together. (This might be the hardest part, but I imagine women will feel special to have been so intentionally sought out by you.)
• At that first meeting, it might help to go over the Tenants of Redemptive Sisterhood that we have compiled for you on our website: https://www.zoweh.org/the-deepening-community#tenets
• We encourage you to go through this Bible App reading plan together as well as our “Loving through Listening” plan so you will be able to practice listening to each other as each woman shares her story.
• Some of your early meetings could consist of enjoying a meal together and taking time for each woman to share her story, perhaps only one woman sharing each meeting. When she finishes, the group could take time asking gentle follow-up questions or share what they hear or see in her story and conclude by praying for her as a group.
• Consider exploring your hearts and stories together through The Deepening Journey, our 6-week video-based resource that will have you journeying together in deeper intimacy with God and each other.
• Spend time together doing the things you enjoy or try something new together- cooking classes, art museums, walks in the park, hikes in the woods, coffee dates, karaoke- the list is endless!
• Watch movies together! Movies are like modern-day parables, many illustrate the epic stories of our lives as they bring the themes of our lives to life on the big screen, awakening something epic in us.

We need friends, sisters to make it through— we need deepening friendships of hearts committed to caring for one another, loving one another, listening to one another, inviting each other to be curious, and inspiring one another to the full and abundant life God has for us!

As you ponder all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Father, from this whole week of exploration, what do you want to stand out to me the most? What do you want my eyes to see, my heart to feel, and my body to remember from this week focusing on deepening friendship?

Jesus, have I felt a yes in me this week? How do you want me to act on my "yes" to you in the realm of friendship?

Holy Spirit, in my deepest heart, I long for deep friendship; who might I invite into exploring more together?

Want a taste of The Deepening Journey, our 6-week resource for women? Learn more and watch session 1 for free at https://www.zoweh.org/the-deepening-journey.