{"id":13299,"date":"2021-09-01T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/?p=13299"},"modified":"2025-04-08T15:23:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T19:23:01","slug":"making-room-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/making-room-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Room Groups (aka mr. groups)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\":<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Today I am excited to share a special guest post! Amy Gilmore is a women\u2019s ministry leader in Oklahoma. I interviewed her in episode 12 of the Women\u2019s Ministry Toolbox Podcast<\/a>. (If you haven\u2019t listened to that episode yet, be sure you do!<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the interview, Amy shared about Making Room Groups<\/strong> (which they lovingly call \u201cmr. groups\u201d). After I turned off the recording, I peppered her with questions about them. I know how challenging it can be to organize regular multi-generational, Christ-focused gatherings<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amy has been gracious enough to share ALL of the details with us below. I pray it will stir up ideas for how you might do something similar in your church. – Cyndee<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

One of the toughest things in women\u2019s ministry can be bridging the gap between generations<\/strong>. For some, it\u2019s like a generational teeter-totter; one or the other generation pops up, just not both in conjunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why I am beyond excited to share mr. groups<\/em> with you!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You read that correctly, mr. groups<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know. This is women\u2019s ministry, and you\u2019re thinking, \u201cExcuse me. Shouldn\u2019t it be \u2018ms. groups\u2019?\u201d Well, hang on. Let me give a little background info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, my heart was craving deep, true, woman-to-woman fellowship. I wanted more than the every Sunday, smile and hug in the church hallway, act like we\u2019re doin\u2019 fine chats. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I <\/strong>wanted to get to know women better, and I wanted them to know me better too.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My first attempt was kind of comical. I knew the direction the Lord was leading me, but at this point in my journey, I was still driving in the fog. In my eagerness and definitely impatience, I went with the first thing that hit me\u2026 Bunco. While prepping a lunch in the church kitchen, I started asking ladies if they\u2019d like to start a Bunco group. The group progressed quickly and beautifully, but then the Lord made me aware – Bunco wasn\u2019t quite what He had in mind. Heeding divine intervention, I gracefully backtracked and departed from the Bunco group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side note: To all my sweet Bunco sisters \u2013 I come in peace. I still like Bunco. It just wasn\u2019t where I was supposed to be.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a little more prayer, patience, and listening, the Lord guided me to what our ministry now calls mr. groups; <\/em>mr is an acronym for Making Room. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The formation of these groups falls under the familiar clich\u00e9, \u201cDon\u2019t reinvent the wheel;\u201d please sit with me for a few more lines. I\u2019d love to share some helpful specifics you can tailor to benefit your ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After my Bunco blunder, I became more prayer-focused. I was sort of familiar with IF: Table (made popular by Jennie Allen). When I knew this was the direction to go, I prayed for five ladies whom I didn\u2019t know too well.<\/strong> I asked each of them, one-on-one, about joining my new group (Sort of different than my Bunco method. Haha). They all said yes! Woohoo! We began meeting once a month in my home.<\/strong> The conversations and relationship growth were mind-blowing<\/strong>. This was what my heart craved \u2013 and theirs too, and it was without a doubt what the Lord had in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our group of six couldn\u2019t wait for our monthly gatherings. We\u2019d catch up over a simple meal, then onto the heart of the evening: Christ-centered questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what had been going on in our lives, these questions unified us on a level playing field as humble image-bearers.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It was time for other women to know about this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a ladies retreat, my IF group shared about the life-giving fellowship taking place. We then divided the ladies at the retreat into small groups, served dinner, gave them Christ-centered questions, and did our best to nurture the small-group experience. The women loved it, and God graciously opened the door for more groups to begin and flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the wheels continued to roll, so did the need to make this ministry purposely fit our women. This is where our mr. groups<\/em> began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My friend and ministry team partner, Tracey, suggested the name \u201cMaking Room.\u201d It was the perfect fit. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How many of you have ever thought or said anything like\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n