Session: Blended Families and Divorce

Preparation

• If your church family has a blended family with parents who would be comfortable sharing with your group, invite them to meet with your group. In addition, if your church has a ministry or support group for divorced persons, ask one of the facilitators of that group to meet with your group during this session.
  
  
• Ask participants to bring their books or print the articles "Blended Families" and "Divorce" and make copies for your participants.

Reflect and Practice

1. Begin the session with fellowship and prayer.
   
   
2. Introduce your special guests. Begin the interview by letting each guest share a brief testimony about his or her journey. Ask them to share how they think your church family is ministering and could minister to preschoolers in blended families and those in divorced homes.
   
   
3. Open the discussion up for your participants to ask questions, but ask them to be sensitive to personal needs of the guests. If someone asks an inappropriate question, move the discussion in another direction. Refer them to suggestions in the articles "Blended Families" and "Divorce".
   
   
4. With the guests and your participants, develop a strategy or set of actions your participants could take to help your church effectively meet the needs of these preschoolers and their families.
   
   
5. Close the session by thanking your special guests. Have a season of prayer for the blended families and divorced families in your church and community.