Set shared expectations for healthy community.
Healthy community grows when people understand what they’re committing to together. The T-Life Group Agreement helps your group talk about the relationships, participation, and care that support a healthy and transformational smaller community.
Use it when your group begins, when new people join, or whenever your group needs to revisit its shared expectations.
Read it together
Give everyone access to the agreement and make time to discuss it during a gathering. Explain that each person contributes to the group’s health.
You might introduce it this way:
“We want this to be a group where people can grow in following Jesus, build meaningful relationships, and care for one another. This agreement gives us a shared understanding of how we’ll do that together.”
Talk about what the commitments look like
The agreement covers staying connected, cultivating relationships, sharing ownership, providing care, fostering authenticity, confidentiality, respect, and unity.
Help people connect those commitments with everyday group life. Ask:
“Which of these commitments stands out to you?”
“What helps you feel comfortable participating?”
“How can we care for one another between gatherings?”
“What would it look like for everyone to share ownership of this group?”
Invite questions and make room for people to clarify what they’re agreeing to.
Explain confidentiality and its limits
Personal stories, struggles, and prayer requests should be handled with care. Ask before sharing someone’s information beyond the people they chose to tell.
Also explain Relevant’s three hurts policy: when someone is hurting themselves, someone is hurting them, or they are hurting someone else, leaders must involve appropriate help.
You can say:
“We respect one another’s privacy. But if someone’s safety is involved, I can’t promise to keep that just between us. We’ll involve the people who can help.”
Review When to Contact Anna for emergency guidance and reporting responsibilities. Make sure your group understands these limits before inviting deeply personal sharing.
Confirm the practical details
Complete the meeting details in the agreement together, including your meeting season, day, time, and location.
Discuss how members should communicate when they can’t attend. Encourage them to let the leader or group chat know ahead of time whenever possible.
Make sure everyone knows where to find the agreement afterward.
Return to it when needed
Revisit the agreement when new members join, at the beginning of a trimester, or when you notice a pattern that needs attention.
For a group-wide reminder, you might say:
“When we started, we agreed to make room for everyone to share. Let’s revisit what that looks like in our discussions.”
If a concern involves one person, consider a private conversation rather than using the agreement to correct them in front of the group. Ask your coach or Anna for help when you’re unsure how to approach it.
Model what you’re asking of others
Your example helps these commitments become part of the group’s culture. Arrive prepared, communicate clearly, listen respectfully, protect personal information, and follow through on care.
Keep inviting your group to practice these commitments together.