In addition to the site and the app all the questions together with extra explanations are available in document form linked at the bottom of this page. This is not a form to fill in but a guide to conversation. There are several possible ways of using the videos and discussion questions with a group. How they are used may depend on who is using them and what you or they want to find out. You can also use or translate the video scripts (available as Google doc or PDF).
You may already have some clear ideas on what you think you need to do, in which case the different videos may help you to consider whether there are other helpful questions to ask, or you may be starting from the beginning and want to think in a clear way about the many possibilities ahead.
Different communities have different ways of coming to decisions, so you will need to take this into account, especially if you are working with groups of people who have different perspectives about working together.
Some people will benefit from having lots of things written down, others will find that unhelpful, even if they can read it is not their preferred way of working
Who should be involved?
In order to get a complete understanding of your community, include people from a variety of age groups. You might also want to include people from both rural and urban areas. This could require repeating the discussions with multiple groups.
Suggestions for facilitating a group discussion.
Here is one way people have found works well:
- Find a place to meet where you will not experience interruptions.
- Have someone facilitate the discussion while someone else takes notes on a whiteboard or notebook. One person should not try to do both.
- Don’t attempt to do too much in a single meeting. Most people can only concentrate for so long before they need a break. If the discussion goes long, schedule an occasional break.
- Everyone should be given an opportunity to speak. Try not to let one or two people dominate the discussion.
- An important part of the process is answering the summary questions at the end of each sub-topic. Make sure that the group agrees with the way the discussion has been summarized.
Record your Ideas.
At the end of meeting summarise what has been said. It may help to remind them again in future meetings.
One way to gather your ideas is in a written document. You can make a copy of the Google document or Word file
Students studying Scripture Engagement at universities interview representatives of a community over several weeks, write a long report, highlighting what seem to be the most urgent issues and then come up with suggestions as to what could be done over the next two or three years. You don’t have to be at university to use the same method. You don’t have to be able to write well, you just need to be able to listen to one another, and put down your thoughts in a way that works for you.
You do not need to talk about all the videos and questions at once or to talk for the same length about each.
Once you’ve visited some topics, you will have a better idea of what your community needs not just in terms of when you explore some of the many resources at EMDC.tools . This is not just about finding the right products but about exploring how people can use what is made available.