This Host Guide is designed to support pastors and church leaders as you invite others into a shared experience of learning, imagination, and discernment.

Hosting a Full Community screening is not simply about watching a film. It is about creating space for faithful, collective reflection around housing, community, and your church’s calling in this season.

This guide offers practical guidance, conversation framing, and pastoral wisdom to help you host well — with clarity, courage, and care.

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‍What you are inviting people into

When you host Full Community, you are inviting people into:

• A shared emotional and spiritual experience
• A research-grounded, Biblically-based vision for responding to housing instability
• An honest look at what long-term community requires
• A discernment process, not a predetermined outcome

This is an invitation. It asks leaders to engage real questions about land, power, proximity, risk, and responsibility. Grappling with the implications of that invitation up front builds trust and maturity in the room.

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‍Who should be in the room

Thoughtful discernment depends on having the right voices present.

We recommend inviting:

• Pastoral leadership
• Church council / vestry / session members
• Property, facilities, and finance leaders
• Mission, outreach, or justice team leaders
• Trusted lay leaders with influence in the congregation

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^{A note about audience size
Churches may want to show this film to their entire congregation.  We would recommend the Discern team and/or church leadership team view the film first.  At that point, determine if it is right for your entire congregation to view.}

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‍Preparing to host (before the gathering)

1. Set clear expectations

When inviting people, be clear:

• This is about discussion and information gathering, not decision-making
• Full engagement in the content - including honest questions and mixed reactions are welcome

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You might say:

“We’re not deciding anything that night. We’re simply learning together and seeing what questions emerge.”

2. Choose a hospitable setting

A welcoming environment supports honest conversation.

• Living rooms, fellowship halls, libraries, or classrooms all work well
• Arrange seating in a circle or around tables if possible
• Avoid lecture-style setups‍

‍^{Note: if presenting to the entire congregation, consider screening the film in an alternate location other than the sanctuary)}

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3. Plan simple hospitality

Good food bonds us and creates connection.

• Popcorn, homemade soup and bread, or a charcuterie board are all appropriate
• Keep it simple — quality matters over quantity

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Framing the experience (opening the gathering)

Before pressing play, take a few minutes to frame the evening.

You might include:

• Why your church is exploring these questions now
• What drew you to Settled and the concept of the Full Community model
• A reminder that discernment is a spiritual practice
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Sample framing language:

“Tonight is about learning and listening — not persuading or solving. We trust that clarity comes over time, and often through shared experience.”

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Watching the film well

Encourage participants to:

• Pay attention to moments that spark hope, resistance, curiosity, or discomfort
• Notice both intellectual reactions and emotional responses
• Hold questions rather than rushing to conclusions

Providing notebooks or paper can be helpful for capturing reflections.

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Facilitating the discussion

The role of the facilitator

As host or facilitator, your role is to:

• Protect a posture of curiosity
• Ensure all voices are welcomed
• Slow the conversation when needed
• Keep the group from jumping prematurely to solutions

You do not need to be an expert. We have a robust FAQ section that you can refer to

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Using the discussion questions

The provided discussion questions are designed to:

• Surface assumptions and values
• Invite reflection
• Connect Full Community to your church
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Tips for facilitation:

• Start with open-ended questions
• Allow silence — it often precedes insight
• Gently redirect if conversation becomes argumentative

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Navigating common dynamics

Strong enthusiasm:
Affirm the energy, then invite patience and shared discernment.

Strong resistance or fear:
Name it as valid data, but redirect the conversation toward a hopeful perspective.

Silence:
Give it time. Consider inviting quieter participants to share if they wish.

Dominant voices:
Thank them, then intentionally make space for others.

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After the conversation (closing the gathering)

Before people leave:

• Name one or two themes you heard emerging
• Affirm the faithfulness of engaging these questions together
• Clarify what will and will not happen next
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Sample closing:

“Tonight gave us shared language and shared questions. Our next step is simply to sit with what we’ve heard and decide how, or whether, to continue the conversation.”

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Discernment beyond the screening

For many churches, Full Community is the beginning — not the end — of discernment.

Possible next steps include:

• Hosting a second conversation focused on desirability and feasibility
• Visiting an existing Sacred Settlement's Community Dinner
• Speaking with Settled team or other church leaders
• Initiating a season of prayer and reflection

There is no required timeline.

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When questions or concerns arise

Common questions include:

• “Is this realistic for a church like ours?”
• “What about liability, finances, or zoning?”
• “How does this change our congregation?”
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These are important questions — and they deserve time, data, and pastoral care. Full Community does not answer everything, but it does offer a research-based and biblically grounded model for entering this work with confidence.

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A final word to hosts

Hosting Full Community is an act of leadership.

Hosting a Full Community screening and discussion is an act of leadership.

You are creating space for your community to wrestle honestly with what faithfulness might look like in your place, with your people, at this time.

That work is slow, sacred, and worthwhile.

Thank you for leading it well.

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