Host toolkit for 
‘Belonging In This Land’ 


Welcome! We’re delighted you’ve chosen to host these sessions in your church or small group. We hope they can be a rich time of learning together.

This page has seven key steps to get ready for hosting your sessions and to make them as effective a learning environment as possible. They are:

Step 1: Invite people

By now, you will have chosen two dates and a venue. The button below contains everything you need to promote your sessions: a link to the promotion trailer, slides to put up in church, and a blurb that can be included in a church newsletter or to make a facebook event.

It’s important to get people to RSVP to you, so that you can keep track of numbers and also email participants the link to download participant resources ahead of time (See step 2 for the information you need to send them).

Be mindful of your numbers - the amount of capacity your venue has, the number of people you feel you could host without it feeling overwhelming. Consider whether there are particular individuals who it may be necessary to say no to in order for the rest of the group to be able to discuss safely and without disruption.

Step 2: Email participants

Once you know who is coming, email participants ahead of time with the following URL so they can download the participant booklet and get sent further resources: treatyandbelonging.nz/resources

We are offering this course free of charge because we don’t want cost to create any barriers for people attending. For people who have the means to offer a donation, we do appreciate help to cover costs and therefore invite a donation of $25 per person, but this is not a requirement to attend. Details of how to donate are on the same webpage.

Emailing participants is also an important way to set expectations and an opportunity to ask about any accessibility needs. Are there participants who need details of wheelchair access? Is there anyone who might prefer large-print materials?

  • Hi everyone,

    We are looking forward to hosting you for ‘Belonging in this Land: Treaty Basics from a Christian Perspective’.

    A reminder of our meeting details:

    • Date, time

    • Location (include any details about wheelchair access, parking or how to find the right place.)

    • What to bring: pen and paper, Participant’s Booklet if you wish

    Ahead of the first session, please sign up here (treatyandbelonging.nz/resources) to receive the Participant’s Booklet, that will be our guide during the sessions. You might like to print and bring with you, or download and read on your phone.

    The purpose of these sessions is learning together. Some of us might be learning this content for the first time; others will be refreshing knowledge or plugging gaps.

    So that the sessions work well for everyone, here are the ground rules we will follow.

    • We will be curious, open and respectful, acknowledging everyone comes from a different background. We’ll be humble, look for what we have to learn from each other, and we’ll give others the benefit of the doubt

    • We’ll speak from our own experience. We’ll make sure we’re not generalising to entire groups of people or presuming anything about someone else’s experience. We’ll speak with “I” statements and questions (such as I believe, I wonder, I struggle with).

    • We’ll share space so everyone can be heard.

    • We’ll keep others’ comments confidential, and won’t share them outside this group without asking first.

    • We’ll have grace for ourselves and each other, noting that many of us weren’t taught this material in school. If we feel unsettled, we’ll talk to someone we trust to process further.

    Please let us know if you have accessibility needs, such as wheelchair access, large-print materials, or support if you’re hard of hearing. This will help us make the session work as best as it can.

    We’re looking forward to learning with you all at Session 1. Here’s that link again to download the participant booklet. This course is free of charge because we don’t want cost to be a barrier to anyone. If you would like to make a donation to help cover costs, it would be appreciated, and you can do so on that page too. treatyandbelonging.nz/resources.

    Blessings,

    Hosts’ names

    Contact phone number

Step 3: watch this video about creating safe discussion spaces

Step 4: Print materials

Essential to print out:

  • Hosts’ Guide - this has key checklists and prompts for hosting, the format for each session and the discussion questions you will be facilitating discussion of.

The following will be contained in the participant’s booklet, which participants will receive when they register to receive resources but it is worth printing several copies to have on hand in case participants don’t register.

Optional to print out:

Step 5: Set up your venue and open the videos.

In your venue, set up a screen linked to a computer or TV with an internet connection. Check the wifi is working. Open the webpage for Session 1 or Session 2.

Check the audio is working and connected to a speaker. Set up any food or drink you are providing.

Consider how you will run the discussions - will you break into smaller groups? If so, set up space to do that.

 

Step 6: During your sessions

  • Welcome people warmly. We recommend allowing 15-30 minutes before you begin for a cup of tea, and a chance for everyone to introduce themselves to each other.

  • Get anyone who hasn’t already to download the participant booklet at treatyandbelonging.nz/resources on a device.

  • When you are ready to begin, read aloud the introduction in your Host Guide.

  • Show the videos and facilitate discussion. Discussion time is factored into each video, which is approximately 90 minutes in length.

  • Before people leave, emphasise that they will be sent follow up reading to continue their learning and access to the videos to watch again if they sign up at treatyandbelonging.nz/resources

Step 7: After session 1.

  • Follow up with anyone who was noticeably unsettled. You could text them with: “I noticed you were looking a bit uncomfortable during the session, would that be right? Let me know if you’d like to chat, or if you have suggestions for Session 2.”

  • If anyone was actively disrupting, politely ask them not to return. This is important to keep the space a safe learning environment for other people.

  • Remind the group by email of the date and time for session 2.

  • Let us know how it went! Email contact@commongrace.nz with any feedback.

 

Brought to you by Common Grace Aotearoa in partnership with Karuwhā Trust and Te Manu Hononga - The Sir Paul Reeves Centre.