What are Meal Groups?

Meal Groups were introduced to the Upper Room community in January 2006. One of the main reasons Meal Groups were created was to respond to how big the community had become. At that point, we had one overcrowded worship gathering at 7pm on Sunday nights and many people were expressing how hard it was to connect and develop relationships with other community members. Our hope was that Meal Groups would provide spaces for people to gather together outside of Sunday night and develop new and deeper relationships with each other. At that moment, the Upper Room changed from a community whose central meeting time was Sunday night, to a community that now gathers together in smaller groups every day of the week.

Now, as we begin a new year, the community is even bigger and lives continue to be transformed. We have 2 worship gatherings on Sunday, a growing Kids Ministry, and more and more people are encountering God’s story within our community. As we continue to grow, we believe that it is more important than ever to give our community the space to gather together on a regular basis outside of Sunday night.

But Meal Groups aren’t only about making new friends or deepening existing friendships. They are also a space in which you will engage in spiritual practices and experiences that we believe are important in our individual and communal spiritual formation. As the Upper Room’s structure for small groups, Meal Groups bring together 8-10 people around the 5 Activities:

1. MEALS - gathering around the table and sharing a meal together
2. STORIES - sharing life together and telling people our stories about who we are
3. BOOKS, DVDs, CDs - using a book, CD or DVD as the springboard for discussion about how the life of Jesus and the Scriptures inform how we live our lives today.
4. PRAYER - bringing our joys, concerns, praise and thanks to God as a group
5. SERVICE - loving and serving people outside of our community in the name of Jesus

Meal Group Structure

SEASONS: There are 2 Meal Group Seasons each year: Fall (September-January) and Winter (February-May). Each season lasts approximately 4 months.

GETTING TOGETHER: Groups meet 3 times per month – twice a month in a home to eat, pray, share stories and discuss a book, CD or DVD, and once a month to serve others in the Twin Cities community.

CHOICE Within the Meal Group structure there is room for choice:

• TYPES OF GROUPS: There are co-ed, same gender, couples (married or dating), and family groups to choose from.
• MEETING DAY: You choose the day of the week that you would like to meet because there are groups meeting every day of the week. (We’ll do our best at giving you your first choice of day but make sure to give us a second choice too.)
• BE WITH FRIENDS…OR NOT: If you want, you can request to be placed in a group with some people you know. Or you can decide to get to know a whole new group of people from the community.
• NEW SEASON OPTIONS: When a new Meal Group season starts, you will have the option to stay in the same group for the next season, join a new group, or take a break for a season

What is Meal Link?

Meal Link serves as the official launch for each Meal Group season and we highly recommend that Meal Group registrants attend Meal Link. (But if you can’t, you can still be a part of Meal Groups.)
At Meal Link you will:

• Meet your group for the first time
• Have dinner together as a group
• Worship with the UR Band
• Hear again from the author of the book, CD or DVD we will be discussing during the season
• Get your copy of the book
• Set your schedule with your group for the season

Other Meal Link details:

• Meal Link takes place from 7-9pm in the Great Room at Upper Room-CPC
• Meal Link is for Meal Group registrants only.
• Tickets are required to attend Meal Link.
• The cost for a Meal Link ticket simply covers the cost of the book, CD or DVD that you will be using during the season and the dinner you will have at Meal Link.

A Look at Meal Link Season 1 (Jan 23, 2006)

VIDEO
See the first ever Meal Link event by clicking below!

When will the next Season start?

Our next season of Meal Groups will start in February 2009.

How Do I Register for a Meal Group & Purchase a Meal Link Ticket?

Click the button below to register online for a Meal Group and pay for your Meal Link ticket. Pick up your ticket at the Meal Groups Table in the Great Room on Sundays, September 14 and 21.

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION DETAILS
Online registration is now our primary way to register for a Meal Group and pay for your book and/or Meal Link ticket.

We encourage people to register by Sunday, September 14 so we can properly plan for Meal Link.
Registration and Meal Link tickets will be available the Sunday before Meal Link (September 21) for new people who sign up for Meal Groups that night.

Online Registration
Registration is currently closed.
Registration requires Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.

Contact Information

If you have any comments or questions about Meal Groups, Meal Link or registrations, please contact Laura Crosby, UR Administrative Associate.