I don’t think it’s a secret that women love to chat. It has been said that women tend to use more words throughout the day. There are many studies out there that state a certain number of words that women use throughout the day compared to that of men. One such study claimed women used 20,000 words and men only used 7,000 words in day. However, after some research, I found that it didn’t seem like the studies showing a vast difference were factual. Most of the evidence-based studies showed that while women tend to use a few more words than men, it’s not a drastic difference. Although, I think it is safe to say that women like to process together. We connect more intimately through words as opposed to doing activities together. So, while you may see team building sporting events at a men’s retreat, you are more likely to see a, “craft and chat session,” at a women’s retreat.
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For this reason, we felt led to create opportunity for women to chat more often. To connect on a deeper level and really get to know each other. We stumbled upon an activity called the IF: Table. It is simple in its design and yet very effective in connecting women. The concept is based of Acts 2:46 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” The design is to have a table of six women, answer four questions over a two-hour period. Ideally, these same women would meet each month and grow together. They would also share a meal together, take time listening to each other’s answers without interruption. That simple.
6 Women4 Questions2 Hours
The questions are different each month and can be created or printed from the website of the organization who created this concept, IF: Gathering. Depending on the time of the year, the questions may be themed around an upcoming holiday. An example would be Thanksgiving. We may have questions around the theme of thanks. Every time I have participated, I am amazed at how deeply women connect because of these questions. At first, the questions may seem random, but I have seen God use them to create amazing conversations time and time again. At FCC, women meet quarterly and share a potluck meal while enjoying the IF: Table experience. These events have been well attended and very well received. Women have noted that they leave feeling like they have met a handful of women who they can now call friend. They have connected on a deeper level and feel known. We feel blessed to have found a simple, impactful and encouraging event for women. We hope to see you out at the next IF:Table on Monday, February 25th.