Day of Event

It's very helpful to have one or two people who are committed solely to welcoming everyone as they arrive and directing them where to put coats, fill out name tags, etc.

Name tags: By having someone fill out name tags for people, we avoid the natural awkwardness when talking to people. Everyone should have one, even the home group members who might know most of the people.
Introducing the dinner: The team leader or cooking leader should assemble people and explain the dinner. Some interesting facts about the menu may be shared, especially if it is international. The method for serving and eating should be explained. Some meals are eaten standing up. Otherwise, seating arrangements should be explained.

Introducing the Discussion

After dinner, the people are assembled for the discussion. Discussions should be held in a room with generally circular seating. Straight rows are too formal! The facilitator or host should give the introduction to the discussion, covering the following points:

The group sponsoring the event is Christian.
They put these events on several times a year as an opportunity to share ideas with friends outside the group.
But this meeting is not a church meeting, where people are all supposed to believe a certain thing. Different views are welcome, and disagreement will make the discussion more interesting.
No one can assume anyone else at the meeting believes a certain way.

Handouts

Most facilitators will have a handout reaction sheet. These sheets start everyone thinking about the subject, and usually provoke more discussion. The questions take no expertise to answer, and are based on opinion or experience.

1 Hosting an Event
2 Mobilizing your Home Group
3 Invitations
4 Day of Event