The importance of Reunion Groups cannot be overstated.  In fact, the primary goal of Tres Dias is NOT the Weekend, but in preparing candidates for their 4th Day:  Think about it:  The Pre-Weekend Phase prepares candidates for the Weekend, but the Weekend Phase prepares candidates for their 4th Day which, as we know, is the rest of the candidate’s life.  The 4th Day phase consists of Secuelas, Reunion Groups and, of course, returning to your home church to worship and serve.

Since Reunion Groups are such a key component of the 4th Day phase, it’s important that we really understand what they are, and also what they are not.

The ‘Glossary of Tres Dias Terms” defines Reunion Groups as “A small group of pescadores who meet on a regular basis to minister to each other during their Fourth Day.  These Reunion Groups use prayer, scripture, sharing, and transparent discussions of piety, study and action in an effort to develop strong personal relationships.  These relationships enable accountability with each other and, ultimately, Christian growth.”

Let me start by saying that Tres Dias did NOT invent the concept of a Reunion Group, we just gave it a unique name.  Other more familiar names might be Share Groups, Accountability Groups, Home Groups, etc.  Importantly, the key in determining if a gathering qualifies as a “Reunion Group” is whether or not it creates a transparent environment that enables strong personal relationships and personal accountability to each other.

Reunion Groups may or may not include the following:

• Food (my personal favorite!!) 😊
• Bible or topical studies
• Preparations for community service (such as preparing for food pantries, etc)
• Music
• Pescadores (non-pescadores can certainly be included and, in fact, are recommended since it prepares them well for a future weekend).
• Couples, singles, all men, all women, etc. (The make-up isn’t important)
• Ideally not more than about 8 or 10 people to enable comfortable sharing

However, Reunion Groups MUST include the following:

• Regularly scheduled meetings to assure consistency – ideally at least once per month.
• Confidentiality to enable an environment conducive to personal sharing.
• Adequate time for sharing in order to develop personal relationships.
• Encouraging attendees to share their strengths, weaknesses, successes, failures and challenges so they learn to rely on each other.
• A discussion of Piety, Study and Action, as noted in the definition, doesn’t have to be legalistically broken down to a discussion of each of the terms. In most cases, the conversations will generally include reference to one or more of the topics as people share their lives with each other.
• The ultimate goal of a Reunion Group is to create an atmosphere of accountability to each other when facing challenges, questions or important decisions.

WHAT IS NOT A REUNION GROUP?  Although the following examples are wonderful events that help to grow the Body of Christ, they may not technically qualify as Reunion Groups:

• Bible Studies and other get-togethers that do not include a focus on the sharing and accountability noted above.
• Church-directed Home Groups that are focused on discussion of specific topics without the focus on small group sharing and accountability.

OTHER TYPES OF REUNION GROUPS IDENTIFIED IN THE ESSENTIALS

• WORKING REUNION GROUPS are a form of Reunion Group in Tres Dias where people get together to accomplish particular goals (such as Secretariat Meetings, committee meetings, team meetings, planning outreaches, etc). But these groups typically do not include the requirements of a formal Reunion Group noted above.
• FLOATING REUNION GROUPS are the term given to required break-out sessions at Secuelas. Since the attendees do not meet consistently and there’s no opportunity to establish an environment of trust, they generally encourage fairly superficial sharing.  Importantly, they serve as an example of what a Reunion Group could be.
• OPEN REUNION GROUPS (this term varies by region): Typically this is a group that is open to anyone who would like to attend, whenever they wish (compared to the typical Closed Group).
  • The positive aspect is that it introduces people to the idea of a Reunion Group, and ideally will encourage people to break off to create their own Reunion Group. It’s also a good way to get new Pescadores acclimated to the idea of a Reunion Group when they come off their weekend.
  • The downside is that, because people typically come and go, it’s difficult to create an environment of confidentiality and trust; often falling short in the area of accountability.
  • The goal of Open Reunion Groups should be to encourage people to develop their own Reunion Groups.

TO CLOSE:  Reunion Groups are a critical piece of our Christian growth; becoming more important as our world becomes crazier, and secular values become less acceptable of Christian values.  What better way than to have a small group of people who care about each other, intercede for each other, and provide honest insights to each other.

As the Tres Dias mantra goes:  “START OR JOIN A REUNION GROUP!”

De Colores!

Jeff Mehl
President
Tres Dias International