ReEngage Life Maps

Have you considered how God has used significant experiences, people or events to form and develop His people?

A Life Map is a visual representation of your life from birth to present. It highlights events God has used to mold and shape your character. The insights you gain through the Life Map process help you answer the questions, “Who am I, and where is the Lord leading
me?” It can also help your group get to know and understand you better.

Consider the life of Abraham. His journey took him through both the lows and highs of life. They also brought him in contact with all sorts of people and places. Most importantly, you can see how these experiences helped shape his relationship with God. All of Abraham’s experiences – decisions, people, places, events, etc. – helped form and develop him.

These four steps will help you develop your Life Map so you can share it with others:

Step 1: Reflection
Prayerfully consider people, places and events that have marked your life. Make a list. Be sure to use the Life Map worksheet to help you categorize your thoughts. The terms on the worksheet identify categories you should include.  Some people prefer to use the Question and Answer Worksheet as part of the reflection exercise.

Step 2: Analysis
Now that you have reflected over your life up to today and have a list of your heroes, heritage, high points, hard times and “hand of God”
moments, it’s time to analyze which of these you want to put in your Life Map. While it would be nice to share everything, focus on the most significant influences and experiences in your life. Spend some time praying through what you have listed. What you choose is totally up to you. You should not plan to spend any longer than 20 minutes
sharing your Life Map with your group.

Step 3: Organization
You are now ready to synthesize this information into a logical flow of
thought. How do these people, places and events fit together?

Step 4: Presentation
This is where you exercise your creative powers. How will you deliver your story? What medium fits your style of communication? You could draw your map like an ancient sea journey with battles, treasures and tropical islands. You could also use a narrative story, graph, photographs or music. Be as creative as you can be to depict your life story. Since you are presenting this to your group, remember to make it large enough for everyone to see and read easily.