World Café Model

World Café is a flexible and effective model for hosting crucial conversations leading to action with groups of all sizes on varying topics and issues. Cindy Thompson, Executive Director of Boundless Impact, has used the World Café model for over 15 years, with organizations from all sectors and sizes. World Café conversations can be hosted for many purposes - from strategic planning to engaging groups in civil discourse around polarizing topics. The workshop will provide an overview of the World Café model, including the seven design principles, as well as practical suggestions on hosting a World Café in your church or community.
During the workshop, attendees will participate in a brief World Café process to experience how it works. Additionally, Cindy will share two case studies where the World Café model has been used recently in the Western North Carolina Conference. The first is called TRUTH Café, which brings churches of different ethnicity together to become catalysts for racial equity in their communities. The second is Healthy Conversations for a Way Forward around the topic of human sexuality and the United Methodist Church, leading up to the special called General Conference in Feb. 2019.



Drawing on seven integrated design principles, the World Café methodology is a simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue.

World Café can be modified to meet a wide variety of needs. Specifics of context, numbers, purpose, location, and other circumstances are factored into each event’s unique invitation, design, and question choice, but the following five components comprise the basic model:

1) Setting: Create a “special” environment, most often modeled after a café, i.e. small round tables covered with a checkered or white linen tablecloth, butcher block paper, colored pens, a vase of flowers, and optional “talking stick” item. There should be four chairs at each table (optimally) – and no more than five.

2) Welcome and Introduction: The host begins with a warm welcome and an introduction to the World Café process, setting the context, sharing the Café Etiquette, and putting participants at ease.

3) Small Group Rounds: The process begins with the first of three or more twenty-minute rounds of conversation for the small group seated around a table. At the end of the twenty minutes, each member of the group moves to a different new table. They may or may not choose to leave one person as the “table host” for the next round, who welcomes the next group and briefly fills them in on what happened in the previous round.

4) Questions: each round is prefaced with a question specially crafted for the specific context and desired purpose of the World Café. The same questions can be used for more than one round, or they can be built upon each other to focus the conversation or guide its direction.

5) Harvest: After the small groups (and/or in between rounds, as needed), individuals are invited to share insights or other results from their conversations with the rest of the large group. These results are reflected visually in a variety of ways, most often using the graphic recording in the front of the room.

The basic process is simple and simple to learn, but complexities and nuances of context, numbers, question crafting and purpose can make it optimal to bring in an experienced host to help. Should that be the case, professional consulting services, and senior hosts are available through World Café Services and we would be happy to talk with you about your needs.

In addition, there are many resources available for new World Café hosts, including a free hosting tool kit, an online community of practice, and World Café Signature Learning Programs.

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