⛪️ Sunday Service Reflections

Gather in our virtual sanctuary to reflect, rejoice, and renew our team spirit! Like a welcoming church service, let’s celebrate blessings, lift burdens, and share honest confessions to guide our next steps together.
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Glad, Sad, Mad
⛪️ Sunday Service Reflections
Template Columns
🙏 Blessings Counted

Share the uplifting moments, good deeds, and team wins that brought you joy.

Base column: Glad
😔 Moments of Sorrow

Reveal times when things didn’t go as hoped, creating space for empathy and healing.

Base column: Sad
🔥 Confessions & Complaints

Express frustrations or blockers that need airing out, so we can find forgiveness and move forward.

Base column: Mad
About this template

The Sunday Service Reflections retrospective creates a supportive, welcoming space for teams to celebrate successes, air frustrations, and build mutual understanding for smoother collaboration.

When to use this template

Use this template when you want to strengthen team bonds, address unresolved issues, or after a milestone sprint that brought a mix of successes and challenges.

How to facilitate
1

Open the session by explaining the intent: to foster honesty, gratitude, and empathy, much like a community gathering.

2

Invite everyone to add to Blessings Counted, highlighting uplifting moments, team wins, and actions deserving praise.

3

Guide the team to share in Moments of Sorrow, encouraging vulnerability about disappointments or setbacks while assuring psychological safety.

4

Ask team members to honestly contribute to Confessions & Complaints, airing out frustrations and blockers in a non-judgmental way.

5

Facilitate a group discussion to empathize with shared experiences and look for patterns or actionable themes across the boards.

6

Collaboratively prioritize key items to address or celebrate, ensuring that no critical concern or win is overlooked.

7

Close with a round of appreciations or intentions, helping everyone leave the session with a renewed sense of unity.

Pro Tips

Set a supportive tone at the start and remind everyone that this is a safe space for sharing openly and listening with respect.

Model vulnerability as the facilitator by sharing something personal from each column to break the ice.

Encourage quieter team members with anonymous input or private chat options to ensure all voices are heard.

Build in buffer time at the end for open conversation, as honest topics can lead to deeper discussions.

Consider pairing this template with a follow-up check-in to see how action items and feelings have evolved.

FAQ
What if team members are reluctant to share their 'confessions'?

Remind the group that sharing blockers or frustrations is about improvement, not blame. Offer anonymous options to lower barriers and start by sharing your own example.

How do I prevent the 'Moments of Sorrow' and 'Confessions' columns from becoming a complaint session?

Guide the group to focus on solutions or learning and balance each difficult share with hope for progress. Ensure that wins and appreciations are addressed equally.

Is this format suitable for teams new to retrospectives?

Yes, but spend extra time on psychological safety and trust-building. It can help new teams bond if facilitated carefully.

At a glance
  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Glad, Sad, Mad

Tags
team bonding
empathy
psychological safety
reflection
team health
communication
Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective