Here is a menu of options for small church! Please take what works for your group, and leave what doesn’t.
If your group is entirely new, feel free to spend most if not all of your time this Sunday getting to know one another. Consider inviting everyone to respond to the question: “if I had to write my autobiography today, my working title would be…” and then to add a few sentences about why they chose that title. Ask one follow-up question per person who shares.
Whether your SMALL CHURCH is new or not, spend time talking together about what each of you are hoping for this year from gathering this way; what is most important for each person, and whether your group will have a particular ‘focus’ or ‘flavour’ this year. Discuss how responsibilities within the group (advance organizing, group facilitating, food, cleanup) will be shared.
If your group has kids/teens/young adults, talk a bit about how they will be incorporated into the group this year. Will they have their own separate thing? Will they be fully incorporated with adults? Will you take turns caring for them?
Share a consolation and desolation from the past week.
Talk about the three spiritual practices that are linked to the core values Kim has invited the community to be formed by this year. Which ones you have been practicing this week?
Before watching the video, read Acts 2:14-439 (long version) or Acts 2:14-21, 2:36-39 (short version)
Spirit-led Inclusion:
How is the Spirit’s joining together evident in this chapter? (See Acts 2:17-21 plus the ‘alls’ and ‘everyone’s’ Kim mentioned: Acts 2:17, 2:21, 2:39.) How do you tend to hear the “alls” and “everyone’s” in the Bible? Are there people you instinctively include or exclude depending on whether we are talking about “all have sinned” or “all who the Lord will call”?
Spirit-empowered Transformation:
Compare Peter and the disciples described in John 18:25-27 and John 20:19 with how they are in Acts 2.
What is the Holy Spirit doing in this chapter?
What does the Spirit want the people in this chapter to do?
What is the Holy Spirit doing in you, in us, as a church?
What does the Spirit want you, or us, as a church to do?
Read “The Greatest Table” by Michael J Rosen and Becca Stadtlaner or watch and listen to it being read in video below.
“If you’re hungry, join us here, pull up another chair. We’ll all scoot over, and make more room, there’s always some to spare”. A tender book about connections made around the table where there is always room for one more. A great word picture of what God through the Holy Spirit is doing in the Book of Acts.
