Greetings in the Name of the Lord!

During this Easter Season I will be exploring what it means to make disciples and be disciples and how that all relates to the Great Commission found at the end of Matthew.

At its simplest a disciple is a learner. In the context of the early Jesus movement to be a disciple was to be a part of a group, a community. Jesus started with 12 disciples and had each of them go and create further groups and those groups create more groups and so on. 

And there is something about having 12 as a group learning together and serving together, so much so that it has inspired the rise of intentional small groups within the church more recently.  

Our own Christian Education committee is really embracing the small group idea, recognizing that it is directly descended from the small group that first surrounded Jesus. The small group concept also fits neatly into our Vision/Mission statement as we seek to be a hub, or a network for spiritual practice. Taking time to discuss faith and what it means to be humans with others is one of the greatest spiritual practices we can engage in. It creates space for God, cultivates reverence, embodies true Christian formation, and it strengthens our sense of community.

Here at First Pres in Victor we will be seeking to create topic based groups, interest based groups and life stage groups, all of which adhere to flexible formats.  In other words some will meet one a week for 5-6 weeks, others will meet once a month for as long as they feel called to meet, others may just be a one off event.  Some will be in homes, others will be in restaurants, yet others will be field trips and outdoor adventures. Some will have a set number of people who covenant to meet with each other and others will be more informal and fluid.

And if you have not noticed yet, we are already doing this!  We recently had a "Soup and Psalm" small group that met in someone's home once a week around a meal for 5 weeks. We have had a long term Men's breakfast that continues to meet monthly. We have bible studies every season. And don't forget Larry Teel's book club, the "Beyond the Pews" educational series as well as the monthly Sermon talk back following worship on the First Sunday of the month.

We are looking to continue to expand these programs. Folks who participated in prior "Soup and..." gatherings are looking to host their own. We are exploring a hiking small group to set out and about on the trails that surround Victor.  Someone tossed out an idea around a community bell choir. We are even thinking about field trips!

Does this sound exciting to you? Do you want to participate? Do you have ideas for more small groups?  Great!  Share them with the Christian Education committee and we will help you get involved.  

The greatest thing to me about small groups is that it allows the Holy Spirit to really work within this congregation, and when a church welcomes in the Holy Spirit, unexpected and amazing things tend to happen. And there is no reason if you are hosting or participating in a small group as to why you can not invite friends who are not involved in First Pres in Victor to participate, it is a great way to really live into being Christ's hands and feet for our surrounding communities.  

So keep your eyes and ears open for more news about small groups and go join one, you will get so much from the experience.

In Christ, 

Mike