Wiping away the tears watching my youngest marching into school this morning for his first day of Kindergarten, I was caught up in reverie about how fast time goes but also about the incredible privilege of education. I was envisioning all that is before my boy as he begins this adventure of school. So much to learn, so much to experience, so much to integrate about who he is and what this world is like and where he fits in this grand scheme of life. As we head into a new program year here at Hope Church I find myself thinking about the many different ways we each continue in all of that exploration that is so new and so exciting on the first day of Kindergarten. We never stop learning about ourselves and the world and God and our place within it all. I am convinced of the formative power of worship. I know how vital our education programs are for all of us not just our children and youth. The invitation to be actively engaged in the work of community building, justice and reconciliation is a critical component of faith. All of these dimensions of our church life are part of the exploration that I mean.
When I think about the places where I have grown the most in my life of faith, it has been in smaller group settings where relationships can deepen over time and where conversations go beyond the abstract and begin to touch the deep places of integration where faith and real life intersect. We have many opportunities for smaller groups to gather in our church life: men’s breakfast, women’s circles, the fall series, periodic gatherings like the parents’ class last spring and last fall, Diner’s Club, the Reader’s Group, Brim Bunch, the 20/30s gatherings. Many people find that their involvements in things like choir and church ministries become a place for small group connection as well. A number of years ago now someone had the vision for a group of retired men and a small group was born that became so big they had to split into two. Around that same time a couple approached Gordon and I about wanting to create a long term small group and we helped them to brainstorm who they might invite since they were eager for the group to be multi-generational and didn’t necessarily know who might be interested in something like this. I hear all the time about other small groups that exist off the radar like a book club or a discussion group that meets in one of the retirement facilities in town. These things happen without much structure or attention from the staff of Hope Church.
The formal groups of the church aren’t necessarily the right fit for everyone and some folks don’t feel so comfortable or confident to just go off and start a group on their own. So this year I am planning to give some time and attention to helping people make small group connections who want to be part of one. The fall series offering that Pastor Gordon and I will be leading is a great resource for a small group. It was designed for that purpose. We’ll be looking at just four of the chapters as a sample of what the book can provide and our hope is that it might inspire some folks to continue using the resource in a small group. I’ll be poised and ready to help coordinate that if people are interested.
Small group ministry has been on the radar of church leadership for some time. But this summer when I had three conversations with relatively new people to Hope Church who were asking about how they could plug into a small group I realized the time is right to bring this closer to the top of the list. So please pray with me about how to best support these connections among our worshipping community. There will be a few moments throughout the year when we will try to capture the names of people interested in being part of a small group. But you don’t have to wait for those if this is something on your heart right now. Reach out to me – I’d love to talk with you!
Peace to you,
~Pastor Jill