Dear Restoration,
We have some big news regarding Life Groups. But before I dive in, I want to first say thank you to all of our many group leaders. Hosting Life Groups throughout a pandemic has been quite the ride, but because of the hospitality, flexibility, and creativity of our leaders, many at Restoration have had a consistent place to lean on one another during a very challenging season.
So what’s the big news? Well, we are going to give our small group ministry a refresh in two ways.
Renaming to ‘Table Groups’
We love the threefold focus of our Sunday Worship: Word, Table, and Spirit. Our small groups have always reflected these since the beginning, but we want to be even more clear.
Word: Groups will foster intentional, spiritual discussion.
Specific topics will differ group to group.
Some groups choose Bible studies, sermon discussion, or book studies.
We will be offering a simple liturgical shape as an option.
Table: There will be food! Some might enjoy a pot-luck meal, while others bring snacks. We think eating together is important for exercising hospitality and service.
Spirit: Groups will commit to praying for another both during the meeting itself and in between gatherings.
In order to emphasize and remind us of the extension of Sunday mornings, we’ll be renaming this ministry to Table Groups.
Annual Rhythms
We want to work with the annual routines of our life together with easy on-ramps and off-ramps for those who want them.
Fall semester: Kickoff the ministry in September. Invite new people to sign up. Groups begin meeting twice a month.
Winter: Groups scale back to once a month to accommodate holiday schedules.
Spring semester: Groups meet twice a month again.
Summer: Groups can choose to meet once a month.
We invite groups to host a Session on behalf of the church.
Members and leaders are encouraged to reassess their commitment.
August picnic or party.
Many leaders and members will most likely continue from year to year; however, we think that by providing clear on-ramps and off-ramps, we honor the various seasons of life, prevent burn-out, and foster hospitality.
Sign up!
Now is a great time to sign up for a Table Group. On our website, you can view the various group locations and times. They will be kicking off later in September.
We look forward to this next chapter of our small group ministry. May the Lord use this to bind us closer to each other and to himself.
Peace,
Father Rick
