Eastertide: Week 4

This week our Leadership Team joins us for a Q + A panel. We centered discussion around a passage in John 20! 

Learn more about Spiritual Practices we discussed in our panel, and discover more about creating a rhythm during this shelter in place here -> http://societychurch.com/rhythm/ 

It’s hard to stay connected during this time. Community Groups meet all through the week to discuss the teaching from Sunday, pray together + to stay connected. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we want to encourage you to join a Community Group -> Here

Community Group Discussion Guide:

STEP 1- Ice Breaker

Help people to loosen up and share. It will be helpful if someone is new to go around and do names and have each person share about a question and share a bit about themselves. CLICK HERE for ice breaker questions ideas.

(Group Leader Note: Use the Learning/Living Circle to guide your discussion and application of the content. Try your best to keep the “learning” and “living” focus balanced. You use this model moving clockwise around the circle. The goal is working towards practical and personal life application.)

Step 2- Learning- Observe, Reflect, Discuss

(Group Leader Note: Don’t feel the need to go through every scripture, point or question. Pick and choose what you feel will make the most impact for your group. If you are not sure where to start, just ask your group what stuck out to them about the message most and start with that.)

Read these scriptures together:

John 20:19-22- “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Observation & Reflection Questions to Discuss:

• Anything that jumps out to you as important, helpful or interesting in these scriptures?
• Are there any questions or curiosities you have about these scriptures that you would like to look into more?
• Can some of you talk through some of the anxiousness or fear you felt as news began breaking of the Covid-19 outbreak/National & State-wide shut down?
• What’s been the biggest challenge or change in how you’re doing life in the midst of these current times?

STEP 3- Living- Planning, Accountability, Action

• Have there been any moments, “locked behind closed doors”, when you have experienced God?
• Any spiritual practices that have been helpful for you during this season?

STEP 4- Prayer And/Or Meditation

Please don’t skip prayer!! Cut the discussion short if needed to pray for one another 🙂 Try one of these options, don’t be afraid to mix it up.

• Have people split into groups of 2-3 to share prayer needs and pray for each other.
• Share requests as a group and pray for one another. Assign requests to people that are comfortable with praying and go around the circle praying for each others needs.
• Help your group develop a vocabulary of prayer. Pray a wrote prayer together.  Prayerfully read a Psalm or something from the Book of Common Prayer .
• Meditation with silence and stillness- A word or phrase to focus your group. A time of silence and stillness, set a timer for 5 minutes if you want. Close the time with a prayer for your group.
• Develop someone in your group as the Prayer Coordinator. Have them write down prayer needs, ask them to pray for those needs during the week, have them send a list to the group to keep in prayer, go through the list regularly to celebrate answered prayers and check off or add on prayers.