Small Church September 27, 2026
Small Church Fall Kick-off
Mark 12: 28-34
For the first Small Church this fall, here is a buffet of items which you can choose from to structure your time together. During this gathering there is time for connection, a time for setting intention and a time for reflection.
Becoming Present to God
Light a candle, take some deep breaths, or sing a song, to draw your attention to God’s presence. Say this prayer together or read it to yourself.
Connection
To reconnect with one another, consider sharing your answers to the following questions:
As fall begins, what has been the metaphorical ‘harvest’ of this last growing season? Is it emotional? Practical? Spiritual? Physical? Something else?
Is there a way for you to store up this harvest so that it might feed you and others in this coming season?
Intention
At the beginning of this season, we invite you to recall what our primary purposes are in choosing to gather this way. We hope that as you participate in a Small Church this year, you will experience Formation, Integration, and Connection.
Our great desire is that you might be formed in Christian faith, find ways to integrate your faith into your daily life, and experience relational connection and care.
As a group, discuss the following questions:
Which purpose do you think your Small Church excels at?
Is there a purpose that your Small Church could grow into more this year?
Is there a new focus or practice you might want to incorporate into your gatherings this season?
Reflection
Read aloud Mark 12: 28-34
Discuss any or all of the following:
Share your responses after having listened to our pastors offer their own insights for the last three All Church Sundays.
Richard Rohr writes: “We can learn to love others by closely observing how God loves us and all of creation.” (Tears of Things, chapter one). What words or word pictures might you use to describe this kind of love? How can we as humans possibly offer this kind of love back to God and others?
Does the command to ‘hear’ make ‘loving’ seem more possible? What might it look like in your own lives to ‘hear’ in the way Scripture commands?
Closing Blessing
Pray for one another as you end your time together, and/or close with reading this blessing together, taken from John O’ Donohue’s Blessing for a New Home, with your small church in mind.
