Small Group Guide: Week of 11/30
To view this guide as a PDF, click here.
A Weary World Awaits: Waiting with Hope
Isaiah 9:1-2 (NIV)
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
Opening Discussion
Introductions & check-in
Icebreaker suggestion: If you could have a candle that smelled like any unexpected thing, what would it be?
High/Low exercise
Go around the group giving each member a chance to share highs and lows. Feel free to use a different check-in structure if helpful.
Additionally or alternatively, you can invite the group to share a word or phrase to describe how they’re coming into the group this week.
Community Care
Share any established community care practices, expectations, or discussion guidelines. Consider inviting the group into conversation, asking for feedback or additional suggestions. (Find more on community care practices here.)
Digging Deeper
This Week’s Sermon
Consider reading this week’s text aloud. (Options: listen to it read aloud on an app/YouTube; one person in the group reads; each person in the group reads a section or a few verses).
From Sunday’s sermon:
What resonated with you? What comforted/challenged you?
Did you learn something new?
What image, story, or line from the sermon stayed with you most and why?
Advent begins by telling the truth about our weariness.
Where are you feeling weary as this Advent season begins — personally, relationally, or spiritually?
Where do you see “a weary world” in the communities or systems around you?
We were reminded that Advent “doesn’t ask us to fake it.” How does it feel to enter a season of waiting without needing to be cheerful, certain, or have it all together?
In Isaiah 9, the prophet Isaiah speaks to a people in real darkness, yet begins with “nevertheless,” a turn toward light.
What does the word nevertheless stir in you? Can you name a “nevertheless” moment from your own life — where light broke in despite the darkness?
How does the idea that hope is rooted in God’s past action and future promise (rather than wishful thinking) shift your understanding of Advent hope?
Pastor Andrea distinguished between “toxic hope” that maintains the status quo and true hope that challenges reality with God’s alternative.
Have you ever experienced “toxic hope” — hope that felt dismissive, numbing, or used to quiet real pain or injustice?
What does active hope look like in a weary world? Where might God be inviting you to resist the darkness rather than accept it?
“Hope is the stubborn refusal to let darkness have the last word.” What might that look like in your daily life this week?
Throughout Advent, we’re invited into small embodied practices (our own “light therapy”) that help us await Jesus with expectation.
Was there a practice mentioned in the sermon that resonated with you? (Candle-lighting, fasting from doomscrolling, tending a plant, daily prayer for one hopeless thing.) Have you thought of one on your own?
Where have you recently seen even a small “light breaking in” — a sign of God’s presence or goodness in your life or the world?
As a community, what would it look like for us to help one another remember the light in this season?
Prayer
Praying for one another regularly is an essential part of small groups. You’re welcome to design your gathering however you’d like, but encourage you to include prayer time each week.
Prayer Requests
Give the group a chance to share prayer requests. If it’s helpful, utilize categories like praises/requests.
Spend time praying for one another and the requests made.
Depending on the group size, it can be helpful to break into smaller groups to share requests and pray for one another.
Some groups use prayer partners throughout a semester.
Community Updates
Women’s Brunch + Advent Devotional Group
All Christ City women are invited this season to join a special 4-week Advent group, meeting virtually on Sunday evenings from 8-9pm, and via WhatsApp during the week. This group will be going over a free study by Kate Bowler called, "Bless the Advent We Actually Have." This study is an invitation to slow down, experience the act of waiting as holy, embrace the stubborn hope of Christmas, experience joy in the midst of sorrow, celebrate a love that knows no bounds, and inhabit a transcendent peace amid a world on fire. Join at go.christcitydc.org/womensadvent. For any questions or for more information, reach out to Sarah Bell at sarah@christcitydc.org.
Ladies, you’re invited to join us for a special CCC Women’s Brunch on Saturday, December 6th at 10am! We’ll enjoy a morning together with delicious food, time to build community, connect, and reflect on the Advent season. It’s a wonderful opportunity to slow down, gather, and get to know one another more. RSVP at go.christcitydc.org/brunch.
Miner PTO - Wednesday, December 3
Christ City is working with Miner Elementary to provide childcare during their monthly Tuesday PTO meetings. This allows Miner parents to attend and be engaged at the school and in their child’s education.
We’re hoping small groups can mobilize to provide childcare from 5:45-7:30p. Christ City will provide craft materials and pizza! Once you choose a week with your group, sign up HERE. *We’re in need of a group to sign up for December’s meeting!
