Small Group Guide: Week of 9/13
With Us: Emmanuel
To view this guide as a PDF, click here.
Matthew 1:18-25, 2:16
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.
2:13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.
Opening Discussion
It's the first small group gathering of the fall semester! Historically we see an uptick in attendance in the fall, including new small group members. Be mindful of new folks in your small group and work to make them feel welcome by recognizing them and orienting them to the group and other members.
Introductions & check-in
Introductions: Share your name (and pronouns if you'd like) and if you're new or a returning member.
Icebreaker suggestion: Name a highlight from the summer. (Could be an event, trip, person, meal, anything! This week's icebreaker may run a little longer than usual, but feel free to use it as a catch-up.)
High/Low exercise
Give each member a chance to share their highest points and lowest points of the past week/month.
Additionally or alternatively, you can invite the group to share a word, emotion, or phrase to describe how they're coming into the group this week.
Starting Conversations
As it's the first gathering of the semester, you have some options to (re)orient folks to the small group space. Below are some categories that could be helpful to shape your first (and second) gathering. You will not have time to get through them all in one gathering, that's not what they're listed for! Consider choosing one section for your first meeting and one for your second if it would be helpful.
Option 1: Beginning of the Semester
Spend a few minutes orienting folks to the small group.
Share your vision/hopes, and identify discipleship as the purpose of the small group and the aim of keeping Christ at the center.
If helpful, this could include thoughts you've had about how the group is cultivating Worship, Community, and Mission.
It may be helpful for newer folks to hear about the history of the group.
Share your plan for the semester. This fall we're beginning "With Us," a year-long walk through the Gospel of Matthew. A weekly reading plan is available at christcitydc.org/resources and in print at the connection table.
(Re)Introduce any shared leadership/hosting practices (snack signup, facilitation rotation/signup, etc).
Option 2: Looking Back & Looking Forward
Take some time to reflect with your small group on what the semester might bring. Invite members to share as they are comfortable. Make space for the conversation points that you feel are most helpful for your group. Although the fall comes toward the end of the year, it is often a season of new beginnings.
How would you describe your summer?
What are you hopeful for as you look ahead?
What are you grieving as you look behind?
Where did God meet you this summer?
Other questions to consider for sharing:
What are you hoping for this small group semester?
Where are you now, where do you hope to be in your spiritual journey at the end of the year?
What would it look like for God to feel near to you this fall?
Option 3: Community Care Practices
Take some time to remind the group of your community care practices (group norms, rules of engagement). If helpful, open the floor for a conversation around what the group might want to add or articulate around how to care well for one another during group discussions. You can find the full Community Care Practices document here; some things to consider with your group:
Your community care practices should include ways to address these foundational values:
Engagement: commitment to attending and participating in the group
Confidentiality: nothing is shared outside of the group without permission
Generosity: a posture of seeking to understand even in difference
Listening well: validating others' experiences and avoiding a posture of "fixing" (ie. unsolicited advice)
Inclusion: recognizing and making space for everyone, especially folks who might experience marginalization (this can include more specific practices or boundaries addressing topics like racism or LGBTQ inclusion)
Some other things to consider:
What to do with silence
Awareness of different conversational & processing styles (ie. introverts & extroverts)
Technology use
How practical care happens in the group
This doesn't have to be a one-time conversation! Work together to name your group's community care practices and name them consistently in your gatherings.
Digging Deeper
You may not even get to this part of discussion this week since there's a lot of orientation that needs to happen. If you do, here are some prompts to reflect on as we begin "With Us."
As you reflect on Sunday's sermon:
What resonated with you?
What comforted/challenged you?
Did you learn something new?
What might the Spirit be prompting you to remember and consider?
Presence Is Not One Thing
Pastor Andrea opened with a promise someone made her before she got in the water with sharks in Belize: "I'll go with you and I promise I won't leave you." She named that presence isn't one thing, that some people's presence comforts us and some challenges us and some makes us able to do what we couldn't alone. When has someone's presence made a difference for you? What kind of difference was it?
Who Is With Us
Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy, and five of the names in it are women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah, and Mary. What unites them is a pattern of irregularity, vulnerability, and powerlessness. What does it say about God that this is the family line Jesus comes through?
How the Presence Arrives
God comes as an infant, through a young unwed woman living under occupation, in a village Micah called least among the clans of Judah. "God wasn't stuck with these circumstances, God chose them." Where have you seen God show up in a way or a place you wouldn't have expected?
What Presence Provokes
Two responses to the same news. Herod hears that a king has been born and is frightened. The magi get curious and travel a long way to get closer. Where might God's nearness feel threatening to something you've built or arranged? What would curiosity look like instead?
God Everywhere
"If God's presence is everywhere, there's no part of our lives it isn't asking something of." Pastor Andrea prayed that we'd be comforted, challenged, and curious enough to come closer. Which of those three do you most need 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
H Street Festival
H Street Festival is THIS SATURDAY, September 19! We will have our Christ City tent and we need YOU to staff the tent. You'll be passing out popsicles, greeting people, answering questions about Christ City, praying for people who ask for prayer, and enjoying the amazing people-watching that takes place!
You can sign up to volunteer at the Christ City tent for a 2-hour time slot at christcitydc.org/hstreet.
Miner PTO
In one of our longest standing partnerships, Christ City is continuing to work with Miner Elementary to provide childcare during their monthly Thursday 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 at christcitydc.org/minerpto.
