Small Group Guide: Week of 9/20
With Us: Here Comes the Kingdom
To view this guide as a PDF, click here.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, 2 “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” 3 He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said:
The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.”
4 John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
5 People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. 6 As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 7 Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. 9 And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire. 11 I baptize with water those of you who have changed your hearts and lives. The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”
13 At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him. 14 John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?”
15 Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.”
So John agreed to baptize Jesus. 16 When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. 17 A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.”
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: What is your favorite late night snack?
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 second gathering (and beyond!). 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 per week.
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
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?
Pastor Justin named three ways people might be experiencing "Emmanuel" right now—as a proven reality, a prayer, or a pipe dream.
Which of those feels closest to where you are this season, and what's shaped that?
John shows up in the wilderness, not the Temple—not anywhere religious or political leaders would've told you to look for God's next move.
Where have you encountered something true about God outside the "official"—or even the expected—places?
The sermon offered a few ways to hear "kingdom of God"—empire of the heavens, government of God, presidency of God.
Which of those feels most uncomfortable to you, and which feels most hopeful?
What does that discomfort or hope tell you?
Pastor Justin tried to hold two things together: calling out power that abuses power, and warning against letting anger curdle into bitterness, resentment, or cynicism.
Have you felt that tension in your own life—the pull toward righteous anger that risks becoming something else?
Jesus gets into the water even though he doesn't need to.
Where have you chosen solidarity with someone—done something you didn't strictly need to do—because you refused to stay separate from people you love? Or where has someone done that for you?
The voice from heaven speaks belovedness over Jesus before he's done anything to earn it.
Is that easy or hard for you to receive about yourself?
What gets in the way?
"Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort."
Where in your life have you confused those two—treating hard work as a way to earn love, rather than a response to already having it?
What would effort look like for you 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
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.
