Every week, just shy of three hundred Redeemer adults gather in small groups across the greater metro Richmond area. Some of these groups meet early in the morning before the work day hustle begins. Others meet later in the evening after little ones are bathed and fed and tucked away. Most groups meet over dinner, where a hundred of those little ones join their parents as they eat together at the dining table. And all of these groups are faithfully reading through the same scriptures each week and asking how God’s word to us is meant to shape how we live.
Why do we do this? Because this is what Christians have always done! From the very beginning, as the Holy Spirit brought people into the Church, they didn’t just hear good teaching and preaching. These first Christians spent time each day enjoying each other’s company, sharing meals around their tables, and praying for each other as they sought to follow Jesus’ way and live as part of God’s family (Acts 2:42). As the miracle of Jesus’ living and dying on their behalf began to sink in, they helped each other make sense of how to live now that their own lives were tied to his and to each other’s.
Simply put, we need each other. It is one (very important!) thing to hear the scriptures taught to you. And it is another thing to have someone sit across from you over many months and tell you how they see the scriptures lived out in you.
Below is a glimpse into our small groups this fall. And if you’re not already in a group, it’s not too late to join one! You can check out the list of groups meeting this year, and please email me if you have any questions or need help finding a group.
Peace,
Lane Cowin
Senior Director of Ministries
“Each week, coming as myself to the dinner table with those unified in mind, heart, and body to center Christ in their lives, is incredibly grounding. We share our love of Jesus and how he is at work in each of us, laughing with gratitude and learning from one another. By contemplating God’s message and praying together in this intimate, familial setting, I’ve finally begun to experience the unique presence of a community through God that I craved, but did not realize I truly needed.”
“As a small group leader, I have been comforted by the fact that I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, the most scholarly, or the one who always knows what to do in every situation. Instead, I have been blessed by the myriad of life experiences, wisdom, and strengths represented by each person around the table. I’m there to help present the opportunity for us to minister to each other: to speak a word of encouragement here or bring deep insight into a scripture passage there, as we all do our best to keep our eyes on Jesus and point each other back to him.”
“We have had the joy of having several families with young children gather in our home every week over the past few years to discuss Scripture, sermons, and the general challenges and triumphs of our daily lives. It’s been such a gift over time to get to see these children grow and to form connections with the other families in our group and to share the milestones of their lives with them.”
“Participating in a women’s lectio group has given me a new imagination for how to listen to God through reading his word. It’s been such a gift to sit with other women and hear how they are learning to listen to God too. It has helped me grow my confidence in recognizing God at work.”
“I am so glad I joined a Redeemer men’s small group. The group has been a great way to get more plugged into the life of the church, make new friends, and be an encouragement to each other. The men in my group are all balancing the demands of careers, while striving to be good husbands and fathers, and I am grateful to be able to share those challenges with them and hear their perspectives.”
